Oct 20, 2015; Newark, NJ, USA; Arizona Coyotes center
(16) skates with the puck while being defended by New Jersey Devils right wing
(21) during the first period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
NHL top 50 forwards under 25 years of age: The first of three countdowns. Also upcoming, “Top 25 Defense Under 25“, and “Top 10 Goalies Under 25“. So make sure to keep posted.
Union and Blue
2015-16 has seen the emergence of some young off the radar players, while others look poised to bounce back from tough seasons. Our NHL top 50 forwards features some new faces that could quickly climb up the rankings as the season progresses.
Birth date cut off for our NHL top 50 forwards will be October 21st, 1990. The rankings are solely individual opinion based on current performance to date. As the season progresses, the list is subject to change and could look very different in later releases.
Before heading into the countdown, let’s take a look at some of the honorable mentions that just fell short of the top 50 forwards under 25 years of age.
*any stats for the NHL top 50 forwards were obtained from hockeydb.com
Brayden Schenn, Philadelphia Flyers
Coming off a 47 point season in 2014-15, but has been the topic of trade rumors after falling short of expectations. Still has a chance to redeem himself as one of the top young talents.
Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks
The KHL superstar signed with Chicago this past offseason and has looked great early into his NHL rookie season with seven points in six games to open 2015-16.
Oct 10, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward
(3) skates with the puck in the second period against the St Louis Blues at Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild beat the St Louis Blues 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Charlie Coyle, Minnesota Wild
Former 28th overall pick by San Jose, Coyle was the prized piece in the Brent Burns deal. He’s shown progression over his past couple seasons and has three points in five games to being 2015-16.
Mattias Janmark, Dallas Stars
Former 3rd round pick of Detroit was part of the deal in 2014-15 that sent Erik Cole to Detroit in March. He wasn’t expected to make the team out of training camp this year, but has had an impact as a rookie with four points in six games.
Boone Jenner, Columbus Blue Jackets
The former second rounder has shown growth in each of his last two seasons, and could be poised to climb into our next NHL top 50 forwards rankings. He has three goals in seven games with the winless Blue Jackets.
Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks
Burst onto the scene as a rookie with that four goal performance a lot of fans might remember. Hertl fell victim to the sophomore slump last season, but has the talent to climb up our rankings down the road. He has three points in six games with the Sharks so far.
Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas Stars
After making the team out of training camp as an 18 year old, Nichushkin has had a rough start to his young career being plagued with injuries thus far. He has first line potential, but needs to stay healthy long enough for consistent production.
Oct 13, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Vancouver Canucks center
(53) and Los Angeles Kings defenseman
(8) chase down the puck in the first period of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks
An underrated young guy who makes his presence felt every time he’s on the ice. He hasn’t show us what he’s fully capable of, but he should be a fun player to watch grow.
Robby Fabbri, St.Louis Blues
Fabbri almost made a deep Blues squad as an 18 year old, before finally getting his shot this season with the big club. Unfortunately, after two games and a goal for, Robby Fabbri suffered a concussion that has kept him out since. He’s got the talent to easily sky rocket up the rankings eventually.
Next: 50-41