One of the fun themes of this season is the surplus of young talent that has taken over the NHL. The point leaders include Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Leo Carlsson. Matthew Schaefer looks like a Norris Trophy finalist in his rookie season (at 18, nonetheless). It’s created a wave of young stars that fans are only starting to take note of.
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These players are one version of the star players that fans aren’t watching but should be. There are plenty of these players around the league, so let’s look at the names that casual fans should be paying attention to. Not only are the overlooked stars fun to watch, but they are also making significant impacts on contending teams.
The Young Rising Stars
A big storyline to begin the season is that the future is now. It seems like every decade or so, there’s a wave of young players that take over the game. It was Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews a decade ago, and 20 years back it was Sidney Crosby. Now, it’s Bedard, Celebrini, and Carlsson.
The 2023 draft class, by the way, is shaping up to be a great one. Bedard is the generational talent, and finally playing like one. Yet, Carlsson is having a big season with the Anaheim Ducks, and Adam Fantilli, who has struggled this season, has emerged as a great scorer in recent seasons. All three went in the top three of the draft and look like successful selections.
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Speaking of goal scorers, Wyatt Johnston feels like a veteran since he’s been in the league for a while. Yet, he’s only 22 and has 99 goals in his career, including 10 this season. He’s not a highlight reel goal scorer like Cutter Gauthier (who has 11 this season) but Johnston consistently finds the back of the net, making his career one to watch since he can chase some records.
Frank Nazar is another young star to watch. He finally found his footing in the NHL this season and has taken off as a do-it-all center. Nazar, ironically, doubles down as a young star and a second-fiddle type of star, as Bedard often steals his spotlight.
The “Second Fiddle” Star Players
There’s the cliche that every Batman needs a Robin but historically, star players have needed another star to take the target off their backs. Wayne Gretzky, for example, needed Mark Messier, and Crosby needed Evgeni Malkin. Everyone looks at the best player and often ignores the second-best on a team.
Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel are overlooked largely because they play on the Tampa Bay Lightning, where Nikita Kucherov is a perennial Hart Trophy candidate. Guentzel and Hagel have 13 goals and 16 assists combined and have all but carried the top six this season.
Jesper Bratt is on the Jack Hughes line, so while Hughes gets all of the credit and recognition, Bratt is the steady playmaker on the wing. He has five goals and 11 assists to take the offense to the next level.
The San Jose Sharks also have a handful of underrated players. William Eklund and Will Smith are having great seasons but Celebrini steals their spotlight. There’s a chance that Michael Misa puts together a Calder-caliber season, and it will go unnoticed if Celebrini is a Hart Trophy player.
The Vets Who Still Got It
The Montreal Canadiens have star power throughout their lineup. Cole Caufield is an elite scorer on the wing, while Juraj Slafkovsky is the power forward on the wing who sets up scoring chances and finds the back of the net. On top of that, Ivan Demidov is a skilled winger who has put himself in the Calder conversation. However, Nick Suzuki is the glue for the Canadiens. He’s the top-line center who makes everyone better. It’s made Suzuki a strong candidate to make the Canadian Olympic team.
The Florida Panthers are battling early on with injuries and losses getting to them, and fans are starting to notice Anton Lundell. He’s the two-way center who has stepped into the top six and filled the void left by the Aleksander Barkov injury.
Mark Scheifele is the fuel keeping the Winnipeg Jets going. Every season, he plays at a high level. The question is whether he’s made a great case for the Canadian Olympic team (needless to say, they have no shortage of centers).
Travis Sanheim has spent for of his career on a terrible Philadelphia Flyers team. He was the perfect example of a good player on a bad team. Now that the Flyers are good, fans might start to notice just how good he is.
Is there an overlooked star who comes to mind? Let us know in the comments section below!
