Prospect Power Rankings: Big Moves, Big Performances In The CHL, NCAA And USHL

We're back after a holiday break and the world juniors, and I will say, a lot has gone on in the NHL prospect world. 

There were some massive trades in major junior, with Carter George (LA) going from Owen Sound to Sault Ste. Marie in the OHL and Cameron Schmidt (DAL) moving from Vancouver to Seattle in the WHL, just to name two.

We also had an amusing two-step when Tynan Lawrence (2026) left USHL Muskegon for Boston University, only to see defenseman Carter Amico (PHI) leave BU for Muskegon a few days later.

Now that everyone is back from the world juniors, we're also getting to see teams at full strength again, so let's take a look at the best teams with the best NHL prospects in North America right now.

An absolute wagon right now, the Tigers are on a 20-0-2 streak. I once again pledge my allegiance to hard-charging twins Liam and Markus Ruck (2026), both of whom are top-10 scorers in the Dub right now. And let's not forget defenseman Bryce Pickford (MTL), who is third in league scoring with 60 points in 39 games.

Things are about to get interesting for the top college team in the nation, as star goalie Jack Ivankovic (NSH) is out due to injury. Luckily, Michael Hage (MTL) is coming off a sizzling world juniors for Canada.

With nine straight wins, the Vees are serving notice in the Dub that they aren't your typical expansion team. Right from the get-go, Jacob Kvasnicka (NYI) has been a revelation for Penticton this season, and he currently leads the squad with 53 points in 38 games.

Still one of the elite teams in the 'Q,' the Sagueneens are 9-1-0 in their past 10 and were very active on the trade front. Big defenseman Tomas Lavoie (UTA) has lived up to billing with seven points in his first eight games with Chicoutimi, while goalie Lucas Beckman (OTT) will make his team debut this weekend.

The Bobcats have won 11 of their past 12 games, and while it's not all because of freshman sensation Ethan Wyttenbach (CGY), he has been a major factor, leading the team with 31 points in 22 games. Chris Pelosi (BOS) is third on Quinnipiac with 23 points.

The Petes have won five in a row and seven of their past 10, plus they hosted the OHL top prospects game. That provided a nice showcase for Adam Novotny (2026), who was the player of the game for Team East, but also for Adam Levac (2026), who seems like an absolute pain to play against.

Winners of 10 of their past 11 matches, the Fighting Hawks are putting themselves in a great position for a Frozen Four run. Depth has been key, with Ben Strinden (NSH) leading a very balanced offense. It will be interesting to see what Keaton Verhoeff (2026) does in his post-WJC games.

Another 'Q' titan, the Wildcats are keeping pace with Chicoutimi by going 9-1-0 in their past 10 games. Rookie D-man Tommy Bleyl (2026) now leads the team in scoring and has 18 points in his past 10, while Rudy Guimond (DET) continues to dazzle in net with a .924 save percentage.

Don't look now, but defenseman Daxon Rudolph (2026) is making some major waves in P.A. The young blueliner has seven multi-point games in his past eight outings and now has 44 points on the season in 39 games. Meanwhile, trade acquisition Brandon Gorzynski (DAL) has 14 points in nine games since coming over from Calgary.

Getting a win over Wisconsin Thursday night was big for the Spartans after dropping a game to Ohio State. Charlie Stramel (MIN) is tops in team scoring with 28 points in 21 games, while Ryker Lee (NSH) is up to 16 points in 19 games as a freshman.

Not only are the Phantoms 8-1-1 in their past 10, but goaltender Tobias Trejbal (2026) put his stamp on the All-American Prospects Game. The Czech kid has already been one of the best netminders in the league this season, while Cooper Simpson (BOS) leads the USHL in scoring with 48 points in 35 games.

The defending champs have won seven in a row and swept Denver last weekend. That's a pretty big statement in the NCHC. William Whitelaw (CLB) is averaging slightly more than a point per game up front, while Hampton Slukynsky (LA) has a 2.37 goals-against average in net.

Not only are the Rangers 7-2-1 in their past 10, but they had a monster trade deadline, bringing in a couple of Memorial Cup winners from London in Sam O'Reilly (TB) and Jared Woolley (LA). O'Reilly was pretty effective as a two-way center for Canada at the world juniors, too.

With nine points in his past five games, defenseman Landon DuPont (2027) is really starting to heat up, as one would expect from a phenom. In the meantime, Carter Bear (DET) has six points in three games since returning from the world juniors.

Much like Kitchener, Flint is 7-3-0 in the past 10 games and swung big at the trade deadline. Bringing in Kevin He (WPG) and Jacob Battaglia (CGY) helps solidify an offense that has run through Nathan Aspinall (NYR), the top scorer in the league with 58 points in 40 games.

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