Attached is a very good synopsis of youthful NHL prospects starting the season in the American Hockey League. There were a lot of names that intrigued me when reviewing this list. The two which stuck out to me the most were Carolina forward prospect Ivan Ryabkin (CAR 2025 draft, 2nd round 62nd overall) and Edmonton forward prospect Quinn Hutson (undrafted free agent, signed a 2-year ELC in April 2025). Ryabkin, widely considered a first-round talent, made the rare jump directly from the USHL to professional hockey, completely foregoing the college route often followed by that league’s alumni. I am particularly interested in tracking his progress at the AHL level, as he was once considered a first-round lock prior to his downturn in production early last season in Russia. He experienced a significant rebound once he came to North America mid-season, garnering 30 points on 19 goals in 27 games with Muskegon, and another 16 points in 14 playoff games. Certainly, Carolina hopes this trend continues.
Quinn Hutson is equally intriguing to me. The older brother of Montreal rookie of the year Lane Hutson, Quinn Hutson put up an impressive 50 points (23G 27A) in 38 games in helping Boston University to a national runner-up finish in 2024-25. Upon the completion of the college season, Hutson signed with the Oilers and made his debut with the big club the same day (he appeared in two games with Edmonton last season).