Young players taking NHL by storm

The NHL's youth movement is on full display this season.

On Wednesday in Winnipeg, the home crowd watched talented teenagers Auston Matthews and William Nylander help the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs build a 4-0 advantage before the Jets' own 18-year-old sensation, Patrik Laine, took over.

Laine scored three times after the second intermission, including the overtime winner, to push the Jets to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory.

Just before Laine's game-winner, Nylander threaded a pass to Matthews for a breakaway. But the 19-year-old Matthews, the 2016 first-overall selection who began his NHL career with a four-goal performance last week, was stopped by Winnipeg goaltender Michael Hutchinson.

Laine, the second-overall pick last June, went the other way on a two-on-one, held the puck and ripped home his fourth goal of the season.

It was reminiscent of a game last March, when 2015 top pick Connor McDavid scored the game-winning goal for the Edmonton Oilers a few ticks after the second-overall choice, Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres, missed a good scoring chance.

Yes, the kids are all right. They've carried on a movement that picked up steam last month when the under-23 Team North America — captained by McDavid — added a dash of excitement to a rather lifeless World Cup of Hockey.

It wasn't long ago — the 2007-08 season to be exact — that the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup with a roster that housed six 35-and-older players and, in total, 11 over the age of 30.

Today, there are slightly more 20-and-under players (37) in the NHL than 35-and-older veterans (36).

Eight days into the season, Laine, Matthews and 20-year-old David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins share the goal-scoring lead with veteran Chicago forward Richard Panik and 24-year-old St. Louis right wing Vladimir Tarasenko.

How much faith do front offices around the NHL have in their youth today? Of the 648 skaters and goalies who have played at least one game this season, 68 (or 10.5 per cent) are eligible to win the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.

Average age of players on each NHL team (youngest to oldest):

• Columbus (25.7)
• Toronto (25.7)
• Buffalo (26.1)
• Carolina (26.2)
• Winnipeg (26.4)
• Arizona (26.5)
• Edmonton (26.8)
• Tampa Bay (26.8)
• N.Y. Rangers (26.9)
• Nashville (27.3)
• Philadelphia (27.3)
• Calgary (27.5)
• Montreal (27.5)
• St. Louis (27.5)
• Florida (27.6)
• N.Y. Islanders (27.6)
• Anaheim (27.7)
• Boston (27.7)
• Minnesota (27.7)
• Washington (27.7)
• New Jersey (27.8)
• Vancouver (27.9)
• Chicago (28.2)
• Dallas (28.2)
• Pittsburgh (28.2)
• Ottawa (28.2)
• Colorado (28.3)
• Los Angeles (28.7)
• San Jose (28.8)
• Detroit (29.0)

Source: NHL

Why are youngsters playing such a prominent role? There are plenty of reasons, according to a handful of hockey executives queried over the past few days.

Talent: First and foremost, these kids simply are talented. The past four drafts were stocked full of skilled players. The 2017 class is not as deep, so expect a drop-off, but Nathan MacKinnon, Aaron Ekblad, McDavid, Eichel, Matthews and Laine have made for a heck of an influx of top-shelf talent.

Preparation: That talent is also entering the league more mature and ready to contribute right away. Young players today are better developed because they have better coaching at the junior, U.S. college and European levels. They have personal tutors in the off-season, on the ice, in the gym and in the kitchen.

Technology: Television, computers and hand-held devices aid with the learning curve. Modern technology gives the youngsters a better idea of what it takes to be an elite-level athlete these days.

Contracts: In the salary cup era, many teams are re-signing their top players to long-term deals with big cap hits, meaning entry-level players are needed to fill out rosters while staying under the cap.

Speed: Not all young players are fast, but most teams are drafting with speed as a high priority, and an increase in sport-specific training among this generation of players has increased the pace of today's game.

Job security: The shelf life of NHL general managers is shorter than in the past. There are exceptions, of course, but inserting home-grown players into the lineup more quickly can help sell fans and owners on a bright future even if the team is struggling.

Energy: Finally, young players are a way to inject youthful enthusiasm into a team. Rosters can get stale. Adding youngsters doesn't always change the identity of a team, but it can inject some life and energy into team dynamics.