As the lockout continues, many fans are afraid they will be robbed of another NHL season at a time when the league is stocked with fantastic young talent. With so many young players making an impact, it becomes harder and harder to decide who ranks among the best 25 players under the age of 25. But as time marches on, the older players cycle out after reaching age 25 and others join the ranks after establishing themselves as standouts in the NHL. To that end, 14 players have graduated from the previous edition, leaving plenty of room for a new generation of skilled skaters to take their place.
To be clear, these rankings -- and the guiding criteria -- are my own. Just like in my previous rankings in January, in constructing this year's list, I once again selected players based on their career-to-date performance in the regular season and the playoffs. I weighed conventional statistics (goals, assists and shots on goal) and advanced metrics that take into account the context in which they play (such as puck possession, zone starts and quality of competition faced). If you are unfamiliar with any of the advanced metrics used, you likely can find an explanation here. Additionally, I looked at how the performances of linemates are affected when a particular player is on and off the ice.
A few other ground rules: As the title of the ranking indicates, players 25 or over -- and those turning 25 before Feb. 1 -- are inelligble for this list. That removes several of the list's previous top names -- including Sidney Crosby, Nicklas Backstrom and Claude Giroux. Also, by looking for an established track record of success rather than future potential, you won't find any of the league's talented 2011-12 rookies on this list. That even includes the NHL's reigning rookie of the year Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, although I have no doubt they will feature prominently in future lists. In fact, later this week, ESPN Insider's NHL scout, Grant Sonier, will take a look at his most likely future additions.
Last season, there was some disagreement about the players who did and did not make the list, and I am sure this installment will be no different. Have a differing opinion or think I left someone out? Feel free to make yourself heard in the comments.
Note: Ages listed are as of Feb. 1, 2013.
1. C Jonathan Toews
Chicago Blackhawks, 24 years old
Previous: 1
Let's start in the faceoff dot, where Toews led the league with a 59.4 percent win percentage (minimum 1,000 faceoffs) last year. He has historically won 55 percent of his even-strength defensive draws and 53 percent of the draws he takes during the penalty kill. Winning faceoffs helps establish puck possession, so it is no wonder anyone who skates with Toews is on the ice for more shots for than against.
Over the past six seasons, all 17 players who have shared at least 500 minutes of even-strength time with Toews -- including frequent linemates Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp -- all saw more shots in their favor with him than when they skated without him.
The Hawks' captain contributes offensively, as well, registering 144 goals and 324 points in 361 regular-season games over the past five seasons despite continually being matched up against the toughest opposition among Chicago's forwards.
Toews does it all -- kills penalties (1:52 per game), produces on the power play (registered points on 67 percent of power-play goals scored in 2011-12) and drives possession at even strength -- which is why he is once again at the top of the 25 Under 25 list.
2. C Steven Stamkos
Tampa Bay Lightning, 22 years old
Previous: 6
The top pick in the 2008 NHL draft has become one of the league's most prolific goal scorers. He had 23 goals in his rookie season, then exploded with 51, 45 and then 60 last season, including 48(!) at even strength. It was the first time since Wayne Gretzky's 1984-1985 season that the 60-goal mark was met with 12 or fewer goals coming during the man advantage.
His puck possession metrics took a big step forward last season, with his linemates seeing almost eight more even-strength shots per 60 minutes directed at the opposition's net when he was skating than when he was on the bench.
3. C Logan Couture
San Jose Sharks, 23 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Couture played just 25 games with the Sharks in the 2009-10 NHL season but followed up that campaign by finishing with 32 goals and 56 points en route to a nomination for the Calder Memorial Trophy. In 2011-12, he improved those boxcar stats to 31 goals, 34 assists and a relative Corsi of 10.6, indicating he tilts the ice in the Sharks' favor. The former first-round pick was also particularly proficient on the power play, where he racked up 7.15 points per 60 minutes, second in the league (behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) among players with at least 2:00 per game with the man advantage.
4. C Jordan Staal
Carolina Hurricanes, 24 years old
Previous: 13
It isn't easy playing in the shadow of the two best players in the game, but Jordan Staal continues to shine, consistently beating out tough assignments while posting top-six scoring numbers. Last season was no different, as he set a career high in points (50) while lining up against Pittsburgh's toughest opponents and driving play (51.5 percent of even-strength shots in his team's favor).
5. C John Tavares
New York Islanders, 22 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Regarded by many as an egregious omission on last year's list, Tavares went on to score 21 points (eight goals and 13 assists) over 12 games just days after the list came out, eventually setting career bests in goals (31), assists (50) and points (81). The No. 1 pick in 2009 was always a terrific point producer, but he developed more of a two-way game last season, leading the team in driving puck possession (relative Corsi 10.6) to the point that even a "housebound agraphobe [sic]" couldn't leave him off this list twice.
6. RW Patrick Kane
Chicago Blackhawks, 24 years old
Previous: 4
The 2008 Calder Trophy winner and 2010 Winter Olympics silver medalist with Team USA continues to be an offensive force for Chicago, leading the team in even-strength points per 60 minutes in each of the past three seasons (minimum 40 games played).
7. LW Taylor Hall
Edmonton Oilers, 21 years old
Previous: Not ranked
It is easy to focus on Hall's offensive accomplishments the past two seasons: 49 goals and 46 assists in 126 career NHL games. What doesn't show up on the score sheet is his ability to drive play, having led the Oilers in puck possession in 2010-11 (10.3 relative Corsi) and 2011-12 (15.2).
8. D Drew Doughty
Los Angeles Kings, 23 years old
Previous: 10
Doughty has already compiled an impressive résumé. In 2009-10, he won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics and was a finalist for the Norris Trophy awarded to the top defenseman in the league. He then won the Stanley Cup with the Kings last season. In that championship run, he scored 16 points, including a league-high 12 assists.
9. D Erik Karlsson
Ottawa Senators, 22 years old
Previous: Not ranked
The Norris Trophy winner in 2012, Karlsson became the youngest player to be named the league's best defenseman since Bobby Orr won the award in 1970. Karlsson played 25:19 per game, which was ninth in the league, and faced a high quality of competition but still managed to tilt the ice in Ottawa's favor.
10. LW Brad Marchand
Boston Bruins, 24 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Marchand is a two-way player who logged 17:37 per game for Boston, including 2:09 with the man advantage and 1:23 with the penalty-killing unit, and notched his second straight 20-plus goal season. His most frequent linemates, Selke winner Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin, have been on the ice for more shots at net with Marchand than without him.
11. D Alex Pietrangelo
St. Louis Blues, 23 years old
Previous: 18
There might not be a more versatile defenseman in the NHL. St. Louis allowed the fewest goals per game since the league expanded from the Original Six in 1967-68, and Pietrangelo faced the stiffest competition (according to Behind the Net's Corsi relative to quality of competition (CORSI Rel QoC) metric) on the team, logging huge minutes for the Blues at even strength (18:38), on the power play (2:52 per game) and during the penalty kill (3:12). Offensively, he finished in the top 10 among defensemen in goals (12) and assists (39).
12. C Tyler Seguin
Boston Bruins, 21 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Seguin led the Bruins in goals (29) and points (67) and became a better two-way player this past season, posting a 18.4 Corsi relative to the competition, good for fourth best in the league. He also became a bigger part of the Bruins' offense, leading the team with 242 shots on goal.
13. LW Jamie Benn
Dallas Stars, 23 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Benn continues to be the best NHL player no one has heard of. A fifth-round pick in 2007, Benn scored 2.9 even-strength points per 60 minutes in 2011-12. Only Evgeni Malkin (3.7), Jordan Eberle (3.1) and Stamkos (2.9) were as good or better among forwards playing at least 40 games, and Benn played the toughest minutes of that group (48 percent of his shifts began in the defensive zone against tougher competition).
14. LW David Perron
St. Louis Blues, 24 years old
Previous: 21
Perron scored 42 points in 57 games in 2011-12 after missing a combined 97 games between 2010 and 2012 with a concussion. Even with the missed time, his 21 goals ranked second on the team behind David Backes.
Since Perron was drafted in the first round in 2007, the Blues have seen more than 52 percent of even-strength shots in their favor with him on the ice as opposed to breaking even when he is on the bench.
15. RW Jeff Skinner
Carolina Hurricanes, 20 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Skinner became the team's best forward in terms of puck possession (9.2 relative Corsi), even-strength scoring (2.0 even-strength points per 60 minutes) and assisting on the power play (2.11 primary assists per 60 minutes).
His most frequent linemates (Tuomo Ruutu, Jussi Jokinen and Eric Staal) saw their Corsi percentage at even strength increase whenever they got to play on a line with him, which shows that, even with just two seasons under his belt, he has the ability to carry a line.
16. D Victor Hedman
Tampa Bay Lightning, 22 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher leans on Hedman to play the tough minutes. There were only six blueliners in 2011-12 who started their shifts in the defensive zone 60 percent or more of the time, and only fellow Bolt Eric Brewer faced stiffer competition than Hedman did. When not lining up against the other teams' top scoring lines, Hedman killed penalties (2:54) and contributed on the power play (1:08).
17. LW Milan Lucic
Boston Bruins, 24 years old
Previous: 14
Lucic won a roster spot with the Bruins as a 19-year-old in 2007-08 and has amassed 90 goals and 212 points in 359 games since. He plays 17:01 per night, which includes 2:13 during the man advantage, when he scored two goals per 60 minutes, second best on the team to Nathan Horton (3.1).
Lucic also adds a physical presence, doling out 201 hits last season -- the most he has been credited with since 2007-08.
18. C Sam Gagner
Edmonton Oilers, 23 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Since being selected sixth in the 2007 draft, Gagner has seen a gradual increase in his workload with the Oilers, taking on more ice time and harder competition. Despite increasingly tougher assignments, Gagner has maintained his offensive production at even strength (1.96 points per 60 minutes) and on the power play (3.66 per 60 minutes).
19. C Evander Kane
Winnipeg Jets, 21 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Kane is coming off his third NHL season and led all Jets with 30 goals and finished second on the team last season with 57 points in 74 games. His physical game is also an asset: He dished out 173 hits and was credited with 35 takeaways -- and was assessed just 24 minor penalties all season. In fact, one of the most underrated aspects of his game is the ability to draw more penalties than he takes, helping Winnipeg get more opportunities with the man advantage.
20. D Kevin Shattenkirk
St. Louis Blues, 24 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Shattenkirk, acquired from Colorado last season, delivered 43 points while playing 21:36 a night for St. Louis. Known primarily as an offensive-defenseman, he has defensive skill: Close to 53 percent of even-strength shots directed at net have gone in his team's favor, and he has done a good job of suppressing shots while killing penalties.
21. C Jordan Eberle
Edmonton Oilers, 22 years old
Previous: Not ranked
Eberle is an offensive dynamo. He was second to Malkin in even-strength points per 60 minutes among forwards playing at least 40 games and was a large part of the Oilers' offense, as well, tallying points on 85 percent of Edmonton's even-strength goals. He also produced on the power play, accumulating points on 58 percent of the goals scored with the man advantage. His 5.7 Corsi relative to his teammates also shows he can move the puck in the right direction.
22. C Patrik Berglund
St. Louis Blues, 24 years old
Previous: 20
Berglund has become a reliable forward the Blues trust in every situation. He played all 82 games last season and saw 14 minutes per night at 5-on-5, 2:22 on the power play and 1:31 when short-handed, scoring a total of 19 goals and 19 assists.
When the Blues pair Berglund with Perron, St. Louis outscores opponents 2.7 to 1.7 per 60 minutes of even strength.
23. G Semyon Varlamov
Colorado Avalanche, 24 years old
Previous: 19
Varlamov found his groove after the All-Star break, going 12-9-2 with a stellar .932 save percentage and a 2.06 GAA, ending the year with four shutouts and finishing 16th among netminders in GVT (11.1).
The Russian netminder also can perform in the clutch. When the score is tied at even strength, he has saved shots at a 93.3 percent rate, and his rate has been 90.2 percent when his team has trailed by a goal.
24. D Tyler Myers
Buffalo Sabres, 22 years old
Previous: Not rated
The Calder Trophy winner as the league's best rookie two seasons ago, Myers played 22:29 a night against the third-most-difficult competition among Sabres' defensemen last season.
Although he played only 55 games because of a foot injury, Myers was on pace for a career year in goals and shots, plus created the second-highest GVT (7.0) among Buffalo's blueliners.
25. LW Wayne Simmonds
Philadelphia Flyers, 24 years old
Previous: Not rated
Simmonds started his career in Philadelphia with a bang, setting personal bests in goals (28), points (49) and shots (197) and flashing the gritty style (140 hits, 10 fights and 114 penalty minutes) that once made Broad Street famous.
Neil Greenberg specializes in analyzing hockey's microstats. He contributes to The Washington Post's Capitals Insider. You can follow him on Twitter here.