The National Hockey League (NHL) is a sports league that everyone has heard of. Its growth from 1917 has expanded from Canada and the United States, to overseas in Germany, Finland, Sweden, etc. In total, it holds 32 teams, and every year fans gear up to watch their favorite juniors get drafted. From 2019-2024, we’ll take a look at some of the old and new standout youngsters in the league.
The NHL draft is an annual event where junior league or college hockey players are selected and picked by teams. There are seven rounds with one pick per round, and the team with the least points in the previous season is most likely to win the lottery and get the first overall pick. This is the first 16 players, where players 16-23 are chosen based on which teams made the playoffs but didn’t win. The winning division teams that didn’t play the Conference Finals (east and west) get players 24-27.
These players can be traded before or during the draft, as well as during the season when contracts end. Among these picks are Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Cole Caufield.
In his first season so far, 2023 draft pick Connor Bedard (#98) was drafted into the NHL to statistically one of the worst teams, the Chicago Blackhawks. Yet that doesn’t stop him.
The 23’-24’ season has generated enough publicity following his movements that all eyes are on him. At 19 years old he’s achieved many feats. According to Bardown on Instagram, he is the fastest teen to gain 100 points since Sydney Crosby.
In total, he has surpassed Patrick Kane (94 points) and is proceeding to reach Eddie Olczyk’s title (129 points). Bedard has the second-most assists by a teenager (66), tied with Patrick Kane’s record.
Mack Celebrini (#71) of the San Jose Sharks (another bad team) has no doubt dominated whenever he can.
The 2024 pick has an individual Crosi percent of 74.47 ( the percentage of shots for divided by shots against- a stat that helps generate how much offense is being created), meaning he produces more shots on goal than that of the opponents’ teammate.
He shows major prevail on the ice, notably the most impressive time during his debut with a goal at 7:01 in OT (overtime), the fastest in the NHL’s history by a #1 draft pick behind Mario Lemieux. Stacked with trophies, I can’t wait to see what this 18-year-old achieves next.
19-year-old Will Smith (#2) of the 2023 draft also plays for the Sharks.
His debut helped beat the Blackhawks 3-2, gaining the title of the youngest U.S. player to score multiple goals in one game since Cole Singer.
Smith is consistently working towards finding balance in this new period of his life where he doesn’t score as much, and how to work around the other team.
The team is still deciding where to place him, as he plays in different spots. Throughout all of this Smith and Celebrini have come together as good friends and help each other on and off the ice.
An older face is 24-year-old Cole Caufield. Following in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps playing hockey, Caufield signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021.
He debuted a 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames and scored his first Stanley Cup goal, although ending in a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. His motivation has increased as well as his skills, leading to a total of 189 points with 247 GP.
He focuses on defending the puck and its retrievals moving forward, ultimately allowing flexible feedback from his coaches saying where they want him to be. Allowing this has brought the team more success than before.
Although they may not be the same age, these guys equally share talent on the ice and stand out on their teams. They strive to be better when faced with challenges, maintaining their positions and being levelheaded. They’re able to do all they can to help the team and will be some of the greatest players in a few years.
