Alexander Ovechkin scores his 900th NHL goal, Sidney Crosby breaks the 1,700 point mark and is currently the top goalgetter in the National Hockey League. Two cracks who have shaped the last two decades like no other. But a “generational shift” is currently more obvious than ever.
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are turning back time in Pittsburgh. Malkin is 11th on the NHL scoring list with 20 points. His 17 assists are a league best. Crosby is just one point behind with eleven goals and eight assists. But further up the line, much younger cracks are the main players. Especially at the top, where the 1st overall picks in 2023 and 2024 are causing a huge stir.
The Bedard-Celebrini era has begun
Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini: two young cracks who were predicted to have a great future. But meeting high expectations is not always easy. After a strong first season, Bedard struggled a bit in his second season with the Chicago Blackhawks, but now the Canadian rocket has definitely ignited. 15 games, eight goals and 14 assists mean second place in the NHL-wide scoring rankings and a +10 also shows how improved the Blackhawks are as a team. Over the summer, Bedard gained muscle mass and also improved his skating – the sweaty sessions are now bearing fruit.
At the top of the league, at least in terms of scoring, is the 1st overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Macklin Celebrini. After 63 points in his debut season, he is currently on track to get over the 100 point mark. Nine goals and 14 assists and therefore 23 points – in just 15 games. Together with Will Smith, he lets San Jose Sharks fans dream of a successful future. The 2026 Olympics could also become an issue for the young Canadian. At the last World Championships he stormed together with veteran Sidney Crosby and cut an outstanding figure there. His performances at the start of the season probably won’t hurt his chances of making the Maple Leafs team.
1st round picks dominate
A look at the top 10 scorers in the National Hockey League shows one thing very clearly: the cracks from the first round dominate and therefore live up to the high expectations of their teams. Let’s take a closer look: Celebrini (1st overall), Bedard (1st overall), Kirill Kaprizov (135th, fifth round), Jack Eichel (2nd overall), Connor McDavid (1st overall), Nathan MacKinnon (1st overall), Mark Scheifele (7th overall), Mikko Rantanen (10th overall), William Nylander (8th overall), Leo Carlsson (2nd overall).
No fewer than four players who were drafted first in their NHL drafts find themselves in the top 10 in league scoring. A blatant exception: the Russian Kirill Kaprizov, whom the Minnesota Wild only secured in round 5 in 2015. Otherwise, only top 10 picks are represented. With Malkin and Crosby, two more top picks follow in places 11 and 12.
The young Canadian defender Matthew Schaefer also hit like a grenade. Seen by many as the logical number 1 before the draft, the New York Islanders snapped up the left-shooter’s services. And his first missions? Outstanding! Eleven games, five goals, eleven points and a very advanced all-round game make the 18-year-old appear to be one of the best defenders for the future.
And what will happen in the coming years? The “youth movement” will continue to advance, and the logical 1st overall pick from the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, Gavin McKenna, will probably immediately have an “impact” at the NHL level. The 17-year-old is currently in his first college season, where he has a strong 14 points in eleven games for Penn State.
Image: Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
