Forward for the Chicago Blackhawks, Connor Bedard (98) engages in a face off with Macklin Celebrini (71) of the San Jose Sharks. (Photo Credit / Getty Images)
Several young stars in the NHL are currently shining bright, with some surprises and some expected. For this list, I will only consider players under the age of 25 based on their stats and performances this season.
*All stats were provided by NHL and ESPN.*
10. Will Smith | Center | San Jose Sharks | 20
Games played: 23 | Goals: seven | Assists: 14 | Points: 21 | Plus/Minus: plus five
Will Smith (2) for the San Jose Sharks shoots the puck with a snapshot. (Photo Credit / Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images)
Smith has proved himself to be an excellent young player, and it is apparent that both him and the Sharks will not finish last in the standings this year. Last year, he finished with 45 points in 74 games played, and he is already almost at half of that. The American forward has proven himself to be an effective first-liner and one who very much could make the Olympic team this year.
9. Matthew Knies | Left Wing | Toronto Maple Leafs | 23
GP: 19 | G: five | A: 17 | P: 22 | P/M: plus four
Matthew Knies (23) for the Toronto Maple Leafs during a game against the Calgary Flames. (Photo Credit / Sergei Belski/Imagn Images)
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that has struggled, as they currently sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. This can be attributed to several injuries and the loss of forward Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.
However, Knies has stood out as a playmaker in the absence of center Auston Matthews. Last season, he had a total of 58 points in 78 games. He is on pace to surpass that number and reach a new high in career points, especially due to the opportunity of more ice time.
8. Seth Jarvis | Center | Carolina Hurricanes | 23
GP: 22 | G: 11 | A: seven | P: 18 | P/M: plus three
Seth Jarvis (24) celebrates with the Carolina Hurricanes in a postseason game against the New Jersey Devils. (Photo Credit / Josh Lavallee/NHLI/Getty Images)
The Carolina Hurricanes went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last year with the help of this young Canadian forward. As of now, they sit at the top of the Metropolitan Division, and I am sure they expect to make the Eastern Conference Finals again this year.
Jarvis leads the team in goals with his role as a sniper with the ability to put the puck in the back of the net. He sits comfortably on the first line and the first power play unit. I would not be surprised if he works his way up for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.
7. Wyatt Johnston | Center | Dallas Stars | 22
GP: 22 | G: 11 | A: 10 | P: 21 | P/M: plus three
Wyatt Johnston (53) looks to play the puck for the Dallas Stars. (Photo Credit / Amy Irvin /The Hockey Writers)
The Dallas Stars are another team that has dominated recently and made it to the Western Conference Finals last year. Johnston has already shown he can handle the pressure of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Stars still look be a contender this year.
We can expect to see Johnston at the first or second line and on the first power play unit. His role as a playmaker is incredibly valuable to this team. Alongside other star forwards such as Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson, Johnston will likely explode in point production this year.
6. Lane Hutson | Defensemen | Montreal Canadiens | 21
GP: 21 | G: 3 | A: 15 | P: 18 | P/M: minus one
Lane Hutson (48) of the Montreal Canadiens looks to play the puck in the neutral zone. (Photo Credit / Marc DesRosiers/Imagn Images)
Another American star player and last year’s Calder Trophy winner, Hutson is a player essential to Montreal’s young core. He leads the league in defenseman under the age of 25 for points. He plays on the first power play unit, which surprisingly he only has three assists from.
However, this can be blamed more on the rather average power play efficiency of the Canadiens, with a PP% of 21. Hutson is a blue-liner who we can expect to see in Milan, Italy for the Olympics in February.
5. Spencer Knight | Goalie | Chicago Blackhawks | 24
GP: 15 | Wins: seven | Goals-Against Average: 2.38 | Save Percentage: .924%
Spencer Knight (30) making a save for the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo Credit / Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
Knight has been a crucial factor for this young Blackhawks squad. His high save percentage is what keeps the team in games that they should have lost. He was obtained by the Blackhawks in a trade that sent defenseman Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. Knight’s calmness and ability to play the puck is what makes him such a good goaltender.
“He has all the ingredients to be one of the best goalies in the game, and I think he’s going to do that,” said Sergei Bobrovsky, goaltender for the Panthers and Knight’s mentor, according to this NHL article by Tracey Myers, NHL Staff Writer, on Oct. 6, 2025.
He currently is second amongst goaltenders in save percentage. Knight is a goalie whose presence the Blackhawks have looked for the past couple years and is a keystone to make their way back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
4. Cole Caufield | Right Wing | Canadiens | 24
GP: 21 | G: 13 | A: 9 | P: 22 | P/M: plus nine
Forward Cole Caufield (22) looks around for the Montreal Canadiens in an away game against the Philadelphia Flyers. (Photo Credit / Amy Irvin/The Hockey Writers)
Caufield is another American winger we can expect to see in Milan in February. His role as a sniper proves his capability of playing on the first line, and his positive plus/minus rating proves he is not a defensive liability. Caufield leads the team in goals and has a reliable clutch factor with three overtime goals this season alone, which has earned him the nickname “Mr. Overtime.” The Canadiens’ average age is the youngest in the league, so players like Hutson and Caufield will only get better as time goes on. The Atlantic Division needs to not underestimate them.
3. Leo Carlsson | Center | Anaheim Ducks | 20
GP: 22 | G: 11 | A: 18 | P: 29 | P/M: plus 11
Anaheim Ducks center, Leo Carlsson (91) plays the puck in an away game against the Detroit Red Wings. (Photo Credit / Brian Bradshaw Sevald/USA TODAY Sports)
Carlsson is the only player on this list to not originate from North America, as he hails from Sweden. Carlsson is well on his way to a breakout year with the surprise success of the Ducks, who sit at the top of the Pacific Division. The newly hired veteran coach, Joel Quenneville, is a likely factor to the team’s newfound success.
Carlsson is a phenomenal young playmaker who can set up effective plays, especially on the Power Play with nine PP points so far this season. Carlsson already has experience in best-on-best hockey with his appearance in last year’s Four Nations Face-Off contest, so he will likely appear in Milan in February to represent Sweden.
2. Connor Bedard | Center | Blackhawks | 20
GP: 22 | G: 13 | A: 18 | P: 31 | P/M: plus nine
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard (98) celebrating his OT winner against the Utah Hockey Club on Mar 7 2025. (Photo Credit / Matt Marton/Imagn Images)
Bedard has finally delivered as the generational prospect he was labeled to be. The 2023 first overall pick and Vancouver, British Columbia native has been excellent this season.
He is fourth in the league in points and has improved in several aspects of his game. His defensive capabilities have long been criticized, and he has finally improved them. He is positive in the plus/minus category, which is something he has long struggled with. He finished last season with a faceoff percentage of 38.3%, and this season it has shot all the way up to 50.2%. Faceoff wins are such a crucial job for a first line center, and it appears he has gotten the hang of them.
His signature toe-drag release has given him one of the best shots in the league. He has already recorded two hat tricks this season and is a point-per-game player. This has been Bedard’s breakout season, and Team Canada would have to be crazy to not give him a spot on the Olympic roster.
1. Macklin Celebrini | Center | Sharks | 19
GP: 23 | G: 14 | A: 20 | P: 34 | P/M: plus five
Forward for the San Jose Sharks, Macklin Celebrini (71) plays the puck along the boards in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. (Photo Credit / Dean Tait/Sport Shots)
The youngest and most impressive player on this list is the 2024 first-overall pick and Vancouver native, Macklin Celebrini. Alongside Bedard, he is one of two generational players that will haunt the Western Conference for years to come.
Celebrini has also recorded two hat tricks this season and has been an exceptional playmaker for the Sharks. He is second in the league in points, only behind the great Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. He is tied for third in goals alongside Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and New York Islanders center Bo Horvat.
I think many expected Celebrini to explode this season, but not at this level. He is the Sharks’ franchise player and can bring them immense success. Between Celebrini and Smith, the Sharks are a team that can reach their way to a wild card spot by April. There is a shot that Celebrini can win the Hart Trophy or the Art Ross Trophy this year.
There are several other young players that to deserve to be mentioned, such as Islanders defensemen Matthew Schaefer, Blackhawks center Frank Nazar, Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras and New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes.
