5 Eastern Conference 1st Round Picks Who Must Show They Can Stick in the NHL in 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers –

The NHL is full of talented young skaters drafted in the first round, with iron sharpening iron constantly. Some have been able to separate themselves from the chaff. However, there are some who still haven’t completely lived up to their potential.

Prospect development is tricky. No team hits on every first-round pick, but if they don’t develop any of their lower-round selections either, it’s a tough blow. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks have been anxiously waiting to make the playoffs again because their first-round picks have stalled in development.

Meanwhile, teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, who’ve earned a lot from drafting in the first round, have also benefitted from great trades and scouting in the later rounds. Here are a few first-round picks that haven’t been able to stick in the NHL, or in some cases, reach it.

Filip Mesar, C, Montreal Canadiens

Drafted 26th overall in 2022 NHL Draft

Filip Mesar is probably the only Canadiens forward who hasn’t become a decent professional hockey player. In fact, he hasn’t been promoted to the NHL yet.

He had a great draft year, with 51 points in 52 games for the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He improved to 52 points in 45 games for Kitchener, which earned him a promotion to the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Laval Rocket in 2023-24.

However, he’s stayed in the AHL since then. He’s topped out at just 27 points in 71 games, which he achieved last season. Mesar might need another team to reach his true potential, but he needs to be an AHL star to get a look at the NHL level.

David Jiricek, D, Philadelphia Flyers

Traded to Philadelphia Flyers in 2026

The Flyers acquired David Jiricek from the Minnesota Wild as a reclamation project. The Blue Jackets’ 2022 sixth-overall pick has bounced around from the AHL to the NHL in each of the past couple of seasons.

In 2025-26, he played in just 26 NHL games, 25 with the Wild and one with the Flyers, and he didn’t have a point. In 39 games in the AHL (24 with the Iowa Wild and 15 with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms), he had 23 points.

Overall, he has just 85 NHL games under his belt, but he should at least have a spot on the third pairing, maybe more if Rasmus Ristolainen gets dealt at some point. If he gets on a pairing with Cam York or Travis Sandheim, he could be a great complement defensively, but he needs to hold at least that third spot down.

Owen Pickering, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

Drafted 22nd Overall in 2022 NHL Draft

Owen Pickering was a late riser in the 2022 NHL Draft. He was drafted due to his great blend of size, skating ability, and skill, despite having 45 points in 61 games in the Western Hockey League (WHL) during his draft season.

He spent one more season with the Swift Current Broncos, improving to 46 points in 59 games. That gave the Penguins impetus to promote him to the AHL in 2024-25.

Pickering earned 13 points in 47 AHL games before the Penguins promoted him to their NHL roster, and he had three points in 25 games. The thought was that he’d stay in the NHL going into next season.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Some defensemen jumped over him on the depth chart, and he ended up playing just four NHL games, spending 68 games in the AHL. He was at least productive, leading all Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defensemen with 28 points in 68 games.

However, he needs to become a full-time NHLer this season. The Penguins moved on from Ryan Shea, Parker Wotherspoon, and Connor Clifton this past season. Yes, they brought in Trevor van Riemsdyk and Kaeden Korczak, but Pickering needs to establish a spot, especially with rumors of Erik Karlsson getting traded.

Conor Geekie, C, Tampa Bay Lightning

Traded to Tampa Bay Lightning in 2024

Conor Geekie has a great combination of size, speed, and playmaking IQ, and that comes with a lot of intrigue. When the contending Tampa Bay Lightning acquired him as the major prospect in the Mikhail Sergachev deal, many Lightning fans were excited about what he could bring.

He had a very promising 2024-25 season, with 14 points in 52 NHL games. Unfortunately, he spent more time in the AHL this past season, only playing 14 games. He was great in the AHL, with 59 points in 57 games.

The Lightning invested a bit in their fourth line, but that doesn’t mean Geekie can’t win a roster spot. His combination of size, speed, and IQ is very intriguing, and I hope he succeeds in Tampa Bay, but he’s running out of time.

Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW, Washington Capitals

Drafted 20th Overall in 2022 NHL Draft

Ivan Miroshnichenko has had a fascinating NHL development. After the Capitals drafted him in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, it took just 23 games in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2022-23 before the Capitals promoted him to the AHL.

Ever since then, Miroshnichenko has bounced between the Capitals and the Hershey Bears of the AHL. In 2023-24, he played 47 AHL games (25 points) and 21 NHL games (six points), although he helped the Bears win the Calder Cup. However, his NHL time shrunk to 18 games (four points) in 2024-25 and 13 games (three points) this past season.

His AHL time has increased, and so has his production over the past couple of seasons. Miroshnichenko had 42 points in 53 games in 2024-25 and 34 points in 41 games last season. However, with the many forwards Washington has added and their deep prospect pool, he’s running out of time to become an NHL regular with the organization.

Still a Chance

There is an important caveat here. There are a couple of times when NHLers can bloom late in their careers. Tage Thompson is probably the most prominent example over the past couple of seasons, but guys like Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin are good examples of prospects that took longer to develop than typical.

There are also cases of a change of scenery working out for a few prospects, too. Valeri Nichushkin didn’t realize his potential until he left the Dallas Stars and went to the Colorado Avalanche. Thompson didn’t achieve his form until he was acquired by the Sabres in the Ryan O’Reilly deal. Some of these prospects could use a change of scenery to reach the NHL more consistently.