NHL Prospect Roundup: Five players dominating the AHL early in 2026-27
A handful of AHL teams have hit the double-digit mark on the season, and we’re starting to get a clearer picture as to who the top contenders are.
Grand Rapids (Detroit), Manitoba (Winnipeg) Laval (Montreal), Abbotsford (Vancouver) and Colorado (you could probably guess) are among the top teams early on, while the defening champions, the Toronto Marlies, sit second in the North Division. There’s been a lot of parity so far, which isn’t always the case during the opening month of the AHL season while many prospects start the year in the NHL.
Today, we’re looking at five U-24 prospects dominating the league this year. We’re excluding players who have been called up to the NHL this year, such as Philadelphia’s Alex Bump, Detroit’s Michal Postava and Winnipeg’s Brayden Yager. The AHL has typically been dominated by older players, but these five have made their presence known so far:
Ilya Nabokov, G, 23, Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)
Nabokov was one of the best KHL goaltenders for three years before finally coming over to North America this season. He’s off to an incredible start, allowing just nine goals through five games while boasting a 4-1-0 record and a .945 save percentage. His play has essentially pushed Trent Miner out of the starter’s gig, and he’s definitely been better than countryman Nikita Novosyolov. Nabokov was considered one of the top goaltending prospects from the 2024 NHL Draft thanks to his pure athleticism and quick hands. He’s not huge, but he gives shooters little to work with due to his active footwork and strong angling.
Nabokov could ultimately push one of the Avalanche’s two NHL netminders – Mackenzie Blackwood or Scott Wedgewood – out of a job. The duo had been dominant over the past few years, but has had a quiet start to 2026-27. Nabokov doesn’t have any NHL experience yet, but he has proven fully capable of huge performances at every level. There’s little reason to believe he can’t handle the NHL once called upon.
Jesse Kiiskinen, RW, 21, Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
It’s been interesting following Kiiskinen’s development over the past few years. He had 44 points in 46 games with HPK in 2024-25 and dominated the World Juniors that year, too. Last season, though, he dipped to 28 points in 54 games, despite seemingly being more lethal as a shooter. It feels like he’s playing with renewed fire this year, with the 21-year-old registering 10 points through 10 games. He’s a smart offensive forward who can continuously create high-quality opportunities around the net. T
he good thing about Kiiskinen’s game is that he works hard away from the puck as well. He’s got a solid 6-foot-1 frame, and he uses it to forecheck hard on every shift. Even when he’s not scoring, he’s looking to make plays happen, and he seems to be moving better this year than he ever did in Finland. Scouts would like to see him make smarter decisions with the puck under pressure, but he has improved in that department over the past three seasons. They don’t need to rush him this year while he gets acclimated to North America, but a few games in Detroit wouldn’t hurt. Game-to-game consistency has been an issue throughout his pro career, but there’s still legitimate middle-six NHL upside if he maintains this trajectory.
Luke Mittelstadt, D, 23, Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
Mittelstadt was a solid NCAA contributor, registering between 18 and 21 points in each year of his four-year run at the University of Minnesota. He then signed with Montreal this past spring before registering five points in nine games with Laval. By all accounts, it was an excellent start for the two-way defender, who was originally drafted in the seventh round in 2023 as an overage prospect. Still, nobody could have seen this offensive explosion coming – he currently leads the AHL with four goals and 15 points in just nine games. He had three three-point efforts in a row in mid-October and has four multi-point outings overall, with just two pointless games to his credit (he had a season-high six shots on Oct. 24, despite failing to get a point).
Mittelstadt is definitely one of Montreal’s older defensive prospects, so you would expect him to be an important contributor in the AHL, regardless of pro experience. That being said, it’s always difficult to be a 23-year-old AHL rookie and turn that into a serviceable NHL role; most players this age have essentially plateaued. But for Mittelstadt, it feels like he has consistently been Laval’s best player every single night, and the stats are there to prove it. It’ll be interesting to see if he earns the next call-up to the big club because he’s done everything in his power to prove he can drive play from the blue line without being a defensive liability. There’s still some seasoning required before he becomes an everyday NHL option, but given where he was selected, it’s great to see him thriving.
Tyson Jugnauth, LHD, 23, Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle Kraken)
Jani Nyman deserves some love for his nine goals in nine games, which led to his call-up over the weekend. And maybe Jugnauth will get that opportunity before too long. The second-year AHLer has had a fascinating developmental path. He was an everyday college player at Wisconsin in 2022-23 before his ice time fell the following year and he made the jump to the WHL. He quickly became a star in Portland before embarking on a pro career last season. A 45-point rookie campaign made him one of the top first-year defensemen in the AHL, and he’s already off to a huge start with 14 assists in nine games this season.
Could the Kraken have a budding gem on their hands? At 5-foot-11, Jugnauth lacks the prototypical size NHL teams look for on the blue line. But with points in nearly every game, it’s hard not to fall in love with his offensive style. Jugnauth runs Coachella’s power play while being a serious play-driver at 5-on-5. He has an accurate shot, but his puck-moving abilities have instead been on full display this year. Scouts are still a bit worried about his defensive coverage, but Seattle would be wise to give him a look with the big club to see if his skill set translates.
Nikita Chibrikov, LW, 23, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Chibrikov is coming off a difficult 2025-26 campaign that saw him register just 16 points in 53 AHL games while going scoreless in 11 NHL appearances with Winnipeg. It felt like Chibrikov’s development had completely stalled after missing over half of the 2024-25 season due to injury. Now, though, he’s back with 10 points in nine games, giving Moose fans a reason to celebrate just about every night. The stocky winger is a lethal shooter who can release the puck quickly from anywhere, but he’s a great setup man, too. He’s always willing to battle along the boards despite being 5-foot-10.
Chibrikov plays all offense, all the time, and it often pays off with him being a dynamic presence in the attacking zone. We just didn’t see that consistently enough last year, so it’s good to see things flip around. Chibrikov has thrived in Manitoba’s high-flying offensive system this season, with Brayden Yager and Noah Gregor also producing at a high clip. If Chibrikov can continue playing with this level of confidence, it won’t be long until he earns another opportunity in Winnipeg.
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