NHL's Top 50 Players Under 25 to Watch in 2012-13

The NHL is blessed with so much young talent that will carry the league into a bright future for many years.

Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby, John Taveres and Steven Stamkos are just a few marquee players who fans will be fortunate to watch for many years to come.

Let's look at the 50 best players under 25 years of age.

Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues

Alex Pietrangelo is one of the best young defensemen in the NHL and a name you will be much more familiar with next season.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Phoenix Coyotes

Oliver Ekman-Larsson had 32 points this season and is a force at both ends of the ice for the Phoenix Coyotes.

In my opinion, he will be one of the game's 15 best players very soon. The young Swede will be a star for a long time and will continue to develop for several seasons.

P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens

P.K. Subban is one of the most exciting defensemen in the NHL with his silky-smooth skating and his ability to score goals and make things happen offensively.

He's one of the few bright sports on the Montreal Canadiens right now.

Devin Setoguchi, Minnesota Wild

Devin Setoguchi will be counted on next season to improve his game and help the Minnesota Wild get into the playoffs.

The 24-year-old is a fantastic offensive player.

Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues

Kevin Shattenkirk is a major reason why the St. Louis Blues allow so few goals, and his exceptional two-way play is very polished for a young player.

He's a star in the making who will be a household name very soon.

Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers

Sean Couturier is making a statement to the hockey world right now in the playoffs with his ability to score goals and shut down the opposing team's best forwards in the defensive zone.

He's a star in the making for the Flyers.

Josh Bailey, New York Islanders

Josh Bailey is a former first-round pick of the New York Islanders and is still improving his game on a team with a number of good young forwards.

Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators

Erik Karlsson led all defensemen in points this season and could win the Norris Trophy this year.

He's one of the best players in the game already, and he hasn't even reached his full potential.

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars

Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars is one of the best young offensive players in hockey thanks to his consistent goal scoring and impressive playmaking skills.

John Carlson, Washington Capitals

John Carlson is one of the better young blue-liners in the game with an ability to contribute offensively with his power-play skills and solid passing.

Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks

On a team with many veteran players, San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture has become the team's best offensive player and will score 30 goals per season for a long time.

Derek Stepan, New York Rangers

Derek Stepan scored 51 points for the New York Rangers this season and is one of their better forwards.

His ability to score goals and create for teammates will help the Rangers for many more years.

Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh Penguins

Jordan Staal is one of the best defensive players in the game and doesn't receive the attention he deserves on a star-studded Pittsburgh Penguins team.

James Van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers

Injuries derailed James Van Riemsdyk's season this year, but he still has a ton of potential and could easily become a top-tier offensive player for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Zach Bogosian, Winnipeg Jets

Zach Bogosian hasn't lived up to the expectations that being a top-five draft pick come with, but he is still a solid player who has yet to reach his potential with the Winnipeg Jets.

Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche

Gabriel Landeskog exploded into the NHL this season and was one of the top offensive rookies throughout the year.

He's a star in the making and a big part of the Colorado Avalanche's future.

Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins

Milan Lucic is one of the elite power forwards in hockey.

As a player who can be physical, score goals and fight, he's a coach's dream.

Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche

Matt Duchene is a restricted free agent this summer, and you can bet the Colorado Avalanche will sign him up for many years, as he's a franchise-building player.

Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Victor Hedman is the franchise defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning and is slowly developing into the top-tier player the team envisioned him being.

He's a force at both ends of the ice.

Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes

Jeff Skinner won the 2011 Calder Trophy and continued to develop as a fantastic, young offensive player this season for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens

Carey Price is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, but his stats don't look as good as some other top goalies because the team in front of him is pretty weak.

Price will be a star for a long time and is a restricted free agent this summer.

Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles Kings fans are still waiting for Anze Kopitar to break out and have a monster year offensively, but he's still one of the better centers in the game with his ability to score goals and rack up a ton of assists.

Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings

After signing a monster contract in the summer, Drew Doughty gave the Los Angeles Kings a very good season and will remain the team's cornerstone on the blue line.

Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers

Claude Giroux became a superstar this season and finished third in the NHL in points.

The Flyers forward is already one of the game's best players and is on track to be a Hall of Famer.

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Patrick Kane is one of the best forwards in hockey with his goal-scoring, speed and passing ability.

The Chicago Blackhawks are fortunate to have him under contract for several more years.

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Toews is one of the three best forwards in hockey and dominates at both ends of the ice for the Chicago Blackhawks.

He's also a tremendous leader and would have set a career high in points if he wasn't sidelined for the last 22 games of the year with a concussion.

Tyler Seguin, Boston Bruins

Tyler Seguin was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft and led the Boston Bruins in scoring this season.

His exceptional speed and great shooting accuracy make him a threat to score each time he steps onto the ice.

Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel scored a career-high 37 goals this year for the Toronto Maple Leafs and will continue to score goals at that rate for many more years.

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

Not only did Steven Stamkos reach 50 goals for the second time in his brief career this season, he reached the 60-goal mark.

Stamkos is the game's best young player and will be a goal machine for many more years.

Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers

Injuries prevented Taylor Hall from making a big impact with the Edmonton Oilers this season, but the former No. 1 overall draft pick is still one of the best young offensive talents in hockey.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NHL draft and had a phenomenal rookie year, proving that he will be a top-tier forward for a long time.

Luke Schenn, Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't make the playoffs this season, but defenseman Luke Schenn is one player the team can build around in the future.

James Neal, Pittsburgh Penguins

James Neal scored 40 goals this season and will be a top offensive player into the future for the Pittsburgh Penguins alongside likely Hart Trophy-winner Evgeni Malkin.

Tyler Myers, Buffalo Sabres

Tyler Myers is a talented young defenseman with good offensive skills and tremendous size.

He's still developing as a player, but he will be a top-four D-man for a very long time.

Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals

Nicklas Backstrom is capable of putting up 90-plus points every season with the Washington Capitals thanks to his goal-scoring and exquisite playmaking skills that help him rack up assists with ease.

Sam Gagner, Edmonton Oilers

Sam Gagner is a legitimate top-six forward but is a restricted free agent this season.

The Edmonton Oilers will have to make a choice whether to re-sign him or not, when many other young players will be due for big raises soon.

Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Tuukka Rask is one of the finest young goaltenders in the NHL and could be the starter for the Boston Bruins if Tim Thomas leaves the team in the summer.

Jordan Eberle, Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle scored 34 goals in just his second full NHL season this year and will become a superstar player in 2012-13.

Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

Brad Marchand scored 27 goals for the Boston Bruins this season and is one of the team's best young players.

Not only a good offensive player, he also excels at getting under opponents' skin.

Brayden Schenn, Philadelphia Flyers

Brayden Schenn's two-way game and impressive offensive skills will make him a solid player for the Flyers for many years to come.

Matt Read, Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers forward Matt Read was one of the most impressive rookies this season and did it all for his team.

He killed penalties, scored goals, blocked shots—anything to help his team win each night.

Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens

Max Pacioretty led the Montreal Canadiens in scoring this season, and at 23 years old, he is one of the team's building blocks going forward.

John Tavares, New York Islanders

John Tavares became a legitimate star this year and posted a career-high 81 points for the New York Islanders.

He's on track to become one of the game's 10 best players very soon.

Evander Kane, Winnipeg Jets

Evander Kane set a career high in goals this season and will be a star of the Winnipeg Jets for many more seasons.

Adam Henrique, New Jersey Devils

Adam Henrique will likely be one of the Calder Trophy finalists and played a big role in the New Jersey Devils offense alongside Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Adam Larsson, New Jersey Devils

Adam Larsson is already playing like a veteran because of his tremendous poise and composure.

He's strong in the defensive zone and is a franchise cornerstone on the blue line.

Michael Del Zotto, New York Rangers

Michael Del Zotto followed his poor sophomore season with an awesome year in 2011-12 and is one of the best-skating defensemen in the NHL.

As he gets stronger and gains more experience, he will get much better defensively. 

Jonathan Bernier, Los Angeles Kings

Although he hasn't proven himself over a long stretch of time, Jonathan Bernier is one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL.

He is a valuable asset for the Kings in the trade market, since they already have a No. 1 goalie in Jonathan Quick.

Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers

Jakub Voracek is one of many young Flyers forwards with bright futures ahead of them.

In terms of skill, Voracek is the best of the bunch with his silky-smooth skating and great stick-handling.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby has been in the league for a number of years, but he's still just 24 years old.

Even though this season might end early for the Pittsburgh Penguins, having one of the game's best-ever players for the future is something to look forward to.