Best young players nhl 23
New Jersey Devils, Jack Hughes. There is no need to overthink this pick. Hughes is the Devils' best player. He is one of the best young players nhl 23 players in the. From Bedard and Fantilli to Logan Cooley and Luke Hughes, the NHL is experiencing a massive influx of young talent this season. Before we get. 1. Connor Bedard, C, CHI · 2. Logan Stankoven, C, DAL · 3. Brock Faber, D, MIN · 4. Pyotr Kochetkov, G, CAR · 5. Luke Hughes, D, NJD · 6. Joseph Woll, G, TOR · 7. 1. Connor McDavid, C, Oilers · 2. Auston Matthews, C, Maple Leafs · 3. Patrik Laine, RW, Jets · 4. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Sabres · 5. Mathew Barzal, C.
Top 75 NHL-affiliated skater prospects in 2023-24
Is 40 too old to play hockey? Gordie Howe played in the NHL at age 52. Chris Chelios retired at 48. Heck, Paul Newman was 52 when “Slap Shot,” in which he did much of his own skating, came out in 1977. But you don't have to be one of the all-time greats to play hockey — and to play it well — into your 40s, 50s and beyond.
Is 14 too old to play hockey? “It's never too late to get into the game, but some families have the mentality of pushing their kids right into tryouts,” said O'Leary. “You have to learn how to skate before you can do anything else.”
Are there any 18 year olds in the NHL? Connor Bedard, Zach Benson and Bradly Nadeau are tied for the youngest this season. They are 18 years old.
Who is the oldest player in the NHL 23? Ranking Oldest NHL Players in 2023-24
- Mark Giordano is the oldest active NHL player in the 2023-24 season.
- Giordano is 40 years of age as of the start of the season.
The NHL’s Top 100 Prospects – Midseason Rankings
Taken 17th overall in , Reichel had 57 points in 56 games with Rockford in before scoring 20 goals and 51 points last season. He also skated in 23 NHL games, recording seven goals and 15 points. Musty is always thinking offense, and his compete level is near the top of the class. It bothers him when he gets stopped on a chance and he tries even harder the next time.
Oh, and Sudbury has a good chance at winning the OHL title this year, and Musty will be a big reason why if that happens. While Mavrik Bourque is more NHL-ready than Stankoven right now, the potential for Stankoven to become a difference-maker is tantalizing. One of the most dominant junior players over the past two years, Stankoven is ready for the spotlight now.
He led the WHL in playoff scoring with 30 points in 14 games and was on the Memorial Cup all-star team with another nine points with Kamloops. But at 5-foot-8, how well will he adjust to the everyday grind of the NHL. Wood is a big man at 6-foot-4, which NHL teams like.
His game is all about skill, and he has the hands to follow. He led Connecticut in shots, averaging around three a game. At the World Junior Summer Showcase, he proved he can play with just about anyone, and drive the offense, too. This will be a big campaign for Perreault, who will start off with Ryan Leonard and Will Smith at Boston College and could earn a spot on the American world junior team, too.
Coronato has been one of the players of the NHL preseason, regardless of experience level. And that alone should get Flames fans thrilled, with the rookie potentially snagging a top-six spot. The Flames have shown a willingness to select smaller forwards, but former coach Darryl Sutter seemed uninterested in giving them a shot.
Will that change under new coach Ryan Huska. It should, because the 5-foot Coronato is going to be dangerous. He could score, set guys up and is an excellent puckhandler. Best young players nhl 23 The world juniors on home ice will be a nice challenge for the Swedish blueliner. Mateychuk has points over the past two seasons with Moose Jaw and will be captain again this year.
A quick-skating, smart blueliner, Mateychuk would be the top defensive prospect on many other teams. The Avalanche got a nice snag in the first round in June, taking Ritchie with their first pick. He did become a more dominant two-way threat, though.
He decimated the Hlinka Gretzky with Canada before the season started before finishing off with a good U World Championship despite dealing with a shoulder injury. His 50 goals with Flint in showed he can score. Othmann brings the type of energy you crave in the middle six with the offensive awareness to capitalize on chances all over the ice.
Once considered one of the top prospects, the year-old has struggled to live up to expectations. Holtz dealt with injuries and inconsistent play, but there are still enough reasons to be concerned about his development. He had 39 goals and 95 points with Kelowna, and he kicked off the WHL campaign with a three-point night. If they deploy him right, like using him as a setup man and on the power play, Cristall should still be a serviceable NHLer one day.
The only CHLer with more points than Dumais last year. Connor Bedard. 
The Halifax Mooseheads star had a whopping 54 goals and points in 64 games and another 21 in the playoffs. Andrew Desjardins is the best player to wear that number, and Dumais can change that.
Please stick with it, sir. Barlow is one of the best pure goal-scoring prospects in the CHL, putting up 46 goals and 79 points as a sophomore with the Owen Sound Attack. Barlow is a team-first player and should have no issue becoming a fan favorite once he eventually makes it up to the NHL.
Give him the right teammates and Brindley will have no issue succeeding. Last season was a bit of a lost one for Nazar, who only played 13 games after recovering from hip surgery. He had just seven points in that span and was quiet during the NCAA tournament, which was a shame to see. Having an injury-free season will help put Nazar right back on track.
Evans had perhaps the biggest season of any Kraken prospect last year, scoring six goals and 44 points in 71 regular season games as a pro rookie. And he came at the right time, giving them some life after lacking depth on the blueline. Faber is a great skater who uses his speed and agility to take away angles and make life difficult.
He can suffocate opponents along the boards and land booming hits regularly. Faber should start the season on the second pairing and could take ice time away from Calen Addison, who is already looking to prove himself after signing a contract extension. He had a quiet run at the world juniors with Sweden, but he finished fourth among U scorers with 11 goals and 20 points.
He has good size, an excellent release, is a strong playmaker, and his skating is solid enough. When he arrived, the Admirals had a few key players in the NHL and he immediately stepped into a big scoring role, registering 13 points in 14 regular season games. Kemell should get a few NHL games under his belt this year.
Yurov is an excellent skater with fantastic puckhandling and shooting traits. But he got lost a bit playing a full year in the KHL, where kids typically are just roster fillers. He has dominated against his own age group and was among the best at every international tournament to date. Yurov is only getting better with more opportunities.
McGroarty may have been overshadowed by Fantilli as a freshman at Michigan last year like everyone else , but the Jets prospect still managed to put up a point per game through 39 outings. The lethal scoring threat was more of a playmaker at the world juniors, which saw him win bronze. He had a nice showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase earlier this month, and he should be a key contributor again this winter.
With Fantilli moving on, more eyes will be on McGroarty to take a stand this year. Yager has mainly been a center throughout his career, but I see him moving to the wing. There have been enough off-games to get some scouts concerned. He can play all situations, but he rarely engages physically and most scouts wanted to see more goals out of him. Lambert started the season with Manitoba before getting loaned out to the world juniors.
Will Bourque become an NHLer at 21. After a strong rookie campaign with Texas where he seemed to only get better throughout the year, Bourque established himself as a pro-caliber player. Preseason reports have been positive, and now Bourque looks ready to give Dallas some depth scoring in the near future. Samoskevich turned pro after a strong sophomore campaign with the University of Michigan, with the Panthers clearly thinking he had a legitimate chance of cracking the NHL roster for Samoskevich is a deceptive forward who manages space well and puts some significant power behind his shot.
Foerster had seven points in eight games in the NHL, helping the team go in his final five contests before closing the season back with the Phantoms. He just missed the point mark with Lehigh Valley but would have easily done so had he not received the call-up. Luckily, the Flyers can afford to have him make mistakes and learn along the way.
Honzek was a low-risk pick in the first round in — someone who could challenge for a spot in a year or two thanks to some solid NHL-level qualities. Cincinnati bengals detroit lions Maybe not in a scoring role, but as a two-way forward with good physical attributes. Sale spent most of the season playing against men in the top Czech league, recording seven goals and 14 points in 43 games.
He was a dominant goal scorer against youth competition, with his 89 points in the Czech U league in being the best by a U scorer in league history. No player since the start of the s has ever managed to record Consistency was an issue for Sale, especially in the second half after the World Junior Championship. Standing tall at 6-foot-4, Pickering is so dangerous with the puck.
Among other events, Bichsel was an absolute treat with Switzerland at the world juniors. He had just two assists but was heavily involved at both ends of the ice and made his physical presence known. Can he keep the heat up. Hopefully, the momentum continues. But the year-old center has good size, creates chances and charges to the net with purpose.
A captain at 18, Danielson is well-respected among his teammates, and he seems to make everyone around him better. Svozil had an eventful season, captaining Czechia to one of its best world junior performances in about 20 years. He also served as one of the key set-up men for Connor Bedard in Regina, with Svozil finishing his junior career with an incredible 67 assists and 78 points.
Svozil looks capable of being an NHLer before too long, maybe as a reliable third-pairing option. Geekie broke the point barrier for the second consecutive season, scoring career-high 35 goals and 77 points. A month ago, the thought of Poitras making the Boston Bruins out of training camp seemed extremely unlikely.
Heck, some fans want him as the No. If he does return to OHL Guelph, Poitras is a favorite to challenge for the scoring lead after an incredible 79 assists and 95 points last year. In terms of playmakers outside of the top 50 of this list, Poitras is among the best. Lysell was a divisive prospect during his draft year, with many wondering what his NHL future would look like.
If the draft were to be re-done today, I am sure he would be taken in the first round because he looked excellent over the last year or so in the NCAA. His ability to anticipate and shut down plays in the defensive zone before breaking the puck out and taking it on the rush will make him a useful NHL player in the near future.
Tristan Luneau has been a big riser in the prospect world over the last year or so, taking his projection from possibly being a third pairing or depth defender in the NHL to someone who can I think could very well become a second pairing guy for the Ducks someday. Luneau looks ready to be a major factor in the AHL this season and will be a strong player for the Ducks for a very long time.
Thankfully, his treatment and recovery have been going well and he returned to play last season. He has absolutely torn up the top junior league in Russia and has been excellent in the second-tier professional league in Russia as well VHL. Miroshnichenko made the move to North America this year, scoring roughly half a point-per-game in the AHL and skating in a handful of NHL games already this season.
He battles hard and shoots harder, making him an absolute menace in the offensive zone. Marat Khusnutdinov is an undersized center who is known for his excellent vision and hockey sense as well as his refined defensive game. Best young players nhl 23 He never gives up on a play and works incredibly hard on both the forecheck and the backcheck, often re-gaining possession for his team entirely on his own.
Khusnutdinov finally broke through in the KHL last season, earning a large enough role to demonstrate his talents, and he rewarded his coaches by scoring 41 points in 63 games. He displays a smooth stride, great speed, willingly leads the rush and is strong in breakout situations.
Ceulemans has great size to keep attackers to the outside and is always engaging in battles for the puck. A towering defender at 6-foot-4, pounds, William Wallinder was drafted 32nd overall in He has put in a lot of work on his defensive game to round out his strengths, but his offensive instincts are what will make him a very good option for the Detroit Red Wings on defense.
Wallinder was one of the best young players in Sweden last season and has made the switch to North America this year with the Grand Rapids Griffins. There are always a few first-round picks who rose in their draft year in large part to their size advantage, and Lian Bichsel is certainly one of them.
The 6-foot-5 defender is adept at using his size to get what he wants on the ice, against junior players as well as seasoned pros. His offensive game is unlikely to ever really pop in the NHL, but I could see him as a solid complimentary guy you gladly pair with your top offensive defender if all goes well over the next few seasons.
Bichsel is physical and mean, and he had a great showing at the World Juniors last year for Switzerland where he looked like a man amongst boys. He had a remarkable showing for Sweden at the World Juniors where he was one of their best forwards of the tournament, mainly due to his playmaking and his ability to out-maneuver defenders in the offensive zone to protect the puck and to manipulate their coverage to better set up his teammates for success.
Owen Beck is an incredibly reliable and versatile two-way centerman who has increased his stock considerably ever since being selected in the NHL Draft at the beginning of the second round. He is smart, skates well, wins faceoffs, back-checks hard, and has already begun to grow into more of his offensive potential. Beck is going to be a player that coaches love because he works hard and has tons of skill.
Ever since scoring 30 goals as a rookie in the OHL two years ago, Colby Barlow has been on my radar as a pro-sized winger with a legit NHL-caliber shot. Barlow was also named captain of the Owen Sound Attack at just 17 which speaks to his maturity and leadership abilities. After playing in the top professional league in Slovakia for the two seasons leading up to the NHL Draft, it was hard to determine how Filip Mesar matched up against his peers since he has been playing against grown men for so long.
Early returns are good as Mesar has had back-to-back great showings at the World Juniors over the past 12 months and has already shown a ton of improvement in one and a half seasons in the OHL, going from a point-per-game player last season to much more than that this time around. Few OHL defenders are capable of slowing him down in transition where his quick weight shifts and deceptive posture can be incredibly difficult to read.
The Seattle Kraken are putting in work trying to build a high-end prospect pool from scratch. Drafting Jani Nyman in the second round of the Draft was a big step in the right direction. Nyman is a big Finnish winger with the size and strength to compete against men in Liiga the top Finnish pro league without looking out of place.
He has a great shot and playmaking vision but could use some work on his speed to help him separate from defenders on the rush. An elite-level skater, Fabian Lysell plays with a great amount of pace and skill. Lysell spent last year in the AHL where he was excellent for the Providence Bruins, scoring 37 points in 54 games.
He has only built on that so far in his sophomore season in the AHL, with 26 points in his first 31 games. Lysell is one of the best skaters in North America right now and will be noticeable for the Bruins the moment he arrives. Fraser Minten has developed very well since being drafted 38th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in the Draft.
I expect Minten to be a very good third-liner for Toronto in the near future with the potential to be more. His playmaking skills either at full speed or after settling in the offensive zone are impressive and make him a very mobile and shifty threat whenever he has the puck. Good habits away from the puck lead me to believe he will be a reliable NHLer with top-six forward upside.
If he can continue to develop his projectable NHL center tools, the Wild might come out of the Draft with one of the best value picks after adding Heidt with the 64th overall pick. The Toronto Maple Leafs surprised the hockey world when they selected Easton Cowan with the 28th pick in the Draft.
Cowan is a quick and hardworking winger whose offensive production has skyrocketed in the OHL this season, putting him on pace to nearly double his production from last season in fewer games. The skill and skating were always there, but his ultimate offensive potential was the biggest question.
He has gone a long way to putting that question to rest this year so keep an eye on Cowan. Hunter Brzustewicz is an offensive defender who skates incredibly well and has a lot to give offensively. His skating is his best tool both on offense and on defense, but he could use some help defensively where he can get pushed around a bit.
He has second-pairing potential in the NHL, especially if paired with a solid defensive defender. He is competitive and uses his size well against shorter and weaker Junior competition, and his playmaking from the perimeter on the power play is likely going to translate to the NHL someday.
The projection is tantalizing, but the reason people are hesitant about Geekie is that his skating is only slightly above average in the WHL, meaning it projects to be average in the NHL at best. Mobility has quickly become the most important attribute in the NHL, so the development of his skating will likely be the biggest determinant of his NHL success.
Andrew Cristall is one of the most creative and slippery prospects in the hockey world, and he was one of the only draft eligible players in the WHL who was able to roughly keep pace with Bedard in terms of production last year. He managed to stick around a 1. He draws tons of attention in the offensive zone and is great at making smart plays under pressure to help open teammates up, making their jobs much easier.
I was eager to see how Matthew Wood would adjust to the college game after he dominated the British Columbia Hockey League BCHL two years ago, leading the league in goals and points as a year-old. Bradly Nadeau had a dominant season in the BCHL last year, with the goals and points accumulating until they were impossible to ignore. The only thing standing in the way of Nadeau becoming a goalscoring top-six winger will likely be his size, standing at 5-foot, though his skating and compete level give me hope that he could make it work.
Evans spent last year in the AHL with the Coachella Valley Firebirds and scored 44 points in 71 games, an incredible season by all accounts. He tied for 11th in scoring among all defenders in the AHL despite being a rookie and was the third highest scoring player in the AHL playoffs with an incredible 26 points in 26 games. For the most part, Evans has maintained that level of play, even earning a handful of NHL games early on this season.
Mackie Samoskevich had a greatly increased role with the University of Michigan last season and he thrived as a result. His high hockey IQ and excellent puck skills were on display throughout the season, and Samoskevich even made his professional debut at the end of the season, playing nine games with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. He has been great for the Checkers so far this season, sitting second in team scoring at the time of writing.
Isak Rosen laced up for exactly professional hockey games by his 20th birthday, and has added quite a few since. The main reasons he has been so successful against larger and stronger competition are his phenomenal skating and his ability to make good decisions at a very high speed. Brayden Yager has been talked about in the public scouting sphere for nearly as long as Connor Bedard, being drafted third overall in the WHL Bantam Draft and winning the CHL Rookie of the Year award two years ago on the back of a remarkable goal, point rookie season.
His transition game, defensive play, and wicked wrist shot make him the most important player on his WHL team on many nights. Gavin Brindley is a 5-foot-9 forward who was excellent in the NCAA as an year-old freshman last year, which is a very impressive feat. His skating is great and his high energy level makes him a possession beast. Brindley was phenomenal at the World Juniors where he was often one of the best and hardest working American players on any given night.
Despite losing a lot of time in his draft year rehabbing a knee injury, the Winnipeg Jets still chose Chaz Lucius 18th overall in the Draft. His great playmaking ability and scoring potential were just too enticing to ignore. After playing for the University of Minnesota, where he finished his freshman season with a strong nine goals and 19 points in 24 games, Lucius made his pro debut last year with the Manitoba Moose.
There was a time when Joakim Kemell was seen as the second-best prospect in the Draft. He had another inconsistent year in the Liiga last year, scoring at a lower rate than his draft year, but then he decided to try out the North American pro game and that was a different story entirely.
Kemell joined the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and was immediately a star, scoring 23 games over 28 games split between the regular season and playoffs. Filip Bystedt is a prospect who would likely rise up the Draft if it was re-done today. The past two years, however, have been a different story as Bystedt continues to show more offensive skill which he is then rewarded for with a larger role on the team which then leads to more offensive production.
Honzek has played and succeeded on both special teams and his size and strength have made him too much for opposing defenders to handle on more than a few occasions. He is a great skater, which makes him a pest on the forecheck where he does a lot of damage both with his high motor and his large frame.
Tom Willander is a high end skater, which allows him to carry the puck out of his own zone and lets him take some risks offensively while still recovering quickly enough on the back-check. Coronato scored 36 points in 34 games once again as a Sophomore last year though his defensive game showed serious improvement and he was a dominant force on offense. His shot and ability to score from virtually anywhere on the ice has translated well to the AHL so far this season where he leads the Calgary Wranglers in scoring.
David Goyette is finally starting to earn some of the attention that I think he deserved all along. Goyette reads opposing defenses very well which allows him to attack in a wide variety of ways. He can charge through soft spots, deke through defenders to make space, or draw tons of attention before passing to a teammate who is wide open.
Goyette has been one of the best players in the OHL this season and I think he has a chance to be an excellent pro player in just a few short years. Rutger McGroarty is a true power forward, strong and determined enough to win pucks with great playmaking skills that allow him to make smart plays with the puck once he wins it. He is a very complete prospect who is a natural leader, shoots well, and does just about everything else you could hope for from a first-round pick.
He has every physical tool you could hope for, and uses each of them well, with the speed, strength, and reach to be a really great top-four defender in the NHL. However, his offensive production has left much to be desired, leaving many questions about if he will have much offense to provide in the NHL someday.
Clearly they believe in the defensive game and have hope that his offense will follow. Joshua Roy has proven just about everyone wrong ever since he was drafted th overall in the Draft. He became one of the best goalscorers in the entire CHL in his final seasons there and was excellent for Team Canada at the World Juniors, winning two Gold medals.
Roy is incredibly competitive, responsible defensively, and protects the puck extremely well. He has shown that he only gets better when the games get important, which is an invaluable attribute to have as someone who projects as a top-nine winger in the NHL. Mateychuk is a dynamic offensive defenseman who excels when he is the one with the puck and can control the play from the point.
His superb skating allows him to break down opposing defenses before making his move and charging to the middle or making a clever pass to an open teammate. Daniil But is one of the biggest players on this list, standing at 6-foot-5 despite being just 18 at the time this article was published.
He has the size that NHL general managers dream of, and he has great puck skills and shooting mechanics for a player of his size. His skating grew on me throughout his draft year, with enough speed and agility to really use his size to his advantage, powering through defenders and protecting the puck well. After rising remarkably in his draft year, Marco Kasper was eventually selected eighth overall by the Red Wings.
Many people thought that Kasper had limited offensive potential but would be a great two-way center in the middle six of a good NHL team one day. He finished the season as the second highest scoring U20 player in the league behind only Leo Carlsson and was a net-positive player even as a teenager in a very difficult professional league.
Since being selected 23rd overall in the Draft, Jimmy Snuggerud has proven to be an excellent choice for the St. His shot is the first thing that stands out about his game, as the power and accuracy of his wrist shot make it a very dangerous tool, but the real reason his shot is so potent is the way he can disguise or alter his shot by suddenly changing the release point.
Snuggerud is a responsible defensive player which is impressive for a winger with so much offensive potential and he was one third of the most dominant line in college hockey last season. His ability to anticipate the play and make the right play to maximize the scoring chance for his team is remarkable.
He works hard in all phases of the game and could become a great middle-six center if all goes well in his development. Danila Yurov slid on draft day in the NHL Draft because of the uncertainty surrounding Russian prospects and the likelihood of them ever making the move to North America. He is a great two-way winger with excellent skating and enough energy on the forecheck to frustrate opponents even in the KHL although he is at least a decade younger than most of his opposition.
Yurov had a good season last year in the KHL, but his production has leveled up this season as a result of increased confidence and ice-time, putting him on pace to quadruple his point total from the season. He is one of the hardest-working players on the ice every time he plays, and he can do just about anything asked of him. He is great at finding open space off the puck and he rewards teammates for passing to him by charging the middle of the ice or ripping a puck mid-stride.
After an absolutely dominant season in the WHL split between the Everett Silvertips and the Kamloops Blazers, Zellweger has continued to establish himself as one of the top defensive prospects in the NHL. His game is defined by his excellent skating, playmaking and an emerging two-way game. Zellweger is off to a strong start at the pro level, with the second most points among all U21 defenders in the AHL to this point, putting him behind only Brandt Clarke.
Brennan Othmann is a high-octane offensive force on the ice that is also known not to back down from the nastier parts of the game. He was traded in the middle of last year and was excellent down the stretch for his new team, the Peterborough Petes, helping to lead them to the OHL championship and the Memorial Cup as well. That was true all year until the Allsvenskan playoffs where he seemed to finally look like his old self again, scoring 15 points in 15 games.
Alexander Nikishin may have been higher on this list if it were clear whether he would ever come across to the NHL, as he recently re-signed with SKA-St. Petersburg of the KHL on a deal that will keep him in Russia at least until the end of the season. Regardless, Nikishin is a remarkable defensive prospect who exploded offensively last season, leading all KHL defenders in scoring.
He is big 6-foot-4 , has a heavy slapshot, and skates remarkably well for someone of his size. So far this season, Nikishin has shown last year was no fluke, once again leading all KHL defenders in points. If the Hurricanes are able to convince him to come to play for them in the season, he appears to be a very safe bet to be a top-four defender immediately upon arrival.
Axel Sandin Pellikka is a right-handed offensive defenseman who has been an offensive leader in the SHL as a teenager. Sandin Pellikka had a great showing for Sweden at the World Juniors in his draft year, improving his draft stock considerably.