10. Cam Squires
Cape Breton Eagles
We’ve made it to the top 10, and this season, it’s a very exciting one. We’re missing those premium stars, like Luke Hughes and Alexander Holtz of years past, but the entirety of the top 10 has depth. We start with Cam Squires, who propelled himself up this list with a breakout year. He was ranked 14th on our preseason Top 25 Prospects list, but multiple players have made positive movement across the list. Squires moving into the top 10 is impressive. Earlier this season, he became the second player in Cape Breton franchise history to score 60 points in three seasons. His goal scoring has dropped slightly this year, but he’s taken a leadership role with his team, and he’s been trying to distribute more. He could immediately join Utica and contribute. We do hope he gets back to the goal scoring because that will be his bread and butter if he’s to make the NHL.
9. Samu Salminen
Denver Pioneers
Full disclosure: we were really excited to finally see Samu Salminen playing for the University of Denver. He was originally supposed to play for one of the top teams in the NCAA, but eligibility issues forced him to start his North American journey at UConn. He finally was able to play for the franchise he wanted to play for after transferring there this summer. Salminen has been a perfect fit for the Pioneers, playing a really good center, a dominant penalty killer, and adding an offensive punch to the bottom six. His 23 points already breaks what he had in either season at UConn, and he’s looking to make a two-way impact on Denver in the Frozen Four.
8. Matyas Melovsky
Baie-Comeau Drakkar
The surprise this season is Matyas Melovsky. He wasn’t even on most of our radar coming into the season. He was taken in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, and he’s responded with an incredible season. He has a career-high 76 points this season, but the QMJHL is the Wild West when it comes to scoring. His 51 assists do rank him fifth in the entire league, so he’s definitely distributing at an elite rate. The Devils desperately need centers in the system. They focused so much on wingers and defensemen that center was neglected, but Melovsky gets them closer. As a 20-year-old, he could decide to jump to Utica next season. It’s hard to think the Czechia native has much else to prove in juniors.
7. Jakub Malek
Ilves
Jakub Malek has been exactly what the Devils wanted him to be when they sent him back to Liiga after signing him last offseason. They wanted a dominant performance. Malek has the fifth-best save percentage in the men’s league, and he’s allowing a league-low 2.09 goals per game. His four shutouts this season are second in the league. Again, this is exactly what the Devils wanted from Malek this season. He has the frame of a goaltender, and he’s always poised in disaster situations. If you’ve seen Devils hockey over the past few years, that’s a necessary skill. He will see high-danger chances with this team, so being able to stop them is key to a successful Devils goalie. He will come in next season and likely fight for a spot, whether that’s as the NHL backup or the Utica starter.
6. Lenni Hameenaho
Assat Pori
Now we’re getting into the prospects who have a high likelihood of making an NHL impact. Lenni Hameenaho has been incredible for Assat Pori, putting up 50 points and still playing a responsible two-way game. The offensive outburst is a nice surprise. The Devils expected Hameenaho to be a decent bottom-six forward in the future, but he’s proven to be more equipped to be a middle-six forward. If he can prove to be a 15-20 goal scorer at the next level, it will help what’s become a problem for the Devils’ forwards. With so much money spent over the next few years, having players like Hameenaho on entry-level deals will be important.