Name: NHL Power Rankings: The NHL's best players under age 25
Brand: nbcsports.com
SKU: nbcsports-com-894
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

NHL Power Rankings: The NHL's best players under age 25

preview

In this week’s NHL Power Rankings we take a look at the top-25 players in the league that have not yet celebrated their 25th birthday.This is our top-25 under 25 ranking.The emphasis is on “under” 25 here. So any player that is age 25 or older is not included. So players like , , and , as great as they are, do not make the cut, even though they just recently turned 25 years old.As for the players that do make the cut off, here is who we have on the list.1. , Edmonton Oilers. Simply the most dominant player in the NHL regardless of age. He has averaged 110 points per 82 games during his career. That number jumps to 120 points over the past four seasons. That sort of production is something out of a different era.2. , Toronto Maple Leafs. He has averaged 45 goals per 82 games since entering the NHL and was going to hit the 50-goal mark this past season had it not been for the shortened season. He seems poised to take over the title of top goal scorer in the league whenever slows down.3. , Tampa Bay Lightning. He was already on the map as one of the league’s best young players, but his playoff performance this year only cemented that status. An elite scorer, an excellent defensive player, and a possession driver. He does it all.4. , Boston Bruins.&nbsp;Already one of the league’s best players and he is just now hitting his peak years. He is now a real threat for 50 goals in a full 82-game season.5. , Vancouver Canucks.&nbsp;He is one of the reasons the Canucks’ rebuild has accelerated so much the past couple of years. If you wanted to argue that he should be a spot or two higher I would listen to it.6. , Dallas Stars. Norris Trophies (multiple) are in his future. Big time offensive ability with shutdown defense. The total package on defense and a franchise-changing player.7. , Buffalo Sabres.&nbsp;His team has stunk, but that is not his fault. He is one of the league’s best players and it is going to be fascinating what he can do with on his wing this season.8. , Colorado Avalanche.&nbsp;It is easy for him to get overlooked playing in MacKinnon’s shadow, but he is an outstanding player on his own and one of the league’s most productive forwards.9. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes.&nbsp;If I am working in the Hurricanes front office I am sending Marc Bergevin a holiday , allowing the Hurricanes to get their franchise player signed to a bargain rate for five years.10. , New York Islanders.&nbsp;He is the one game-breaker the Islanders have, and they have already more playoff success with him as their franchise player than they did over the 30 years — combined! — before that.11. , Boston Bruins.&nbsp;If he could ever play a full 82-games he would probably be a 50-point player from the blue line with great defense to go with it. A legit No. 1 defender and the leader of the Bruins’ defense for the foreseeable future.12. , Toronto Maple Leafs. Maybe the Maple Leafs overpaid him, but Marner is already one of the league’s best passers and playmakers and an elite offensive player.13. , Carolina Hurricanes.&nbsp;Give it time. It is only a matter of when, and not if, he finds himself higher on a list like this. He plays an advanced all-around game for his age and has 40-goal ability.14. , Colorado Avalanche.&nbsp;The only thing keeping him from being in the top-10 is the fact he has only played one year in the NHL. He will be competing for the Norris Trophy every season.15. , Vancouver Canucks. Take all of those words written in the Cale Makar entry just above and place them right here as well. The Heiskanen, Makar, Hughes Norris races are going to be amazing to watch over the next decade.16. , Calgary Flames. The Western Conference version of and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible.17. , Winnipeg Jets. He is right there with , his Jets teammate, from a goal-scoring perspective and is a better all-around player.18. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets. Speaking of Laine… he does one thing exceptionally well. He scores goals. A lot of them.19. , Philadelphia Flyers. It took them decades but the Flyers finally found their goalie. He is a darn good goalie as well.20. , Columbus Blue Jackets.&nbsp;The Blue Jackets faced criticism when they originally picked him with the No. 3 overall pick, but they were right. He is already a top-line center and his best days are still ahead of him.21. , Toronto Maple Leafs.&nbsp;The criticism that he gets in Toronto is a little much and a little over the top. Is he expensive? Yeah, he is. He is also really good. Better than he gets credit for being at times.22. , Columbus Blue Jackets. He and form one of the league’s best defense pairings. Jones is the better all-around player (and just a little too old for this list!) but Werenski puts up the big numbers offensively.23. , Buffalo Sabres. If he becomes the player everyone thinks he can be that would be massive for a Sabres team that desperately needs a superstar on its blue line. I think he can be that player.24. , Chicago Blackhawks. I do not know if he will ever score 40 goals again, but I think he is closer to that player than the player we saw this past season.25. , Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning’s talent level is absurd. They have award winners all over the lineup and always seem to have a pipeline of young talent filling out the rest of the roster. Sergachev is still only 22 years old and is already a top-pairing defender.Just missing:&nbsp;, Vancouver Canucks;&nbsp;, Philadelphia Flyers;&nbsp;, Philadelphia Flyers;&nbsp;, Tampa Bay Lightning;&nbsp;, New York Rangers;&nbsp;, Pittsburgh Penguins;&nbsp;, Florida Panthers;&nbsp;—Adam Gretz&nbsp;is a writer for&nbsp;. Drop him a line at&nbsp;&nbsp;or follow him on Twitter&nbsp;.The St. Louis Blues signed forward to an eight-year contract extension worth $65 million, the organization’s latest move to keep its top young players in the fold long term.General manager Doug Armstrong announced the deal two months to the day since the Blues extended forward for the identical contract terms. Each player counts $8.125 million against the salary cap from the start of the deal in 2023 through 2031.Kyrou set career highs with 27 goals, 48 assists and 75 points in 74 games last season. He had 47 points in his first 99 NHL regular-season games.Thomas is 23, while Kyrou is 24. St. Louis also has top four defensemen , , and Nicky Leddy signed for at least the next four seasons, and center is under contract for six more years.Armstrong has reshaped the Blues since they won the Stanley Cup in 2019, the first championship in franchise history. Cup-winning goaltender signed long term, while then-captain left in free agency in 2020.Two big questions still face the front office with key members of that title-winning team: Top center and winger are each set to be a free agent after this upcoming season. O’Reilly figures to be part of the long-term core, something that’s far less certain with Tarasenko, who requested a trade in the summer of 2021 but remains with St. Louis.DENVER — The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche added more depth at forward by signing to a one-year, $2 million deal.The move comes on the heels of losing Nazem Kadri in free agency to Calgary. The Avalanche are banking that Rodrigues can help fill the void.Rodrigues arrives in the Mile High City after a season in Pittsburgh, where he set career highs with 19 goals and 24 assists. Rodrigues was the lone Penguins player to skate in every game last season.“We are excited to add a two-way player with Evan’s versatility to our group,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement. “He is coming off his best offensive season and has shown he can play in a variety of roles and help a lineup in many ways.”It’s been a busy offseason for the Avalanche since beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final in June as they hoisted the trophy for the first time since 2001. Among the moves, they brought back defenseman , along with signing left wingers and . They also signed right winger to a contract extension, retained forward and traded for goaltender .The 29-year-old Rodrigues has played in 316 career NHL games in his time with Pittsburgh and Buffalo, the team that signed him as a free agent in April 2015. Before turning pro, he played at Boston University, where he helped the Terriers to the 2015 NCAA championship game before losing to Providence.After spending time hanging out with the Stanley Cup all summer, the Avalanche get back to work this week with rookie camp.OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators have locked up another one of their top young players.Center Tim Stutzle agreed to an eight-year, $66.8 million contract extension, the team announced.The deal, which carries an average annual value of $8.35 million and kicks in following the 2022-23 season, is the latest move by general manager Pierre Dorion to solidify Ottawa’s core.Selected No. 3 overall at the 2020 draft with the pick received in the trade with the San Jose Sharks, Stutzle has 34 goals and 87 points in 132 NHL games.The 20-year-old German finished second on the Senators with 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in 79 appearances in 2021-22.The Senators previously signed captain , center , winger and defenseman to long-term deals.“Tim is a dynamic offensive player who utilizes an exceptional blend of speed and skill to be a consistent difference-maker,” Dorion said in a statement. “He’s electrifying and has quickly become a fan favorite for good reason.”Ottawa, which has failed to make the playoffs since reaching the 2017 Eastern Conference final and has gone through a major rebuild, made news earlier this summer by acquiring forward in a trade the Chicago Blackhawks and signing veteran forward in free agency.The Senators, who finished with 73 points last season, also traded goaltender to the Toronto Maple Leafs before acquiring from the Minnesota Wild as his replacement.BROSSARD, Quebec — has agreed to a four-year, $13.45 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens.The 21-year-old center, who was a restricted free agent, had 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 70 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season.Dach’s contract carries an average annual value of $3.625 million per season.In a corresponding move to get under the NHL’s offseason salary cap, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes told reporters star goaltender would be put on long-term injured reserve.The 35-year-old played just five games last season because of a knee injury after leading Montreal to a surprise berth in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.Price, who won last season’s Bill Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication, is heading into the fifth season of an eight-year deal that carries an annual cap hit of $10.5 million.“Carey’s knee has not responded to any kind of treatment and rehab that’s been attempted since he had the surgery after the (2021) playoff run,” Hughes said. “We’re not very optimistic that, short of some kind of intervention, that things will change.”Dach, meanwhile, was acquired by the Canadiens on July 7 for first- and a third-round picks at the 2022 NHL draft as part of Chicago’s rebuild that also saw dealt to the Ottawa Senators.Dach had 59 points (19 goals, 40 assists) in 152 games with the Blackhawks after being selected No. 3 overall in 2019.Powered by

In this week’s NHL Power Rankings we take a look at the top-25 players in the league that have not yet celebrated their 25th birthday.This is our top-25 under 25 ranking.The emphasis is on “under” 25 here. So any player that is age 25 or older is not included. So players like , , and , as great as they are, do not make the cut, even though they just recently turned 25 years old.As for the players that do make the cut off, here is who we have on the list.1. , Edmonton Oilers. Simply the most dominant player in the NHL regardless of age. He has averaged 110 points per 82 games during his...

NHL Power Rankings: The NHL's best players under age 25

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS