As the season winds down, NHL prospects are getting a chance to perform in the spotlight. Whether they joined their NHL club after their season ended elsewhere, or they earned a call-up, prospects are getting a chance to adjust to the pace in the big leagues. Some of them already have to carry high expectations from fans and experts, but what's most important is proving they deserve to be part of the puzzle as their team pursues the Stanley Cup. These five players have already made a strong impact on the team with the season drawing to a close. Here's what their performances mean for the future. COLE HUTSON, D, WASHINGTON CAPITALS Not only are there now two Hutson brothers in the NHL right now, but neither Lane Hutson nor Cole Hutson was a first-round draft pick. It's crazy to think that teams made the same mistake twice in a two-year span. Cole Hutson, drafted 43rd overall in 2024, already looks like a pain for opponents to deal with through 11 games with the Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals]. The 19-year-old has three goals and eight points in that span. In short order, Hutson has already gained the confidence of the Capitals coaching staff to be on the second power-play unit during a playoff push. He's also seen increased minutes in April, averaging 18:37 of ice time through four games. It might not be long before Hutson takes Jakob Chychrun's spot on the first power-play unit, and he possesses the tools to be just as dynamic as his older brother, Lane. NICK LARDIS, LW, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS Nick Lardis could be a pure sniper in the NHL. If the Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks] want to have some fun in the future, they should keep Lardis alongside a playmaker like Connor Bedard and let them cook. Lardis already has two goals in just over 110 minutes with Bedard across his 38 NHL games this season. He has nine goals and 14 points overall. Lardis, 20, owns the OHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl] Bulldogs' single-season goals record, scoring 71 times in 2024-25. He also has 18 goals in 35 AHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl] games this season. Blackhawks fans are hoping that success translates for them. Lardis has played every Blackhawks game since March 7. He's also averaged about a minute of power-play time in that span. He'll need to shoot more, but that will happen if he can play with Bedard, Anton Frondell or Frank Nazar more often. Top NHL Prospects In Future Watch 2026: 1 To 10 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a2c82ae0-5fda-4f96-b5c7-74bb30b323a4.jpeg] Top NHL Prospects In Future Watch 2026: 1 To 10 Prospects on the Blackhawks, Canadiens, Mammoth and more feature in the top 10 of The Hockey News' Future Watch ranking. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/top-nhl-prospects-in-future-watch-2026-1-to-10] ANTON FRONDELL, C, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS Frondell will be such a special talent for the Blackhawks' future as he made his mark this year. At the world juniors, Frondell led Team Sweden in goals, was tied for fourth in points and was named the best forward of the tournament. That was against U-20 players, but he stood out at the Swedish men's pro level as well. Frondell led Swedish League rookies in goals and became the fourth 18-year-old in league history to score at least 20 goals in a season. The others in that list are Tomas Sandstrom, Markus Naslund and Daniel Sedin. That's a pretty good list to be a part of. Frondell has six points in eight games with the Blackhawks and will be a complete beast in the future. PORTER MARTONE, RW, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Porter Martone, 19, is already making Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] history, and he's only played five games for them ahead of their match on April 11. Martone became the first player in Flyers history to score his first NHL goal in overtime. What a big goal that turned out to be, as it propelled the Flyers into a playoff spot. Martone will be crucial to the Flyers' offense, which is averaging the 10th fewest goals-for per game. The transition from college to professional hockey might not come easy for some, but so far, Martone hasn't had many issues, with two goals and six points in six games. Martone had a fantastic season with the Michigan State Spartans, making the all-Big Ten first team and the Big Ten all-freshman team. Flyers fans will hope Martone carries this momentum throughout the rest of the season and becomes a contributor should the Flyers make the playoffs. For Unflappable Martone And Flyers, Now Comes The Hard Part [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/bf7041cc-d838-4a21-bb1f-d7eca179ab0a.jpeg] For Unflappable Martone And Flyers, Now Comes The Hard Part The Philadelphia Flyers got a boost from their top prospect, but it's been an all-around effort to climb into a playoff spot. Now, can they do what they didn't do two years ago in this position? [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/for-unflappable-martone-and-flyers-now-comes-the-hard-part] DREW FORTESCUE, D, NEW YORK RANGERS Drew Fortescue, 20, will be a sturdy, reliable defenseman for the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers] and an important piece of the team's future. There's a calmness to his game that was on display at Boston College this season, where he tied his career high in goals with four but set a new career high in points with 14. Of course, it remains to be seen how Fortescue's offensive instincts will translate to the Rangers, who brought him straight to the NHL after he turned pro. He picked up an assist in his NHL debut against the Blackhawks on March 27 and added another on April 8. After seven games, coach Mike Sullivan said he's impressed by Fortescue's puck poise [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/latest-news/mike-sullivan-likes-what-he-s-seen-from-drew-fortescue-through-short-sample-size]. The defenseman is showing why he should be considered for a full-time role heading into the 2026-27 season. Michael Pagani is an intern at The Hockey News. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ceade378-2d1b-4f5b-9427-fb5dc159b112.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*fuv41c*_ga*NDAxOTY4NTMuMTc1NTg5NTA0Mg..*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3NzUzOTUwMzMkbzI5MyRnMSR0MTc3NTQwMjM3NCRqNTIkbDAkaDA.]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
