Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the development of prospects as they excel in junior, make the NHL, and push towards stardom.

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Welcome back the October Edition of my coverage into Mason Black's Rank King PNHLe chart. Last month, we broke down how PNHLe helps project a player's potential point production in the NHL and how it's a powerful tool for fantasy managers. In case you missed it, you can take a quick read here where we touched on UTe—a tool that works hand-in-hand with PNHLe, helping you spot those buy-low, sell-high opportunities by tracking career trends. Now that we've laid the groundwork, let's jump back in.

Lukas Dragicevic – D- 67 PNHLe

Lukas Dragicevic is making a name for himself as a prospect out of the WHL. The right-shot defenseman, previously playing for the Tri-City Americans, was turning heads leading into last year's NHL Draft, thanks to his offensive upside that screams fantasy potential.

Dragicevic was a point-producing machine during his 2022-2023 season nearly averaging 1.24 points per game with 7 goals and 30 assists in just 27 games. His skating, especially his ability to walk the blue line and utilize sharp edgework, makes him a natural fit as a power-play quarterback. His straight-line skating could use some fine-tuning, but that's a fixable issue with the correct coaching. What really stands out is his elite awareness and knack for using space effectively under pressure. His snap and wrist shots cut through traffic like it's nothing, and while he doesn't lean on his slap shot often, he still finds ways to bury the puck.

After the draft, Dragicevic was hyped as one of the top offensive defensemen in his class, and his WHL numbers reflected that. He recorded 15 goals and 60 assists in 75 games, leading his team in points. Last season saw a slight dip—14 goals and 36 assists in 66 games—but the offensive ability is still there. When he moved to the AHL, many were interested to see how he would perform. However, this past summer, the Americans traded him back in the WHL, sending him to the Prince Albert Raiders.

From a stylistic standpoint, Dragicevic has all the makings of another Zach Werenski. His offensive skill is undeniable, but he needs to focus on improving his defensive game. He tends to overcommit to offense, which can lead to poor positioning and missed defensive assignments. He's very much a high-risk, high-reward player. There’s no shortage of offensive defensemen who have struggled defensively and never could make the transition—just ask Ty Smith or Calen Addison. Dragicevic is definitely worth stashing and keeping a close eye on.

Andrew Cristall – LW – 85 PNHLe

Andrew Cristall lit it up the Kelowna Rockets last season, putting up 40 goals and 71 assists in 62 games. At 19 years old, he’s showing a level of skill and offensive touch that’s hard to ignore. His skating is smooth and fluid, with an extra gear when needed. In terms of overall skill, he is a solid puck handler and space creator. He is able to see the ice and slow things down and make smart plays and finds a way to make something happen for his teammates. He doesn't have a shot that will blow you away. He relies on scoring from close range, using his positioning rather than a powerful shot. Defensively, his hockey IQ is evident in his game, but he's not a physical player, so don't expect too much. He's a true winger, and as long as he's racking up points, that probably won't hurt his fantasy stock too much.

At the time of this writing, no decision has been made yet on whether Cristall will make the opening night lineup. He's had a very strong and positive training camp and preseason, so if he does make the team, chances are he'll get a nine-game trial to start. There is a chance he could seriously impress and pass that 10-game threshold to stick around, but in all likelihood, he'll be sent back to the Rockets, potentially getting a call-up at the end of the season for additional reps.

Projecting forward, on the high end, Cristall has the potential to be a top producer if he puts it all together—which he seems to be doing. We're talking above-point-per-game upside in the NHL, but he'll need to be a consistent scorer to hit that mark. Don't expect him to fill categories like hits, blocks, or shots. At the least, you can project to see him as a dependable point producer—think Alex DeBrincat or a less gritty Brad Marchand. Either way, he's definitely a player to keep on your radar.

Sam Rinzel RW – D – 63 PNHLe

Sam Rinzel has become almost an afterthought among the Blackhawks’ defense prospects, with names like Kevin Korchinski, Wyatt Kaiser, Alex Vlasic, and Ethan Del Mastro garnering more attention in recent years. However, don't sleep on Rinzel—he's definitely one to keep an eye on.

Since Sam Rinzel's return from the World Juniors last year, he's hit another level, much like his teammates Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar. He's finally starting to show flashes of his potential. At 6-foot-4, Rinzel has all the size, awareness and physicality you want in a right-shot defenseman, but what’s even more impressive is that his game is still developing, slowly refining itself. His transition game is already strong, and as he continues to grow into his frame, he's becoming even more imposing on the ice. Although his development curve has been steeper than some of his counterparts but he is slowing closing that gap.

Whether he's jumping into the rush or getting physical in his own end, Rinzel shows the tenacity and persistence needed to make things happen. You can see things starting to click—his confidence is building, and as he learns to fully leverage his size and skating, he's evolving into more than just a big body with decent mobility. His shot from the blue line is sneaky good, and he should look to use it more often.

The University of Minnesota, known for being a hotbed for developing defensemen, has been instrumental in Rinzel's growth. Rinzel is likely still at least a year from the NHL, but his potential is undeniable. He could end up being a strong complement to Artyom Levshunov or Korchinski down the road.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more content/fantasy hockey analysis, or if there’s a prospect, you’d like me to cover, follow and message me on X @Punters_hockey.