<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://cdn.eliteprospects-assets.com/cms/QvqyAoluiqcND7WzNDZ9Qp9xNSzstQpEJFI3Gtun.png" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Who are the best young players in hockey right now? Elite Prospects has released its 2026 top 100 under-23 <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/nhl">NHL</a>-affiliated skaters ranking, the annual list that cuts across draft classes, leagues, and development timelines to rank the game's best young talent from one to one hundred. Unlike traditional draft rankings, this list includes NHLers already playing significant roles, <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/ahl">AHL</a> players on the cusp of breaking through, and elite junior and college prospects all stacked against each other on one board.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The full ranking, with tool grades, detailed scouting analysis, and a team-by-team breakdown, is available at Elite Prospects. Here's a taste of what's inside.</p>
<h2 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">How Elite Prospects Ranks the Top 100 NHL Prospects</h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Not all prospect rankings are built the same. EP's under-23 list doesn't simply reward the players with the most points or the highest draft position. The methodology starts with upside, specifically the role each player is projected to occupy at their peak, then weighs proximity to that upside. That's why established NHLers dominate the top of the board while prospects appear more frequently as the list deepens and ceilings become harder to project.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">From there, EP's scouts factor in production, usage, advanced stats, organizational fit, and recent trends. A player on a rebuilding team in a sheltered role is evaluated differently than one already handling top-pair or first-line minutes on a contender.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The result is the most comprehensive ranking of the best young NHL players available anywhere, covering everyone from players already in Norris and Hart Trophy conversations to junior prospects still two years away from the NHL. For the full breakdown on all 100 players, including EP's 1-9 tool grades and individual scouting analysis, the complete ranking is available in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/news/nhl/elite-prospects-2026-top-100-under-23-nhl-affiliated-skaters-ranking">Elite Prospects' 2026 top 100 under-23 NHL-affiliated skaters ranking</a>.</p>
<h2 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">Who Leads the Top NHL Prospects Rankings in 2026?</h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Some rankings tell you who played well this season. This one tries to answer a harder question: who will matter most over the next decade? The gap between those two lists is where the most interesting conversations live, and EP's 2026 edition has plenty of them.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The board is NHLer-heavy at the top for a reason. Proximity to upside is a core part of the methodology, which means established players with high ceilings crowd out even the most exciting prospects until No. 25, where the list begins to open up.</p>
<h2 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">Which Teams Have the Most Top NHL Prospects?</h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Four franchises stand out well above the rest when it comes to young talent depth, and their representation on this list reflects it.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/56/chicago-blackhawks">Chicago Blackhawks</a> lead all franchises with 10 players in the combined top 100 and honourable mentions. After years of bottoming out, the rebuild in Chicago has produced one of the richest pipelines in the league, spanning multiple draft classes and development stages.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/1580/anaheim-ducks">Anaheim Ducks</a> follow close behind with nine representatives. Three of their players appear in the top ten alone, which tells its own story about where this franchise is heading. Their young core is already showing up in the standings.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/73/san-jose-sharks">San Jose Sharks</a> place eight players on the list, headlined by the ranking's No. 1 overall. The Sharks' rebuild has produced arguably the most exciting young nucleus in the NHL, with several of their prospects already playing meaningful minutes together at the NHL level.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/40261/utah-mammoth">Utah Mammoth</a> also place eight, a strong result for a franchise still establishing its identity. Their depth across the forward and defence positions suggests the organization is building something worth watching in the coming years.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">At the other end of the spectrum, the <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/57/colorado-avalanche">Colorado Avalanche</a> are the only franchise in the league with zero representatives on the list, a reflection of how much the reigning dynasty has leaned into its championship window at the expense of future depth.</p>
<h2 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">See the Full Ranking</h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The complete list with EP's 1-9 tool grades, detailed scouting analysis on all 100 players, and the full team-by-team breakdown is available in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/news/nhl/elite-prospects-2026-top-100-under-23-nhl-affiliated-skaters-ranking">Elite Prospects' 2026 top 100 under-23 NHL-affiliated skaters ranking</a>.&nbsp;<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">For those looking for an </span><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft-center">NHL draft ranking</a><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> of this year's eligible prospects, EP's Draft Center has you covered.</span></p>
<h2 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">Top 10 NHL Prospects 2026 - Sneakpeak</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-decimal flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3">
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/597559/macklin-celebrini">Macklin Celebrini</a> - San Jose Sharks - Drafted 1st overall by San Jose Sharks in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2024">2024</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/535584/connor-bedard">Connor Bedard</a> - Chicago Blackhawks - Drafted 1st overall by Chicago Blackhawks in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2023">2023</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/889671/matthew-schaefer">Matthew Schaefer</a> - New York Islanders - Drafted 1st overall by New York Islanders in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2025">2025</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/526227/lane-hutson">Lane Hutson</a> - Montreal Canadiens - Drafted 62nd overall by Montreal Canadiens in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2022">2022</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/619202/ivan-demidov">Ivan Demidov</a> - Montreal Canadiens - Drafted 5th overall by Montreal Canadiens in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2024">2024</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/201871/wyatt-johnston">Wyatt Johnston</a> - Dallas Stars - Drafted 23rd overall by Dallas Stars in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2021">2021</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/577196/beckett-sennecke">Beckett Sennecke</a> - Anaheim Ducks - Drafted 3rd overall by Anaheim Ducks in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2024">2024</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/448944/leo-carlsson">Leo Carlsson</a> - Anaheim Ducks - Drafted 2nd overall by Anaheim Ducks in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2023">2023</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/476538/dylan-guenther">Dylan Guenther</a> - Utah Mammoth - Drafted 9th overall by Arizona Coyotes in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2021">2021</a></li>
<li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/526094/cutter-gauthier">Cutter Gauthier</a> - Anaheim Ducks - Drafted 5th overall by Philadelphia Flyers in <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2022">2022</a></li>
</ol>

EP's 2026 top 100 under-23 NHL skaters ranking is here. See the full top 10 and find out which franchises have the deepest pipelines.

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