There is no shortage of young players getting into their first NHL playoff action or taking another step in the post-season – and it’s only been the first round.
The first round of the NHL playoffs has always had some of the most exciting hockey in the sport. The intensity, speed, skill, and tenacity are all ratcheted up. It’s often where we see whether or not young players have the juice to compete and excel at the highest level of hockey.
Let’s look around the NHL to see which under-24 players put their talents on display at the start of the playoffs.
Matt Boldy, LW, Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wildwent home earlier than hoped in their series against the Vegas Golden Knights. That said, the play of Matt Boldy on the top line alongside Kirill Kaprizov was a big reason the Wild took a 2-1 lead in the series, leading to more excitement about the prospects of a Minnesota team at full strength.
Boldy’s blend of power and speed, as well as his center-focused attack, led to many scoring chances for the Wild’s top line. His five goals and seven points lead all U-24 skaters.
Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers
In each of the Panthers’ last two deep playoff runs, Anton Lundell consistently found a way to be an effective player. He’s grown in each of their playoff runs, with 10 points in their first run to the final and 17 in last year’s Cup-winning campaign.
This year, he has been the centrepiece on the team’s third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand, providing a level of depth no other team can match.
Lundell has the two-way ability to match up against the best offensive players in the world, so even when Aleksander Barkov isn’t on the ice, the Panthers are more than capable of winning their minutes.
Tim Stutzle, C, Ottawa Senators
Although the Senators lost to the Leafs in six games, the first foray for Ottawa’s new core into the playoffs was a great showcase of their talent, Stutzle included.
The dynamically skilled center was consistently one of the most dangerous players on the ice, attacking downhill and cutting laterally to change the angle of the defender and goalie. He was electric to watch at times, and the Senators should be extremely happy with the fact their emerging superstar is capable of stepping up when the lights get brightest.
Whether it was Stutzle, Jake Sanderson or Brady Tkachuk, the Sens were a ton of fun in the post-season.
Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Although his stats don’t jump out at you with just three goals in the six-game victory over Ottawa, Matthew Knies brings functional physicality to the Toronto lineup that’s been sorely missing during the Core Four era.
Knies is a bull in a china shop, barrelling through defenders with his strength and using his puck skill to keep up with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
Knies would make former Leafs GM Brian Burke proud because he embodies truculence.
Lane Hutson, D, Montreal Canadiens
Everyone who watched Lane Hutson this season was in awe of his ability to generate offense, but there was always the question of whether he would be able to do it in the playoffs.
While the Canadiens weren’t expected to get into the post-season this year, they surprised everyone and reached the playoffs, largely because of Hutson’s incredible play.
When the pressure increased, Hutson showed the world that he was ready, recording five assists.
His dynamism and skill never waned. He was still just as cerebral as ever, and it helped Montreal play some of the tightest and most entertaining games of the playoffs against Washington despite its series loss.
Thomas Harley, D, Dallas Stars
There was hope the Stars would see franchise defender Miro Heiskanen return from injury, but it wasn’t in the cards in the first round. That left a massive void for the Stars on the blueline.
While almost no one could fully fill his shoes, Thomas Harley has elevated his game and shown himself to be more than capable at both ends of the ice, recording two goals and two assists.
We’ve seen Harley leverage his skating and vision in every facet of the game. The Stars needed someone to step up to have any hope of getting past the Avalanche, and now they head into Game 7 with Harley being their stud on the back end.
Seth Jarvis, RW, Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes’ biggest issue over the last few playoffs is struggling to score against top-end teams, but Seth Jarvis has helped turn that around this year with two goals and five points.
His pace-pushing offensive game allows him to break the opposing defense down, layering skill on top of his speed. His ability to change the game in an instant was key to the Hurricanes taking out the Devils handily.
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