Preseason games may not count in the standings, but they do matter. It’s an opportunity for young, developing players to prove their mettle and show how far they've come since joining their respective organization.

It’s not the be-all-end-all, but it represents another form of feedback for us at EP Rinkside. We get to see prospects we just scouted test their skills against a different kind of competition, one that provides a facsimile of the NHL experience.

Some of those prospects acquitted themselves well to the higher-paced environment, a sign that they're closer to an NHL role or that their skill set might translate better to the big leagues than some of their peers. And others struggled, exposing some weaker points in their game that we may not have picked up on previously and that we will monitor going forward.

What follows is a review of the performance of many top prospects in this preseason and how it affected their stock in our eyes. 

Not every team made the cut, though. For some, it's a lack of available game tape; for others, a lack of prospect content to follow. {