Future Watch Update - 26.03.25

WHL

Andrew Basha - Left Wing - Medicine Hat Tigers
9 goals, 20 assists, 29 points in 23 games

Basha, who was limited to only 23 games during the regular season, remains sidelined indefinitely as top-seeded Medicine Hat begins its playoff run.

The Tigers open their best-of-seven, first-round set with Swift Current on home ice Friday night.

Axel Hurtig - Defence - Calgary Hitmen
5 goals, 11 assists, 16 points in 55 games

Hurtig was named Calgary's top defenceman at the Hitmen year-end awards Sunday, picking up an assist in the regular-season finale.

Calgary enters the 2025 WHL playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and open their best-of-seven versus fellow Flames prospect Hunter Laing and the Saskatoon Blades Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Eric Jamieson - Defence - Everett Silvertips
14 goals, 22 assists, 36 points in 66 games

Jamieson and the Silvertips are the No. 1 seed in the WHL playoffs and will have home-ice advantage throughout the post-season.

They'll stay close to home in round one, too; a best-of-seven affair against their neighbours from Seattle begins Friday in Everett.

Hunter Laing - Right Wing - Saskatoon Blades
25 goals, 23 assists, 48 points in 64 games

Laing has benefitted hugely from his mid-season move to Saskatoon as part of a career year. He scored 15 of his 25 goals since the January trade, and now will help lead the Blades into the post-season against the Hitmen, a series that gets underway Friday night in Calgary.

Jaden Lipinski - Centre - Vancouver Giants
17 goals, 41 assists, 58 points in 59 games

Lipinski enters his final WHL playoff campaign after recording a multi-point game (1G, 1A) in his regular-season finale Sunday.

The Giants are the lower seed versus the Spokane Chiefs, but will start the series on home ice Friday night due to a building conflict in Spokane.

OHL

Jacob Battaglia - Left Wing - Kingston Frontenacs
40 goals, 50 assists, 90 points in 68 games

Battaglia played in all 68 regular-season games for Kingston, setting new bests with 40 goals and 90 points over the course of the campaign.

And now, he'll go up against a Flames prospect in the post-season; the Frontenacs have drawn Henry Mews and the Sudbury Wolves in the first round.

The series gets underway Friday in Kingston.

Henry Mews - Defence - Sudbury Wolves
14 goals, 68 assists, 82 points in 68 games

Like Battaglia, Mews played a full complement of regular-season fixtures, and has recorded 32 points in 30 games since being dealt to Sudbury.

The Wolves start the post-season on the road Friday night at Kingston.

Luke Misa - Centre - Brampton Steelheads
34 goals, 51 assists, 85 points in 68 games

Misa had three assists over his final two regular-season contests with Brampton, helping the Steelheads outscore their opponents 13-3.

They get their first-round series with Oshawa started on the road Friday evening.

Zayne Parekh - Defence - Saginaw Spirit
33 goals, 74 assists, 107 points in 61 games

Parekh's 107 points are the most by an OHL blueliner in regular-season play in more than 30 years, and he closed out the campaign on a 14-game point streak.

Saginaw - the reigning Memorial Cup champions - begin their playoff campaign on home ice Thursday versus the Erie Otters.

QMJHL

Matvei Gridin - Right Wing - Shawinigan Cataractes
36 goals, 43 assists, 79 points in 56 games

Gridin finished fifth in the QMJHL in points-per-game this season, part of a major junior debut that saw him fire home 36 goals in 56 games.

The Cataractes have home-ice advantage in round one; they host the Val d'Or Foreurs Friday and Saturday to kick off their first round set.

Etienne Morin - Defence - Moncton Wildcats
14 goals, 44 assists, 58 points in 62 games

Moncton won a regular-season crown this year, and Morin was a big part of it.

He heads into the playoffs as the reigning QMJHL Player of the Week, having posted five points in his last two games including a three-point effort (1G, 2A) Saturday in a 6-5 OT win at Acadie-Bathurst.

The Wildcats face the Quebec Remparts in the first round of the playoffs, beginning Friday in Moncton.

NCAA

Trevor Hoskin - Forward - Niagara
12 goals, 27 assists, 39 points in 36 games

Cade Littler - Forward - North Dakota
7 goals, 2 assists, 9 points in 33 games

Arsenii Sergeev - Goaltender - Penn State
17-8-4 record, 2.66 GAA, .915 save percentage, 4 shutouts

Sergeev is one of two Flames NCAA prospects set to take part in this year's Division I national championship.

Penn State faces Maine in the Round of 16 Friday.

Aydar Suniev - Forward - Massachusetts
18 goals, 18 assists, 36 points in 33 games

Suniev and the Minutemen are back in the NCAA tournament, they'll face Minnesota in the first round Thursday.

Owen Say - Goaltender - Notre Dame
10-15-0 record, 2.82 GAA, .920 save percentage

Say joined the Flames prospect corps earlier this week, when he signed a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season.

Read more on the newest member of Calgary's goaltending group here.

Jake Boltmann - Defence - Northeastern
2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points in 35 games

Russia

Yegor Yegorov - Goaltender - Krylia Sovetov (MHL)
7-10-1, 3.14 GAA, .904 save percentage, 1 shutout (MHL)
4-3-1, 3.07 GAA, .891 save percentage (NMHL)
1-1-0, 3.38 GAA, .870 save percentage (VHL)

Kirill Zarubin - Goaltender - AKM Tula (MHL)
12-9-0, 2.34 GAA, .935 save percentage, 1 shutout

Daniil Chechelev - Goaltender - Yunison Moskva (VHL)
2-4-1, 3.61 GAA, .888 save percentage, 1 shutout