With a week to the roster deadline, NHL prospects are changing calculations

With a week to go before NHL teams must submit opening night rosters for the 2025-26 season, several rookies are having steady training camps and forcing teams to decide their next moves. NHL prospects are creating options for cap-strapped clubs and dilemmas for teams weighing veteran protection versus development.

Teams tight against the salary cap might prefer a youngster who fits financially and can grow in the lineup. Other clubs may bench a prospect’s progress to avoid exposing a veteran to waivers. The final week of camp will reveal each club’s strategy and open opportunity for rookies and veterans alike.

Why NHL prospects matter now

The deadline will lay bare team priorities: development, cap management, or roster protection. Prospects who perform now can earn roster spots, influence special teams, and change who gets protected from waivers.

NHL prospects to watch: Zayne Parekh, D, Calgary Flames

Zayne Parekh is a unique prospect for the Calgary Flames — a transitional defenceman who plays like a rover and sometimes like a fourth forward. In 206 combined regular-season and playoff games with the Saginaw Spirit (OHL), he produced 97 goals and 172 assists and finished at an eye-catching plus-84.

At Flames camp Parekh has played to his offensive identity while learning the demands of NHL defence. He looks capable of quarterbacking a power-play unit and often joins the rush as an extra attacker.

Key observations:

Elite vision: finds open space, moves in motion to create shooting and passing angles.
Rush threat: explodes up ice off the puck to create odd-man opportunities.
Growth areas: at times gives up too much gap and can break down in recovery, especially on plays that enter his side of the ice.

Projection: Parekh has a path to break camp with Calgary. If he sticks, expect sheltered minutes on the bottom pair at even strength and a role on the power play while he refines his defensive game.

NHL prospects to watch: Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders

Matthew Schaefer stands out for his competitiveness and 200-foot effort. He tracked down a breakaway in overtime against Philadelphia to kill the chance and then turned up ice to score — a play that underlines his relentlessness.

Schaefer is being used in all situations with the Islanders and continues to evolve. He’s shown lapses — such as a moment versus New Jersey where he didn’t fully engage on the blue line and a goal resulted — but he also makes high-skill plays look simple, like keeping the puck in at the offensive blue line and directing a pass that led to a Duclair goal.

Strengths: elite hockey sense, vision, and the ability to make difficult puck plays.
Learning points: urgency and defensive engagement on the blue line.

Projection: Schaefer figures to break camp with the Islanders. He may start in the bottom pairing at even strength alongside a veteran who can cover occasional breakdowns.

Ike Howard, W, Edmonton Oilers

Ike Howard’s camp has shown mixed results. He skates with pace, tracks opponents well as F1 on the forecheck, and has a quick-release snapshot that has produced power-play goals. At the same time, there have been moments of puck watching and slow feet in the defensive zone that led to scoring chances against.

Highlights and concerns:

Strength: speed off the rush and a release that can beat NHL goalies.
Concern: defensive timing and positioning on zone exits and half-wall coverage.

Outlook: Howard’s speed and shot give him a path to the NHL, but his ‘B’ game must improve for him to stick long-term.

Beckett Sennecke, W, Anaheim Ducks

Beckett Sennecke is a hulking skill forward (6-foot-3, 206 pounds in camp notes) who produced 36 goals and 50 assists in the regular season with the Oshawa Generals, then added 14 goals and 18 assists in 18 playoff games. His length, power and puck touch make him difficult to defend.

Camp glimpses:

Powers to the net after regrouping in the neutral zone.
Creates chances from imperfect passes by corralling the puck and tucking it under pressure.

Roster decision: The Ducks could keep Sennecke for a nine-game NHL audition or return him to Oshawa for one more year. The new rule allowing teams to place one 19-year-old prospect in the AHL doesn’t take effect until next season, so this is a key choice for Anaheim.

Final week focus for NHL prospects

The final week of training camp will reveal how teams balance development, cap structure and roster protection. Prospects who perform now can change roster outcomes; veterans who have underperformed may find themselves exposed to waivers. Watch how teams handle sheltered minutes, power-play roles, and nine-game auditions for 19-year-olds.

Follow the camp deadline closely. It will determine who earns opening-night spots and who heads back to junior or AHL auditions.

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