The 2026 All About the Jersey Top 25 Under 25 — The Outsiders from 39th to 26th

NEWARK - NEW JERSEY SEPTEMBER 21: Mikael Diotte #55 of the New Jersey Devils skates during the second period of a preseason game against the New York Rangers at Prudential Center on September 21, 2026, in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images) | Getty Images I know some of you have really been waiting for this one, and I thank everyone for their patience. Today, we are kicking off our release of the 2026 Top 25 Under 25. Between five of our writing staff and 74 community members who submitted a full ballot for this year’s rankings, this one came out rather tight, especially among community members. Beyond the top 15 so, there was a huge amount of variance in votes, which reflects the transitional phase of this prospect group. Most of the Devils’ top draft picks over the last 10 years have aged out and into the NHL, while few remain eligible for this list.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Still, every group is interesting in their own way. In these Devils prospects, we have a lot of players who hope to play well above their draft positions. In others, we have some who are trying to turn the tide against some stagnant, injured, or regressed seasons. With that, let’s see these rankings.

class="wp-block-paragraph">39: Artyom Barabosha(RHD) — Last Rank: 37 — Age: 22 — Team: Zvezda Moskva (VHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">Artyom Barabosha has had a tough time breaking away from the VHL since he was drafted. After playing 21 games in the KHL in 2023-24 and 12 games in the 2024-25 season, he only played two such games last year and again appears slated to play in the second-tier Russian professional league. For a seventh round draft pick, this is not a terribly surprising career development, though once upon a time it did seem like the Devils might have been punching above their weight in the seventh round with him. He simply has not developed offensively enough to command much attention above his current level, and his best hope seems to be getting into a KHL role away from the CSKA Moskva organization.

class="wp-block-paragraph">38: Luke Wilfley(RH C) — Last Rank: N/A — Age: 18 — Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">Luke Wilfley was drafted in the sixth round by Sunny Mehta in this year’s draft, though the selection was not super-well received due to his lack of production in the WHL during his draft year. Still, he was a young WHLer, and we are hoping for improvement from him this season from his 15 points in 66 games last year. He had a goal during the prospect series with the Islanders a couple weeks ago, and he has one goal in one game with Portland so far this season. Given his physical profile and the fact he was formerly coached by David Clarkson, his path to the NHL is that of a goal-scoring power forward.

class="wp-block-paragraph">37: Jeremy Hanzel(LHD) — Last Rank: 39 — Age: 23 — Team: Adirondack Thunder (ECHL)and Utica Comets (AHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">Jeremy Hanzel played last season entirely in the ECHL with the Thunder, but he had a large improvement in his game over the previous season he had played with the Atlanta Gladiators. Hanzel went from 22 points in 61 games to 49 points in 72 games, setting him up for hopes that he might actually crack the Utica lineup this year. ECHL to NHL paths are rare, but if Hanzel can replicate his year-over-year growth, he might break into the upper-20s or lower-30s in next season’s rankings.

class="wp-block-paragraph">36: Sigge Holmgren(RHD) — Last Rank: 36 — Age: 19 — Team: Brynäs IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

class="wp-block-paragraph">After missing his entire draft season due to injury, Sigge Holmgren was just looking to re-establish himself in the Swedish U20 league within the Brynäs IF organization. He did manage to play 34 games, but he only chipped in seven assists, which was a steep decrease from his six goals and 16 points in 18 games for their U18 team in 2023-24, prior to his injury. He is looking better to start this season, but his path back is still an uphill climb. A great performance in juniors would do well for his outlook, though he may still have trouble getting to the SHL club’s lineup due to the number of former NHLers playing for his team. 35: Kasper Pikkarainen(RW) — Last Rank: 29 — Age: 20 — Team: TPS (Liiga)

class="wp-block-paragraph">After debuting in the Top 25 following his draft year, Kasper Pikkarainen has struggled with injuries and middling production. Last season, Pikkarainen only had six points in 45 games for TPS, which was a pretty good indication that he would have been better served playing another year of juniors. But at 6’3” and 200 pounds, I understand his club’s desire to use him as a bottom six forward if they want to win more games. Still, this has proved to be a disappointing developmental path for the former third rounder, and a change of scenery from the defense-first TPS club may be best for his future. 34: Trenten Bennett(G) — Last Rank: 34 — Age: 20 —Team: Flint Firebirds (OHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">If there is one thing that Trenten Bennett has been very good at, it’s been knowing when the right time to jump ship is. In the 2024-25 season, Bennett jumped from the CCHL to the OHL, playing six games for the Owen Sound Attack and earning a fourth-round pick from the Devils as an overager. But last season was difficult sledding for Owen Sound, as Trenten Bennett went 9-10-2 with an .896 save percentage. So that makes it easy to see why Bennett is still ranked 34th, right? Well, his goals against average was 3.93, meaning that his defense was giving up just under 40 shots against per game. I am hoping that Bennett faces a more reasonable workload this season in Flint, as his 6’8” frame in net is hard to come by, and I would like to see what he has to offer after he plays the 2027-28 season with St. Lawrence University. 33: Cole Brown(LH W)— Last Rank: 23 — Age: 21 — Team: Notre Dame (NCAA)

class="wp-block-paragraph">Cole Brown has really bounced around the AATJ rankings over the years. He debuted at 34 in 2023, dropped to 39, rose to 23, and is back to 33. I think he is a good candidate for a riser next summer, as his jump from Brantford of the OHL to Notre Dame saw him go from 33 goals and 70 points in the OHL to six goals and 21 points in 35 NCAA games. Is that amazing? No. I think he earned dropping a few spots (though maybe not this many), but something to watch with him is how often he goes to the box. In just 35 games, he had 94 PIMs last season. If this were the 1980s, he might have been signed already, but seeing if he can calm down a bit and turn into a heavy-sandpaper power forward is something I have an eye on this year. If the goal scoring comes back into his game, he could be an AHL-signing candidate by March or April. 32: Daniil Karpovich(LHD) — Last Rank: 30 — Age: 21 — Teams: Gornyak-UGMK (VHL)and Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">Daniil Karpovich made an important jump last year, as he played 18 games for Avtomobilist in the KHL. But there is good reason that he is still in the 30s in our rankings: he does not score. Last season, he had one point in the KHL and zero points in 33 VHL games. This season, starting in the VHL, Karpovich has one point in six games. His game is entirely predicated on being a big shutdown defenseman who stays out of the box, and he’s been pretty good at that so far. I would like to see him get back into the KHL soon, though, because I cannot imagine he has much more to learn in the second-tier professional league. I am not expecting Karpovich to start putting up highlight reels that catch everyone’s attention, but teams always need shutdown depth. If Avtomobilist does not give him a better role after his solid play for them last year, I would hope he seeks to move on from them when his contract expires in 2027. 31: Mikael Diotte(RHD) — Last Rank: 32 — Age: 23 — Team: Utica Comets

class="wp-block-paragraph">I like Mikael Diotte, perhaps a bit more than I indicated with my ranking of him. After being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024, Diotte has nine points in 58 AHL games and two points in two ECHL games, but he mostly shows promise as a physical depth defenseman. From what I can tell, Diotte stays in decent position, throws big hits when he can, and is overall a pain for forwards to play against. On a pretty rotten Comets team last season, Diotte was one of the few who stayed around even on-ice results. If injuries bite the Devils’ right side even more after Seamus Casey’s untimely lower-body injury in preseason, I would have an eye on Diotte as a potential call-up option. 30: Daniil Rusakovich (G) — Last Rank: N/A — Age: 18 — Team: Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">The Devils’ sole goalie selection of 2026 has been excellent in the MHL under the Dinamo Minsk organization so far. Last season, Daniil Rusakovich had a 10-7-2 record with a .913 save percentage and 1.94 goals against average, sharing the net with Yevgeni Prokhorov (BUF) and Anton Krupovets. This season, Rusakovich has already played five of the team’s six games, as it looks like the net is largely his. This is turning out to be a great development for the Devils, as Rusakovich has started his year with a .934 save percentage and 1.78 goals against average. If he continues at that pace, I might even be hopeful that he gets into a couple games in higher leagues. Still, Dinamo Minsk has former NHLer Zachary Fucale and long-time solid KHL goaltender Vasili Demchenko, so it would be quite an accomplishment to take games from them at all. While the Devils are lacking in skater prospects, Rusakovich is already looking like another very solid addition to their goaltending pipeline. 29: Quinn McKenzie(RH C/RW) — Last Rank: N/A — Age: 18 — Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">I remain confused at why Quinn McKenzie received so little draft year attention prior to the Devils picking him third-to-last in 2026. The 5’9” forward had 21 goals and 51 points in his first OHL season in 2025-26 while tracking in the upper-third of CHLers in Mitch Brown’s microstat project. This season, McKenzie has started his year with four assists in the team’s first three games, putting him just below the team’s scoring leaders. As a Penn State commit for the 2027-28 season, I think McKenzie has already put himself in good position as an undersized forward who may just feed on going under-the-radar for much of his playing career. 28: Josh Filmon(LH W) — Last Rank: 27 — Age: 22 — Teams: Utica Comets (AHL)& Adirondack Thunder (ECHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">For yet another season, the former WHL goal scorer Josh Filmon has failed to fully establish himself in the AHL. After splitting his 2024-25 season between 65 games in Adirondack (36 points) and 12 in Utica (0 points), Filmon only played 31 games for the Utica Comets in 2025-26, where he put up four goals and two assists. Also concerning was the fact that he was sent to Adirondack for 11 games but could only score one goal and two assists. For a guy who has seemed to regress year-over-year, that time in the ECHL was prime for him to put up silly numbers. Another concern here is that Filmon has not filled out, and it is getting pretty late for him. At 6’3”, his playing weight should probably fall between 190 and 210 pounds, but he is still listed at 178 on the AHL website after previously being listed at 170 (and even lower in his draft year). As a point of comparison, Xavier Parent signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and had 51 points in 50 ECHL games with 6 points in 14 AHL games, and he is currently listed at 5’8” and 170 pounds. I am already much lower on Filmon than others, but he really needs to produce this year and prove that he deserves to stay in the AHL, let alone re-establish himself as an NHL prospect. 27: David Rozsival (LH RW) — Last Rank: 38 — Age: 19 — Team: University of St. Thomas (NCAA)

class="wp-block-paragraph">David Rozsival came rather close to making the top 25 this year, but he will have to prove himself further in college. After jumping from Czech juniors to the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL in 2025-26, Rozsival showed out as a decent two-way goal scorer with 23 goals and 14 assists and a +16 rating in 57 games. Among forwards, his on-ice rating was second only to team captain and Elliot Gulley, who is about a year-and-a-half older, while Rozsival’s 23 goals was fourth on the team. For a first taste of North American hockey, I’d wager that was a strong start. There are only six NHL draftees on St. Thomas this year, including fellow Devils prospect Chase Cheslock, so I am hoping that Rozsival can earn himself a lot of ice time. 26: Etienne Morin(LHD) — Last Rank: N/A — Age: 21 — Teams: Utica Comets (AHL)and Adirondack Thunder (ECHL)

class="wp-block-paragraph">Formerly a second round pick of the Calgary Flames, Etienne Morin came over to the New Jersey Devils in the Simon Nemec trade. For a guy who once had 21 goals and 72 points in his age-17 QMJHL season, his development has been lackluster. Morin is hoping to improve from the seven points he put up in 42 games for the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL last year, though he may never be the two-way threat he looked like as a teenager. On the Comets, he will have his work cut out for him in earning ice time. Above him on the depth chart are Anton Silaev and Ethan Edwards, while one of Vladislav Kolyachonok or Topias Vilen are likely to be sent to Utica tomorrow. Between those four and Jeremy Hanzel, who has put the work in as an ECHLer, Morin may be seeing a lot of time in Adirondack this season. Last year, he only got sent to the Rapid City Rush for seven games, putting up three points. This year, I would not be surprised to see Morin play a lot more games for Adirondack this season.

The VoteHere is how everyone ranked the players in this post.

This year, the community had 74 responses to the survey, which was a drop from the previous season. But what stood out to me was how widely ranging their rankings were, which caused a huge cluster of community averages in the outsiders range. In fact, the pure community average only had four players ranked in the 30s: Kasper Pikkarainen (30.081), Jeremy Hanzel (30.378), Daniil Rusakovich (32.338), and Luke Wilfley (34.689). The community’s best-ranked player listed here, Cole Brown, had an average of 23.459 to their actual 26th-ranked (as of yet unnamed) player’s average of 24.527.

class="wp-block-paragraph">When combining the writer votes, we had one tie here in Barabosha and Wilfley, which was broken by James’ higher ranking of Wilfley. There will be more ties in future releases. Additionally, almost everyone had some top-25 ranked players listed here.

I had Trenten Bennett (25->34), Quinn McKenzie (24->29), and Daniil Rusakovich (21->30). • >James had Etienne Morin (24->26). • >Jared had Kasper Pikkarainen (25->35), Daniil Karpovich (24->32), and Etienne Morin (23->26). • >Jackson had David Rozsival (24->27) and Josh Filmon (22->28). • >Tim had nobody. Good job Tim! • >The Community had Josh Filmon (25->28) and Cole Brown (22->33).With that, we close out the Outsiders post for this year’s rankings. I feel like this year’s rankings are an interesting time as the Tom Fitzgerald’s draft classes begin to fade away while Sunny Mehta’s guys make their first appearances, but it is clearly still a pool that needs a lot of work.

Your ThoughtsWhat did you think of the outsiders this year? Any surprises? Who did you have here that you voted in the Top 25? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.