We didn't get to see the magic in his rookie season, as a broken clavicle limited him to 45 games. What, you thought it was going to be someone else? For the NHL this decade has been one of the most successful. Subscribe to our Free Newsletter, This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. (a) A player who fully graduated to the NHL since Future Watch 2019 isn’t eligible for this list, as he’s not even ranked in Future Watch 2020. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Matthews will be the next generation's Jonathan Toews. 4 (International skaters). In other words--ya gotta believe! NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. Everyone knows the Edmonton Oilers are loaded with promising forwards, but McDavid will succeed no matter who is on his line. Byfield (6-4, 215) is a left-handed shot who was a driving force for Sudbury this season. The list is full of hall of famers and legends but I personally… Every year Marner shows the league that there are two stars coming out of the six. First off, this is a list of who I would pick in what order with an aim towards maximizing the value of each pick. Note: With the NHL season paused since March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, a date for the draft has yet to be determined. For sure, there's some other really good players in the draft, so it's really special to be [ranked] No. When I look at draft-eligible prospects, the things I look at are what they’re good at, how good they are at those things, and what the potential is for them to translate that to the pro (and NHL) level. Everbody knows those numbers will improve. Here is a far-too-early guess of who the top NHL players will be in 2020. If you're upset about knowing Ovechkin only has so many good years left--not to worry. June 19, 2020, 10:00 AM | Ryan Pike. He’s become a key piece in the success that Vegas has had. 5 (North American skaters). 1.". The NHL uses cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies. A scary thought for the NHL as he's bound to dominate for years and years. The 18-year-old finished the regular season with 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) during a 12-game point streak. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. That's one of the few reasons why we believe he's going to shine for real in four years time. There's no reason to believe that the Leafs can't form a legitimate Stanley Cup contender with these two. That was more than Tyler Seguin, Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Ovechkin, John Tavares, Claude Giroux, and Steven Stamkos. Seguin will be just 28-years-old in 2020.