It would be ideal for every team in the NHL to have about five or six rising players on their roster, but it's just not possible. It's usually reserved for clubs who have been losing for at least a few years and had little success.

Some teams manage to have rising players who can help them next season, but unfortunately most are forced to improve from outside of their organisation through trade or free agency. Few teams are willing to be patient enough to improve from within and use the draft.

We are going to go through each team and look at the players on each roster, who I think could and should be improved from 2022-2023. I'm not going to include rookies.

For fantasy pools, these are the players who you want to focus on adding to your roster, but avoid overpaying for production that hasn't happened yet.

You don't want to be the fantasy owner who waits for Tyson Jost to crack the code and become a 50-point player. Jost has played six seasons now and his career-high is 26.

By now, we should be aware of the 200/400 game breakout threshold for young players.

Anaheim Ducks

Trevor Zegras – He had 65 points last year, but I think most people would agree that he should produce 85-95 points at some point. With the 2nd overall pick in the draft, the Ducks are going to be able to pick an excellent player, who could be able to help right away and it could bolster Zegras sooner than later. 

Mason McTavish – He had a very fine rookie year with 17 goals and 26 assists in 80 games. I think he's a player who will have his breakout closer to 200 games rather than 400.

Jamie Drysdale – Even though he only played eight games last season, if healthy I think Drysdale will get another chance to quarterback the Ducks power play in 2023-2024. With the impending arrivals of Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger, the window could be short for Drysdale.

Arizona Coyotes

Barrett Hayton – With 19 goals and 43 points in 82 games, Hayton made a significant step. Now that he has made the step with playing time, power play time and shots on goal, he should be capable of taking another.

Jack McBain – The stat that jumps off of the page for McBain is the 304 hits he threw in 82 games. The 12 goals and 14 assists are an intriguing side story for this multi-category potential add. He could be on the 400 game side of having a breakout and with only 92 career games under his belt, a 20-goal season might be a few years away still.

Dylan Guenther – He's only played 33 NHL games, but did have six goals and nine assists. He might need some additional pro experience, but I don't think there is any question he scores 25-30 goals in this league. We just need to stay patient with him.

Connor Ingram – He re-signed for three more years with the Coyotes at $1.95 million. He played 27 games in 2022-2023, but if he continues to play at the level he has he could carve out 35 games or more moving forward.

Calgary Flames

If all of the rumors are true about their impending free agents, the Flames might be in a little bit of trouble, to understate things a bit.

We could perhaps have Walker Duehr or Adam Ruzicka listed here, but there is no guarantee that they are the types of player who new head coach Ryan Huska is looking for.

The Flames have very little on the rise.

Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Bedard – I know I said I wasn't going to list rookies, let alone a player who hasn't even been drafted officially, but Bedard is going to instantly be on the rise for this club.

Taylor Raddysh – He got ice time and opportunity with Chicago last year on a depleted roster and managed 20 goals and 17 assists in 78 games. I’d like to see him shoot the puck more, as it will be difficult to move past 20 goals if he doesn't. He's 25 years old, so I believe he needs to deliver a little quicker than the usual 400 game mark.

Lukas Reichel – He played 23 games and had seven goals and eight assists. He's ready for a full-time role in the NHL, but whether he has chemistry with Bedard will be another story. There is only one puck and they both like to have it, so we will find out.

Colorado Avalanche

Alex Newhook – The acquisition of Ryan Johansen seems to put the timeline for Newhook's ascension on hold for the time being. I mentioned Tyson Jost at the beginning of the article and see some similarities between him and Newhook, but Newhook should be capable of 50 points or more at some point.

Bowen Byram – If Byram can stay healthy he gives the Avalanche a lot more flexibility in how they handle their roster moving forward. In 91 career games, he has 15 goals and 28 assists, which is even more impressive on a team which boasts Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Speaking of Toews, how will this team be able to afford him going forward? How Byram plays in 2023-2024 could have a significant impact.

Dallas Stars

Wyatt Johnston – I am in awe of a player who was picked 23rd overall in the 2021 draft, and made the NHL at 19 years of age, with no games in the AHL. He had 24 goals and 17 assists in 82 games. He's just going to continue to get better and better until he is a fixture on the first power play unit and in the top-six.

Roope Hintz – I was hesitant to put Hintz here, but I think there is another level he could still attain. He's been hovering around 40 goals and 40 assists the past two years, but I think he is capable of 90-95 points.

Ty Dellandrea – It might take Dellandrea the 350-400 games to become a 20-goal and perhaps 50-point player in this league but he's certainly capable.

Thomas Harley – He has now played 40 regular season games and 20 playoff games in the NHL. What he showed in the playoffs, where he had nine points showed that he is ready for the league on a regular basis. His ascent might be slower than we think, but there is no reason for him to not be in the top-four in two or three years.

Edmonton Oilers

I usually put Connor McDavid here, but I think he's finally managed to peak.

Klim Kostin – Kostin is a project in my mind, but with 11 goals, 10 assists and 157 hits in 57 games with the Oilers he's too enticing a player to ignore. He could take some time as he's played just 103 NHL games, but he could score 20 goals and get 200-250 hits at some point.

Dylan Holloway – I was surprised he stuck for 51 games with the Oilers where he had just three goals and six assists. I could see him in the AHL for the majority of 2023-2024 unless he forces himself onto the team once again. He's probably a few years away still but a player to keep your eyes on.

Evan Bouchard – We saw Miro Heiskanen put up 26 points in 27 games in 2019-2020 but then struggle to provide much offense until he put up 73 points in 79 games. The similarities are there with Bouchard from a points-only standpoint as Bouchard had 17 points in 13 playoff games and now has 26 points in 28 career playoff games. The difference with Bouchard is that the Oilers power play is through the roof and the floor for his production is much higher than Heiskanen was. Bouchard has to be considered a lock for 50 points if he plays 75 games or more.

Los Angeles Kings

Gabriel Vilardi – Things were looking a little bleak for Vilardi coming into 2022-2023. He had an excellent start with 11 goals in his first 23 games and even though he faded and battled some injuries he managed 23 goals and 18 assists in 63 games. He has cemented his spot on the power play and has given the King’s another scoring option. He just needs to stay healthy and he'll score 30 goals in this league.

Arthur Kaliyev – He can be a little enigmatic and lose favor with the coaches at times, but Kaliyev shoots the puck. A lot. Even though he has averaged around 12 minutes per game the past two years, he has averaged between 2.2 and 2.4 shots per game. That works out to 11.2/60 and is in the top 30 in the NHL. I think it's inevitable that he pops off for 25-30 goals at some point.

Quinton Byfield – He is the pro-typical forward who could take 400 games to break out. He's progressing and getting better after 99 NHL games but for production purposes there is a way to go. He's still just 20-years old.

Minnesota Wild

Matt Boldy – He's had 31 goals and 32 assists, but I think he has another level in him at perhaps 40-45 goals and 40-45 assists. One of the most impressive things about his 63 point season is that he managed most of that without Kirill Kaprizov.

Filip Gustavsson – He probably won't reach the level of save percentage (93.1) and GSAA (31.61) but he should play more than 39 games and have more than 22 wins moving forward. I just don't trust goalies to consistently put up solid back to back campaigns. I will put a buyer beware sticker on him.

Nashville Predators

Tommy Novak – A week ago, I'm not sure I would have Novak here, but with the Predators moving Ryan Johansen to Colorado, it tells me that Nashville thinks Novak might fill a role in the top-six. He played just 51 games but produced 43 points on 17 goals and 26 assists. I'm not sure he can continue at 0.84 points/game, but if he plays 75 games or more he should be good for 50 points.

Cody Glass – I would have had Glass here regardless of what the team did with Johansen. Glass has had a very slow roll to the NHL after being drafted 6th overall in 2017. I'm not sure he'll ever be a prolific goal scorer in the NHL but he should become a 50-55 point center at some point.

Philip Tomasino – I was surprised when Tomasino was sent to the minors after playing 76 games in 2021-2022. He finally got the call back up to the Predators and played well with 18 points in 31 games. I'm not sure of his ceiling, but I still think he's a riser. It could be 45-50 points.

San Jose Sharks

I could list Fabian Zetterlund but I'm not convinced he will rise up after three points in 19 games after becoming a Shark last year.

They have rookies William Eklund and perhaps Henry Thrun, but this team is surprisingly bereft of young rising talent for such a struggling team.

St. Louis Blues

Jake Neighbours – I think he needs some more time in the AHL, as he looked to be a little over his head in 43 games with the Blues in 2022-2023. Perhaps he has a big summer and comes into 2023-2024 giving the Blues no choice but to keep him. I think he's going to be a 300-400 game breakout guy but could be a 20 goals, 20 assists and 125 hit player.

Sammy Blais – He's 27-years old but it was too tempting to not include Blais here after his 17 points in 20 games after he was brought back to St. Louis for the second time in his career. He set career-highs of nine goals, 16 assists, 25 points and 238 hits. Could he manage 15-20 goals and 15-20 assists with more than 200 hits one day? I think he could.

Seattle Kraken

Matty Beniers – 57 points in 80 games was an impressive season for Beniers. He has more in the tank and he definitely faded after 36 points in his first 42 games with just 21 in his last 38. He'll get stronger each year and could be an 85-95 point player at some point.

Vancouver Canucks

Vasili Podkolzin – Sometimes you need to take a step back to move forward and that is what Podkolzin did in 2022-2023. He played just 39 games with the Canucks and struggled. It was pretty evident he lost some confidence and couldn't get it back. He's still capable of 20-25 goals and 20-25 assists and might take two or three years to get there.

Vegas Golden Knights

Brett Howden – Howden impressed me in the playoffs with five goals, five assists and 63 hits in 22 games. His production might not scream off the page but he's struggled with injuries over his five seasons in the NHL. I'd be curious what he could do if he played 75 games or more, but 15 goals and 15 assists with 125 hits is certainly in his wheelhouse.

Adin Hill – Hill set a career-high with 27 games, 16 wins and a GSAA of 9.70. He won the Stanley Cup after playing 16 games, winning 11 and posting a save percentage of 93.2 and a GSAA of 13.85. If he can play 45-55 games in 2023-2024 he should shine.

Winnipeg Jets

Cole Perfetti – In his short career, Perfetti has impressed but has struggled to remain healthy with 51 games being the most he has played in three years as a pro. I think he's going to become a 20-25 goal to 40-45 assist guy. With the impending exodus of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler it might be sooner than later.

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