To pair with the theme Grant is diving into in the Wild West column, let's take a look at some young players on rosters in the East who could play 60 games (25 for goalies) or more in 2025-26 in the NHL, not including players who played 40 or more games in 2024-25. We'll carve this one up into a running segment, today tackling eight Eastern Conference teams and finishing the other half next week. 

Boston Bruins

Fraser Minten – F – (20.7 years old) // 21 NHL GP, 3G – 2A – 5PTS

Fabian Lysell – F – (22.2) // 12 GP, 1 – 2 – 3

Matthew Poitras – F – (21.1) // 33 GP, 1 – 10 – 11

Boston is bringing six roster forwards and three roster defensemen under contract into 2025-26 – one of those roster forwards is Matthew Poitras. Of their non-roster corps: Minten and Lysell are two of five that have contracts that are not expiring this off-season. Which direction Boston plans to go this off-season will be dictated by what moves they make in free agency, but there is talent waiting for them in their pipeline. 

Minten, newly acquired for Boston in the Brandon Carlo deal, has burned the first year of his entry-level contract (ELC), so there is no reason to let that time go to waste in the minors. There's plenty of room on the Bruins roster for Minten to make an impact. 

Lysell is a speedy winger with exceptional playmaking ability. The Bruins are already giving him a look inside the top six behind David Pastrnak. Depending on the expectations of the team going into 2025-26, Lysell could be poised to continue holding on to top minutes. 

Poitras has been in and out of the Bruins lineup a few times this year. His rookie year saw a half point per game season cut short due to shoulder surgery playing in only 33 NHL games. Another 33 games this season puts him on track as one of the more "regular" cast members of the satellite roster players. 

Buffalo Sabres

Noah Ostlund – F – (21.0) // 7 GP, 0 – 0 – 0

Isak Rosen – F – (22.0) // 7 GP, 0 – 1 – 1

Jacob Bernard-Docker – D – (24.7) // 39 GP, 2 – 5 – 7

Buffalo is a hard one to really nail down in terms of unoccupied space on the NHL roster. Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka and Tyson Kozak are the only four RFA's in the forward corps, and Bowen Byram and Jacob Bernard-Docker are the only two defenseman RFA contracts. Buffalo already has 12 forwards and five defensemen under contract for next season, so is there really a guarantee? Rosen and Ostlund are among those under contract – but it's hard to believe Peterka, Quinn and McLeod won't receive offers, as well as Byram on defense. Without a trade or an injury, confidence in getting 60 games out of these guys is teetering on the fence.

Bernard-Docker just barely made the 40-game threshold so I took the layup here. He's already on his way to being a mainstay in the NHL, whether in Buffalo or elsewhere, there should be 60 games in his 2025-26 future. 

Rosen, 2021 first-round pick acquired in the Ristolainen trade from Philadelphia, is a quick moving and flashy scorer who needs some work improving his two-way game. Minutes may be limited as Buffalo attempts to shake the playoff-less streak, but they should have room for him. 

Ostlund has had a decent year in the AHL, posting 0.82 points per game for the Rochester Americans. Ostlund accumulated 19 goals and 17 assists for the Americans – and goal scoring is appreciated at any level. He won't burn his ELC this year, as Buffalo has only one game remaining and Ostlund only has seven games in the NHL. 

Carolina Hurricanes

Bradly Nadeau – F – (19.9) // 1 GP. 0 – 0 – 0

Alexander Nikishin – D – (23.5) 

Nadeau is a bit more of a reach than Nikishin, but it certainly feels like Nadeau has been knocking on the door all year. One look at the Hurricanes roster and one can easily imagine how they could use a center. Top 20 in AHL scoring and tied for sixth for the most goals scored, Nadeau has earned himself a look. 

Nikishin is perhaps the most anticipated defensive prospect in the league, ranked 1st in Dobber's Top 50 Fantasy Prospect Defensemen. Nikishin is a behemoth of a skater with just as big of a slapshot. As I write this, I'm sure he's on his way to the U.S. to get a couple games in after just recently signing his ELC. 

Columbus Blue Jackets

Luca Del Bel Belluz – F – (21.4) // 15 GP, 2 – 6 – 8

Columbus is a lot like Buffalo in the way that there is already a lot of young talent on the active roster. Finding an avenue for someone to not only get the callup, but to be a mainstay would be a tall order. 

Del Bel Belluz played 15 games this season, starting the clock on his ELC, and was able to post eight points in his stint in the NHL. The biggest hurdle that LDBB will have to jump will be availability – there needs to be room for him in the NHL. Luke Kunin, Sean Kuraly, Christian Fischer, Justin Danforth, James van Riemsdyk and Kevin Labanc are all UFAs going into the off-season, and don't necessarily scream "Columbus Core Player," so there could be room amongst the nine other forwards who are signed through 2025-26 or beyond. 

Detroit Red Wings

Sebastian Cossa – G – (22.4) // 1 GP, 0.857 SV%, 2.67 GAA

The Detroit Red Wings have Cam Talbot and Petr Mrazek on contracts through next season, but Alex Lyon's contract hits UFA status this off-season. Detroit has shown that three netminders isn't out of the realm of possibilities, and Talbot/Mrazek aren't the pictures of health. Cossa getting 25 games is maybe the best bet to hit in Detroit. I'd love to see Brandsegg-Nygard on this list, but the roster looks too cramped at the moment to bring a 19-year-old into the mix for 60+ games. 

Florida Panthers

Jack Devine – F – (21.5)

Florida is in its win-now window, there is a very non-zero chance that the Panthers opt to instead fill any gaps in their roster through free agency rather than source from their minor system. Two-time Hobey Baker finalist, NCAA scoring leader, two-way player Devine can't be ignored. He's two points ahead of second-place teammate Aidan Thompson – a Blackhawks product. The Panthers had already given him one game this year with the big club, and getting 60 games out of him next year would mean that the 21-year-old needs to leave the University of Denver and abandon college. Whether he makes that choice is up in the air, but if anyone in the Panthers system is ready, it's Devine. 

Montreal Canadiens

Ivan Demidov – F – (19.3) // 1 GP, 1 – 1 – 2

Jakub Dobes – G – (23.8) // 16 GP, 0.909 SV%, 2.74 GAA

Demidov is a layup, as it's hard to believe he won't be a Montreal Canadien for the entire season after posting two points in maybe the most electric rookie debut in a while. His 49 points in the KHL this season were the most by a player under the age of 20 in KHL history – more than Kirill Kaprizov (42) and Matvei Michkov (41). SKA St. Petersburg has agreed to release him so he can sign in the NHL. He's about as done a deal as it can be.

Dobes feels like another layup already being one of two NHL roster goaltenders for Montreal. Cayden Primeau was waived and unclaimed, and that certainly feels like the end of his rope in terms of any sort of inheritance to the Montreal net. 

New Jersey Devils

Simon Nemec – D – (21.2) // 26 GP, 2 – 2 – 4

Seamus Casey – D – (21.2) // 13 GP, 4 – 3 – 7

Nemec has already spoken publicly about wanting to be in the NHL with the Devils, and the Devils obliged. He's been with the club for 26 games now, and will likely continue playing NHL games into next year. 

Casey has a bit more appeal for those managers seeking out offense, though neither Nemec nor Casey have the time on ice to warrant attention in shallow redraft leagues. Casey has considerable upside to be excited about, but a New Jersey depth chart that will cap his offensive ceiling. Both Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes seem to be first and/or second fiddle on any given night, and Casey won't have the role necessary to throw his hat in the ring for consideration. 

That's your Eastern Edge Eastern Conference update for the week. Thank you for reading. Feel free to chirp me in the comments below or feel free to reach out on X – @FHFHockey. In the meantime, you can catch updates from me on the Five Hole Fantasy Hockey Podcast.