Training camp can create some of the fastest changes in prospect value. A strong September doesn't necessarily change a player's long-term ceiling, but opportunity matters. Making an NHL roster, earning top-six minutes, landing on a power-play unit, or simply moving ahead of another prospect on the organizational depth chart can dramatically accelerate a prospect's fantasy timeline.

When I first looked at these storylines, camps were just getting underway and most of the questions were hypothetical. Now we have preseason games, line combinations, special-teams usage, ice time and roster cuts to work with. It's still too early to overreact to September production, but we're getting real answers about how organizations view their prospects heading into 2026-27.

Bradly Nadeau, Carolina Hurricanes

Nadeau entered camp with one of the clearer opportunities on this list, particularly with Seth Jarvis expected to miss the beginning of the season, and he has taken advantage of it. Nadeau scored in each of Carolina's first two preseason games, then added an assist against Nashville, giving him points in all three preseason games so far. More interesting has been the workload: after playing 19:49 in the opener, he logged 25:10 against Florida, the most of any player in the game, and converted his shootout attempt. Against Nashville, he was also involved late, carrying the puck into the offensive zone on the sequence that ended with Felix Unger Sörum scoring the winner with two seconds remaining.

That continued involvement interests me more than simply counting preseason points. Carolina isn't giving Nadeau a courtesy look; the Hurricanes are putting him in situations where he can make a legitimate case for an NHL job. A week ago, I wanted to see whether he would receive meaningful NHL deployment. The answer has been emphatically yes. He has produced in every game while receiving significant opportunities, and if this ends with Nadeau on the opening-night roster, he'll be one of my biggest dynasty risers from camp.

Ilya Protas, Washington Capitals

The question with Protas has changed considerably. Instead of wondering whether he can force his way onto Washington's roster, it increasingly appears the Capitals entered camp expecting him to be part of it. Protas has been viewed as a favorite for Washington's third-line center job, and the Capitals have experimented with intriguing combinations around him, including putting him between his brother Aliaksei and Jordan Kyrou.

For dynasty purposes, that is exactly what I wanted to see. At 6-6, Protas has always had an obvious pathway toward becoming an NHL player, but fantasy managers need more than size and a checking role. The encouraging part of camp is that Washington appears interested in finding out how much offense is there. I'm still watching for meaningful power-play repetitions, but his NHL timeline looks much clearer than it did when camp opened.

Gabe Perreault, New York Rangers

Perreault entered camp with a different question because making the NHL roster was never really my concern. His deployment was. Perreault has received looks on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière, exactly the type of even-strength opportunity that could accelerate his fantasy breakout. The less exciting development remains the power play, where he has worked on PP2 rather than alongside New York's established stars on the first unit.

Perreault also survived New York's cuts from 48 players to 38, reinforcing that he is firmly in the NHL picture. The exact linemates may move around, but nothing about this camp suggests the Rangers intend to shelter him. For dynasty managers, PP1 remains the variable to watch. Top-line even-strength minutes can support a breakout, but cracking that first power-play unit would raise the ceiling considerably.

Isaac Howard, Edmonton Oilers

Howard has received exactly the opportunity I hoped Edmonton would give him, including work alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. The early results were quiet, but that changed against Vancouver. Facing a considerably more experienced Canucks lineup, Howard opened the scoring and added an assist in Edmonton's 2-1 win.

That performance matters because Howard wasn't simply producing while riding shotgun with Edmonton's best players. The Oilers brought a young lineup into Vancouver, Howard was one of the players asked to drive it, and he did. I already liked that Edmonton was testing whether his offensive skill could work alongside established scoring talent. Now we've also seen him create offense when asked to be one of the better players on his own line. His NHL opportunity was already real; his latest performance makes me considerably more interested in the possibility that his fantasy timeline starts immediately.

Charlie Stramel, Minnesota Wild

Stramel has quietly received one of the more extensive auditions on this list. Against a Dallas lineup containing players such as Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Jamie Benn, Stramel logged 20:59, recorded four shots and two hits, won seven of ten faceoffs and received time on both special-teams units. Minnesota lost 2-0, so there wasn't an offensive breakout, but this was a legitimate workload against NHL competition.

That changes the tone of his camp somewhat for me. I still don't see evidence that Stramel is headed for premium NHL offensive deployment, and that remains the central dynasty concern. But there's a difference between surviving preseason games and playing nearly 21 minutes in all situations. I'd still prefer significant offensive AHL minutes to an NHL bottom-six role, but his probability of becoming a useful NHL player continues to rise. The fantasy ceiling remains the question.

Cole Eiserman, New York Islanders

If Eiserman's job this September was to remind everyone what makes him special, mission accomplished. He scored twice in the Islanders' rookie scrimmage against New Jersey, including the tying goal late in regulation and the overtime winner, then scored New York's only goal in the preseason opener on the power play. That's exactly what fantasy managers want to see from one of hockey's best young shooting prospects.

His next game was quieter, with Eiserman held without a point and playing only 11:24 in a more veteran-heavy lineup. That's useful information too. His shot already looks capable of creating offense at this level, but the Islanders don’t need to rush the rest of his game. I still don't think making the Islanders immediately is required for this to be a successful camp. The biggest positive is that his defining fantasy tool is translating and New York is already willing to feature it on the power play.

Victor Eklund, New York Islanders

Eklund hasn't generated Eiserman's goal totals, but his camp may be more interesting from an NHL roster perspective. He scored during the Islanders' rookie scrimmage and has drawn positive attention for his pace, competitiveness and ability to handle NHL competition. He also earned another look once more established players began entering the preseason lineup.

That game didn't produce points, but Eklund registered four shots in 14:10. He didn't need to dominate the preseason scoring race; he needed to demonstrate that his speed and skill could work against NHL players. I think he has done that. The next signal is whether he survives the final roster decisions. If Eklund remains with the NHL group until the end, his dynasty timeline will have accelerated considerably in a matter of weeks.

Otto Stenberg, St. Louis Blues

Stenberg entered camp facing one of the more difficult organizational depth charts on this list, and September has reinforced both the upside and the problem. He remained in the lineup when St. Louis dressed stronger groups, received time alongside talented players such as Mason McTavish and Jonatan Berggren, and picked up an assist on a Berggren goal. That's meaningful offensive deployment and an encouraging sign.

The problem is that nothing I've seen has really changed the organizational math. St. Louis has plenty of young offensive talent competing for premium minutes, including Jimmy Snuggerud, and Stenberg hasn't forced his way into the top power-play hierarchy. He can have a good camp and still see his fantasy timeline delayed because of the players around him. I still like the player, but unlike some others on this list, September hasn't created an obvious new pathway toward premium NHL deployment.

Michael Misa, San Jose Sharks

Misa's preseason has gone from encouraging to impossible to ignore. He scored San Jose's only regulation goal on the power play against Vegas, then exploded for a goal and three assists in a 10-0 win over Anaheim. That gives us exactly the type of preseason evidence I was hoping to see: not simply that Misa can survive NHL exhibition competition, but that the Sharks are putting him in situations where his offensive talent can take over games.

The most exciting part may be how naturally Misa and Ivar Stenberg are already complementing each other. San Jose has Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Misa, Stenberg and several other young players competing for touches, so there will eventually be difficult decisions about premium power-play and top-six deployment. Misa is making a compelling case that he belongs in that conversation immediately. Four points in a preseason game doesn't change his long-term projection by itself, but combined with the deployment, it's meaningful.

Dylan Garand, New York Rangers

Garand was given one of the clearest opportunities on this list when the Rangers handed him the entire preseason opener against New Jersey. He responded with 27 saves in a 3-2 loss, and Mike Sullivan specifically praised his timely saves afterward. Giving Garand the entire game was itself an indication that New York wanted a legitimate evaluation of where he stands.

The roster cuts have made this storyline even cleaner. The Rangers went from five goaltenders in camp to three: Igor Shesterkin, Joonas Korpisalo and Garand. This really is a battle for the NHL backup job now. Korpisalo remains the veteran competition, but goalie value can change extremely quickly when opportunity arrives. If Garand wins this job, his immediate fantasy relevance changes overnight.

Alberts Smits, New York Rangers

The Rangers didn't treat the fifth-overall pick from June like an 18-year-old simply there to gain experience. They put him alongside Braden Schneider and gave him an opportunity to audition for an NHL job. Smits responded by looking remarkably comfortable against older competition, moving the puck effectively and picking up an assist in his preseason debut. The Islanders have continued testing him rather than quickly returning him to junior.

More importantly, Smits survived the Rangers' latest cuts and remained among the 13 defensemen in camp when the roster dropped to 38 players. At 18, that matters. There are still significant barriers to immediate fantasy production, particularly with Adam Fox and Sean Durzi ahead of him for premium power-play usage, and I was probably too aggressive previously in saying I'd be surprised if he weren't there on opening night. What I am comfortable saying is that Smits has turned what looked like a developmental camp into a legitimate NHL roster conversation remarkably quickly.

Final Thoughts

The last few games have reinforced the central lesson of this exercise: preseason production matters most when it tells us something about opportunity. Nadeau's production is encouraging, but his workload tells me more. Garand's performance matters more now that he's one of three goalies left in Rangers camp. Stramel doesn't need to score to get my attention when Minnesota is playing him nearly 21 minutes in all situations. And when players like Misa and Ivar Stenberg combine big production with premium opportunities, it becomes much harder to dismiss as preseason noise.

That's why September matters in dynasty. We're not looking for prospects who simply pile up exhibition points; we're looking for evidence that their organizations think they're ready for more. Deployment, linemates, special-teams usage, ice time and surviving cuts can tell us far more than the box score, and this preseason has already changed the outlook for several of these players.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more fantasy hockey analysis, or if there's a prospect, topic or theme you'd like me to cover, follow and message me on X: @VictorNuno12.