Prospect Power Rankings: The Hockey Prospect World Doesn't Stop During Olympics

The NHL may be on break with the Olympics starting up, but the prospect world is not stopping.

The Beanpot, for example, is halfway done in Boston, with Boston College and Boston University slated to play in the championship game next Monday. 

It will also be the 300th game between the two storied NCAA programs, which is pretty cool in itself. While neither team has distinguished itself enough to be on the list this week, the Eagles are trending in the right direction.

Here's a look at the teams that are playing elite hockey with elite prospects on their rosters.

A pair of games against Michigan State this weekend will be a battle of the titans. Will Horcoff (PIT) is up to 20 goals on the season, while Adam Valentini (2026 draft) is still having an excellent frosh campaign with 22 points in 26 games.

Can the Spartans take away the No. 1 ranking in the nation from the Wolverines? Charlie Stramel (MIN) will be ready, that's for sure. He leads the team with 35 points in 26 games, while Porter Martone (PHI) is right there with him, totalling 34 points in 24 contests so far.

The Armada are soaring again, going 9-0-1 in their past 10 games. Bill Zonnon (PIT) has 24 points in 17 games since returning from injury, while goalie William Lacelle (2026) has been on fire since joining the team from Rimouski with a .949 save percentage.

The Colts are on a 9-1-0 heater right now, and Cole Beaudoin (UTA) continues to lead the charge offensively with 58 points in 36 games. Defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson (NYI) isn't too far behind with 46 points of his own. Barrie is looking like a heavy outfit right now.

Another OHL team on a run, Kitchener is 9-0-1 in its past 10 games. Jack Pridham (CHI) is tops on the team with 63 points in 47 games, while defenseman Cameron Reid (NSH) has points in four of his past five outings. Goalie Christian Kirsch (SJ) recently committed to Quinnipiac, too.

The titans of the Western Conference are on a 9-1-0 run with no signs of letting up. Carter Bear (DET) has seven points in his past two games for Everett, while defenseman Landon DuPont (2027) has four in his past three.

The Cats keep winning, with a 9-1-0 record in their past 10. Rudy Guimond (DET) continues to put up numbers in net, leading the QMJHL with 29 wins and a 2.33 goals-against average. In the meantime, center Gabe Smith (UTA) is up to 52 points in 42 games.

Obviously, the Fighting Hawks have a national championship in mind, but a couple of college free agents can continue to bump up their stocks as they go about it. Defenseman Jake Livanavage will have a lot of suitors, as will big center Ellis Rickwood.

Defenseman Daxon Rudolph (2026) was just named captain of Team East for the WHL's upcoming prospects game, and with good reason. He's looking like a top-10 pick with 56 points in 49 games, tied for the Raiders' lead. Meanwhile, center Braeden Cootes (VAN) has 16 points in 13 games since coming over from Seattle.

I'm getting in on the ground floor with Quinnipiac because the Bobcats just seem to have that X-factor this season. They could go far again. Ethan Wyttenbach (CGY) has been a huge reason why, as the freshman leads the nation in scoring with 41 points, but Chris Pelosi (BOS) is putting in work too, with 30 points of his own.

Don't look now, but Caleb Malhotra (2026) is a top-five scorer in the league right now with 62 points in 48 games (tied with fellow draft prospect Nikita Klepov of Saginaw). In a draft bereft of centers, Malhotra is putting himself in a great position to go high this summer.

Just throwing this out there: would it be truly shocking if Chase Reid (2026) went first overall this summer? The defenseman has size, skating and skills on both sides of the puck. He's up to 47 points in 42 games and shoots right. Speaking of defense, Lukas Fischer (STL) has 16 points in 20 games since coming over from Sarnia.

Fresh off his commitment to UMass, big Maxim Masse (ANA) continues to lead Chicoutimi in scoring with 64 points in 44 games. On the back end, Alex Huang (NSH) is up to 45 points in 43 games, while goalie Lucas Beckman (OTT) got his first win with the team since the trade from Baie-Comeau.

Twins Liam and Markus Ruck (2026) are now tied for the team lead in scoring with 69 points in 49 games, but perhaps the best news for the Tigers is that the pair have formed a deadly line with Andrew Basha (CGY), who just returned in January from a long stint in the AHL.

The USHL's Phantoms have a lot of weapons, but I'd be remiss if I didn't shine some spotlight on Evan Jardine (2026) after he posted back-to-back five-point games against the NTDP. Elsewhere, Cooper Simpson (BOS) is still racking them up with 56 points in 42 games.

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