Connor Bedard tops NHL's best under-23 prospects for 2024-25

Recently, The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn initiated a project to create a comprehensive list of the NHL's top under-23 prospects for the 2024-25 season. This effort, known as Prospect Tiers, involved collaboration with colleagues and input from NHL scouts and analysts to ensure a well-rounded perspective. The list categorizes approximately 115 players into tiers such as MVP, Franchise, All-Star, Star, and Support, rather than providing a strict ranking. The process included soliciting feedback from nearly two dozen industry sources, allowing for adjustments based on their insights. The project aimed to reflect a consensus view of the potential of young players in the NHL, acknowledging that while there is no absolute agreement, the contributions from scouts helped shape the final list. The inclusion of various prospects sparked discussions, with some players being debated for their rankings or inclusion. Notably, several forwards and defensemen were considered but ultimately did not make the final cut. Additionally, the project did not include goalies due to the challenges in projecting their performance before they have established themselves in the NHL. However, a separate mention of eight consensus top young goalies was provided, indicating their potential future impact in the league. This highlights the complexity of evaluating goaltending talent compared to skaters. Overall, the Prospect Tiers project represents a significant effort to assess and project the future of young talent in the NHL, providing fans and analysts with a clearer understanding of the league's emerging stars.