Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Auston Matthews are all nonetheless within the prime of their respective careers, however the subsequent wave of NHL superstars aren’t content material to attend their flip. Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini and Leo Carlsson have introduced their arrival with authority this season.

Within the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard and Carlsson had been the highest two picks, respectively. One 12 months later, Celebrini was the prize of the draft lottery, going No. 1 general. None of them can legally drink in america, however they’re already holding their very own towards the most effective gamers on this planet.

Celebrini, after his second hat trick of the season, is as much as 30 factors. That places him in a tie with the Oilers’ McDavid for second within the league. Bedard, following his second hat trick already this season, ranks fourth. That leaves Carlsson, who is de facto slacking, in eighth place with 26 factors. That is spectacular for a trio of gamers aged 20 or youthful, however their impression goes a lot deeper than merely filling up the scoresheet.

Every participant is the crown jewel of his respective franchise’s rebuild, one thing that brings the hefty weight of expectations and strain. Thus far, they’ve borne that burden extraordinarily properly and flourished within the course of.

The Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Geese and San Jose Sharks have been moribund franchises for years now, however these younger superstars have instilled hope as all three groups purpose to throw a wrench into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs image.

Younger stars delivering on the hype

Within the case of Bedard, he was billed as the most effective prospect since McDavid entered the league in 2015. He actually regarded the half as a rookie in 2023-24, posting 61 factors in 68 video games and successful the Calder Trophy. Final season, nonetheless, Bedard regressed on a horrific Blackhawks staff. He totaled 67 factors in 82 video games, and his defensive metrics had been trigger for concern.

Now in his third season, Bedard, 20, has taken a transparent leap and appears like a much more assured participant than at any level in 2024-25. It is simply one other reminder that improvement, even for the most effective prospects, is never linear.

This season, Bedard is making opponents look silly on a constant foundation. His 4.33 factors per 60 minutes are seventh within the NHL, per Pure Stat Trick, and he is tied for fifth within the league with 16 five-on-five factors. He is not merely feasting on large energy play minutes.

Bedard’s mixture of intelligence, imaginative and prescient and his elite shot make him a menace to make a play from wherever on the ice. Relating to his playmaking, Bedard is considerably harking back to Patrick Kane in the way in which he can nearly freeze opposing defenders whereas he scans the rink to search out the most effective play.

Then, in fact, there may be the ability when he senses blood within the water. Poor Morgan Frost had no likelihood as soon as Bedard realized he had him lifeless to rights.

Celebrini, 19, completed second in Calder Trophy voting final season, however that was solely as a result of Lane Hutson was on one other planet down the stretch. As an 18-year-old final season, Celebrini was requested to hold the Sharks. He did so admirably and put up 63 factors in 70 video games.

If anybody was anxious a couple of sophomore clump for Celebrini, they’ll put these fears to mattress. He’s producing at a fee of 4.39 factors per 60 minutes and has equaled Bedard with 16 five-on-five factors, per Pure Stat Trick. Once more, Celebrini is doing many of the heavy lifting for a Sharks staff that lacks any sort of significant depth up entrance.

Much like Bedard, Celebrini has a excessive hockey IQ and loads of ability to accompany that, however his compete stage jumps off the display screen each evening as properly. Take this game-winning play towards the New York Rangers earlier within the season. After a high quality scoring likelihood of his personal, Celebrini pursues the puck, wins a battle alongside the boards and retains his head as much as place a one-timer on a tee for teammate Will Smith.

Of the three gamers, Carlsson could be probably the most well-rounded proper now. Along with a staggering 4.21 factors per 60 minutes (good for seventh within the NHL), Carlsson is driving play much better than his two friends. 

With Carlsson on the ice at five-on-five, the Geese are controlling 56.1% of the anticipated targets, per Pure Stat Trick. That is an excellent quantity for any participant, not to mention for a younger man who nonetheless cannot purchase himself a drink in any U.S. institution. (He turns 21 the day after Christmas.) In all equity to Bedard and Celebrini, a few of that discrepancy may be defined by the staff round Carlsson, which is stuffed with a pleasant mixture of veterans and up-and-coming gamers.

Bedard and Celebrini do have Carlsson beat when it comes to uncooked five-on-five manufacturing because the younger Geese star has simply eight factors in that state of affairs. Nevertheless, Carlsson ought to shut that hole if Anaheim retains dominating scoring probabilities and anticipated targets when he is within the recreation.

At 6-foot-3 and 208 kilos, Carlsson has a transparent dimension benefit over the opposite two younger weapons, and he’s studying how one can use his body extra continuously. In maybe his nastiest objective of the season, Carlsson confirmed that he’s the complete bundle.

In opposition to the Golden Knights, Carlsson gave defenseman Noah Hanifin all he may deal with on the forecheck, pressured a turnover with a bodily play on Brett Howden, obtained to open ice and completed with one of many smoothest backhands you will ever see.

Can they crash the playoff social gathering?

It is nonetheless very early within the season, however all three gamers have their staff firmly within the playoff combine. Carlsson’s Geese are main the Pacific Division with 25 factors, Bedard’s Blackhawks occupy the West’s first wild card spot with 24 factors, and Celebrini’s Sharks are proper within the wild card race at 21 factors.

So, what are the possibilities that these groups can keep within the race for 82 video games? It is powerful to say, nevertheless it does seem to be the Geese have the most effective shot of the three. Listed below are every staff’s playoff probabilities, in accordance with MoneyPuck:

• Geese: 80.8%
• Blackhawks: 49.9%
• Sharks: 13.5%

Anaheim is the extra full staff, as I discussed earlier. It has been constructing towards this longer than the opposite two, and Carlsson looks like he’s the most important piece to that puzzle.

Chicago, whereas it is actually improved round Bedard, nonetheless has a variety of questions. Spencer Knight is superb in objective, however the Blackhawks have holes all all through their protection, and the ahead depth could be very suspect. On prime of that, most of Chicago’s underlying numbers point out that this begin is unsustainable.

The Blackhawks have a PDO — which merely provides staff taking pictures and save percentages — of 1.050. The following closest staff is the Pittsburgh Penguins at 1.034. Consider PDO as a temperature gauge in a automotive. Proper now Chicago is operating dangerously scorching, and it is due for a settle down.

You possibly can copy and paste most of that for the Sharks, which have one of many worst defensive teams within the league, though Celebrini most likely has extra assist than Bedard at ahead. It is simply going to be arduous for San Jose to maintain opposing groups out of its internet sufficient to remain within the wild card race all season.

All that mentioned, we have seen younger superstars drag groups kicking and screaming into the playoffs earlier than. Simply have a look at what the Montreal Canadiens did final season. Moreover, a very powerful factor for all three groups is that they are lastly making an ascent with their younger cornerstones main the way in which.