Every NHL Team's Best Minor League Prospect

Every NHL organization has a few good prospects who the club hopes can lead the team into the future and help them be a consistent playoff contender.

While some prospects are given time in the minor leagues and juniors to mature and polish their skills, some young players are rushed to the NHL sooner than anticipated, for better or not.

Let's look at each NHL team's best minor league prospect.

Anaheim Ducks: Emerson Etem

Emerson Etem is a very good offensive player, and much like many other top Anaheim Ducks prospects, he has a great goal-scoring ability.

Etem is currently playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers and has 39 points in just 18 games this season.

Boston Bruins: Dougie Hamilton

Dougie Hamilton was the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins, and is their best prospect.

He is a very good offensive defenseman with great size (6'4") and projects to be a top-pairing defenseman.

He currently has 25 points in 17 games for the Niagra IceDogs of the OHL.

Buffalo Sabres: Zack Kassian

Zack Kassian is a very good forward who will be an NHL player pretty soon for the Buffalo Sabres.

He is a solid goal scorer and a good all-round offensive player, but he does take a lot of penalties. He currently has 10 points in 13 games for the Rochester Americans of the AHL.

Calgary Flames: Sven Baertschi

Sven Baertschi is the top Calgary Flames prospect and was drafted 11th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.

Baertschi is a great passer and has excellent puck handling skills. His defensive abilities are also strong as well.

Through 11 games, he has 24 points for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL.

Carolina Hurricanes: Zac Dalpe

Zac Dalpe is a very good goal scorer and excels on the powerplay. With a bit more time in the minors, he will be able to polish his skills and join the offensive talents in Carolina, like Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner.

He's a raw talent, but has spectacular offensive potential. He's currently playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.

Chicago Blackhawks: Dylan Olsen

Dylan Olsen is a very good defenseman prospect and will someday be a fixture on the Chicago Blackhawks blueline.

Olsen is a very good skater and has more speed than the average defenseman too. He has the potential to be a solid pro player that will contribute at both ends of the ice.

He is currently playing for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.

Colorado Avalanche: Joey Hishon

Joey Hishon is a very good center prospect for the Colorado Avalanche who is a good skater and does well to find scoring opportunities for his team.

He is a bit injury prone, but if he does well at the AHL level this season, there's a good chance he may be called up to the Avalanche roster.

Columbus Blue Jackets: David Savard

Several top prospects for the Columbus Blue Jackets, such as Ryan Johansen, are already on the NHL roster, but one that is not is David Savard.

Savard is a good defenseman with improving offensive talents. He plays the game with a physical style and could turn into a solid puck moving d-man.

He currently plays for the Springfield Falcons of the AHL.

Dallas Stars: Philip Larsen

Philip Larsen is one of the top prospects in the Dallas Stars organization and is one of the few blueline talents the team has.

Larsen is a good puck moving defenseman and could be a very good two-way defenseman at the NHL level.

He currently plays for the Texas Stars of the AHL.

Detroit Red Wings: Brendan Smith

When Nicklas Lidstrom retires, one of the players the Detroit Red Wings could replace him with is Brendan Smith.

Smith is a very good defenseman who has the potential to be a real star. He is an amazing skater with great vision.

He has unbelievable offensive talent and will be with the Red Wings in no time.

Smith currently plays for the Grand Rapid Griffins of the AHL.

Edmonton Oilers: Martin Marincin

Martin Marincin is one of the better prospects in the Edmonton Oilers organization that is not yet a fixture at the NHL level.

He is a very good defenseman prospect with great power-play abilities and good skating skill. Certainly has the potential to be a top-six defenseman for the Oilers in the near future.

Florida Panthers: Colby Robak

With many of their top talents playing at the NHL level, one Florida Panthers prospect who is not yet is Colby Robak.

Robak is a physical player who will be a good puck-moving defenseman throughout his career. 

He also boasts a powerful shot and is a good passer for a defenseman.

Robak currently plays for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL.

Los Angeles Kings: Andrei Loktionov

Andrei Loktionov is a very good offensive talent who has the versatility to kill penalties and score on the powerplay.

He is also a good passer and creates solid scoring opportunities for his teammates. With a little more improvement, he will be a top-six forward for the Los Angeles Kings.

He currently plays for the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL.

Minnesota Wild: Matt Hackett

The Minnesota Wild don't have a ton of talent in the minor leagues, but one of their better prospects is goaltender Matt Hackett.

Hackett is always well positioned on the ice and has good size and vision. The Wild are hoping he can be a capable NHL goalie, but he must improve his overall game first.

Montreal Canadiens: Louis Leblanc

Louis Leblanc is a good two-way forward who has the ability to be a solid all-around forward at the NHL level.

He could be a top-six forward for the Canadiens in the future and is very skilled with the puck.

Leblanc currently plays for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.

Nashville Predators: Taylor Beck

Taylor Beck is a very good offensive prospect who is a goal scorer and someone who plays with a physical edge.

With the Predators lacking elite goal scoring at the NHL level, Beck's improvement will be key for the team in the future if they hope to develop enough offense to make a real Stanley Cup run.

Beck currently plays for the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.

New Jersey Devils: Alexander Urbom

Alexander Urbom is a very good defenseman and is solid in his own end. He is a very physical player, but must learn to use his size to his advantage more often.

He's a raw talent, but is capable of being a talented NHL player.

New York Islanders: Nino Neiderreiter

Nino Neiderreiter has a ton of offensive talent and plays well in important games. He will be a very good NHL player and shows great maturity for his age.

He will be a top-line forward for many years for the Islanders.

New York Rangers: Christian Thomas

With Chris Kreider still at Boston College, Christian Thomas is one of the best New York Rangers prospects that could be on the NHL roster soon.

He doesn't have a ton of size, but he has very good hands and has great speed.

Becoming a stronger player would help Thomas, but he is bound for the Rangers roster soon.

Ottawa Senators: Robin Lehner

Defensive depth is what the Ottawa Senators are stocked with in terms of prospect talent, but with Robin Lehner, they have a good goalie prospect who could be a solid NHL player for many years.

The Senators need a top goaltender to compete for the playoffs again, and Lehner has the potential to be that.

He currently plays for the Binghamton Senators.

Philadelphia Flyers: Erik Gustafsson

With the Philadelphia Flyers in a win right now mode, it's not surprising that they don't have a ton of talent at the minor league level.

Erik Gustafsson is one of their better prospects and is a good defenseman. However, he needs to be a more polished player to make his way to the Flyers roster sooner than later, but he is a very good passer.

A raw talent, but has a high ceiling. 

Phoenix Coyotes: Brandon Gormley

Brandon Gormley is a very good two-way defenseman prospect for the Phoenix Coyotes, and has a great deal of poise for a young player.

He has very good size and has the potential to be a star defenseman in this league. He was the 13th overall selection in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Coyotes.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Simon Despres

Simon Despres is a very good defenseman prospect for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and could easily be a top-six NHL defenseman in no time.

He has good size, skill and is a very intelligent player. Could be another young star player for the Penguins in the near future.

St. Louis Blues: Jake Allen

With Jaroslav Halak struggling this season, Jake Allen could find himself at the NHL level sooner rather than later.

He is a very quick goalie who reacts well and plays poised when there's traffic in front of the net. He also is very well positioned on the ice.

San Jose Sharks: Taylor Doherty

At 6'7" tall, Taylor Doherty is one of the most physically imposing players in the San Jose Sharks system, and although he is not a great offensive player, it certainly could be a part of the defenseman's game with some improvement.

The Sharks usually develop top offensive talent through their system, but if Doherty could develop into a top pairing d-man, that would really help them in the future.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Carter Ashton

Carter Ashton is a solid two-way player in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, and he likely won't be with the team next year, but could easily be at the NHL level next season.

He is a good defensive player and has enough size to be a physical in the NHL.

Ashton currently plays for the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Nazem Kadri

Nazem Kadri is a highly skilled offensive player and has shown to be a good playoff performer in his career. 

He has the potential to be a top-nine forward in the Leafs system very soon.

Kadri currently plays for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

Vancouver Canucks: Anton Rodin

Anton Rodin is a very good offensive talent for the Vancouver Canucks, and the young forward has a great shot and puck-handling skills.

Rodin also is not afraid to be very aggressive on the ice, and if he could be a great goal scorer who plays with a physical edge, then he would greatly help the Canucks remain a top team in the Western Conference for years to come.

Washington Capitals: Braden Holtby

Braden Holtby is a fundamentally sound goaltender with great size and competes very hard.

Holtby has also shown he has the endurance to take on a heavy workload and play many games in a season.

With veteran Tomas Vokoun leading the Capitals in goal this season, Holtby won't be a major factor for the Capitals, but remains the goaltender of the future.

Winnipeg Jets: Patrice Cormier

Patrice Cormier has the ability to be a good power forward at the NHL level due to his size and strong compete level.

He is a versatile player who can contribute to the powerplay and penalty kill units, and has a pretty good shot as well.

Cormier currently plays for the St. Johns IceCaps of the AHL.