The end of October is a good time to take stock of how prospects are performing to start the NHL season. All leagues are well underway at this point, with most players now integrated into their respective teams.

Development is a marathon rather than a sprint, but a strong start to the campaign can be a good building block for young players.

For some, it could mean not being demoted from the professional level to the junior level; for others, it could mean a call-up to the NHL. Some prospects may also be fighting for their chance to play at the World Junior Championship.

Here are five who are off to noteworthy starts this season.

Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers

When the Philadelphia Flyers selected Matvei Michkov at No. 7 in the 2023 NHL draft, it already had the makings of a steal.

Sure, the Russian winger came with uncertainty of a KHL contract that does not end until 2026, but his offensive skill set is not far off that of Connor Bedard.

Michkov is proving as much to start the 2023-24 season. Inexplicably, SKA Saint Petersburg scratched him to start the season and played him in limited minutes in one game. Eventually, they loaned him back to HC Sochi, where he played last season.

SKA may be regretting the lack of trust in its young superstar. The 18-year-old has tallied seven goals and seven assists in 15 games since. He ranks 18th in the KHL (minimum five games played) by points-per-game (0.88); ahead of all SKA players but one.

Let's put his start in perspective: In their post-draft seasons, Evgeny Kuznetsov (0.73), Artemi Panarin (0.53), and Kirill Kaprizov (0.51) dramatically increased their profiles with numbers that trail way behind what Michkov is doing.

The signs continue to point in the direction of the Flyers having landed a generational talent.

Brayden Yager, Pittsburgh Penguins

In September 2022, Brayden Yager was viewed as a potential top-five pick in the 2023 NHL draft. He ended up going to the Pittsburgh Penguins at No. 14 overall after a lukewarm season in which his goal-scoring production actually decreased.

As I pointed out at the time of the draft, that production was actually in spite of an increase in his shooting output. He was shooting more but scoring less. It was a sign that maybe the best was ahead of him.

That's proving true so far. The 18-year-old has tallied nine goals in 13 WHL games for the Moose Jaw Warriors. With 11 assists, he's on pace to break the 100-point mark. And possibly the best sign for Penguins fans is that he is not a power-play merchant.

Moose Jaw looks to feed Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus on the power play, and Yager plays distributor. In fact, he has scored just as many short-handed (2) as he has on the power play.

New Penguins president Kyle Dubas is tasked with giving the team life and making Pittsburgh a contender again during the twilight years of the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin-Kris Letang era.

Though acquiring top players such as Erik Karlsson is key to that plan, so will be shocking the lineup with a youth infusion. Yager, a strong two-way center who has rediscovered his goal-scoring touch, could be integral to that.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Vancouver Canucks

Taken No. 15 overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2022, Jonathan Lekkerimäki struggled for much of the domestic season and was mostly invisible for Sweden at the 2023 World Junior Championship.

The 19-year-old finished last season strongly, though, with five goals and 10 assists in 15 playoff games for Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish second tier. That helped him save face after an otherwise difficult post-draft campaign.

And Lekkerimäki is continuing that form this season. Now with Örebro HK in Sweden's top flight, he is reminding everyone of his goal-scoring potential, with eight goals (plus three helpers) in 14 games.

In fact, his eight goals tie him for the SHL lead. However, even at his best, Lekkerimäki has limits to his game. He's a pure goal scorer who will be judged by those merits. That he's now thriving in Sweden's top league is a sign of course correction for his development.

Joshua Roy, Montreal Canadiens

There are few things Montreal Canadiens fans love more than a Quebec native shining for the hometown team. Joshua Roy may get a chance.

Drafted in the fifth round in 2021, he was dominant in the QMJHL in the 2021-22 season—amassing 51 goals and 68 assists for Sherbrooke—and he also made a name for himself at the World Junior Championship, with 11 points in seven games for Canada.

High production at the junior level doesn't always translate to the pros, which is particularly true for the QMJHL where gaudy point totals can sometimes be a mirage.

But Roy is making it work. The 20-year-old has started his first pro season on fire, collecting five goals and seven assists in seven games for Laval Rocket, the Canadiens' AHL team.

Tied for second in the AHL by points per game, Roy is a well-rounded right wing. He has good hands and a strong shot, and he battles hard.

The Habs are depleted at right wing. Brendan Gallagher is a shell of his former self, while 2022 No. 1 overall pick Juraj Slafkovský is struggling to produce for a second straight season, with just one assist in eight games.

There is no need to rush Roy, but one has to wonder if Montreal will call him up in an attempt to give Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook some much-needed help.

Seamus Casey, New Jersey Devils

The University of Michigan has built up a robust program, successfully recruiting a number of the world's top prospects. It offers young prospects the opportunity to play alongside great players and battle for a national championship. The downside is that roster competition means some players have to wait their turn.

That was the case for Seamus Casey, who was drafted in the second round in 2022 by the New Jersey Devils.

Michigan was loaded last season with players such as Adam Fantilli, Mackie Samoskevich and Luke Hughes. Casey played second defensive pairing minutes and was relegated to the second power-play unit. His 29 points in 37 games for the Wolverines were solid numbers, but he clearly had more to give.

Hughes signed with the Devils, and now it's Casey's turn to shine. He is showing agile skating and high-end playmaking ability, with four goals and 10 assists in eight games for the Wolverines. He ranks third among all NCAA players by points and tops all defensemen; Scott Morrow is second among blueliners, with nine points.

Casey is an early contender for the Hobey Baker Award and probably the most important player on a Michigan team that is looking to win an NCAA championship.

Statistics via Elite Prospects unless otherwise noted.