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The young players in the Central Division are among the most intriguing in the NHL heading into the season.
They have the reigning Calder Trophy winner in Connor Bedard as well as the runner-up, Brock Faber. Even still, neither of them is the most intriguing young player for their team heading into training camp.
There’s the duo in St. Louis that signed offer sheets, an unsigned piece of the puzzle for a contender in Winnipeg, a couple of rookies looking to assert themselves in the top six in Dallas and Chicago, a goalie looking to take hold of the starter gig and a few second-year NHL players who want to take on bigger roles.
Let’s dive into the NHL’s exciting Central Division and look at some of the young players looking to make their mark.
Chicago Blackhawks: Frank Nazar, C
The star of the show in Chicago is obviously Connor Bedard, who is coming off a Calder Trophy season, but what will ultimately be more important is who they surround him with.
Frank Nazar will be one of the non-Bedard centerpieces of Chicago’s NHL team for years to come. After a good performance in a few games at the end of last season, he has a chance to find a role on the NHL team right off the bat.
Nazar’s speed will be an instant factor at the NHL level, putting defenders on their heels like very few others in the league. His creativity with the puck will have moments of absolute brilliance, even if there will be some growing pains. Nazar is a lethal playmaker and a cerebral scorer who can bring a level of offensive flair that keeps up with Bedard, something the Hawks sorely lacked last year.
Related: NHL Prospect Pool Overview 2024-25: Chicago Blackhawks’ Pipeline Bursts with Talent
Colorado Avalanche: Justus Annunen, G
The Colorado Avalanche have been an incredibly good team for quite some time now. They don’t need an all-star goaltender. Alexandar Georgiev has been serviceable for them most of the time, but with his inconsistency, especially last year, the Avs need to consider what they have in the Finn.
Annunen has long been scratching the surface, but the Avalanche have always leaned on the veterans on the team because of their status as contenders. With the current veteran putting up underwhelming results, it’s time to give the kid a chance. At 24, Annunen is at the end of his run as a prospect, so it’s time for him to step up and take the job. Annunen versus Georgiev in training camp could be one of the most interesting battles in the NHL.
Related: NHL Prospect Pool Overview 2024-25: Colorado Avalanche Load Up Between the Pipes
Dallas Stars: Logan Stankoven, RW
What a jolt of energy it was for the Stars when Stankoven entered the lineup for the Stars. The feisty and energetic rookie brought some fire to the lineup. He was competing on every shift, playing his tail off at both ends of the ice and showing that despite his size, he was dead set on being one of the most effective players on the ice. He solidified his spot in the lineup in the playoffs.
Heading into training camp this year, Stankoven will be out to show he deserves to play the entire season in the NHL. Due to the fact he only played 24 games in the regular season, Stankoven retains his status as a rookie and could be one of the sneakiest picks for Calder in the league. Stankoven could be the Stars’ difference-maker this season, and it all starts in training camp.
Related: NHL’s Top Issues Facing the Dallas Stars: Cup Final Hopes, Replacing Pavelski, and Stankoven
Minnesota Wild: Marco Rossi, C
After playing an important role for the Wild as a rookie, this year will be interesting for Rossi.
The undersized center proved he can play in the middle. Playing as high in the lineup as the first line, Rossi is poised to take a big step this season. His intelligence has never been a question nor has his skill. It’s always been about whether he can play at a high level at his size, and he’s done that.
This year, the Wild will look for Rossi to play in the top six again, possibly centering franchise player Kirill Kaprizov and helping the star winger remain one of the NHL’s most lethal players. Rossi excels at doing so many of the little things, such as pulling pucks off the boards, finding pockets of space away from the puck and consistently advancing the play when he has the puck.
Related: Wild Boys: Brock Faber and Marco Rossi Rock the State of Hockey
Nashville Predators: Luke Evangelista, RW
The Predators had one of the busiest off-seasons of any NHL team this year. They brought in Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault to bolster their NHL lineup in an attempt to get back into contention for the Stanley Cup.
Adding that level of talent pushes players down the depth chart and creates even more competition at the bottom end of the lineup. Luke Evangelista may be one of those players, or he could prove he should be a fixture in what should be a loaded top nine.
Evangelista was great in stretches for the Preds last year. He finished just outside of the top five in rookie scoring while playing the brand of hockey the Predators love – a brash, heavy game that blends in skill. There is little doubt that Evangelista will be in the lineup, but his goal in camp will be to show he deserves to play alongside the team’s top players.
Related: NHL Prospect Pool Overview 2024-25: Look Out for the Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues: Dylan Holloway, LW, and Philip Broberg, D
The Blues weaponized the most criminally underused tool for player acquisition, the offer sheet, and they did it twice.
The Blues were smart to put the Edmonton Oilers in a bind by signing two of their young, upcoming players to offer sheets since there was almost a guarantee they’d get one for minimal compensation. When Edmonton decided to match neither offer sheet, the Blues added two potential young impact players to their lineup for just a second- and third-round pick.
Holloway is a high-energy player with some jam in his game while blending solid skill and good pace. He is an excellent complementary player who puts pressure on the forecheck and continuously disrupts the opposing team. He could be an excellent middle-six scorer for the Blues.
Broberg hasn’t had as much NHL experience, but the big, mobile blueliner looked great at the end of the season and into the playoffs. He helped stabilize the back end for the Oilers on their run to the final. Now in St. Louis, Broberg could factor into their top four. Both former Oilers will be fun to watch in training camp.
Related: Krug’s Injury Puts Blues’ Broberg In Even Larger Role Right Out the Gate
Utah Hockey Club: Logan Cooley, C
It was an up-and-down first season for Cooley in the NHL. His skill was on display at times, and he finished the season strong, but there were plenty of growing pains. His defensive play was an issue at times, there were dry spells statistically, and there were times when he looked to be in a bit over his head. In reality, it was a pretty standard rookie season from a future impact player.
With the entire team getting a fresh start in Utah, Cooley will be one of the most exciting players for this team. With a good training camp, he could easily win the top-line center job with just Barrett Hayton competing with him. Cooley could be one of the young, exciting players this team markets to the new fan base as it looks to embark on a new chapter.
Related: Screen Shots: Raanta’s NHL Exit, Utah’s ‘Yeti’ Name And Minten’s New Opportunity With Leafs
Winnipeg Jets: Cole Perfetti, C
This one is a bit tricky. Perfetti could head into training camp without a contract, which means he won’t be on the ice. The unfortunate part about that, beyond the obvious delay in getting ready for the season, is that this will be an incredibly important training camp for the center. Perfetti is on the precipice of breaking through as a truly effective offensive player.
Perfetti’s intelligence and playmaking have always flashed at every level he’s played at, including the NHL. He hasn’t quite broken through consistently, though, at the sport’s top level. The 22-year-old is right where you would want to see that jump in production and assertion as one of the team’s better players. With some of the Jets’ core getting toward the end of their prime, Perfetti will be looked at to supplement the loss of production. First, he needs a contract, though.
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Related: NHL’s Top Issues Facing Winnipeg Jets: Ehlers, Playoffs And Point-Per-Game Players On Radar
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News Summary:
- Young NHL Players Needing A Strong Training Camp In The Central: Perfetti, Rossi And More
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.