Who Are the Best Centers Under 25 in the NHL?

The kids are alright in the NHL right now, with a loaded crop of young stars entering the league in the last few years.

So, with a few months to go until the 2025-26 season begins, it’s a good time to take stock of which young players are on top headed into the next season.

The depth of young players at the center position made it hard to compile just five of them. Any team would probably sign up to take the players who were left off of this list, like San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini, Utah’s Logan Cooley, Anaheim’s Mason McTavish, and Ottawa’s Dylan Cozens. 

But here’s my stab at ranking the best five centers under the age of 25 in the league right now. 

Who Are the Best Centers Under 25 in the NHL?

5. Tim Stützle, Senators

Ottawa’s Tim Stützle has fallen off considerably since coming out on fire in his first few seasons in the NHL, but he’s still one of the best under-25 centers in the league. 

At just 18 years old, Stützle was drafted 3rd overall by the Senators in the 2020 Entry Draft. He made his debut with Ottawa the following season and had 29 points in 53 games. 

After his second year in the pros, he signed an eight-year, franchise-record $66.8 million contract. Stützle made good on that contract in his third season with the Senators, with 39 goals and 51 assists through 78 games played. 

That career-high 90-point season looks more like an outlier given what’s happened in the two seasons since. Stützle had 70 points in the 2023-24 season and 79 points this past season.

He’s still good enough to warrant inclusion on this list over the likes of Dylan Cozens and Mason McTavish, but his bid to become one of the league’s best centers was short-lived. 

4. Connor Bedard, Blackhawks

If I were measuring solely on pure talent, then Connor Bedard could’ve been second on this list, but his numbers haven’t been insane since joining the NHL. 

Don’t get me wrong, Bedard’s been one of the best young players in the league in his first two seasons, but he’s not the best young player in the league. The hype and clamoring for a better Blackhawks team around him that follows Bedard may lead you astray. 

He rightfully won the Calder Trophy for his rookie season, with a 22-goal and 39-assist effort that year through 68 games played. 

In his second year with Chicago, Bedard’s scoring pace dropped off, with just six more points despite playing 14 more games. 

Maybe you’d just attribute it to a classic sophomore slump, but Bedard’s resume just hasn’t been good enough to warrant a higher ranking on this list. 

If things can turn around in the 2025-26 season for Bedard, like breaking 70 points for the first time in his career, then he’ll be in conversation for that top spot. His Blackhawks are currently +1400 to make the playoffs.

3. Wyatt Johnston, Stars

After being drafted 21st overall by Dallas in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Wyatt Johnston has quickly become one of the best young centers in the league. 

He made the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2023 after a 24-goal and 17-assist season, where he played in all 82 games. In his first three seasons with the Stars, Johnston has not missed a single game. 

He had his most impactful season this past year, scoring 33 goals with 38 assists. 

Unlike some on this list, Johnston has already had an opportunity to contribute in some playoff runs in his short career. He led the team in scoring, with 10 goals, in Dallas’ 2024 playoff run. This past postseason, he had four goals and six assists in this year’s run. 

Johnston signed a five-year $42 million contract extension with the Stars this offseason. 

2. Seth Jarvis, Hurricanes

Seth Jarvis, 24 years old from Winnipeg, is entering his fifth season with the perennially contending Hurricanes.

He was selected 13th overall by Carolina in the 2020 draft, spent a year with their AHL affiliate in Chicago, and had two okay years in his first seasons of full-time NHL play. 

Jarvis broke out in the 2023-24 season with 33 goals and 34 assists in 81 games played. That offseason, the Hurricanes gave him an eight-year $63.2 million contract extension.

This past season, he had another 67-point season in 73 games played. His 32 goals this season were the most on the Hurricanes roster. 

Like Johnston, Jarvis has also had an opportunity to play in the playoffs, with his best run coming this last year. He had six goals and 10 assists in Carolina’s 15 postseason games. 

Jarvis also played on Team Canada’s Four Nations roster this year, helping them win gold in the inaugural tournament.

1. Jack Hughes, Devils

New Jersey’s 24-year-old center is one of the best young players in the NHL and will, probably inevitably, become the signature American player in the game in the years to come. 

Jack Hughes has had three straight seasons of 70 points or more with the Devils. He’s had 27 goals for the past two years, and he’s also played in 62 games in both years.

His best season to date was the 2022-23 season, during which he appeared in 78 games for New Jersey. Hughes had 43 goals and 56 assists that year, helping the Devils get to the playoffs for the first time in his career. 

Hughes was held out of much of the latter part of this year’s season because of a shoulder injury. He’s expected to make a full recovery by the time this season’s training camp begins. 

Hughes is currently four years into an eight-year, $64 million contract extension that he signed with New Jersey in 2021.