The key to having a successful team in the NHL is drafting and developing young players so they can someday lead their team to glory, and some teams are way ahead of the game when it comes to young talent and a young core.
Here are the top six teams with the best under-25 cores in the NHL.
Montreal Canadiens
Cole Caufield (RW), Lane Hutson (D), Juraj Slafkovsky (LW), Alex Newhook (LW/C), Zack Bolduc (RW/C), Ivan Demidov (RW), Kaiden Guhle (D), Jakub Dobes (G)
The Montreal Canadiens have been increasingly threatening over the years, especially last season, when they made the playoffs after a three-year drought.
However, GM Kent Hughes and the Habs are just getting started as they have plenty of fun years ahead of them with the young roster they’ve got.
According to eliteprospects.com, the Canadiens are the youngest team in the league for this upcoming campaign, with an average age of 25.35. Their U-25 core consists of several elite players, including Cole Caufield, who recorded his first 70-point season, and Lane Hutson, who is coming off a Calder Trophy-winning season.
With that, Martin St. Louis’ team has an abundance of skill around their main guys, and that’s what puts them at the top of the list.
The 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, along with Alex Newhook, Ivan Demidov and newly acquired Zack Bolduc, completes a loaded top-nine forward group for Montreal.
On the back end, Kaiden Guhle joins Hutson and 31-year-old Mike Matheson to fill out the left side of the Habs’ defense. Since his NHL debut in 2022, Guhle has averaged 20:52 of ice time in the regular season and 21:48 in the 2025 playoffs.
In addition, goaltender Jakub Dobes had his coming-out party this season, recording a 2.74 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
Anaheim Ducks
Leo Carlsson (C), Mason McTavish (C), Cutter Gauthier (LW), Jackson LaCombe (D), Pavel Mintyukov (D), Olen Zellweger (D)
The Anaheim Ducks have not qualified for the playoffs in the last seven seasons. However, with the setup of their young roster and season-by-season progression, Ducks fans might not have to wait long until they see the post-season again.
Next season, players such as Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier will all be one year older and a little more seasoned. All three of those forwards registered their first 20-goal seasons, with McTavish scoring the most points of the three with 52.
In addition to the trio of forwards, Anaheim has a loaded left side on the blueline with Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov. LaCombe has led the way from the back end for the Ducks, scoring 14 goals and 43 points in his second full season.
Along with those three left-defensemen, Drew Helleson is set to suit up for his sophomore season after scoring 13 points in 56 appearances last year. These four defensemen complete two-thirds of Anaheim's blueline.
Ottawa Senators
Tim Stutzle (LW/C), Jake Sanderson (D), Ridly Greig (LW/C), Dylan Cozens (C), Leevi Merilainen (G)
Compared to other teams in this article, the Ottawa Senators have a shorter list of U-25 players. However, there is no shortage of quality in their young core as they hold some of the best U-25 players in the entire league.
In addition, during NHL.com’s “Young Stars Week,” they made rankings of the top 10 forwards, defensemen and goaltenders, and each list had a Senator on it.
On the forwards and defensemen list, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson were ranked No.1 in their respective positions, and with great reason.
Stutzle and Sanderson are considered leaders on the Senators as much as captain Brady Tkachuk and veteran Claude Giroux are in terms of how they play on the ice.
Stutzle and Sanderson have the potential to compete for individual awards and milestones, with Sanderson finishing in the top 10 for Norris Trophy voting, while Stutzle is capable of reaching the 100-point mark over the years he has remaining in his young career.
With that, in the top 10 list of goaltenders under 25, Leevi Merilainen was ranked fourth on NHL.com’s list. The 22-year-old netminder is set to be Ottawa’s backup next season after recording a 1.99 GAA and .925 SP in 12 games last season.
It doesn’t stop there for the Senators as they have tremendous young center depth down their lineup. Ridly Greig and Dylan Cozens complete the Sens’ middle-six forward group with scoring and grit.
Philadelphia Flyers
Matvei Michkov (LW/RW), Trevor Zegras (LW/C), Bobby Brink (RW), Tyson Foerster (RW/LW), Jamie Drysdale (D), Cam York (D)
After a rough campaign last year, the youth of the Philadelphia Flyers will be looking to spark some new energy in Rick Tocchet’s first season behind the bench.
Leading the way in Philadelphia’s U-25 core is Matvei Michkov. The Russian was a top-five rookie in the NHL last season, equalling Macklin Celebrini’s 63 points for second-best in the league, and he also finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting.
Alongside him in the forward group is Trevor Zegras, who will be putting on the Flyers sweater for the first time next season after his trade from Anaheim. Zegras is looking to find his footing after his last two seasons were cut short.
Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster continue to rise after they recorded their first 40-point seasons last year, with Foerster scoring 25 goals. The two wingers will look to solidify their roles in the top six in 2025-26 under Tocchet.
As for the blueline, Jamie Drysdale and Cam York highlight Philly’s young D-core. Drysdale was able to play 70 games in his first season with the Flyers last year. He’ll want to get his development back on track after missing a chunk of games in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.
In some ways, York will also get a fresh start with a new voice behind the bench. Last season, there were reports about an altercation between York and former coach John Tortorella, which contributed to Tortorella’s firing. Now with Tocchet in play, York will have a chance to play more freely than before.
Utah Mammoth
Logan Cooley (C), Dylan Guenther (RW), JJ Peterka (RW)
The Utah Mammoth are an overlooked team at times, but with the elite young players they have, they won’t be an afterthought much longer. After finishing just seven points shy of a playoff spot, it’s not such a stretch to think Utah could make its first post-season appearance in franchise history next year.
Center Logan Cooley and right winger Dylan Guenther lead the way for the Mammoth’s young core. They both had breakout seasons with Cooley recording 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games, and Guenther scoring 27 goals and 60 points in 70 games.
With that, Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong made a splash and traded for right winger JJ Peterka from the Sabres. Similar to Cooley and Guenther, Peterka scored 27 goals and 68 points in 77 appearances for Buffalo last season.
While it’s not a long list, there is no denying that Armstrong’s club has an exciting trio up front and will be running Utah’s offense for years to come.
New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes (C), Dawson Mercer (RW/C), Luke Hughes (D), Simon Nemec (D)
The New Jersey Devils are a product of great drafting. They’ve developed their own talent and turned them into stars. Jack Hughes is a prime example of that
Not only is Hughes one of the best players on this list, but he’s also one of the top centers in the NHL. In his last three seasons, he’s recorded at least 70 points, including a 99-point campaign in 2022-23.
With that, Hughes was selected by Team USA to compete in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He was one of four players on that team who were under 25 years old.
Along with Jack, his brother Luke is also considered a member of New Jersey’s U-25 core as a defenseman. He registered two straight 40-point seasons to complete his entry-level phase as he looks for a new contract.
Also on the Devils’ back end is Slovakian D-man Simon Nemec. He was selected second overall in the 2022 draft, but hasn’t been able to find a rhythm in the NHL because of New Jersey’s blueline depth. Last season, he played just 27 games after a 60-game campaign in the season prior.
Dawson Mercer was shot out of a cannon when he entered the NHL in 2021-22, scoring 42 points in his first season and 56 points in his sophomore year. Since then, he has dipped mildly, but has shown resilience and durability as he’s never missed a regular-season game in his four-year career.
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