Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the development of prospects as they excel in junior, make the NHL, and push towards stardom.
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Welcome back to my coverage into Mason Black’s Rank King PNHLe chart! Earlier in the season, we broke down how PNHLe (here) helps project a player’s potential point production in the NHL and how it can be a powerful tool for fantasy managers. In case you missed it, we also touched on Ute, a tool that works hand-in-hand with PNHLe, helping you spot those buy-low, sell-high opportunities by tracking career trends. Now that we have laid the groundwork, let’s jump back in and spotlight some up and coming prospects!
Enjoy!
Arseni Gritsyuk – 55 – New Jersey Devils
Gritsyuk is finally making the jump to North America, it only took five seasons. The Devils signed him to a one-year ELC in May, bringing a skilled forward with legitimate middle-six potential and some scoring upside. He came off a strong year with SKA St. Petersburg, posting 17 goals and 44 points in 49 games, then tacking on five points in six playoff contests, tying for the team lead. He returned late in the season after an injury, but did not miss a beat, producing immediately. That bounce-back speaks volumes about both his readiness and poise.
His game? It is built around pace, edge work, and deceptive quickness. He is a dual-threat off the rush, with a release that is tough to read and playmaking that is steadily improved year over year. Early in his KHL career, he was primarily a shooter, but he is expanded his game, adding more vision and better reads, making him less predictable.
The timing of this move makes sense. At 24, Gritsyuk has nothing left to prove in Russia. With Alexander Nikishin and Ivan Demidov also leaving SKA for NHL clubs, it felt inevitable. For New Jersey, the decision to bring him over now is strategic, they need to see what they have in this asset. Waiting longer risks missing key development years or losing out entirely. With depth scoring an issue behind Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier, this is a smart play. Gritsyuk could slot into a third-line role right away and possibly work his way into second-unit power play time. A 15–20 goal, 40+ point upside is not out of reach if the transition clicks early.
The only catch here is his contract. It is only a one-year deal because of his age—per CBA rules, 24-year-old ELCs are capped at one season (shoutout to PuckPedia). After that, he will become an RFA, so that would mean the Devils would need to extend a qualifying offer to keep his rights, if they choose. If they do not, he walks as a UFA next July. The bottom line is this is a calculated bet on a player with legit tools. If Gritsyuk can adjust quickly to NHL pace and physicality, he could be a sneaky good pickup for a Devils team looking for more balanced scoring throughout their lineup.
Aidan Thompson – 50 – Chicago Blackhawks
Thompson capped off his junior season at the University of Denver with a breakout campaign that forced NHL front offices to take a closer look. After flying under the radar for much of his collegiate career, he stepped into a top-line role this year and posted 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists) in 44 games, finishing second in NCAA scoring, just two points behind teammate Jack Devine.
The Chicago Blackhawks rewarded that jump by signing Thompson to a two-year ELC in April. He immediately joined the Rockford IceHogs on a PTO and showed flashes of what makes him intriguing at the pro level. In four regular-season games, he picked up an assist, and followed that with four points (2G, 2A) in seven Calder Cup playoff games. Nothing flashy, but very effective.
Thompson is not built for the highlight reel. His game is more subtle, calculated, and detail-oriented. He is a strongtwo-way forward who brings structure and responsibility at both ends of the ice. What makes his game more attractive is that Thompson can slot in at center or wing, kill penalties, and fill in on a second power-play unit. That kind of plug-and-play flexibility gives the coaching staff confidence in using him up and down the lineup. His work ethic is relentless, he hunts pucks on the forecheck and tracks back just as hard, traits the Blackhawks are prioritizing as they look to build a hard-working, dependable core.
At 23 years old, the question becomes whether Thompson’s path offers enough runway to make an impact at the NHL level. Contending teams may not have the time or space to be patient with late-blooming prospects, but Chicago is in a different phase. This is the type of environment where a player like Thompson can be given the reps and responsibility to grow his game. However, Year 2 with Connor Bedard did not look as promising at projected and will Davidson try to accelerate this rebuild in the offseason ultimately putting Thompson in a position of being the odd man out.
Regardless of that, if we assume continued development in his game, Thompson could potentially slot in as a middle-six two-way forward with matchup value. He is not going to dangle through defenders or light up the scoresheet every night, but his pace, compete level, and reliability give him a real shot to become the kind of quietly indispensable player teams lean on in all situations.
Kasper Halttunen – 64 – San Jose Sharks
If you were not familiar with Halttunen a few weeks ago, you probably are now. The Sharks 2023 second-rounder has been front and center during the Memorial Cup, helping lead the London Knights to a dominant tournament and a 5–2 championship win over the Oshawa Generals for their second and back-to-back Memorial Cup entry.
Before diving into his playoff heroics, it is worth recognizing his strong regular season. Halttunen had a solid OHL regular season after making the move over from Europe two years ago. In just 38 games, he posted 21 goals and 20 assists, which is a 1.08 points-per-game pace. He established himself early as a goal-scoring power forward with a heavy shot and a nose for high-danger areas. His NHLe sits around 29, which shows there is still work to be done, but it also underlines the upside he is already flashing.
Then came the playoffs, and that’s where Halttunen really started making noise. Over two playoff runs with London, he has posted 47 points in 35 games, including 15 goals in 17 games this year alone. Seven of those came on the power play, and eight goals came in his final three games, including two hat tricks. That is not just production: it is clutch, high-pressure scoring that jumps off the page.
What stands out is how dangerous he has become on the man advantage, operating as a go-to option from the flank. His release is already pro-ready, he does not need much space or time, and his physical style makes him a handful in playoff environments. He earned OHL playoff MVP honors, and deservedly so. There’s still work ahead, skating and off-puck reads need development if he wants to lock down a full-time NHL role but Halttunen is trending in the right direction. For San Jose, he could easily develop into a middle-six winger with power-play upside likely the second unit, which makes him a name to watch in deeper fantasy formats.
The kicker? You would have to go six players deep before reaching Halttunen when looking at the Sharks pipeline through a lens like PNHLe, who, despite that ranking, has the tools to be a real difference-maker at the NHL level. One of those ranked ahead of him near the top is his London Knights teammate Sam Dickinson. Some teams only have a player ranked as high as Halttunen as their top prospect. With another top-three pick in the upcoming draft, the Sharks’ prospect pool is nothing short of stacked – an embarrassment of riches, really. It sets the stage for an exciting future in San Jose.
Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more content/fantasy hockey analysis, or if there’s a prospect, you’d like me to cover, follow and message me on X @Punters_hockey
