One thing became clear almost immediately after the Vincent Trocheck trade talk: Cole Beaudoin is now the New York Rangers’ top center prospect in the system.
Beaudoin, the 24th overall pick in 2024 and one of the few players in the NHL who can say he was drafted by the Utah Hockey Club before the Mammoth era, is coming off a huge final junior season with the Barrie Colts. He served as co-captain, closed out his junior career in style, and now heads into his next stop with real momentum behind him.
At 6-foot-2 and 211 pounds, the left-shot center has long had the frame to stand out. Early on, he was viewed as a smart, two-way pivot with a strong shot and enough playmaking touch to make him interesting. He was even compared to John Tavares, though the expectation at the time was more of a dependable middle-six center than anything bigger.
Here’s what was said about him in the 2024 Mock Draft series:
“Beaudoin is a realistic, great choice towards the end of round one. He has the potential to be a solid third line center down the road but needs to work on his skating. He works hard, plays physical, and could be a great investment.”
Two more seasons with Barrie changed the picture. His skating has improved, he has embraced the physical side of his game, and after a dominant regular season and postseason, he looks like a player with a chance to grow beyond that original projection.
There’s even a case to be made that he could develop into something like a more defensive J.T. Miller, Jr.
The numbers back up just how much he controlled games. In 54 regular-season appearances, Beaudoin put up 33 goals, 55 assists and 88 points, along with 245 shots and 29 penalty minutes.
He only went 12 games all season without a point, and in 29 of the other 42 he posted multi-point nights. That stretch included seven three-point games, four four-point outings and one five-point performance.
He wasted no time setting the tone for the year either. In Barrie’s 5-3 win over the Oshawa Generals in the season opener, Beaudoin finished with an assist and two goals.
He picked up the secondary assist on co-captain Kaishawn Aitcheson’s first goal of the season, then later scored twice in similar net-front sequences after taking a hit in the slot and getting right back into the play. He never hesitated to plant himself around the crease, and that approach carried him to a three-point night and a four-game point streak to open the 2025-26 campaign, a run that produced nine points in four games.
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For the Islanders, the message is just as direct with Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. Despite outside interest, they are not looking to move either center, a sign that the organization still sees both as core pieces rather than names to shop. In a division where rival teams are always probing for leverage, that kind of firm line matters, especially with the Devils also waiting on a separate roster decision elsewhere in the Metro. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Just Created A Tough Early Test For Alberts Smits
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Chris Kreider Could Be Pulled Back Into A Rangers Debate
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Now the Ducks roster math is getting tighter, and that is where Kreider could get pulled back into the conversation. After the Leo Carlsson offer sheet and Pavel Mintyukov extension, Anaheim may have to clear salary, and Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman suggested Pat Verbeek could be forced to move one or more veterans to make it work. Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn are also in that mix, which leaves open the possibility that Kreider, once thought to be settled in Orange County, could become part of a new trade debate all over again. [Read more 🡒]