NHL Changing of the Guard: The Next 15 NHL Superstars

Today's NHL is chock-full of high-end young talent.

Though players are generally considered to be in the prime years of their careers once they hit the mid-20s, there is a talented group of youngsters hailing from various teams throughout the league who are poised to break out and hit their strides early.

The following players are on the verge of superstardom and will soon be household names as the NHL's top athletes.   

Jamie Benn

A late-round steal from the 2007 entry draft, Jamie Benn is entering his third season in the NHL and has already put up 100 career points. 

The gritty winger posted 56 points in just 69 games for the Dallas Stars last year and upped his game significantly when star forward Brad Richards fell to injury midseason. 

Benn plays in all situations for Dallas and has done more than enough to prove that he can be a highly effective scorer at the NHL level. He's on track to becoming an elite power forward. 

Logan Couture

Logan Couture enjoyed a successful rookie campaign last year, netting 32 goals and earning a Calder trophy nomination as one of the league's top three rookies. 

Just 22 years old, Couture centers the second line for the San Jose Sharks and is a core player for them moving forward. He will play a key role in their top six for years to come and has displayed the potential to be a 40-goal scorer and point-per-game player. 

Drew Doughty

Drew Doughty had a mediocre rookie season in 2008-09 but exploded the following year with a 59-point campaign.

He is a minute-eating defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings, quarterbacking their power play and killing penalties while shutting down the opposition's top lines.

A physical and smooth-skating rearguard, Doughty can do it all and will almost certainly be a perennial Norris Trophy contender in the very near future.  

Matt Duchene

A shifty and versatile forward, Matt Duchene was drafted third overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2009 and made an immediate jump from juniors to the NHL.

He netted 24 goals and added 31 assists for 55 points as a rookie and managed 27 goals and 67 points for the Avalanche last season.

The elusive center brings blinding speed and an array of offensive skills to Colorado's lineup and is well on his way to taking over as their first-line pivot and top offensive weapon. 

Cam Fowler

Cam Fowler registered 40 points in 76 games for the Anaheim Ducks last season as an 18-year-old rookie. 

The puck-moving rearguard has already shown tremendous poise and solid play on both ends of the rink and it won't be long until he has established himself as an elite powerplay quarterback and a true top-pairing defenseman.   

Claude Giroux

With an incredible breakout season in 2010-11 that included 25 goals and 76 points, Claude Giroux solidified himself as one of the NHL's most lethal scorers. 

What he lacks in size he makes up for in competitiveness and elite puck handling skills. 

The young winger is a cornerstone of the Philadelphia Flyers organization and is already considered to be their best player. 

Taylor Hall

The first player drafted in last summer's entry draft, Taylor Hall was a prolific scorer in juniors and is more than capable of translating that success to the NHL. 

He registered 42 points in 65 games last season on the worst team in the league and already has four points through four games this year. 

The Edmonton Oilers boast an array of exciting young talent and Hall is the star of the bunch. 

Victor Hedman

This towering Swedish defenseman entered the league as an 18-year-old and instantly became a staple in the Tampa Bay Lightning's top four. 

He has been relatively ineffective in the offensive zone thus far, but Victor Hedman has logged big minutes and been used in all situations by Tampa and is now their No. 1 defenseman. His defensive play has been outstanding and the points will come.   

Marcus Johansson

Perhaps the biggest wildcard on this list, Marcus Johansson was picked late in the first round of the 2009 entry draft by the Washington Capitals and played his first NHL season last year. 

He managed 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 69 games while playing limited minutes in Washington's bottom six and is now a key player on their second line. 

With three goals in just four games so far this season, Johansson is quickly improving his offensive game and will make a great one-two punch down the middle with Niklas Backstrom for the Capitals. 

Erik Karlsson

A quick-footed bueliner with impressive playmaking skills, Erik Karlsson emerged as a highly effective puck-mover last season with 45 points in 75 games. 

Just 21, the young Swede plays with tremendous poise and oozes potential. It won't be long until he is the Ottawa Senators' top defenseman and one of the best powerplay quarterbacks in the game.  

Adam Larsson

Another quality Swedish rearguard, Adam Larsson was drafted fourth overall by the New Jersey Devils this summer and is already playing upwards of 20 minutes a night in the NHL at the age of 18.

He has been hailed by many scouts as the next Nick Lidstrom and, though reaching Lidstrom's status is an extremely lofty goal, Larsson's play on both ends of the rink at every level of hockey he has played indicates that he may be able to reach that level someday.

For now, though, he looks to be a steady and reliable two-way defenseman who will log a ton of minutes and play in all situations for the Devils.   

Jeff Skinner

Jeff Skinner was awarded the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie last season, scoring an impressive 31 goals in the process. 

Criticized for his lack of size, Skinner has silenced his doubters and proven that hard work and high-end skill can lead to success at the professional level. He'll be a core player and a lethal goal scorer for the Carolina Hurricanes for the foreseeable future.  

Steven Stamkos

Easily a top five goal scorer in the NHL, Steven Stamkos netted 51 goals in 2009-10 as a 19-year-old and lit the lamp 45 times last season.

Entering the year with back-to-back 90-point campaigns, Stamkos is already one of the league's highest point producers at the ripe age of 21. The sky's the limit for this electrifying pivot.   

PK Subban

PK Subban brings a rare blend of size, speed, grit, sandpaper and offensive skill to the Montreal Canadiens' lineup on a nightly basis. 

If he isn't skating the puck up ice, setting up his teammates or putting the puck in the back of the net, he's crushing opposing players and effectively playing the role of agitator. 

Subban registered 38 points in 77 games for Montreal last season and looks to build on that this year. He'll play a huge role on the Canadiens' blue line in the coming years and is steadily developing into a terrific two-way defenseman.  

John Tavares

The first player drafted in 2009, John Tavares has revived the New York Islanders franchise and is poised to lead them to their first playoff berth since 2007 this season. 

The highly skilled center put up 54 points as a rookie and netted 29 goals and 38 helpers for 67 points last season. 

Now an alternate captain and first-line pivot, Tavares headlines a talented group of young forwards on Long Island and already has five goals and eight points in four games played this year. Expect him to emerge as a point-per-game player and one of the NHL's most dynamic scorers in the not-so-distant future.   

Sam Kelly is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @samkelly10.