Prospects on the Blackhawks, Canadiens, Mammoth and more feature in the top 10 of The Hockey News' Future Watch ranking.
The top 10 NHL-affiliated prospects won't be prospects for long.
Anton Frondell and Porter Martone made their NHL debuts in the past two weeks after their seasons ended with Djurgarden and Michigan State, respectively.
James Hagens and Roger McQueen are now in the AHL on amateur tryouts, likely meaning they'll sign an entry-level contract by next season.
Michael Misa and Zayne Parekh are settling in The Show after not playing as often earlier in the season.
It's only through the assistance of NHL head scouts, directors of player personnel and GMs that The Hockey News is able to provide readers a comprehensive list of the top 10 prospects within each organization and a ranking of the top 100 from that large collection of 320 prospects.
The full lists appear in The Hockey News' Future Watch 2026 issue.
Making The Top 100 List
Team scouts offer us guidance on NHL-affiliated prospects who have the highest forecasted ceilings five to 10 years out. We then ask a panel of these scouts to rank the top 60 from a list of the 32 top 10s. The scouts' rankings are added up to form the overall top 100.
We start this project in mid-January after the World Junior Championship, while NHL teams are in the midst of their winter scouting meetings. At that point, we draw a line in the sand about who's a prospect and who's an NHLer. In some cases, those scenarios change.
Misa and Parekh haven't played in the junior ranks all season (other than the WJC), but we decided early on that they should be listed as prospects since injuries kept them from establishing themselves as NHLers the first few months of the campaign. - Brian Costello
Top 100 NHL-Affiliated Prospects: 1 To 10
TheHockeyNews.com previously shared Nos. 11 to 20, Nos. 21 to 40, Nos. 41 to 60, Nos. 61 to 80 and Nos. 81 to 100. Or check out the entire top 100 prospects list now with full write-ups on each player by being subscribed to The Hockey News.
Now, here's the top 10, with snippets on each player.
10. Roger McQueen, C, Anaheim Ducks
Providence (HE)
McQueen has size, elite hands and excellent skating ability, and he's developing a physical edge. Sennecke and McQueen have Ducks fans dreaming about a Corey Perry/Ryan Getzlaf 2.0 duo. - Greg Beacham
9. Michael Hage, C, Montreal Canadiens
Michigan (Big Ten)
Hage took center stage with Canada at the world juniors, leading the tournament with 15 points in seven games. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him turn pro after his second NCAA season with Michigan, where he's improved his 200-foot game. - Stu Cowan
8. Tij Iginla, C, Utah Mammoth
Kelowna (WHL)
The son of Jarome Iginla is lighting up the WHL after recovering from a 2024 hip injury. The budding power forward played just 21 games a year ago but will more than double that this year. He also played a big role for Canada at the WJC. - Austin Facer
7. Brady Martin, C, Nashville Predators
Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
A strong camp earned Martin a spot on the Preds' opening-night roster, but he did not carve out enough of a role to last. After three games, Martin was sent to the Soo, where he was named captain and put up better than a point per game before he left to join Canada at the WJC. - David Boclair
6. Dmitri Simashev, D, Utah Mammoth
Tucson (AHL)
Simashev made the jump to North America this season alongside Yaroslavl teammate Daniil But, and Simashev even cracked Utah's opening-night roster. Management has fallen in love with his ability to get the puck to the net, thanks to a heavy, accurate slapshot that Ferguson calls "lethal." - Austin Facer
5. Zayne Parekh, D, Calgary Flames
Calgary (NHL)
Too talented for junior and unable to play regularly in the AHL due to his age, Parekh has been with the big club for most of the season. His top-end skill will help the scoring-challenged Flames. - Steve Macfarlane
4. Porter Martone, RW, Philadelphia Flyers
Michigan State (Big Ten)
Some teams had Martone ranked in the top three, so when he fell to the Flyers at No. 6 last year, corks were popping. Martone is a gritty player who has great offensive potential but also leads the NCAA in PIM. - Wayne Fish
3. James Hagens, C, Boston Bruins
Boston College (HE)
Boston was thrilled when he fell to No. 7 in 2025. As the focal point of Boston College's foes, the sophomore has expanded his arsenal. "There were some areas we talked to him about…He's more of a shot threat," said Bruins' director of player development Adam McQuaid, who notes a stronger Hagens has gotten better at using inside ice. "We're not expecting him to be a power forward, but he has more of a mindset for it now." - Mick Colageo
2. Michael Misa, C, San Jose Sharks
San Jose (NHL)
Rather than return Misa to the OHL, the Sharks kept him and have been impressed with his skill set and how he thinks the game. "He's getting more comfortable," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "And I think there's going to be another jump as the season goes on and the game slows down for him." - Curtis Pashelka
1. Anton Frondell, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Djurgarden (Swe.)
Frondell stepped out of the draft and into his first SHL season. The Hawks are trying to instill a measure of swagger. He has plenty of ability – and led Sweden with five goals at the WJC – but Chicago's message to Frondell is to take the game to his veteran foes. "Challenging him to possess pucks more, use his body, and even though he is one of the youngest guys, start to think of himself as a go-to guy," AHL Rockford coach Mark Eaton said. "Want the puck, and want to be a difference-maker." - Jared Clinton
Future Watch 2026 looks at the world's best prospects from every angle. We analyze the top 10 in the pipeline for each NHL club and count down the top 100 in the game.
In addition, we take an in-depth look at how the Seattle Kraken are refining their development system, and we profile several of hockey's best youngsters, including Anton Frondell, Tij Iginla and Sebastian Cossa.