4 NHL Prospects Who Took Big Leaps During the 2024-25 Season

The end of the regular season is always a fun time to evaluate how much prospects have grown over the course of the year.

A lot of times you'll see a guy end the regular season with his CHL team, or finish his NCAA career, and head to his NHL club for a couple of games—just to get a look at how he might work on the roster and how his skill set stacks up against regular NHL players.

Those are some of my favorite moments, because while it's just a fun first NHL game situation most of the time, occasionally you'll get a player who comes in and shines like a beacon.

Our first prospect who took a big leap this season did exactly that.

Zayne Parekh was taken at No. 9 overall last year, but after watching him play this season that feels like light years too late.

When his OHL season ended, the 19-year-old joined the Calgary Flames for one game, and that one game was enough. He looked like he'd been there all along.

In addition to scoring his first goal, Parekh made so many smart plays that it was clear his skill set is going to thrive in the NHL. An active stick, great vision, beautiful passes and confidence to top it all off. 

Whether Parekh spends more time cooking, so to speak, or makes the Flames out of camp in the fall remains to be seen. No one will be against more development and seasoning.

After a 107-point (in 61 games) regular season with the Saginaw Spirit, it doesn't feel like he's got much left to prove at the junior level.

What we saw from Parekh across the season, particularly in his appearance with the Flames, is precisely who he is as a player. Regardless of when it begins, he is set to be a pivotal piece of the Calgary roster.

Parekh's next stop? Potentially the World Championships for Canada. He was just named to their pre-tournament camp, and if he goes into camp playing like he did in Calgary at the end of the regular season, he'll make the team.

The fifth round was an absolutely ridiculous depth for Luke Misa to fall to in last year's draft. He's more than proved this season that he's going to be a steal for the Flames during his professional career.

After ending the regular OHL season with 85 points in 67 games, including 34 goals, he netted a further 12 points in six playoff games with the Brampton Steelheads.

The best thing about Misa's offense? The way he approaches it, and the key tools in his skill set, are all translatable to the next level.

His speed is a key facet of his game, and it allows him to be phenomenal all over the ice but particularly in transition. He can fly, but he can also make excellent offensive plays at those high-end speeds thanks to his top-notch instincts.

On top of that, he continued to develop both his physical game and his play on the inside across the season.

While Misa will see some time in the AHL when he makes the leap to the next level, but don't let that cloud your vision of his future. Development is good. A long and productive NHL career is better—and that's what is waiting for him.

The emergence of Ville Koivunen (and Rutger McGroarty) was a bright spot for the Pittsburgh Penguins in what was an otherwise bleak season.

We knew he would be good for the Penguins, but he has showed he is going to be a force on their NHL roster sooner rather than later.

Sure, his first North American professional season had its growing pains, and the way he looked when he started the campaign in September is not the player he is now at the conclusion of the year.

However, Koivunen is now is a clear example of someone who is going to make good on his obvious potential. 

The 21-year-old was named to the AHL's All-Rookie team, and he has skill coming out of his ears. He's improved his playmaking, he's refined his ability to be a pain in the tail to opponents without necessarily crossing any lines.

He's able to translate his high-end offensive skill set—particularly his vision—into numbers on the board.

The Finn had seven assists in eight games with the Penguins, and the lack of a goal wasn't for the want of trying. It was because he'd learned to approach his playmaking maturely, choosing the smart play rather than going for glory.

His AHL scoring totals were also quite nice, with 56 points in 63 games with Wilkes-Barre.

Boy, did this guy jump into the NHL like it was no big deal.

I fully expect Ivan Demidov to contend for the Calder Trophy if he gets a full NHL season with the Montreal Canadiens in 2025-26.

The 19-year-old is going to be a Problem (capital P intended) for opponents regardless. He made that clear at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs.

Sure, he doesn't have NHL-level consistency yet. But he only played two regular-season games and five playoff contests. There's no real time to build consistency when your window is that short.

Consistency will come. What he already has in spades is skill.

What the Russian can do with his puck-handling while skating at his top speeds is wild. He's good about keeping his movements purposeful as well—he's not out there deking for the sake of it. He's looking to deceive opponents or create a better shot opportunity for himself.

He looked excellent during his time on the Habs' power play as well, something that will have pleased head coach Martin St. Louis.

Perhaps most importantly, Demidov is joining a group with several fun, skilled young players. There's no pressure on him to be the savior of the team. He can do his best and enjoy it. And that's usually where we see these players start to shine.