The San Jose Sharks rank No. 1 on ESPN\'s prospect pipeline rankings heading into the 24-25 season. Players expected to be on the NHL roster for most of the NHL season are not considered in the pipeline. Notable players fitting that description include Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Matvei Michkov, Cutter Gauthier, Shane Wright, Logan Stankoven, Brandt Clarke and Rutger McGroarty.
Beyond Celebrini, the Sharks feature defenseman Sam Dickinson and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov.
The Columbus Blue Jackets rank second and are headlined by blue-chip prospects in David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk.
Full Prospect Pipeline Rankings
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
3. Montreal Canadiens
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Anaheim Ducks
6. Minnesota Wild
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Chicago Blackhawks
9. Utah Hockey Club
10. Carolina Hurricanes
11. Seattle Kraken
12. St. Louis Blues
13. Nashville Predators
14. New York Rangers
15. Calgary Flames
16. Winnipeg Jets
17. Washington Capitals
18. Philadelphia Flyers
19. New Jersey Devils
20. Toronto Maple Leafs
21. Vancouver Canucks
22. Dallas Stars
23. Los Angeles Kings
24. Colorado Avalanche
25. Pittsburgh Penguins
26. New York Islanders
27. Florida Panthers
28. Vegas Golden Knights
29. Ottawa Senators
30. Edmonton Oilers
31. Tampa Bay Lightning
32. Boston Bruins