Every year, a handful of prospects take a massive leap. Their development accelerates past their peers drafted around, or even ahead of them.

That’s what happened with Nick Robertson, the 53rd overall pick who proved to be a top-10 prospect within months. The same is true of Adam Beckman, a third-rounder who promptly led the WHL in scoring.

Sometimes, the leap comes from unexpected growth, like adding a new tool or reinventing their game. Others, a player just slides up to the next level without much friction, or they finally find themselves in a favourable position. There’s also the culmination of several small tweaks, like getting a bit stronger, faster, and more confident.

So, who’s next to take the leap? I picked five players with different likelihoods of hitting top prospect status, s