Every season, there is an abundance of a talented pool of players in the NHL. It is the players that make the league exciting for the fans. Of course, the gameplay suits the thrilling instinct of nature, but without the charisma of players, no sports league is complete.
Just like the last season, this season is also brewing with amazing prospects. Everybody witnessed the emergence of Cale Makar, Igor Shesterkin, Matthew Tkachuk, and Johnny Gaudreau. This season expects nothing less.
The following are some of the top prospects in this NHL season.
Connor McDavid
No doubt McDavid is at the top of the list. He has been exceptionally good in the NHL for a while now. The captain of the Edmonton Oilers is in his prime for the last three seasons, and many believe he is the best at the moment.
McDavid will also be eyeing 100 points for the third consecutive year. The highlight McDavid displays every night is his agility, vision, and potential to score goals well above his current level.
When you are having a go at the NHL betting, consider having your stakes on McDavid.
Auston Matthews
Maple Leafs are fortunate to have Matthews with them. He may not be the best, but he is in top-scoring form.
Matthews not only has the highest goals-per-game ratio, but he also has won Rocket Richard Trophy twice consecutively and became the first player to score 60 goals in one season over the last decade.
He is one of the few complete players who have an extreme shot release speed, allowing him to score from anywhere on the ice. It is a matter of time until he hits his peak and becomes the best player in the NHL.
Cale Makar
When it comes to the best defenseman, Makar is probably at the top of the circuit.
At such a young age, he has remarkable achievements and has done wonders for the Avalanche. Makar has already won the Conn Smythe trophy, the Norris award, a Calder, and a Stanley Cup.
His ability to maneuver on the field makes him a unique defenseman, who scored 28 goals last season.
His offensive zone attack and scoring ability make him look like a forward. It is great to see such tactical gameplay from a young player and, most importantly, from the defensive line.
Leon Draisaitl
Leon might be under the shadows of McDavid because his performance for the Oilers has been phenomenal. He scored 50 goals and 50 assists in one season in 2018-19. Leon repeated the same milestone in the previous season and became only the fourth player to do it twice.
He is a significant support to McDavid, and his offensive abilities are second to none as displayed in the playoffs of 2022, where he scored 32 points and helped the Oilers win the Western Conference final.
The lethal duo of McDavid and Leon can tear apart any opponent team, and it is a kind of combination every team would love to have.
Nathan Mackinnon
Mackinnon was the first overall pick in the draft in 2013. However, it took him a few seasons to play to his full potential. He had an amazing outing in the 2017-18 season when he had the third-highest points in the league and points per game.
Although he is yet to score 50 goals and 100 points in a single season, his combination of speed and power is unmatched. It was Mackinnon’s useful contribution that helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup.
Victor Hedman
Victor is arguably the second-best defenseman in the NHL.