- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
Goaltender Nabokov of Colorado has seized the starting role from Trent Miner, posting a 4-1-0 record with a .945 save percentage and nine goals allowed across five games. The top goaltending prospect from the 2024 NHL Draft has quickly established himself in the crease.
Defenseman Mittelstadt of Laval, a seventh-round selection in 2023, leads the AHL with four goals and 15 points in nine contests. The overage prospect recorded three consecutive three-point performances in mid-October.
Among other notable young players, forward Kiiskinen of Grand Rapids has produced 10 points in 10 games at age 21 after registering 44 points in 46 games with HPK in 2024-25. Defenseman Jugnauth of Coachella has tallied 14 assists in nine games, building on a 45-point rookie AHL campaign. Forward Chibrikov of Manitoba, who managed 16 points in 53 AHL games in 2025-26 and went scoreless in 11 NHL contests, has collected 10 points in nine games this season.
"Chibrikov plays all offense, all the time," one observer noted.
Jani Nyman earned a call-up after scoring nine goals in nine games. Grand Rapids, Manitoba, Laval, Abbotsford and Colorado rank among the top teams early, while defending champion Toronto sits second in the North Division.
Source: Daily Faceoff - Mon Oct 26, 11:37 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).