Welcome to my 2015-16 edition of the top 25 NHL players under the age of 25. As I typically examine the top young players outside the NHL, this column serves the purpose of discussing how top prospects of the past have progressed since turning pro.
The question asked for these rankings is: Which players will have been the best NHL players when their time in the league is done? I do not ask who the best player would be in a game tomorrow, or who has the most value from this point forward. Team factors are not considered, as this is a pure isolation of the merits of a player's abilities.
Eligibility is determined by a player's age as of Sept. 15, 2015, the calendar date the NHL uses for its entry draft. Thus, we may have a player or two on this list who has already turned 25. Only players with an NHL game played are considered, so no prospects from the 2015 NHL draft are included here, or players who qualified as a prospect in my top 100 list in August. [Editor's note: Feel free to ask Corey on Twitter where he'd put Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel on this list].
Since we limit the list to 25, it's obviously very restrictive. I had to grind my teeth as I cut both Elias Lindholm and Hampus Lindholm, Cam Fowler, John Klingberg, Ryan Strome and a plethora of other very worthy and highly regarded NHL players.
1. John Tavares, C, New York Islanders
In his final appearance on the top 25 under 25 list -- he's eligible per our definition by less than a week, even though he turned 25 a few days ago -- the Islanders' key player, and my vote for the Hart Trophy last season, takes the top spot. His skill, finishing ability and hockey IQ are all elite, as he's firmly placed himself as one of the very best players in the league. Playing with a dangerous Islanders forward group, he's the engine.
2. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche
I'm not too familiar with fantasy hockey keeper leagues, but I imagine that there are some keeper-league owners who are down on Nathan after a step back statistically in 2014-15. You should take advantage of that person in your league. MacKinnon is still a world-beater, with generational skating, elite skill and a rare ability to impose himself on a game. If healthy, MacKinnon can easily get back to the 60-plus-point level he showed as a rookie, and could very well be one of the league's leading scorers in the not-too-distant future.
3. Tyler Seguin, C, Dallas Stars
Seguin is one of the better players in the NHL right now, with two consecutive dominant offensive seasons. His skating, puck skills, vision and shot all get high-end grades, and he has led an offensively exciting (albeit defensively underwhelming) Dallas team. His off-puck play isn't too desirable if I wanted to nitpick, but given that he's a near lock (if healthy) to be among the top scorers in the league this season, one can look past small issues.
4. Taylor Hall, LW, Edmonton Oilers
Hall has been one of the better forwards in the league the past few seasons, showing dynamic speed, skill and work ethic. His defensive game, while improved, hasn't been phenomenal, but there are few players in the league more dangerous off the rush. There are definitely some concerns with Hall, with the primary one being injuries and a secondary one being how his all-around game seemed to take a decline last season even when he was healthy.
5. Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers
This past season's Calder Trophy winner had one of the greatest age-18 seasons ever by a defenseman. His skating and skill are fantastic for a defenseman of his size (he's listed at 6-foot-4, 216 on the team website). His advanced physical traits give him value, but his hockey sense is elite, too. It's not insane to foresee Ekblad as one of the top-echelon defenders in the NHL as soon as this season. One could very easily argue he's superior to Seguin at the same age, but it's very hard for a defender to reach the same output level as a star No. 1 center, which players like Seguin and Tavares are, and where MacKinnon is trending towards.
6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Arizona Coyotes
For the past few seasons, Ekman-Larsson has been one of the better defensemen in the league, but never one of the very best in any given season. He does it all well; he can skate, handle the puck, and defend at a top-end level. He doesn't dominate in one area of the game, although this past season I thought he showed flashes of bringing his offensive game to the top tier. If the Coyotes can ever find forwards who can score, Ekman-Larsson's numbers may see a spike, raising his profile among the counting-stat-dependent set.
7. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, St. Louis Blues
Tarasenko broke out in 2014-15 with an exclamation mark, being one of the top scorers in the league and narrowly missing the 40-goal benchmark. His skill and shot stand out to anyone who watches him casually (and get him onto the highlight reel), but he's also a tireless competitor who is strong in puck battles and makes a lot of good decisions. His defensive game could improve, but he shows the commitment to being better in that area.
8. Justin Faulk, D, Carolina Hurricanes
When I was at the Lake Placid under-20 tournament, it was notable that Faulk's name was dropped among USA Hockey personnel when referencing some of the best defensemen the program has developed in recent memory. The slightly undersized Faulk has become a pillar for the Hurricanes. Whether it's his elite two-way hockey sense, his great competitiveness, his booming shot or the workhorse minutes he logs, Faulk has emerged as one of the game's best defensemen.
9. Matt Duchene, C, Colorado Avalanche
There is a lot to like about Duchene's game. His combination of speed and puck skills can take over a game, and he's a truly exciting offensive talent. However, he makes you wonder why he hasn't solidified himself as one of the game's top players yet as he enters his age-25 season. His 2014-15 campaign was a small step back, and there are some concerns that maybe he's just a very good/not elite forward. His tools and production to date make me want to continue to believe in him, but this season will be telling.
10. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Colorado Avalanche
The Avs' captain is a tough player to read. He's been a very consistent, highly effective two-way forward thus far in his career. His work ethic and hockey sense are elite, and when he's on the ice, the Avs tend to have the puck. However, he's also just as effective at 22 as he was when he broke into the league as an 18-year-old. I have doubts whether he has that dynamic offensive element to take his game to that next level. Of course, even if he remains at this level, he's still a pretty good player.
11. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Edmonton Oilers
Nugent-Hopkins hasn't dominated the league at the level that people sometimes hype first overall picks to do, but he's still been very good. His skill and vision are elite, he's incredibly elusive and his defensive play has shown significant improvement. Nuge is by no means physically imposing, and maybe he'll never get to the highest echelon of players like teammate and fellow top pick Taylor Hall has at times, but he's a top-six center on almost any team.
12. Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
Hedman is a bit of a freak -- in a good way. In a lifetime, you'll very rarely see defensemen who are 6-6 who can skate and move a puck like he can. You watch Hedman long enough and the "Wow!" moments become regular. He's a two-way horse, who has rounded out his defensive play well into top-end form as well. His star turn in the 2015 Stanley Cup finals was unsurprising to those who've been following him closely through his development.
13. Ryan Johansen, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Johansen has established himself as one of the top centers in the league during the past two seasons, logging all-situations minutes and putting up big numbers. He's a true franchise, No. 1 pivot; now his franchise desperately needs to find competent scorers to build around him. Finding a way to sign him long term is critical for the franchise because big, highly skilled centers who can dominate in multiple areas of the game don't grow on trees (that we know of, anyway; intergalactic exploration could always bring new discoveries).
14. Seth Jones, D, Nashville Predators
Jones' numbers -- be it his raw production or usage -- are not too gaudy, but that is partially the product of being a right-handed defenseman on an extremely crowded blue line. There is still a ton to love in his game. He's a high-end skater with elite two-way hockey IQ, who makes unique plays all over the ice. Jones could be on the verge of a breakout, although the lack of consistent top-end play and his depth chart are factors that could prevent this from happening.
15. Sean Monahan, C, Calgary Flames
Monahan had a huge season for the Flames. As a 20-year-old, he scored 30 goals and was responsible enough to be deployed in any situation the coach needed. He bleeds hockey sense, and while he excels as a playmaker, he's also been a quality scorer in the league, maintaining a shooting percentage of 16.0 percent on 331 shots. While the young player who (deservedly) got a lot of talk for the Flames in 2014-15 was Johnny Gaudreau, it was Monahan's emergence as a top-flight center that creates a path to contention for Calgary.
16. Aleksander Barkov, C, Florida Panthers
To date, Barkov's production has been just OK. But he just turned 20, and logic dictates that a development spike could be just around the corner. He's a fantastic playmaker who may seem like a simple slow-the-game-down type of player; on the other hand, he can dazzle as well. Barkov's skating isn't fantastic, but his skill and advanced two-way game (particularly for such a young player) makes you think that by the time he's 22, he'll be a 20 minutes-per-game horse down the middle.
17. David Pastrnak, RW, Boston Bruins
It's been a brief 12 months between Pastrnak being selected 25th overall by Boston to now being a top-25 NHL player under 25. After being one of the best 18-year-olds the AHL has ever seen, Pastrnak was playing in the middle of Boston's lineup by midseason. His puck skills are fantastic, and he plays the game at a such a quick tempo that his less-than-ideal size has proved to be a non-issue to this point.
18. Filip Forsberg, RW, Nashville Predators
Forsberg was my vote for the Calder Trophy after last season, after being a huge part of Nashville's resurgence. He's everything you want in a winger: dynamic skill, relentless work ethic on the forecheck, strong on the puck and a creative offensive mind. His defensive positioning can still use some work, but 25 goals and nearly 250 shots on goal more than made up for a little deficiency in that area.
19. Jacob Trouba, D, Winnipeg Jets
Trouba's counting stats took a bit of a decline in 2014-15, but he remains one of the very best young defensemen in the game. He's arguably Winnipeg's best two-way defenseman, with excellent defensive tools as a highly mobile, physical and smart defender. His puck movement isn't fantastic, but due to his feet and above-average instincts with the puck, he has the ability to create significant offense.
20. Jaden Schwartz, LW, St. Louis Blues
While Tarasenko was the talk of the young players in St. Louis this season, Schwartz was steadily second in goals, and third in points on the team. His game is a very skilled one, displaying high-end hands and imagination with the puck, on top of being a quality passer and an agile skater. He's also been a much more gifted goal scorer than I would have thought he'd be when he was a teenager, and it's not crazy to think he'll be a key player for Team Canada in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, as colleague Pierre LeBrun suggested in his preliminary roster projection.
21. Jonathan Drouin, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Drouin was my No. 1 prospect going into last season, ahead of Ekblad. While there was some clamoring that the Lightning were being too harsh on Drouin's usage in 2014-15, he didn't help his case on many occasions, looking behind the pace at times and struggling with his all-around play. His offensive skill is through-the-roof good, and this past season may have been a one-off. He could come out of the gates roaring in 2015-16, but there are definitely reasons to hedge here as well.
22. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, Calgary Flames
Gaudreau is well known for his incredible point totals as a rookie, and many highlight-reel plays. For me, though, it was a season of two halves. During the first half, he played well, but not amazingly so, showing some development bumps. He made plays, but also got some bounces. The second half and into the playoffs saw him more consistently look like a top-flight winger and a leading player for his team. He may not end up being a superstar -- and some will point with skepticism to his elevated shooting percentage -- but he is the real deal.
23. Ryan O'Reilly, C, Buffalo Sabres
O'Reilly has been consistently steady, and is roughly the same player he was three years ago, which is one of the better two-way centers in the league. His hockey sense and work ethic are both fantastic, and despite not having a blow-you-away skills set, he always finds a way to be around the puck and make plays in every zone. He can be a legitimate placeholder No. 1 center for the Sabres, until Jack Eichel is ready to log the big minutes against the game's best players.
24. Nikita Kucherov, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Kucherov was one of the top offensive producers in the NHL this past season, on a insanely deep Tampa Bay bench. He likely got somewhat fortunate, due to a personal 15.2 shooting percentage, and his teammates shooting 12.5 percent at even strength when he was on the ice. He's still an electric offensive talent who plays with pace, and should put up big numbers in 2015-16. We'll get a better sense of his career projection after another campaign.
25. Alex Galchenyuk, C, Montreal Canadiens
There was a draft of this list on which I left the former third overall pick Galchenyuk off, but his promise remains very enticing, even though we're still waiting on the big return. His skill level is electric, and a player with his natural tool kit has the ability to become a dominant top-line forward in the league. If his all-around play improves so that he can gain more ice time, it will go a long way to boosting those point totals.
Honorable mentions
Jonas Brodin, D, Minnesota Wild
Dougie Hamilton, D, Calgary Flames
Ondrej Palat, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Brandon Saad, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Mark Stone, RW, Ottawa Senators