Now more than ever before the NHL is a young man’s league. The rise to prominence of several stars in a very short amount of time has signaled a changing of the guard. Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine have been in the spotlight over the past couple of years and they are definitely considered among the best players under 25. At the same time, there are a couple of other names that shouldn’t be overlooked, already among the best players in the NHL right now. Here is a look at the NHL’s top five players under 25-years-old.
C: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Only Sidney Crosby has a higher points per game than McDavid this season with Crosby averaging a 1.23 mark and McDavid averaging a 1.13 mark. McDavid and Crosby are tied for the NHL lead with 80 points, with McDavid leading the NHL with 55 assists. McDavid has the potential to become the first Oilers player to win the Art Ross trophy since Wayne Gretzky did it in 1987. At 20-years-old, he is only beginning to tap in to his immense potential. McDavid should be an Art Ross and Hart trophy contender for years to come.
W: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Matthews and Laine get the majority of the attention since they are both rookies but in terms of the best players under 25 there is no doubt that Kucherov deserves this spot on the list. The 23-year-old ranks third behind only Crosby and McDavid in points per game with a 1.11 mark this season. There is a good chance he would be right there with Crosby and McDavid among the top Art Ross trophy contenders if he didn’t miss time with injury. Kucherov has established himself among the NHL elite and the potential is there for him to be even more productive next season when Steven Stamkos returns for Tampa Bay.
C: Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
While his teammate Laine has been in the spotlight all season, Scheifele ranks third in points per game among NHL players under the age of 25 this season behind only McDavid and Kucherov. Scheifele has averaged 1.03 points per game, with 71 points in 79 games this season. Scheifele is on pace to crack 30 goals and 80 points this season and while Laine is the more dynamic scorer at this point it’s clear Scheifele is the more complete player right now.
C: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
The first-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft has 31 goals and 55 points in 67 games this season, including six game-winning goals. Matthews is challenging for the rookie scoring lead and he is tied for ninth in NHL goal scoring. The 19-year-old has enjoyed an incredible debut season and he should only continue to get better as he develops and is surrounded by more talent in Toronto.
W: Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets
Laine has averaged 0.94 points per game in his rookie season but his 0.52 goals per game is right behind Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kucherov and Brad Marchand among the NHL leaders. Laine has 33 goals and 60 points in 64 games this season. At just 18-years-old, Laine is already an elite NHL goal scorer that will spend the next six years on this list as he continues to develop his skill set. The second-overall pick form the 2016 NHL draft will be a star for years to come. It won’t be a surprise if Laine eventually ends up at the top of this list.
F: Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
This list is loaded with studs, but Forsberg has a case to be the best of the bunch these days. He seemed to be a bit of an underwhelming prospect with Barry Trotz as his head coach but , picking up just five points in 13 games in the 2013-14 season and then 63 points in 82 games in the 2014-15 season, but he’s come to life as a goal scorer under Peter Laviolette. After registering 64 points in 82 games last year, he’s picked up 54 points in 71 games this year. That includes 29 goals already. He had 17 points in 11 games in January and has still scored 13 goals in the Predators last 13 games – even though he’s kind of cooled off of late. He has been one of the best players in the NHL since the All-Star break. The Predators would be lost without him as they have 209 goals this year, which ranks them 10th in the NHL.
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