The Next Generation, NHL Edition

One name: Connor Bedard. The Chicago Blackhawks center and first overall pick from 2023 took the National Hockey League (NHL) by storm last season, winning the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year while creating a dazzling highlight reel along the way. At just 18 years old, Bedard jumped to the big league and produced well—a feat few rookies have accomplished in recent memory. Bedard’s success story may only be the start of a shift, though.

Prior to the 2023 NHL Draft, Russian forward Matvei Michkov was largely seen as the most enticing player behind Bedard. Michkov possesses a unique blend of creative playmaking, elite awareness, and shooting accuracy, but he was ultimately selected seventh overall by the Philadelphia Flyers due to concerns over when he would come to North America. None of this fazed Michkov, who scored 19 goals and 41 points in 47 Kontinental Hockey League games this last season—numbers rivaling star forward Alex Ovechkin and his post-draft production.

When it was announced in July that Michkov would be coming to the NHL this season, the hype around Philadelphia and the league started to build. Would the NHL have another young star only a year after Bedard’s emergence? This possibility was fueled by more than Michkov alone.

After a miserable 2023/24 campaign, the San Jose Sharks received the first overall pick and the right to select generational center Macklin Celebrini. Celebrini was the obvious choice, as he put up 32 goals and 64 points in only 38 games with Boston University, winning the Hobey Baker Award for top NCAA player. The 17-year-old freshman was the youngest ever to receive the honor. Similar to Bedard and Michkov, Celebrini has top-end offensive skills that already place him in the NHL’s upper echelon. Celebrini meshes well with linemates due to his ability to anticipate plays, and the center is already responsible in the defensive zone from his time in Boston.

While Celebrini and Michkov are the two favorites for this season’s Calder Trophy, other prospects aren’t lagging far behind. Dallas Stars forward Logan Stankoven is poised to excel after getting a taste of the NHL last year, and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson has entered the league after a wildly successful run in the NCAA. Other trophy hopefuls include Sharks center Will Smith—a teammate of Celebrini—and Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier. This level of competition and parity between top prospects hasn’t been seen in years.

The new generation hearkens back to 2016/17, when the league was introduced to star forward Auston Matthews and a full season of Connor McDavid, who is now widely regarded as the best player in the world. None of these rookies are at Matthews’s or McDavid’s caliber now, but it’s reasonable to say they have the potential to reach that level in the future.

The influx of young talent will help refresh the league and it couldn’t come at a better time. After star center Jack Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2019, the NHL had a string of disappointing drafts. Alexis Lafrenière, Owen Power, and Juraj Slafkovsky—the first overall picks in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively—didn’t live up to lofty expectations straight out of the gate. This left hockey fans with little to be excited about. However, with Bedard, Michkov, and Celebrini, the NHL finally has the teenage phenoms they’ve been missing.