Rising NHL Stars Most Likely to Develop into Franchise Cornerstones
One of the most entertaining elements of today's NHL is the impressive influx of young talent that is wasting no time making an impact in the league.
Some of these players were highly touted before they were drafted and have had no trouble living up to high expectations. Others initially flew under the radar but have earned their share of the spotlight at the NHL level.
This article focuses on players with a maximum of three years of big league experience who have already made enormous impressions in their respective markets—and are just getting started.
Several are on track to become captains. All will move massive amounts of merchandise as they grow into their roles as franchise cornerstones.
Jonathan Drouin, Montreal Canadiens
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Age: 22
Drafted: First round, third overall, 2013
NHL Stats to Date: Three seasons, 164 GP, 29-66-95, minus-nine
Why He'll Be a Cornerstone: The Montreal Canadiens have made a big bet that a hometown hero will become the next face of their franchise.
Jonathan Drouin's path to the NHL took some twists and turns after he was drafted third overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013. He emerged as a reliable scorer last season, with 53 points, including 21 goals, and he showed a knack for making spectacular plays that drew fans out of their seats.
On June 15, Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin kicked the offseason into high gear with the deal that brought the French Canadian sniper to Montreal. Highly touted defensive prospect Mikhail Sergachev headlined the package that went the other way.
Within hours, the Canadiens showed their commitment to their new acquisition by signing Drouin to a six-year contract with a cap hit of $5.5 million per season.
"Getting a young player with that skill level doesn't come that often," Bergevin said at the Canadiens' charity golf tournament on September 11, per The Canadian Press (via CFJC Today). "Especially a French-Canadian kid that wants to be here and wants to be successful. It was something I couldn't pass on."
Drouin has played left wing during his time in the NHL, but the Habs plan to give him a chance to become the team's top center in training camp.
"He likes to use all the ice, and that gives him an opportunity to express himself offensively," said head coach Claude Julien. "We've got eight exhibition games. That will give him a chance to work with teammates at that position. We're confident it's going to work."
Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks
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Age: 22
Drafted: First round, ninth overall, 2013
NHL Stats to Date: Three seasons, 231 GP, 49-68-117, minus-45
Why He'll Be a Cornerstone: The Vancouver Canucks have taken up residence near the bottom of the NHL standings, but one bright spot for the team has been the emergence of center Bo Horvat.
Projected as a "quality two-way player" by writers such as Chris Lund of the Ottawa Senators website before the 2013 draft, Horvat has raised his game in each of his three years in the NHL.
Despite playing a limited role on the power play, he became the Canucks' leading scorer, with 20 goals and 52 points, during the 2016-17 season and ranks seventh in his draft class in total points.
When the hardworking Horvat signed a new six-year contract with a cap hit of $5.5 million per season on September 8, Vancouver general manager Jim Benning called him "a leader on our team and a young player fans can be excited to watch for years to come," per The Canadian Press (via Sportsnet).
With the Sedin twins in the twilights of their careers, Horvat is on track to be Vancouver's next captain and the face of the franchise going forward.
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
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Age: 19
Drafted: First round, first overall, 2016
NHL Stats to Date: One season, 82 GP, 40-29-69, plus-two
Why He'll Be a Cornerstone: On Thursday, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star his team would go without a captain for the second straight season.
"When it's the right time, there will be a captain," Lamoriello said. "If it was the right time, we would have a captain. It's something internal."
That "something" is almost certainly the fact the Leafs' captain-in-waiting is not quite out of his teenage years. Auston Matthews will turn 20 on Sunday, shortly before he embarks on his sophomore NHL campaign.
In his rookie season, Matthews managed to exceed the sky-high expectations that came along with his arrival in hockey-mad Toronto as a first overall draft pick. He started out with a four-goal night in his first game and ended with a landslide Calder Trophy win over the impressive Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets.
Matthews looks like the real deal, but the Leafs appear to be trying not to overload him by adding the intensity of the captaincy to his already white-hot spotlight.
"Right now, where we are as a team and the number of leaders that we have in that room, we don't think it's necessary," Lamoriello said.
Keeping the job open rather than appointing a veteran captain indicates that it's only a matter of time until Matthews dons the "C" and becomes Toronto's official top dog.
Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
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Age: 23
Drafted: Third round, 83rd overall, 2012
NHL Stats to Date: Two seasons, 62 GP, 41-12-5, .925 save percentage, 2.32 goals-against average, five shutouts, two Stanley Cups
Why He'll Be a Cornerstone: The Pittsburgh Penguins could have swung a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights if they had wanted to keep longtime franchise goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury with the team going forward.
Even though Fleury had a no-movement clause in his contract and could have forced the Penguins to keep him around, he agreed to move because the writing was on the wall—Matt Murray had stolen his job in Pittsburgh.
In his draft year, Murray was nothing too special—a skinny kid who posted a 13-19-1 record with a 4.08 goals-against average with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. But he improved steadily and teased his potential during his first full AHL season.
With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2014-15, Murray went 25-10-3 with a 1.58 GAA and .941 save percentage—tops in the league.
When he made the jump to the NHL, Murray continued to put up great numbers—and showed a rare sense of poise for a rookie when he backstopped the Penguins to the 2016 Stanley Cup after playing just 13 regular-season NHL games.
Murray proved his performance was no fluke in 2016-17, upping his workload to 49 regular-season games and then returning from injury to earn a second straight championship.
The Penguins are still Sidney Crosby's team. Murray is the poster child for the team's next generation, which looks strong enough to keep the club among the NHL's elite for many years to come.
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
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Age: 21
Drafted: First round, 25th overall, 2014
NHL Stats to Date: Three seasons, 172 GP, 59-64-123, plus-26
Why He'll Be a Cornerstone: After a contentious negotiation, the Boston Bruins made their big commitment to Czech sniper David Pastrnak on Wednesday, signing him to a six-year contract with a cap hit of $6.67 million per season, per CapFriendly.
That's big money for a 21-year-old, but Pastrnak showed he could score at the NHL level as soon as he was drafted. Last season, he became a top-10 scorer, with 34 goals—and that kind of production warrants a sizeable payday.
The Bruins are a team in transition after winning the Stanley Cup in 2011 and earning the Presidents' Trophy during the 2013-14 season.
Along with defensemen Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy, Pastrnak is part of a promising next wave—a speedster with a lethal shot whose defensive game is strong enough to make him an ideal linemate for present-day superstars Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
If Pastrnak continues to improve at his current rate, he will soon be the cornerstone player on that line—and on his team.
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
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Age: 20
Drafted: First round, eighth overall, 2015
NHL Stats to Date: One season, 78 GP, 11-36-47, plus-17
Why He'll Be a Cornerstone: It's supposed to take time for defensemen to adjust to the professional game, but that's not slowing down Zach Werenski.
Less than a year after he was drafted, Werenski teased his tremendous potential when he left the University of Michigan after two seasons and went on to become a key player in the AHL Lake Erie Monsters' 2016 Calder Cup win.
From there, it was straight to the NHL, where Werenski quickly established himself as a reliable regular on the surprising Columbus Blue Jackets.
In addition to his top-four role on the blue line, Werenski became the quarterback of the Jackets' red-hot power play. His 21 points with the man advantage ranked him in the top 10 among NHL defensemen and helped earn him a Calder Trophy nomination as rookie of the year.
On a Blue Jackets team filled with young talent and boasting another blue-line stud in Seth Jones, Werenski is poised to rise above the rest and become Columbus' next franchise cornerstone.
All stats from NHL.com. Salary information from CapFriendly.
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