The Best YouTube Highlight Reels of NHL Prospects

There is an abundance of information available about the top NHL prospects from around the league. Scouts have put in a lot of time and made their thoughts available across the web, and casual onlookers are able to write observations for sites such as Eliteprospects.com.

While all of this raw intel is outstanding and useful as a resource, sometimes it's tough to beat the power of the good ol' fashioned highlight reel.

Sure, these aren't the kinds of plays that most of these prospects can make on a nightly basis, and they rarely highlight anything besides snipes and dangles, but sometimes that's the most fun way to initially get to know a prospect.

"He's Got OK Hands, I Guess"

Player: Tomas Jurco

Team: Detroit Red Wings

The Clip: Tomas Jurco was drafted 35th overall in 2011, based mostly on his ability to dangle the puck. Quite literally, in this case.

He's a whiz when it comes to controlling the puck with his stick via velocity, and while the moves shown above have approximately zero actual game-day application, there's no denying that Jurco has some serious hand-eye coordination.

What Knee Injury?

Player: Morgan Rielly

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

The Clip: This particular highlight reel does a solid job introducing onlookers to Morgan Rielly's backstory. He blew out his ACL in his draft year but still managed to go to the Toronto Maple Leafs with the fifth overall selection in 2012.

He rewarded the team for its faith by putting on a clinic in the WHL in 2012-13. Keep in mind while watching this clip that Rielly is actually a defenseman. He's an outstanding talent in the offensive zone, and this clip shows several examples of that.

John Tavares Version 2.0?

Player: Ryan Strome

Team: New York Islanders

The Clip: Few prospects outside of the NHL have generated the same amount of buzz as Ryan Strome over the last two seasons. Unless you're itching for a breakdown of New York's battles heading into training camp, kill the audio, sit back and enjoy the fireworks.

North-South Scores

Player: Joel Armia

Team: Buffalo Sabres

The Clip: Over the next two or three seasons, the Buffalo Sabres are going to see a noticeable influx of young talent. Arguably the best youngster that will eventually come down the pipeline, Joel Armia is a constant scoring threat because of his willingness to drive to the net.

Steady Wins the Race

Player: Griffin Reinhart

Team: New York Islanders

The Clip: There isn't a more well-rounded defensive prospect (not named Seth Jones) around than Griffin Reinhart. He doesn't pop out during games like Morgan Rielly does, but that's because he rarely makes the flashy play.

Still, he's as effective in his own zone as he is in the offensive zone and already has NHL-ready size.

The Answer to Nashville's Scoring Woes?

Player: Filip Forsberg

Team: Nashville Predators

The Clip: Notoriously long on defense and short on offense, the Nashville Predators took a step toward changing that distinction by trading for Filip Forsberg last season. He's a dangerous threat in the offensive zone and makes his teammates better with slick passing and excellent vision.

Two (Top) Prospects Are Better Than One

Player: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonathan Drouin

Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

The Clip: The site of watching Jonathan Drouin breaking in on Andrei Vasilevskiy should bring a smile to the faces of Tampa Bay's devoted fanbase. While this highlight is a short one, it features one of the best offensive prospects in the world firing at arguably the top netminding prospect around.

Drouin won this round. We have a feeling Vasilevskiy will have plenty of chances to get even over the next 10 years, though.

To No. 1

Player: Nathan MacKinnon

Team: Colorado Avalanche

The Clip: If you're looking for the exact moment when Nathan MacKinnon leaped over Seth Jones as the top draft selection, you'll find it in this video. He torched Jones and his Portland Winterhawks for three goals in the Memorial Cup Final and looked like an NHL star while doing it.

While one game won't define the legacies of MacKinnon and Jones for long, it certainly helped the Colorado Avalanche make up their minds as to who to select.

Montreal's Second Coming of P.K. Subban

Player: Nathan Beaulieu

Team: Montreal Canadiens

The Clip: P.K. Subban is one of the best offensive-minded defensemen in the NHL right now, and he may have some company in that regard once Nathan Beaulieu settles in as a pro. He's a dynamic skater with a great shot from the point.

This video is a bit on the old side, but it shows Beaulieu flexing his muscles inside the offensive zone. Over the last two years he's also rounded out his defensive game, making him an exciting young player for Montreal.

Ouch

Player: Jacob Trouba

Team: Winnipeg Jets

The Clip: Half the people who watch this clip will think that the hit is dirty. The other half will defend it and believe it was clean. Regardless of which side of the fence you're sitting on, you can't deny that Jacob Trouba hits really, really hard.

More Than One Way to Play Defense

Player: Mathew Dumba

Team: Minnesota Wild

The Clip: With the emergence of Jonas Brodin and the presence of Ryan Suter, the Minnesota Wild already have a wealth of awesome talent on the blue line. There's more of that coming down the line though, as Mathew Dumba is one of the most explosive defensive prospects around.

He's capable of changing the complexion of a game with a massive hit, solid defensive play or big-time goal, and the Wild will likely welcome him to their ranks soon.

Chicago's No. 2 Center in Waiting

Player: Brandon Pirri

Team: Chicago Blackhawks

The Clip: If you're looking for an introduction to a youngster who could crack Chicago's top six this season, then Blackhawks TV has you covered. The team is in need of a No. 2 center and is very likely to promote from within.

After three seasons of development in the AHL, the man for the job could be Brandon Pirri.

Cleared for Landing

Player: Mark Scheifele

Team: Winnipeg Jets

The Clip: Remember that time you scored four goals in the third period of a playoff game in the OHL? That's a question that Mark Scheifele will be able to answer yes to after this outstanding contest against the London Knights this season.

The Winnipeg Jets have given Scheifele all the time in the world to mature, and it appears to be paying off for the lanky center.

Only Shooting Stars...

Player: Tyler Toffoli

Team: Los Angeles Kings

The Clip: One of the most offensively talented players in the AHL last season, Tyler Toffoli could make his full-time NHL debut this year. Even if the Los Angeles Kings figure out a way to keep him off the roster for another season, Toffoli is still one of the most outstanding offensive talents not currently in the NHL.

Heads Up Goalies

Player: Malcolm Subban and John Gibson

Team: Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks

The Clip: The two best goaltenders in the 2013 WJC also happen to be two of the best goaltending prospects in the world. Here are the two goalies' best saves from that tourney.

Trade Bait

Player: Joe Morrow

Team: Boston Bruins

The Clip: Most of the prospects on this list have made headlines because of their outstanding play. While Joe Morrow has made plenty of noise with his offensive game from the defenseman position, he's also seen his name crawl across trade tickers twice in the last year.

Here he makes his debut with the Texas Stars and posts two assists. Morrow has since been traded to the Boston Bruins.

NHL-Ready at 16

Player: Aleksander Barkov

Team: Florida Panthers

The Clip: The surprise-second overall selection at the 2013 draft, Aleksander Barkov has been playing in the Finnish Elite league since he was 16. He already has NHL-ready size, and it's unlikely that the Panthers send him back to Finland for another year.

Something to Prove

Player: Seth Jones

Team: Nashville Predators

The Clip: It surprised everyone when Seth Jones slid to No. 4 at the 2013 draft. Now he's got a little something to prove after three different teams passed on him in order to secure an offensive talent. He's in great company with the Nashville Predators and could be on a top-pairing with Shea Weber as soon as this season.

This Won't Fly in the NHL, but It's Still Impressive

Player: Jonathan Drouin

Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

The Clip: You probably won't see a prettier goal from last season than this one. While the coast-to-coast stuff is mostly dead in the NHL these days, Jonathan Drouin still puts on a show with this goal.

Not a Fighter, but a Lover

Player: Max Domi

Team: Phoenix Coyotes

The Clip: If the clip prior to this was the goal of the year in the juniors, then Max Domi's insane between-the-legs pass is probably the assist of the year. The vision and control needed to pull off this maneuver in a game is unreal.

Most guys can barely pull this off in practice.