We are going to look at each team in the Western Conference and look at some young players on the roster or in the system who could play 60 games (25 games for goalies) or more in 2025-26 with the big club.

We will not include players who played 40 games or more in 2024-25.

Anaheim Ducks

Sam Colangelo – F – (23.2 years of age) 26 GP – 8 G- 2 A -10 PTS (NHL stats)

Nikita Nesterenko – F – (23.5) 16-4-1-5

Tristan Luneau – D – (21.2) 6-0-0-0

Colangelo is a rookie who turned pro at the end of 2023-24 after his fourth year of college hockey. He has nine career goals in 29 NHL games, but has a 22.5 shooting percentage, which is probably not sustainable. He's got good size and has 59 hits in 29 games. He projects to be a 3rd or 4th round winger who could chip in 15-20 goals and over 100 hits.

Nesterenko continues to progress after turning pro at the end of 2022-23 following three years at Boston College. He has now played 28 NHL games, with six goals and an assist to go along with 50 hits. He also projects as a 3rd or 4th-line winger but is likely behind Colangelo.

Luneau lost most of 2023-24 to injury as he played just seven games in the NHL with Anaheim and six AHL games. In 2024-25, he played 53 AHL games and produced an impressive 48 points. He played games with the Ducks and went pointless. With the breakout of Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov ahead of him on the depth chart, he might struggle to produce in the NHL if and when he does get a regular role. He does have more hits and blocks in him than Zellweger.

Calgary Flames

Rory Kerins – F -(22.9) 5-0-4-4

Adam Klapka – F – (24.5) 25-3-2-5

Ilya Solovyov – D – (24.7) 5-0-1-1

Samuel Honzek – F – (20.3) 5-0-0-0

Zayne Parekh – D – (19.1)

Kerins had an impressive cup of coffee with Calgary earlier in 2024-25 as he produced four points in five games. He's also had a great campaign in the AHL with 31 goals and 26 assists in 58 games. He's a smaller player, so he will need to produce to stay in the NHL, and to do that, he will need to play in the top six. The odds are against him.

Klapka is a huge player (6-8, 235 lbs) and has 85 hits in 25 games with the Flames in 2024-25, to go along with five points. He's a fourth-line player who does have a little bit of offensive skill to go along with his physicality (35 goals in 98 AHL games). I'd be surprised if he isn't a regular in the NHL in 2025-26.

Solovyov has continued to progress and produced 27 points in 54 AHL games (0.5/g). He is probably 7th or 8th on the Calgary depth chart, but if he were a regular, he could be a 100-hit/block defender who could chip in 15-25 points.

Honzek started 2024-25 with the Flames and played five games. He's struggled a little in the AHL with just 20 points in 47 games, so he probably needs another full year in the AHL in 2025-26.

Parekh has had an outstanding 2024-25 in the OHL with 33 goals and 74 assists in 61 games (1.75/g). He's just 19 years of age, and his overall game does need some ironing out to play at the next level, not just the NHL. He needs to add some strength and might need to sacrifice some offense to be a regular with the Flames, whether that is in 2025-26 or not. His offensive game is pretty special, but there was a legitimate reason he was held off of Team Canada at the WJC.

Chicago Blackhawks

Colton Dach – F – (22.2) 25-2-5-7

Artyom Levshunov – D – (19.4) 13-0-5-5

Sam Rinzel – D – (20.7) 4-0-1-1

Oliver Moore – F – (20.2) 4-0-2-2

Kevin Korchinski – D – (20.7) 13-0-0-0

Landon Slaggert – F – (22.7) 28-2-3-5

Ethan Del Mastro – D – (22.2) 23-2-4-6

Dach is the younger brother of Kirby Dach in Montreal. He has a little less offensive skill but has produced 23 goals and 30 assists in 81 AHL games over the past two years, which has earned him a prolonged look with the Blackhawks. He had seven points and 85 hits in 25 games with the big club before he hurt his elbow. His ceiling is probably a third-line center/winger in the NHL.

Levshunov had the door opened to the NHL instantly when Seth Jones was traded to Florida at the deadline. He has struggled a little defensively but has produced five points in his first 13 NHL games. He's probably not going to be a 50-60 point defender with 100 hits and blocks, but more likely a 35-45 point-getter with 65-75 hits and 100-125 blocks.

Rinzel just turned pro after two seasons with the University of Minnesota, where he had 60 points in 79 games. He will likely need more time in the AHL in 2025-26, but is getting a look at the end of 2024-25, where he has averaged over 22 minutes per game in four NHL games. Chicago's back end could be something in three or four years.

Moore signed with the Blackhawks after two years at the University of Minnesota, where he had 66 points in 77 college games. He might need some time in the AHL in 2025-26, but this roster should have some openings next year.

Korchinski played 76 games with the Blackhawks in 2023-24 and posted just 15 points and struggled defensively. He started 2024-25 in the AHL and struggled there as well with 27 points in 54 games. He's back in the NHL and has gone pointless in 13 games, but he should finish the year in the NHL. He was the 7th overall pick in 2022, but without the production, he might be a below-average NHL defender, which will make it difficult for him to stick as a regular, especially as other prospect defenders start getting a look.

Slaggert turned pro at the end of 2023-24 after four years at Notre Dame. He has now played 44 NHL games with nine points, and 39 AHL games with 25 points. He could be a regular in 2025-26 but probably as a third or fourth-line winger who might produce 8-12 goals and 20-25 points.

Del Mastro had 59 points in 51 games in his last OHL campaign and 37 points in 69 games as an AHL rookie in 2023-24. In 2024-25, he had just eight points in 42 AHL games and six points in 23 NHL games. His role in the NHL and with the Blackhawks is likely as a defender who produces 15-25 points and 100 hits/blocks.

Colorado Avalanche

Nikita Prishchepov – F – (21.1) 10-0-0-0

Sean Behrens – D – (22.0)

The 10 games that Prishchepov played for the Avalanche earlier in 2024-25 were more a testament to the lack of depth on the roster than the play of Prishchepov. That's not to say he won't get a regular role in the future, but going pointless in 10 games while averaging just over six minutes per game might not cut it. He has played 46 AHL games with 21 points, but he probably needs more time in the AHL in 2025-26.

Behrens signed an AHL deal after three years at the University of Denver, where he produced 81 points in 112 games. He has similar size to Samuel Girard and has some offense, so he could see some time with the Avalanche in 2025-26. Whether that is a cup of coffee or a regular role, we will see.

Dallas Stars

Arttu Hyry – F – (24.0) 5-0-1-1

Matej Blumel – F – (24.8) 7-1-0-1

Justin Hryckowian – F – (24.1) 5-0-1-1

Antonio Stranges – F – (23.1)

Hyry has had a good AHL campaign in his first taste of North American pro hockey. He has 24 goals and 23 assists in 61 games. He's a big winger who can take faceoffs, but is not the fastest skater, so it could be an issue at the NHL level.

Blumel has 38 goals and 27 assists in 61 AHL games and saw seven games with Dallas with one goal. Much like Hyry, skating might be an issue at the NHL level, but the depth of the Stars is not helping him either.

After leaving Northeastern at the end of 2023-24, Hryckowian has 20 goals and 39 assists in 74 AHL games. Between himself, Hyry and Blumel, Hryckowian might have the best chance to play on the third or fourth line at the NHL level.

After a disappointing 2023-24, Stranges has rebounded with 43 points in 55 AHL games and put himself back on the radar for the NHL.

Edmonton Oilers

Matt Savoie – F – (21.2) 4-0-1-1

Olivier Rodrigue – G – (24.7)

Savoie is in his rookie AHL season and has 46 points in 58 games with one assist in four NHL games. He will probably have to adapt to a bottom-six role in the NHL on a short-term basis to get a regular role in 2025-26. He's a play driver, but if he plays with the likes of Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid, he'll need to change his style to support the puck carrier.

Rodrigue saw his first NHL action in 2024-25 as he played one period. He's played a career-high 41 AHL games and was 18-15-8 with a save percentage of 89.9, down from 91.6 in 2023-24. Between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, who knows what the Oilers crease will be in 2025-26?

Los Angeles Kings

Andre Lee – F – (24.6) 19-1-2-3

Francesco Pinelli – F – (21.9)

Erik Portillo – G – (24.5)

Lee saw his first NHL action in 2024-25 and stuck around for 19 games, where he averaged 9:10 per game and skated mostly on the fourth line. In 147 AHL games, Lee has just 19 goals and 20 assists, so there won't be much offense in the NHL if he becomes a regular.

Pinelli has progressed slightly in his second AHL season with 28 points in 64 games (0.44/g) compared to 20 points in 67 games (0.3/g) as a rookie. He is probably a dark horse to make the roster in 2025-26 for the Kings.

David Rittich is set to become a free agent after 2024-25, which could open the door for Portillo, who had one NHL start this year and kicked out 28 of 29 shots on goal for the win, which was considered a steal. Portillo has an AHL record of 39-16-7 since turning pro after 2022-23.

Minnesota Wild

Michael Milne – F – (22.5) 1-0-0-0

David Jiricek – D – (21.3) 12-1-2-3

Liam Ohgren – F – (21.1) 24-2-3-5

Carson Lambos – D – (22.2)

Zeev Buium – D – (19.3)

Milne got his first NHL game in 2024-25 even though he has just 26 points in 60 AHL games. He's an energy player who could carve out an NHL role on the third or fourth line.

Jiricek was the 6th overall pick in 2022, but 2024-25 has been a step back for him. He was traded to the Wild from Columbus and has played just 12 NHL games along with 31 AHL games. He's averaged just 12 minutes in his 12 games after averaging 14:36 in the 43 games he played with Columbus in 2023-24.

Ohgren was the 19th overall pick in 2022 and is in his first North American pro season after playing four games in the NHL at the end of 2023-24. He has adapted well with 17 goals and 16 assists in 36 AHL games. He has played 24 NHL games, with two goals and three assists while averaging 11:06 per game.

Lambos was the 26th overall pick in 2021 and has transitioned from a defender who had 95 points in 112 WHL games, to one with 31 points in 131 AHL games. He should compete for a regular role in 2025-26 with the Wild.

Buium will be playing in the Frozen Four for the University of Denver, so we don't know yet what his decision is for 2025-26. The Wild don't have an offensive defender like Buium, so it's intriguing for 2025-26 where Buium would play if he does turn pro.

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