Who are the top players outside the NHL? Ranking the top 50 prospects

The NHL prospect pipeline rankings for all 32 went out last week, which looked at each team’s future from a broad perspective. This week, it’s the top 50 team-affiliated prospects — the best players outside the NHL, but who have been drafted by an NHL team.

As with the pipeline rankings, players who are rookies but are expected to play primarily in the NHL this season are excluded (that includes players like Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and Conor Geekie). Some players listed here are currently with their NHL team, but are not expected to remain there throughout the 2024-25 campaign.

Not every team has a prospect on this list, though a handful of teams have multiple prospects in the top 50, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks.

Here’s the top 50 as it stands in October, 2024:

1. Ivan Demidov
RW/C, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

NHL team: Montreal Canadiens
Drafted: No. 5, 2024

Demidov is supremely talented, a true difference maker. His elite skill set gives him the highest probability of becoming a superstar in the NHL. There’s a good chance he blossoms into an elite offensive talent, notching more than a point per game for a decade in the NHL.

The most talented player outside of the NHL, without a doubt.