AHL’s Top Prospect Team Features Future NHL Stars

Could these six players ​​who dominated the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2025-26 be some of the next stars in the NHL?

The AHL’s Top Prospects team is a ceremonial team that consists of three forwards, two defensemen, and a goalie. To be eligible for this honor, skaters must be age 22 or younger on opening day, while the maximum age for goalies is 23. In previous years, players such as Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves and Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven were named to the team, and they have shown they can be difference-makers at the highest level.

With that said, who are the players who made the 2025-26 squad?

Sergei Murashov

Goalies can be more difficult to project than skaters, especially with their longer development times. This is probably why Sergei Murashov hasn’t gotten the press that some of the other players on this team have received, considering he was taken with the latest pick out of these players.

Murashov was one of the best goalies in the AHL this past season. He finished with a 24-9-4 record for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and put up a save percentage (SV%) of .919, good for third among starting goalies. He also looked strong in the Calder Cup Playoffs, with a .931 SV%, leading his team to the Eastern Conference Final. It’s not a stretch to say that Murashov was one of the more valuable players in the AHL across the whole season.

Murashov played five games for the big club in the regular season, though he didn’t quite look ready. He had a highlight performance in his second game, though, shutting out the Nashville Predators in a Global Series match in Sweden. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ goaltending situation looked solid this season, but not spectacular. Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner both looked streaky after leaving Western Canada, with neither maintaining a SV% above .900 on the season. Skinner is set to become an unrestricted free agent, which means that the Penguins have decisions to make in net. Silovs will also be entering restricted free agency, though it seems likely the Penguins will keep him around after he stepped up in the playoffs. 

Either way, Murashov appears ready to stick around with the big club when he joins them again next season.

Adam Engstrom

The Montreal Canadiens continue to reap the rewards of an excellent 2022 draft class, as third-round pick Adam Engstrom has looked like a possible future pillar of Montreal’s defense. Unfortunately for him, he has perhaps not quite gotten the hype he deserves due to playing in a stacked farm system. 

In his 2025-26 campaign with the Laval Rocket, Engstrom tallied 10 goals and 24 assists in 45 regular-season games. His steady presence was key to the Rocket winning their division, as he showcased solid two-way play and led the blue line in scoring. This earned him a 15-game audition with the Canadiens in Montreal. 

Engstrom has the benefit of being a right-handed defenseman, a position that can be difficult to find productive players to fill. Montreal has two of the better players in the business at locking down the right side in Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson. It wouldn’t be surprising if Engstrom got valuable minutes for the Canadiens next season, though it seems also possible that his strong AHL production could make him a trade piece that Montreal can dangle for a veteran player.

Carter Yakemchuk

2024 was a really stacked draft for defensemen, as we’ve seen flashes of talent shown by players such as Artyom Levshunov, Zeev Buium, and Zayne Parekh. The Ottawa Senators’ Carter Yakemchuk should not be overlooked either, as he showcased in the AHL why Senators fans should be excited. In 54 AHL games, Yakemchuk put up a well-rounded stat line of 10 goals and 30 assists for the Belleville Senators. This was good for 12th amongst AHL defensemen, which isn’t bad considering he’s still just 20 years old. 

Yakemchuk made an excellent first impression when he was called up. While the 2024 seventh overall pick only played four regular-season games, he notched his first goal and assist in his debut against the Detroit Red Wings. He later suited up for Game 4 in the Senators’ first round matchup against the Hurricanes, a match in which he tallied two assists. Despite the loss, Yakemchuk gave Senators fans one reason to be optimistic.

The dream scenario for Senators fans is having Yakemchuk pair up with their number one defenseman, Jake Sanderson. Yakemchuk and Sanderson are familiar with each other, playing road and pond hockey together in the Calgary area as children. Yakemchuk playing the right side is valuable, and his excellent offensive toolkit raises his ceiling quite high. 

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård

With Dylan Larkin potentially on the move, the Red Wings will need some help replacing offensive production. The highest drafted Norwegian player ever might just be the guy to fill that role.

Brandsegg-Nygard was incredibly productive for the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. He scored 20 goals and 24 assists in 60 games, utilizing his high-octane skillset to constantly help his squad find the back of the net. He scored at a point-per-game pace in the Calder Cup Playoffs for Grand Rapids, though his squad failed to make it past the Central Division Final. Hockey fans may perhaps know Brandsegg-Nygard best for his heroics in the 2026 IIHF World Championship. He tallied six points for Norway to help them achieve their highest finish in the tournament ever: bronze. 

Red Wings fans saw a bit of Brandsegg-Nygard with the big club this season. He didn’t make too much of an impact, only notching one assist before going back down to Grand Rapids. Still, even without the immediate scoring impact, he’s shown to be capable of playing a gritty, well-rounded game, which could allow him to slot in as an effective bottom-six player with the potential to rise up the lineup if he’s productive.

Ilya Protas

What’s better than one imposing mutant of a Belarusian forward? How about two? The Capitals have to be excited that they will soon be pairing Ilya with his brother Aleksei. Both players were third-round picks who have already shown more promise than ever expected. It’s pretty rare to see mid-round draft picks skyrocket up prospect rankings before even turning 20, but both brothers have proven to be ahead of schedule.

Protas was a monster with the Hershey Bears this season, and that isn’t just because of his towering stature. He tallied 66 points, which stands as the fourth-best mark put up in a season by a teenager in AHL history. This earned him the Red Garrett Memorial Award for the AHL’s top rookie, the cherry on top of his incredible 2025-26. 

The Capitals’ retool is trending towards being a success, with players like Cole Hutson and Ryan Leonard already looking like possible franchise cornerstones. Don’t count out Ilya Protas from this group. With this kind of meteoric rise, there’s a chance he could be the best of the batch. He will enter 2026-27 as one of the dark horse candidates for the Calder Trophy.

Konsta Helenius

Konsta Helenius is the only player to make the 2025-26 AHL Top Prospect team who also made it the previous year, when he was the youngest AHL regular. The 2024 first-round pick has really shown to be the complete package. He was drafted 14th by the Buffalo Sabres due to his well-rounded skillset, hockey IQ, and clear competitive drive. In the AHL with the Rochester Americans, he has done everything he can to prove the scouts right.

Helenius has been one of the best teenagers ever in the AHL. He posted the highest-scoring season by a teenager in Americans history in 2025-26, with 21 goals and 42 assists for 63 points in 63 games. Fans also got to see Helenius up in the NHL for a brief taste of playoff action, suiting up for four games in Buffalo’s epic seven-game series against Montreal. Helenius made an impact, scoring two goals. As a bonus, he also scored the gold medal-winning goal for Finland at the 2026 IIHF World Championship. There is clearly ice in his veins.

With Alex Tuch possibly departing via free agency in July, the Sabres are going to need to make up some scoring. Helenius has perhaps a higher ceiling than Tuch, and he will likely be called upon to be a difference maker in 2026-27.

What’s Next?

With all of these players looking dominant in the AHL, it wouldn’t be too surprising if these players went from competing for the Calder Cup to trying to secure the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. They clearly all have the talent, and now it’s up to their teams to see if and where they fit in the lineup next season.