It is never too early to start considering your fantasy teams for next season, especially for those in keeper pools.

This week, I'm going to go through each of the Western Conference teams and highlight the players who I think can surpass what they have done so far in their short NHL careers. 

Most NHL rosters have a short list of players on the rise, a longer list of players holding level and ideally a very short list of players on the downward dive. This is not the case in a few cities unfortunately. 

Contending teams are more likely to have players who have reached their peak with fewer on the rise, while rebuilding teams should have more of the latter. The best teams, like Colorado for example, contend and improve from within at the same time.

I'm only going to consider players who have played at least 40 games this season and leave the prospects as obvious choices to possibly improve.

Anaheim Ducks

I could be wrong but I don't think Troy Terry will do much more than his 37 goals and 30 assists he had last season.

Trevor Zegras (Winger) (21 years old): 69-22-36-58

Zegras is on pace for 0.84 pts/game this season, up slightly from 0.81 last year. I don't think there is much doubt that he could be and should become an 85-95 point player in the NHL one day.

Mason McTavish (Center) (20): 68-16-25-41

McTavish has had a fairly good rookie year and is on pace for close to 20 goals and 50 points. I think we will see him get 35-45 goals on a regular basis in a few years and put up 75-85 points, while being the number one center the Ducks need.

Jamie Drysdale (Defense) (20): 8-0-0-0

Drysdale was hurt after eight games this season and will miss a crucial year in his development as a top-four defenseman who should be the quarterback on the first unit of the power play. Drysdale had 32 points in 81 games last season and should get 45-55 points one day in the NHL, but it might not be in Anaheim. The Ducks have a plethora of young offensive defensemen coming up in the system in Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov and Tristan Luneau to mention just three.

Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes should improve in the next few years, but I don't think Clayton Keller will improve on the season he is having this year (85-90 points) or that Matias Maccelli will continue to put up better numbers than he is currently posting (52-7-32-39).

Barrett Hayton (Center) (22): 70-14-23-37

Hayton is just starting to fulfil his promise in the second half of this season. After starting out with just three assists in his first 20 games, he has 34 points in his past 50 games and 20 points in his past 21. He should be good for 65-75 points one day.

Jack McBain (Center) (23): 70-11-8-19

I'm not sure McBain has as much offensive upside as some others we will write about, but I do think he is capable of 20-25 goals and 45-50 points one day. He has 247 hits this season and while that total will more than likely come down he should become a pretty attractive player in multi-category pools.

J.J. Moser (Defense) (22): 70-5-21-26

Moser began this season with some fairly impressive production with Jakob Chychrun out of the lineup. In his first 20 games he had 13 points with six of them being on the power play. In the 50 games since he has just 13 points with three power play points. There is some offense there for perhaps 35-45 points one day and the ability to reach the 100 club with 100 hits and 100 blocked shots.

Juuso Valimaki (Defense) (24): 66-3-28-31

Calgary put Valimaki on waivers at the start of this season and Arizona scooped him up. Valimaki has been given the keys to the power play now that Chychrun has been traded. In his first 45 games this season he had 12 points with six PPPs. In the last 21 games he has had 19 points with five PPPs, but more importantly he has seen his ice time go from 15-16 minutes per game to just under 23 per game. He is more than capable of 40-45 points in this league. 

Calgary Flames

The Flames are at a bit of a crossroads as they are struggling to make it into the playoffs and they don't have much from their current roster that they can count on next season or the year after to improve from within.

I think Jonathan Huberdeau will rebound for a better year next season, but I would hardly consider him to be a 29-year-old on the rise.

It's tempting to include Dillon Dube in this article but I'm not sure how much more improvement there is on his 18 goals and 22 assists in 70 games in the future.

Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago is pretty much at rock bottom as we approach the end of this season. They don't have much from their current roster and even if they win the draft lottery this year, they are years away from contending again.

It's tempting to put Taylor Raddysh or Philipp Kurashev here, but I'm not convinced they can or will improve their production significantly moving forward.

Colorado Avalanche

The defending Stanley Cup champions would be expected to have their cupboards fairly bare as teams that go far in the playoffs usually give up draft picks or prospects to do so.

Somehow, Colorado has managed to unearth a legitimate top-end player from within four times in the past 12 seasons with Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. They have the potential to do the same with the two players below.

Alex Newhook (Center) (22): 68-13-14-27

I'm not convinced that Newhook will reach quite the heights of some of the previous Avalanche draft picks mentioned above or that he will remain as a center. I do think he will get 20-25 goals and 50-55 points as a floor.

Bowen Byram (Defense) (21): 30-7-10-17

If Byram can stay healthy for a full season, he should be capable of 40-45 points in the next two or three seasons and perhaps 55-65 after that. The latter will be difficult in Colorado if Cale Makar is playing as there are only so many points to distribute amongst the defense on each team. In his past 60 games, Byram has 34 points which is 0.57 points per game.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are built almost perfectly as they have young players hitting their peaks at almost the same time in Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger. Even if those players all level off and produce the same for the next two or three years, this team should be in contention in each of those seasons.

Wyatt Johnston (Center) (19): 70-20-15-35

19-year-olds don't typically do what Johnston has done this season. He has walked straight from the OHL to the NHL and put up 20 goals as a rookie. He should become a second-line fixture on this Stars team and I wouldn't be surprised to see him produce at 65-75 points in the next two or three years.

Nils Lundkvist (Defense) (22): 58-6-10-16

I'm not as convinced of Lundkvist's guaranteed ascent as most of the others listed here. His defensive play needs to improve for him to get more ice time than the 14 minutes per game he has been getting over the past 20 games. He hasn't proven to be an offensive producer at the pro-level in North America yet, so I would temper my expectations to 25-35 points in the next few seasons.

Ty Dellandrea (Winger) (22): 70-8-17-25

Dellandrea is a tough player to predict for future production. He's essentially a rookie (played 26 games in 2020-21) and doesn't shoot the puck enough (1.1 SOG/G) for someone who might score more than 20 goals in a season one day. He could see value in multi-category pools as he does have 114 hits in 70 games this year and might get 15-20 goals and 45-55 points one day.

Edmonton Oilers

Who am I to say that Connor McDavid won't continue to improve? He's in his eighth NHL season and has improved almost every year. The Oilers are not counting on it as they have loaded up a little for this year's hopeful playoff run.

Connor McDavid (Center) (26): 70-58-76-134

McDavid had a career-high of 44 goals before this season and I figured he might hit 50 one day, but it would be a struggle. McDavid increased his shots per game from 3.9 to 4.3 this year and his shooting percentage from 14.0 to 19.3 and now has 58 goals in 70 games so far this year.

Evan Bouchard (Defense) (23): 70-4-25-29

I thought Bouchard was struggling a little this season after an excellent rookie year where he had 43 points in 81 games. The trade deadline changed his near future, when the Oilers dealt Tyson Barrie and handed the quarterback duties to Bouchard for the most productive first unit in the NHL. He could reach 50-60 points in his current role.

Ryan McLeod (Center) (23): 55-11-11-22

Mcleod skates like a forward who should produce much more than he has so far in his short career, but he is improving, getting more ice time and the production should come. His ceiling might not be as high as some here, but I think he can reach 20-25 goals and 40-50 points one day.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are probably ahead of where they should be in the standings at this point of their ascension and still have quite a few players from an impressive prospect pool improving nightly in the NHL.

Gabriel Vilardi (Winger) (23): 60-22-18-40

Vilardi only managed 25 games last season, in what could only be described as a step back in his progression. This year, he has established himself as a potential 30-goal forward and 60- to 65-point player. It does look like the Kings have decided his future is on the wing and not at center.

Arthur Kaliyev (Winger) (21): 47-11-13-24

Kaliyev has had some injuries this season but has raised his points per game from 0.34 to 0.51 from his rookie year where he had 14 goals and 27 points in 80 games. I think Kaliyev is a future 30-goal scorer in the next two to three years.

Quinton Byfield (Winger/Center) (20): 41-3-16-19

The 2nd overall draft pick in 2020 has seen his progression happen slower than some would like, but he is still improving and the Kings will need to be patient. They might not have the next Anze Kopitar in Byfield, but he should be a perennial 25/45 player in a few years.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild have the luxury of having Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek who are probably at the peak of their game. Kaprizov might get to 107 points again or might get 50 goals one day but I'm not sure how much better he can get.

Matt Boldy (Winger) (21): 70-22-29-51

Boldy has seen his shots per game go from 2.4 to 3.1 from last season to this one, but his points per game have gone from 0.83 to 0.73. I do have some concerns with his even strength production dipping a little, but I still think he will get 30-35 goals and 65-70 points in the near future.

Calen Addison (Defense) (22): 59-3-25-28

While the Wild traded for John Klingberg for their playoff run and have healthy scratched Addison in six of the eight games since, I don't think they are giving up on him for next season. Addison still has a way to go defensively to get more than 15-16 minutes per night, but I don't doubt he will get there to the tune of 40-45 points next year or the year after.

Filip Gustavsson (Goalie) (24): 32GP 17-9-8

I don't have any other goalies listed here as it's so difficult to predict future success for them. Gustavsson is on this list because he is young and playing on a very good team in Minnesota and his share of starts should only increase next season with Marc-Andre Fleury who is 38-years-old.

Nashville Predators

With the playoffs unlikely for Nashville this season, they have transitioned to a team who will look to improve with draft picks, prospects and from within.

Tommy Novak (Center) (25): 37-13-17-30

While Novak probably won't maintain his 0.81 points per game he has put up in 37 games, he has more than likely won an audition for a top-six role next season in Nashville. He is capable of 20 goals and 30-35 assists.

Cody Glass (Center) (23): 58-10-17-27

Expectations were much higher for the 6th overall pick in the 2017 draft. This season has been his most productive as an NHL player and he has been sound defensively. He should get a chance in the top-six next season and is capable of 15-20 goals and 30-35 assists.

Juuso Parssinen (Center) (22): 42-5-18-23

With Parssinen, Glass and Novak, there are three centers vying for one center spot in the top six (assuming Ryan Johansen is the other one) next season. Parssinen had 75 hits in 42 games so does provide a multi-category threat as well. He perhaps has the lowest ceiling of the three at 40-45 points.

Philip Tomasino (Winger) (21): 17-3-8-11

Tomasino was in the AHL for most of this season and has only been back for 17 of the past 18 games that Nashville has played but has been impressive. It was surprising to see him sent down at the start of the season as he had played 76 games last year in Nashville as a 20-year-old and put up 11 goals and 21 assists.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are at the bottom of the rebuild but still somehow have Erik Karlsson who might get 100 points this year. They have very few roster players for next season to list here.

Fabian Zetterlund (Winger) (23): 55-6-15-21

Zetterlund was a piece of the return when the Sharks dealt Timo Meier to New Jersey. One thing we know for next season is that Zetterlund will get a chance to succeed in San Jose. Zetterlund shoots enough to one day get 20-25 goals and could get 45-50 points in the next two to three years.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues have two very good young forwards in Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, but they both have peaked around a point per game. Maintaining that pace will be an accomplishment in itself.

The Blues were sellers at the trade deadline and will be looking to add prospects and draft picks to their roster in the next two or three seasons.

Jake Neighbours has played 39 NHL games with five goals and five assists to show for it. He is 20-years-old and was the 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft. He wasn't ready for the NHL this season, but should improve each year.

Seattle Kraken

The Kraken are in the second year in the NHL after expansion and are well on their way to making the playoffs. They have built a competitive roster without mortgaging their draft capital and have two current roster players who should make them better next season as well.

Matty Beniers (Center) (20): 67-19-30-49

What makes the Kraken so good, is that they have a top-nine rather than a top-six and can slot players in on any of those three lines. Beniers is listed as their top center, but his line can be the third line on some nights. I believe he is capable of 30-35 goals and 50-55 assists one day.

Eeli Tolvanen (Winger) (23): 48-15-12-27

Teams aren't usually able to get players on waivers who have unrealized potential to the level that Tolvanen has. I don't think he has that much more in him than he has shown in Seattle which is about 45- to 50-point pace in a small sample, but I think he is capable of 25-30 goals in the near future.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have some great young talent in Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, Filip Hronek and even 27-year-old first year player Andrei Kuzmenko. Vancouver will need all four of these players to hold their status quo for the next two seasons for this team to have any hope of getting back to the playoffs.

Vasili Podkolzin (Winger) (21): 36-3-3-6

There is little debate that Podkolzin has regressed offensively from his rookie season where he had 14 goals and 12 assists in 79 games. I think if he improves his foot speed a little and puts on a little more muscle, he'll have a breakout, but the Canucks need to be patient with him. His ceiling is probably around 20-25 goals and 20-25 assists, but his defensive play will need to improve a little as that should be his bread and butter.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights roster consists mostly of players who are already established in the league and are either at their ceilings or coming down a little. Their window relies on Jack Eichel reaching his full potential in the playoffs this season, getting Mark Stone back for the playoffs and having one of their goalies play above-average. Essentially it is this season or next.

Jack Eichel (Center) (26): 57-26-28-54

I was hesitant to include Eichel here because he has had 78 points in 68 games and 82 points in 77 games before and that might be it for him. The reason I included him is that he has it in him to be a 90-95 or more player if he can put together 75 games or more in a season. He's too good to just be a point per game player and this franchise is relying on that fact.

Winnipeg Jets

If Winnipeg comes up short in their playoff chase this season, the talented group of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Pierre-Luc, Dubois, Blake Wheeler, Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck will be broken up. Not one of those players is likely to break out much higher in terms of production than they already have.

Cole Perfetti (Winger) (21): 51-8-22-30

Perfetti has picked up fairly significant injuries in both of his NHL seasons so far. If he can play 70 games or more, he will be good for 20-25 goals and 40-45 assists in the near future.

Thanks very much for reading and if you have any comments or suggestions, please leave them below or follow me on Twitter @gampbler15.