This article is part of our Prospects Analysis series.
With the 2016-17 NHL season almost a third of the way over, it's time to update the rankings. There have been many graduations, and there's been a ton of movement on the list as a result.
Note: Players with 25 games or more of regular-season NHL experience are not eligible. All stats are as of Dec. 19, 2016.
1. Dylan Strome, C, ARI: Being handled terribly by Coyotes; won't learn anything playing against overmatched kids in OHL
2. Kyle Connor, LW, WPG
3. Clayton Keller, C, ARI: Returned last week after missing a month due to an upper-body injury
4. Jakub Vrana, RW, WAS
5. Mathew Barzal, C, NYI: Forced to sit in press box by Isles early in the season before being shipped back to WHL, where he should have been all along
6. Brock Boeser, RW, VAN
7. Pavel Buchnevich, LW, NYR: Eight points in 10 games for NYR, but has missed majority of season with back issues
8. Ilya Samsonov, G, WAS: 12-1-3, 2.06 GAA, .936 save percentage in 19 KHL games
9. Mikhail Sergachev, D, MON
10. Timo Meier, LW, SJ
11. Alexander Nylander, RW, BUF
12. Christian Dvorak, LW, ARI
13. Pierre-Luc Dubois, LW, CLM
14. Anthony DeAngelo, D, ARI: Helping the Coyotes' power play in a major way already
15. Evgeni Svechnikov, LW, DET
16. Olli Juolevi, D, VAN
17. Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, CLM: Ready for meaningful
With the 2016-17 NHL season almost a third of the way over, it's time to update the rankings. There have been many graduations, and there's been a ton of movement on the list as a result.
Note: Players with 25 games or more of regular-season NHL experience are not eligible. All stats are as of Dec. 19, 2016.
1. Dylan Strome, C, ARI: Being handled terribly by Coyotes; won't learn anything playing against overmatched kids in OHL
2. Kyle Connor, LW, WPG
3. Clayton Keller, C, ARI: Returned last week after missing a month due to an upper-body injury
4. Jakub Vrana, RW, WAS
5. Mathew Barzal, C, NYI: Forced to sit in press box by Isles early in the season before being shipped back to WHL, where he should have been all along
6. Brock Boeser, RW, VAN
7. Pavel Buchnevich, LW, NYR: Eight points in 10 games for NYR, but has missed majority of season with back issues
8. Ilya Samsonov, G, WAS: 12-1-3, 2.06 GAA, .936 save percentage in 19 KHL games
9. Mikhail Sergachev, D, MON
10. Timo Meier, LW, SJ
11. Alexander Nylander, RW, BUF
12. Christian Dvorak, LW, ARI
13. Pierre-Luc Dubois, LW, CLM
14. Anthony DeAngelo, D, ARI: Helping the Coyotes' power play in a major way already
15. Evgeni Svechnikov, LW, DET
16. Olli Juolevi, D, VAN
17. Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, CLM: Ready for meaningful role with Jackets, but no room available on a team playing so well
18. Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, EDM
19. Colin White, C, OTT
20. Thatcher Demko, G, VAN
21. Anthony Beauvillier, LW, NYI
22. Kevin Fiala, LW, NAS: Five goals in 17 games for Nashville, showing flashes of the brilliance that once made him a top-10 prospect
23. Travis Sanheim, D, PHI
24. Vladislav Kamenev, C, NAS: Strong in AHL with 21 points in 25 games; will be in Nashville before season's end
25. Tyson Jost, C, COL: Difference maker already (18 points in 17 games) as a college freshman
26. Juuse Saros, G, NAS
27. Zachary Senyshyn, RW, BOS
28. Ilya Sorokin, G, NYI: Stats in 29 KHL games as a 21-year-old: 18-5-5, 1.51 GAA, .931 save percentage, four shutouts
29. Kirill Kaprizov, LW, MIN: 15 goals, 30 points in 37 KHL games; won't turn 20 until April
30. Igor Shestyorkin, G, NYR: Stats in 30 KHL games as a 20-year-old: 22-2-4, 1.51 GAA, .943 save percentage, eight shutouts
31. Logan Brown, C, OTT
32. Jakob Chychrun, D, ARI: Now 24 games in and about to graduate from this list
33. Charlie McAvoy, D, BOS
34. Jeremy Bracco, RW, TOR: Has hit the scoresheet in all 27 games this season for OHL Kitchener – 17 goals, 51 points
35. Julius Honka, D, DAL
36. Sonny Milano, LW, CLM: Trade to another organization would be best for all involved at this point
37. Kasperi Kapanen, RW, TOR
38. Jake Bean, D, CAR: Returned to WHL Calgary lineup earlier this month after missing more than six weeks due to broken hand
39. Michael Dal Colle, LW, NYI: Numbers in AHL aren't good (12 points in 27 games); stock seemingly dropping by the day
40. Madison Bowey, D, WAS
41. Jake Walman, D, STL
42. Alex Tuch, RW, MIN
43. Josh Ho-Sang, RW, NYI
44. Alex DeBrincat, RW, CHI: Among best pure goal scorers of past decade in junior hockey: 30 goals, 60 points in 28 games for OHL Erie this year
45. Michael McLeod, C, NJD: Production in OHL (six goals, 28 points in 26 games) has yet to match talent level
46. Ryan Pulock, D, NYI
47. Brandon Montour, D, ANA
48. Cliff Pu, C, BUF: Production has exploded (47 points in 28 games) as responsibility has increased for OHL London
49. Brendan Perlini, LW, ARI
50. Oskar Lindblom, LW, PHI: Running second in SHL scoring (25 points in 26 games) as a 20-year-old
51. J.T. Compher, C, COL
52. Thomas Chabot, D, OTT
53. Jacob Larsson, D, ANA
54. Adam Erne, LW, TAM
55. Miles Wood, LW, NJD
56. Haydn Fleury, D, CAR
57. Jon Gillies, G, CGY: Looks rusty for AHL Stockton after missing nearly all of last year with hip surgery
58. Michael McCarron, C, MON
59. Janne Kuokkanen, LW, CAR
60. Jake DeBrusk, LW, BOS
61. Ville Husso, G, STL: Best goaltender in Europe the past few years has spent majority of this season in the ECHL for no apparent reason
62. Daniel Sprong, RW, PIT: Could miss entire campaign after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery
63. Max Jones, LW, ANA: 12 goals, 26 points in 15 games for OHL London; near lock to become a productive NHLer in some capacity
64. Dante Fabbro, D, NAS
65. Joel Eriksson Ek, C, MIN
66. Kieffer Bellows, LW, NYI
67. Jakub Zboril, D, BOS
68. Tage Thompson, RW, STL: Has become dominant force (12 goals, 20 points in 18 games) for UConn as intensity level has increased
69. Jordan Greenway, LW, MIN
70. Henrik Borgstrom, C, FLA: Freshman season at U. of Denver off to great start (16 points in 14 games)
71. Taylor Raddysh, RW, TAM: 2016 second-round pick leads OHL in scoring with 61 points in 28 games
72. Ville Pokka, D, CHI: Stock is cratering with 'Hawks unwilling to give him shot at NHL level
73. Maxim Letunov, C, SJ
74. Zach Sanford, LW, WAS
75. A.J. Greer, LW, COL
76. Adam Mascherin, LW, FLA: Sniper has 24 goals, 55 points in 31 games playing alongside Bracco
77. Vince Dunn, D, STL
78. Nikita Scherbak, RW, MON
79. Ivan Barbashev, LW, STL
80. Riley Tufte, LW, DAL: Hulking winger doesn't have any points in his first 14 games for Minnesota-Duluth
81. Danny O'Regan, C, SJ
82. Sam Steel, C, ANA: Career underachiever has been arguably the WHL's best player (48 points in 23 games) for a loaded Regina team
83. Jayce Hawryluk, C, FLA: Has played in just one AHL game all season after suffering broken hand in fight during prospects game in September
84. Charles Hudon, LW, MON
85. Tyler Parsons, G, CGY
86. Anthony Cirelli, C, TAM
87. Carter Hart, G, PHI: Has been WHL's best goaltender for Everett (16-3-4, 1.85 GAA, .928 save percentage)
88. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, C, BOS
89. Philippe Myers, D, PHI: Difficult to believe hulking, offensively gifted defender signed as undrafted free agent
90. Oliver Kylington, D, CGY
91. Christian Fischer, C, ARI
92. Filip Chlapik, C, OTT: Consistency has been an issue in the past, but playing great for QMJHL Charlottetown – 20 goals, 44 points in 26 games
93. Travis Dermott, D, TOR
94. Anders Bjork, C, BOS
95. Luke Kunin, C, MIN
96. Nicolas Roy, C, CAR
97. Nikolay Goldobin, RW, SJ
98. Kyle Wood, D, ARI: Running at point-per-game pace through 20 in AHL; looking like Arizona's main return for Mikkel Boedker
99. Jake Guentzel, C, PIT
100. Logan Stanley, D, MON
JUST MISSED
John Quenneville, C, NJD: Recently made NHL debut; production in first AHL season (21 points in 25 games) far better than I would have projected
German Rubstov, C, PHI
Sean Day, D, NYR: Looks like a different player since early-season trade to OHL Windsor; has always had difference-making talent
Noah Juulsen, D, MON
Jack Roslovic, C, WPG
DROPPED OFF
Lawson Crouse, LW, ARI: One goal, two points in 27 NHL games; increasingly looks like nothing more than a third-line, penalty-killing type
Malcolm Subban, G, BOS
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, CAR
GRADUATED
Auston Matthews, C, TOR; Patrik Laine, RW, WPG; Mitch Marner, C, TOR; Zach Werenski, D, CLM; Matt Murray, G, PIT; William Nylander, C, TOR; Ivan Provorov, D, PHI; Matthew Tkachuk, LW, CGY; Shea Theodore, D, ANA; Anthony Mantha, LW, DET; Travis Konecny, C, PHI; Sebastian Aho, LW, CAR; Nick Schmaltz, RW, CHI; Pavel Zacha, C, NJD; Jimmy Vesey, LW, NYR; Brayden Point, C, TAM; Brady Skjei, D, NYR; Josh Morrissey, D, WPG; Mike Matheson, D, FLA; Connor Brown, RW, TOR; Tyler Motte, C, CHI; Esa Lindell, D, DAL
