2025-26 Upper Deck Series Two Young Guns: Who to Watch and Why
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New York Islanders Defenseman Matthew Schaefer- the top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft- will headline the Young Guns checklist in 2025-26 Upper Deck Series Two. After Upper Deck’s Certified Diamond Dealer Conference in January, the complete list of Series Two Young Guns began circulating online. Series One had a deep group, and Series Two could be even deeper.
Schaefer’s flagship Young Guns will be one of the hockey hobby’s key cards in 2026, and based on the on-ice performance of the 18-year old phenom, his card #451 in ’25-26 Series Two could be one of the key hockey cards of the current decade. Schaefer will be the biggest chase, but collectors will have much more than Schaefer to pursue in the product. In other words, if you don’t pull a Schaefer, your ripping session can still be a success.
Whether you’re opening hobby or retail, hunting singles, or jumping into case creaks, here are some other names on the checklist, in addition to the aforementioned Schaefer, to monitor ahead of the March 4 release date (In alphabetical order by current team). Also, if you can't wait to hunt the names below, many of them can be found in the newly released '25-26 O-Pee-Chee!
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MATVEI GRIDIN, FORWARD, CALGARY: The top Calgary Young Guns chase in Series Two was chosen 28th overall by the Flames in 2024, and with Calgary in a transition, the young forward will get playing time. He was recently named an AHL All-Star.
ALEXANDER NIKISHIN, DEFENSEMAN, CAROLINA: Nicknamed “Boom” during his days in the KHL, the do-it-all defenseman is going to enter his prime quickly. He plays every situation, has a rocket of a shot and a physical edge to his game. Carolina is a perennial contender and felt comfortable handing the 24-year-old some big responsibilities this season. The 6’3” defenseman is the all-time scoring leader among defenseman for SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL.
AXEL SANDIN-PELIKKA, DEFENSEMAN, DETROIT: Detroit will be a great case break team in ’25-26 Series Two, and Sandin-Pelikka, the 17th overall pick in 2023, is the Red Wings top chase. He’s been a regular in Detroit’s lineup from the start of the season and if things continue to go the way they have, he’ll see playoff action in the Spring.
MICHAEL BRANDSEGG-NYGARD, DEFENSEMAN, DETROIT : The 15th overall pick by Detroit in 2024, Brandsegg-Nygard played nine games as a 20-year old for the Red Wings early in ’25-26 and has been continuing his development at AHL Grand Rapids this season.
EMMITT FINNIE, FORWARD, DETROIT: A seventh round pick in 2023, Detroit’s 20-year old forward Emmitt Finnie has been a pleasant surprise emerging as a regular in the lineup this season. Finnie took a major step in his last WHL season with an 84-point breakout campaign in 55 games during ’24-25.
ISAAC HOWARD, FORWARD, EDMONTON: Howard won the 2025 Hobey Baker Award (College hockey’s version of the Heisman Trophy) while starring at Michigan State. An Edmonton Oilers prospect now, he was Tampa Bay’s first round pick, 31st overall, in 2022.
DANILA YUROV, CENTER, MINNESOTA: After the Quinn Hughes trade subtracted a couple forwards from Minnesota’s lineup, Yurov has been handed an elevated role earlier than expected. Yurov, a first round pick of the Wild in 2022, has been a consistent contributor all season for a team that has big playoff aspirations.
BRADY MARTIN, CENTER, NASHVILLE: With three Young Guns on the ’25-26 Series One checklist, the Predators offered some good value, and they’ll again be a good team to chase in Series Two. Martin is a key chase in the product as the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He played three games in October for Nashville, collecting his first career assist and point during the stint. Since then, he’s returned to the OHL, produced better than a point-per-game, and was on Team Canada’s World Junior squad.
RYAN UFKO, DEFENSEMAN, NASHVILLE: Ufko is intriguing as a 22-year old defenseman who has been near a point per game for Milwaukee in the American Hockey League this season, and was recently selected to the 2026 AHL All-Star rosters. The Predators 2021 fourth round selection has shown some upside and offers a nice complement to Martin’s cards if you’re grabbing the Nashville spot in a break.
BEN KINDEL, FORWARD, PITTSBURGH: Ben Kindel, Pittsburgh’s first round pick (11th overall) in last June’s draft, made the team out of camp and has been with the Penguins all season. Pittsburgh is battling for a playoff spot, and Kindel, who won’t turn 19 until April, has the potential to see postseason action at a very young age. To stick in the NHL as a regular as a true 18-year old is no easy feat.
HARRISON BRUNICKE, DEFENSEMAN, PITTSBURGH: Brunicke got a taste of NHL action earlier this season, and along with Kindel, the Penguins 2024 second round pick will make Pittsburgh a very interesting team in Series Two case breaks. On the ice, he’s a right-shot defenseman, and those are always in demand.
MICHAEL MISA, FORWARD, SAN JOSE: The second overall pick in the 2025 draft is another one in a line of top-end Sharks prospects, and part of a two-headed Sharks prospect monster that collectors can chase in Series Two. Misa is a potentially elite goal scorer who netted 62 goals in the OHL last season.
SAM DICKINSON, DEFENSEMAN, SAN JOSE: The 11th overall pick in 2024, he has the makings of the number-one defenseman every team needs; especially a Sharks team that has building blocks in place up front and in net. Dickinson has offensive upside after posting totals of 70 and 91 points in his last two OHL seasons.
EASTON COWAN, FORWARD, TORONTO: Cowan is 20 years old, plays in a huge market with a huge fan base, and posted some big numbers in the OHL prior to joining the Leafs. Cowan was Toronto’s first round pick, 28th overall, in 2023.
DMITRY SIMASHEV, DEFENSEMAN, UTAH : The big defenseman was the sixth overall pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2023 prior to their relocation to Utah. At 20 years old, he’s averaging nearly a point per game from the blue line in the American Hockey League for Tucson this season, and recently received another NHL call-up. He has been named an AHL All-Star for this season.
TUSKY, MASCOT, UTAH: For their second season in Salt Lake City, the Utah Mammoth debuted mascot “Tusky”, and the rookie mascot is on the Young Guns checklist.
ZEEV BUIUM, DEFENSEMAN, VANCOUVER (TRADED FROM MINNESOTA 12/12/25): The key piece traded from Minnesota to Vancouver in the December 12 Quinn Hughes deal, the offensive upside of Buium, the 12th overall pick in 2024, is huge. Buium, born in San Diego, could be a Team USA option down the road.
BRAEDEN COOTES, FORWARD, VANCOUVER: Vancouver’s 2025 first round pick, 15th overall, is a good under-the-radar chase in Series Two. Cootes tasted the NHL in October, getting into three games with the Canucks. Back in the WHL for more seasoning, he’s on track to have his best season yet in terms of point production.
Doug Plagens is in his 11th season as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for NHL's Florida Panthers and has over 1,300 games of professional hockey broadcasting experience at the NHL, AHL, and ECHL levels. Along with being the "Voice of the Panthers", Plagens can be heard co-hosting the team's official podcast "Territory Talk" and the weekly "Panthers Insider" radio show. Prior to joining the Panthers before the '15-16 season, Plagens spent four years in Cleveland as the radio and television play-by-play voice of the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters and the Arena Football League's Cleveland Gladiators. Before his time in Cleveland, Plagens was the radio and television voice of the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads. Plagens holds a Master's Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor's in Communication from Lake Forest College (IL).
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