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Mathew Barzal. Pierre-Luc Dubois. Andrei Svechnikov. Sebastian Aho. Nico Hischier. Those are just a few of the youngsters Metro teams have to be excited about moving forward.
In this edition of the hotstove, we share our choices with regards to which player is/will be the best and most valuable of the bunch.
Todd Cordell
Andrei Svechnikov.
Choosing Svechnikov may seem like too much too soon. I don’t think it is. Svechnikov has quietly developed into a star and it won’t be long before we look at him as a superstar. He is that good.
This season Svechnikov averaged 2.33 points per 60 minutes of 5v5 play. That was directly in line with Auston Matthews (2.34), and ahead of stars including Sasha Barkov, Alex Ovechkin, Mitch Marner, Mathew Barzal, Mikko Rantanen and Jack Eichel. Not bad.
He also drove play – +3.68 Rel CF%, +6.46 Rel xGF% – on an elite possession team and ranked 2nd amongst Hurricanes forwards in 5v5 goal differential.
This kid sees the ice so well, has an absolute cannon of a shot, plays mean, and can already dominate physically.
In a couple of years I think he might just join the conversation for best forward in the league.
Sean Maloughney
At first I really wanted to say Andrei Svechnikov due how amazing he is at only 20 years old at driving play at 5 on 5 but there is another player on the Hurricanes who deserves more credit.
Aho is an absolute beast and I fully expect by the end of next season we are discussing him as a potential top 5 player in the league. He is that good.
Aho had his first 80+ point season last year at age 21 and if the season wasn't suspended, he would've been well on his way to a second. He is a stunning offensive player both on the PP and at 5 on 5 but also doesn't get nearly enough credit for his tenacity and defensive play in his own end. Last season Aho did finish 12th in Selke voting.
If I am building around a specific player, I want a guy who is able to excel in all areas of the ice and Aho certainly is that player. While some other players like Dubois and Barzal have seen dips in their production while adjusting to the league, Aho has been on a steady increase from his first game.
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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