Big Hype Prospects: Hurlbert, Cullen, Ruck, Hemming
Welcome to PHR’s Big Hype Prospects series. Like the MLB Trade Rumors series of the same name, we’re taking a look at the performances of top prospects from across the hockey world. We’ll look at drafted prospects who are rising, others who are struggling, and prospects for the upcoming draft who are notable.
Five Big Hype Prospects
J.P. Hurlbert, C/RW, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
47 GP, 31 G – 42 A – 73 TP, 33 PIM, +15
The 2026 class has its own version of a game-breaking forward dominating CHL scoring on the back of impressive skill. This year, it’s Texas-born J.P. Hurlbert, who landed with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers after buying out of his contract with the U.S. National Team Development Program. That decision has proven incredibly fruitful in the season since, with Hurlbert now tied for the scoring lead among all CHL leagues. He has looked explosive all season long, with a next-level ability to operate the puck at full speed. That lets Hurlbert blaze by and through opponents en route to the net. His drives are capped off with strong finishing and playmaking abilities, focused on getting the puck into the low-slot. Hurlbert doesn’t shine as a physical player, but is rumored to be climbing NHL boards thanks to just how jaw-dropping his do-it-all offense can be. The NHL is currently watching Benjamin Kindel – a skill winger who faced an uphill battle physically – carve out his spot in the Penguins top-nine before his 20th birthday. Hurlbert will hope to be the next in line and could earn a top 20, or even top 15, selection.
Wyatt Cullen, LW/C, U.S. National Team Development Program (USA U18)
18 GP, 3 G – 12 A – 15 TP, 6 PIM, -4
The middle child of 21-year NHL veteran Matt Cullen is next up for the NHL Draft. Wyatt Cullen is pulling together a breakout season after sitting out parts of October and December due to an undisclosed injury. He has quickly made up for lost time, though, including pulling together a standout performance at this year’s CHL/NTDP Prospects Challenge. Cullen scored three points in three games in the cross-league matchup, a feat only matched by fellow 2026 prospect Mathis Preston and top 2027 prospect Sammy Nelson. That strong scoring has carried over to Cullen’s USHL action with the NTDP. He has four points in five USHL games – a mark that underscores just how central to the NTDP offense Cullen has been. He has been one of only a few NTDP forwards to truly flash this year, showing off an impressive ability to beat opponents head-on and find space through the neutral zone. Cullen is cool, calm,a nd collected with the onfidence needed to make plays tight around the net. He has brought a much-needed wave of skilled offense to the NTDP and ranks second on the club in points-per-game (0.81). With his mix of poise, size, and skill, Cullen could have a chance to beat out his dad’s draft selection – 35th overall in 1996.
Liam and Markus Ruck, RW and C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Liam: 47 GP, 28 G – 38 A – 66 TP, 26 PIM, +24
Markus: 47 GP, 12 G – 53 A – 65 TP, 18 PIM, +21
The highest-scoring offense in the CHL is led in scoring by a pair of identical twins – Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck. The duo play an immensely complementary game, with Liam’s sniper shot and drive to the net boosted by Markus’ nifty passing and sharp, two-way vision. They served as the foundation of Medicine Hat’s offense to start the season, then found another gear when Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha returned from injury and lined up between the twins. That line has proven nearly unstoppable since Basha’s return, in total combining for 19 goals over just the last 11 games. Medicine Hat has rooted their offense in the top line, which – while boosted by Basha – still leans heavily on the individual skill, and next-level chemistry, between the Ruck brothers. The two are a phenomenon. With their heap of offense, many fans are wondering just how high they could go in the draft – or if they’ll get drafted to the same club and get to build on two great years at Medicine Hat.
Oscar Hemming, LW/RW, Boston College (Hockey East, NCAA)
7 GP, 0 G – 4 A – 4 TP, 8 PIM, -1
One of many top Finns in the 2026 draft class didn’t get his start until the midway point of the year. Oscar Hemming went through a true saga as he attempted to move from the pro pipeline in Finland to North American juniors. His IIHF eligibilty was even pulled into question, ultimately forcing Hemming to forgo plans for an OHL move in favor of joining the NCAA’s Boston College. He became college hockey’s youngest player when he joined the league. Despite facing the challenge of age and international move, Hemming hasn’t looked one bit out of place in his first taste of the NCAA’s toughest conference. Part of that is thanks to the winger’s 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, which makes him hard to miss anytime he’s on the ice.
More than that, Hemming has continued flaunting the strong stickhandling and heads-up playmaking that wowed scouts at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is an intuitive playmaker who attacks the slot with confidence and aggression. With his build, Hemming is hard to knock off hte puck or force out of the slot. He has taken on many of the traits that made his older brother, Dallas Stars prospect Emil Hemming, worthy of a first-round selection. For Oscar, the chance to hone those talents as a young player in a tough league could be enough to push him high up draft boards. With a pro frame to boot, Hemming could be a surprise addition to the top 15, or maybe the top 10, come draft day.
Penguins Place Rutger McGroarty On IR, Assign Harrison Brunicke To Juniors
The Penguins have placed forward Rutger McGroarty on injured reserve, per a team announcement. McGroarty sustained a concussion after colliding with teammate Connor Clifton during Tuesday’s practice. As such, there is no timeline for his return, the team noted. Additionally, the Pens announced they’ve reassigned defenseman Harrison Brunicke to the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers after he suited up for Team Canada at this year’s World Juniors.
McGroarty entered the season as Pittsburgh’s top prospect but has had a rocky few months. After churning out 39 points in 60 AHL games as a rookie last season and making his NHL debut, he was expected to break camp with the Pens – potentially even in a top-six role – but sustained an upper-body injury that knocked him out of training camp. He was activated in November and spent his first couple of weeks in the minors on what was essentially a conditioning stint before getting added back to Pittsburgh’s roster on Dec. 1.
He’s been a staple in the lineup since returning, at least until his healthy scratch on Sunday against the Blue Jackets, but those designs of a top-six role have gone unfulfilled. McGroarty has instead spent most of his time on an all-rookie third line with Ville Koivunen and Benjamin Kindel, but the production hasn’t popped.
In 16 games, the 21-year-old has been limited to two goals and one assist with a -5 rating. Including last year’s late-season call-up, he’s only produced six points in 24 career outings. That line with Koivunen and Kindel has had great possession impacts, recording a team-high 59.8 xGF% at 5-on-5, but that hasn’t yet translated into results.
Any chance of those advanced numbers spiking a turnaround in McGroarty’s scoring will have to be put on hold. Recent trade pickup Yegor Chinakhov has slotted into McGroarty’s spot and, considering he’s got a goal and an assist in three games since his acquisition from Columbus, appears set to remain in a top-nine role for the foreseeable future.
Brunicke returning to juniors isn’t a surprise, especially with the more experienced Jack St. Ivany locking down a job as Pittsburgh’s third-pairing righty behind Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang since recovering from an early-season injury. Many still view the 19-year-old as the organization’s top defense prospect, but his initial NHL showing wasn’t much to write home about.
The 6’3″, 201-lb righty was in and out of the lineup for weeks before being loaned to the Canadian national junior team last month, only making nine appearances with one assist and a -4 rating. He averaged 15:43 of ice time per game and posted a -6 rating in his final three outings.
Since Brunicke didn’t hit the 10-game mark before being returned to Kamloops, his entry-level contract will not go into effect this season. He will still receive the $87.5K signing bonus he’s owed, though, further reducing his cap hit from its original $875K down to $816.7K when he is no longer slide eligible next year.
CHL Transaction Roundup: Cootes, Alcos, Battaglia, Radkov
The trade deadlines in the three CHL leagues are fast approaching and there has been a significant uptick in transactions in recent days. Here’s a rundown of some recent moves around the various leagues involving NHL-drafted players.
- Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes is on the move as WHL Prince Albert announced that they’ve acquired him from Seattle in a 12-piece swap. Cootes, the 15th overall pick last June, got into three games with Vancouver to start the season before being sent back to the Thunderbirds where he was quite productive with 23 points in 17 games. Most recently, Cootes played for Canada at the World Juniors, collecting two goals in seven contests.
- Another Canucks youngster was dealt as WHL Kelowna picked up defenseman Parker Alcos from Edmonton, per a team release. The blueliner was a sixth-round pick in 2024 and has 14 points in 31 games so far this season. Vancouver has until June 1st to sign him or they’ll lose his rights, meaning this stretch run will be particularly important for Alcos.
- Flames 2024 second-rounder Jacob Battaglia has been acquired by OHL Flint, per a team release. The Firebirds are sending eight draft picks to Kingston in return for the forward. The 19-year-old has 14 goals and 13 assists in 36 games this season. Battaglia will be eligible to play full-time in the AHL next season, making him a particularly expensive rental player.
- QMJHL Saint John announced that they’ve acquired Canadiens prospect Arseni Radkov from Blainville-Boisbriand. The goaltender was a third-round pick last June, going 82nd overall and is in his first and only season at the junior level. He has a 3.01 GAA and a .894 SV% in 23 games so far this season. Radkov is committed to play at UMass next season.
Metropolitan Notes: Malkin, Hurricanes, Flyers Prospects
Penguins center Evgeni Malkin skated yesterday for the first time as he works his way back from an undisclosed injury sustained nearly four weeks ago, relays Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. However, head coach Dan Muse noted that the veteran is still listed as out week-to-week. Before getting injured, the 39-year-old was off to an impressive start to his season, picking up eight goals and 21 assists in 26 games. Despite missing 13 games, he still sits fourth in team scoring. Malkin is in the final year of his contract, one that carries a $6.1MM cap charge. He has spent his entire 20-year career in Pittsburgh but if he’s amenable to being moved, he could be an intriguing trade candidate if the Penguins fall out of the playoff race over the next couple of months.
More from the Metropolitan:
- With over $14MM in current cap space, per PuckPedia, the Hurricanes are well-positioned to try to add to their roster. Justin Pelletier of the Raleigh News & Observer suggests that Carolina’s top priority should be to go after another goaltender. With Pyotr Kochetkov out for the year and Frederik Andersen struggling, preseason waiver claim Brandon Bussi has taken over the starting role. While he has done rather well so far, sticking with him as their top option would be risky for a team with legitimate contention aspirations. Having said that, there aren’t a lot of viable netminders available at the moment so if GM Eric Tulsky does want to go in that direction, he may have to be patient for a little while to see what options materialize.
- A pair of Flyers prospects are on the move in the WHL with the trade deadline in that league looming. The Seattle Thunderbirds announced that they’ve acquired center Matthew Gard from Red Deer while the Everett Silvertips revealed that they’ve added defenseman Luke Vlooswyk, also from Red Deer. Both players were picked in the 2025 draft, Gard in the second round and Vlooswyk in the fifth. Gard is having a quiet year offensively, notching just six goals and five assists in 23 games while Vlooswyk is still looking for his first goal of the campaign and collected six assists in 32 outings prior to the swap. Philadelphia has until June 1st, 2027, to sign both players.
Flames Loan Andrew Basha To WHL
The Flames have sent left wing prospect Andrew Basha back to juniors to finish the season with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, per a team announcement.
It will mark the 20-year-old Basha’s fifth and final season of junior hockey. Viewed as a potential fit by multiple public scouts in the 2024 draft, he ended up slipping to Calgary at No. 41 overall in the second round.
At the time, Basha was coming off a 30-goal, 85-point breakout in 63 games for Medicine Hat. The following season, he was a member of the Tigers’ WHL championship team but struggled with injuries. Limited to 23 regular-season contests, he still racked up nine goals and 29 points but lost important development time.
That missed development was apparent as Basha attempted to make adjustments to the pro game this season. Assigned to AHL Calgary out of training camp, he’s gotten plenty of reps but hasn’t produced. In 27 games, he’s put up a 1-4–5 scoring line with 33 penalty minutes and a -7 rating.
A good playmaker with physical acumen, he’s not an A-list prospect in a deep Calgary pool. Nonetheless, his toolkit points toward him being an effective fourth-liner even if the offensive production never really spikes at the pro level. The Flames are hoping that isn’t the case, though, and he can develop into something of a top-nine power forward. Getting some confidence back in Medicine Hat should help him on the way.
Canadiens Sign Bryce Pickford To Entry-Level Contract
12/24: The Canadiens have made Pickford’s entry-level contract official. It will formally begin in 2026-27. He could move to the AHL as soon as next season, with his 20th birthday coming in April. For now, Pickford will try to use this Christmas Eve gift as motivation to win another championship in Medicine Hat.
12/23: The Montreal Canadiens are approaching an agreement on an entry-level contract with defense prospect Bryce Pickford per Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. This news comes on the heels of a serious hot streak for Pickford. He is in the midst of a six-game goal streak and eight-game point streak with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. That featured a run of five consecutive games where Pickford scored the game-winning goals. Now, with Medicine Hat on a 10-day break for the holidays, Pickford could land his first pro contract.
Pickford, the 81st-overall pick in the 2025 draft, is among the most unique prospects in hockey. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound defenseman has racked up 25 goals, 44 points, and 37 penalty minutes in 31 games this season, while serving as Medicine Hat’s captain. He generates break-ins, shots, and scoring chances at an unrivaled rate for a defenseman – especially one who still makes a physical impact in the defensive end. His one-on-one defense and positioning leave a bit to be desired, keeping Pickford from being a full 200-foot star consistently, but his explosivity has been hard to stop on a strong Tigers lineup.
Pickford’s offense, next to star prospect Gavin McKenna, helped propel Medicine Hat to the WHL Championship and a Memorial Cup Final loss last season. He scored 13 goals and 24 points in 18 playoff games. Pickford also went to Memorial Cup with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2022-23, his first year in the WHL, but only scored three points in 17 playoff games. In total, he has racked up 153 points in 243 WHL games between the regular and post seasons.
Many debate Pickford’s upside. He has the frame, jump, and shooting to take over offense but concerns about his skating and defense kept him from being drafted in 2024, his first year of eligiblity. An entry-level contract will serve as a nice bode of confidence from Montreal’s brass in the midst of another strong season.
Late Night Notes: Tanev, Makar, Wutzke
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev was taken out of Saturday night’s game on a stretcher, following a collision with Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov halfway through the third period. It wasn’t clear exactly where Tanev took the bump, though he was fitted with a head immobilizer.
It is a terrible outcome in what was meant to be Tanev’s first full game back from a previous injury. He was activated off of injured reserve earlier on Saturday, after missing 11 days and four games with a concussion sustained on October 21st.
Tanev remained a core part of Toronto’s blue-line prior to his October 21st injury. His plus-three through seven games is the second-highest among Toronto defenders. He also leads the blue-line with four takeaways on the year.
Toronto could be pushed to recall Dakota Mermis, who was assigned to the AHL to make room for Tanev’s return. Mermis has no scoring through one appearance in the NHL, and two in the AHL, this season. He could continue to fit outside the lineup, should Toronto continue leaning on Philippe Myers and Simon Benoit in a nightly role.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- The Colorado Avalanche have assigned forward Taylor Makar to the AHL. Makar made his NHL debut on Saturday. He posted one hit and no shots in just six minutes of action. The night was also Taylor’s first chance to play alongside brother Cale Makar at the NHL rank. Despite playing for the same junior and college programs, the two hadn’t formally played together, largely thanks to Cale being three years Taylor’s senior. With this move, the younger Makar will now return to the AHL ranks, where he’s already accrued four points and 14 penalty minutes in nine games. He’s playing through his rookie AHL season, after earning a five-game sample in the league following the end of his senior year last season.
- Minnesota Wild goalie prospect Chase Wutzke has been traded in the WHL. He moved from the Red Deer Rebels to the Moose Jaw Warriors in a lofty trade – with one first-round, two second-round, one third-round, and two fourth-round draft picks headed back to Red Deer. Wutzke will bring starting upside to the Warriors. He’s posted a .889 save percentage in nine games so far this season, a that mark sits above both of Moose Jaw’s goaltenders. That should earn Wutzke the starter’s crease sooner rather than later, and give Moose Jaw one more piece to help push towards a long season.
Avalanche Sign Tristen Nielsen
The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Tristen Nielsen to a two-year NHL contract. The deal is a promotion from the AHL contract Nielsen entered the season on. His new contract will run through the end of the 2026-27 season.
Nielsen has had a red-hot start to the AHL season. He has scored seven points in seven games, tying him for the Colorado Eagles’ scoring lead alongside Daniil Gushchin, who has seven points in five games. It’s a huge spike in production for Nielsen, who spent the last four years in a depth role on the Abbotsford Canucks. He reached a career-high 41 points in 64 AHL games during the 2022-23 season, but fell all the way to 28 points in 67 games last year.
A scoring decline pushed Nielsen towards a change of scenery this summer. He signed a minor-league deal with the Eagles in early August and joined the Avalanche for their training camp in September. He scored three points in three NHL preseason games throughout camp – an especially impressive milestone given Nielsen only played in two preseason games over the course of four years in the Canucks organization. He’s continued that hot scoring into the regular season, and earned a second-look from the NHL brass as a result.
Nielsen originally signed with Vancouver as an undrafted free agent, after appearing in parts of six seasons in the WHL. He split those years evenly between the Calgary Hitmen and Vancouver Giants, and racked up 175 points across 241 games in the league. That includes a team-leading, and career-best, 65 points in 61 games during the Giants’ 2022-23 season. The Canucks signed Nielsen as a local gem two years later, and while he was never able to strike in Vancouver, his new contract will open the door to a possible NHL debut with the Avalanche soon.
Sabres Notes: Kozak, Mrtka, Mogilny
The Buffalo Sabres announced mid-game that center Tyson Kozak will not return due to a lower body injury, playing just 1:49 before exiting. Buffalo, winners of three out of their last four games, has seemed to find some momentum but now will have to hope Kozak’s injury is not serious.
Originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2021 draft by Buffalo, the 22-year-old Kozak has impressively become a solid defensive center, appearing in 21 games for the Sabres last year, and six so far in 2025-26 where he has netted two goals.
Elsewhere from Buffalo:
- Earlier today in advance of tonight’s game vs Toronto, the Sabres announced that Radim Mrtka was reassigned to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Drafted 9th overall by Buffalo in last summer’s draft, the defenseman did not appear for the big club but made his professional debut with AHL Rochester, skating in 4 games, posting one assist and mixing it up a bit with 7 penalty minutes. At just 18-years-old, the Czech and his 6’6” frame will be a welcome addition back for Seattle, as Buffalo looks to set their prospect up for success in 2025-26 before a potential pro return next year.
- A former Sabre confirmed that he will not attend the 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony in person. Alexander Mogilny, finally being elected this year after 16 years of eligibility, will instead deliver an acceptance speech through video message, as confirmed by Kelly Masse, Director of Media Relations for the Hockey Hall of Fame. The legend, who scored an unreal 76 goals for Buffalo in 1992-93, also made tremendous impacts in Vancouver, New Jersey, and Toronto. Although known of having a fear of flying, Mogilny is President of the KHL’s Amur Khabarovsk club, their season in full swing on the other side of the globe.
Canucks Reassign Braeden Cootes, To Recall Max Sasson
According to head coach Adam Foote (per Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor), the Vancouver Canucks will reassign forward Braeden Cootes to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Vancouver will recall forward Max Sasson from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks in a corresponding roster move. The Canucks confirmed Cootes’s reassignment, but didn’t do the same with Sasson’s recall.
So ends Cootes’s improbable run to the Canucks roster to start the 2025-26 campaign. Vancouver selected Cootes with the 15th overall pick of this past summer’s draft, and he cracked the team’s opening night roster after an impressive training camp and preseason. On October 9th, Cootes became the first 18-year-old to play for the Canucks since fellow first-round selection, Petr Nedvěd in 1990.
His debut will end after three games. The Sherwood Park, Alberta native went scoreless, earning a -2 rating while averaging 10:47 of ice time in a largely sheltered role. Further, his 28.1% CorsiFor% at even strength and -1.8 Expected +/- indicates that Cootes may not have been as ready for the show as previously believed. Ahead of an upcoming five-game road trip, it has become the right time to move Cootes into a more comfortable environment.
He won’t have to travel very far to rejoin his old team. Located approximately 140 miles south of Vancouver, Cootes will continue his season with the Thunderbirds, where he scored 26 goals and 63 points in 60 games as the team’s captain. He was even more impressive on Team Canada for the U18 World Junior Championships, scoring six goals and 12 points in seven games, and capturing the gold medal against Team Sweden.
Replacing Cootes in the lineup will be a familiar face from last season. Sasson played in 29 games for the Canucks last year, scoring three goals and seven points while averaging 10:20 of ice time per game. Although he didn’t offer much on offense, he was an exceptional defensive forward, managing a 92.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength. Still, he may have another offensive gear to his game, considering he finished last year with 13 goals and 32 points in 41 games with AHL Abbotsford.