Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews continues to dazzle for the Toronto Maple Leafs and suddenly the conversation has shifted from him being a top rookie to his potential as one of the best players in the league regardless of his status. Matthews isn’t the only young player to make an impact early this year with some young stars shining and some of them struggling early on. Here is a look at who is hot and who are not for the top NHL players under 24 right now.
Sam Reinhart, Buffalo Sabres – HOT
The Sabres have struggled to score all season and while injuries have factored in to that equation the reality is that the veteran players on the club haven’t delivered based on expectations. Brian Gionta, Matt Moulson and Evander Kane have combined for just 22 goals while Ryan O’Reilly has just seven on the year. That has put more pressure on the team’s rookie players with Jack Eichel excelling since returning from injury while Reinhart has shined the brightest through the first few months. The 21-year-old has eight goals and 22 points through 36 games and is a minus-one. Those are excellent numbers for the 2014 first-round pick and on a line with Eichel there is no reason to expect Reinhart’s production to slow down this season.
Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames – HOT
For all of the talk about the potential of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett it’s been amazing to see how big of an impact Tkachuk has made in a short period in Calgary. Tkachuk is up to seven goals and 24 points and is a plus-nine in 37 games this season. He has also brought an element of toughness to the Flames with 70 penalty minutes. The 2016 first-round pick has made an immediate impact in Calgary and should continue to thrive while playing substantial minutes this season. The good news is the Flames are making a push for the playoffs, which would be a good step forward for this young squad. They are currently in fourth place int he Pacific Division with 46 points. They are just four points back of first place, which is occupied by both the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks. They need to find a way to shore up their back end as they’ve allowd 117 goals so far this season, which is the third-most in the division.
Jesse Puljujarvi, Edmonton Oilers – NOT
The Oilers are loaded with young talent beginning with Connor McDavid, but not every one of their top picks has lived up to expectations this season. The fourth-overall pick from the 2016 NHL Draft has struggled to live up to expectations with just one goal and eight points through 26 games. Puljujarvi has elite offensive potential but there has been a bit of an adjustment in his game since arriving in Edmonton and there has been some growing pains along the way. Puljujarvi has the potential to turn it up at any time but he is really cold right now and it will be interesting to see whether he can turn things around this season.
The Oilers have played well of late as they are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games. We’re at the mid-point of the season and they’ve managed to register 49 points so far. They are just one point out of first place in the division and five points out of first place in the Western Conference.
Brandon Carlo, Boston Bruins – NOT
A second round pick in 2016, Carlo has emerged as a quality young defensemen with the Bruins this season where his 6’5’’, 203-pound frame has provided a boost on their blue line. However, Carlo’s recent play has dipped a bit as he has just three points and is a minus-eight since December 1st after grabbing five points and a plus-11 rating through the first two months of the season. Carlo is talented enough to get his plus-minus back on track with a quality team in Boston but he had definitely cooled a bit to start the 2017 calendar year. The Bruins currently occupy second place in the Atlantic Division but are still 10 points behind the Montreal Canadiens, who lead the way with 56 points so far this season.
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