Best young player among Devils, Ducks, Sabres, Sharks debated by NHL.com

Up-and-coming talent will be on display during the two NHL games broadcast exclusively on ESPN+ on Tuesday.

Between the New Jersey Devils at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU) and the Buffalo Sabres at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU), there could be more than a dozen players who have yet to turn 23 years old but could play major on-ice roles in these games.
That number doesn't include center Jack Hughes, 20, of the New Jersey Devils, who is out with a long-term shoulder injury, or 22-year-old forward Casey Mittelstadt (upper body) and 22-year-old defenseman Henri Jokiharju (lower body) of the Sabres, each of whom is on injured reserve.
The Ducks have six players on their roster who have yet to turn 23, headlined by defenseman Jamie Drysdale, 19, and forwards Trevor Zegras, 20, and Max Comtois, 22. Anaheim forward Mason McTavish, 18, has missed five games because of a lower-body injury sustained Oct. 18 and is on a conditioning stint with San Diego of the American Hockey League.
Aside from the injured Hughes, the Devils have forwards Nico Hischier, 22, and Dawson Mercer, 20, and defenseman Ty Smith, 21, playing important roles.

Forward Dylan Cozens, 20, and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, 21, are among the headliners for the Sabres.
Forward William Eklund,19, and defenseman Ryan Merkley, 21, are each making an impact for the Sharks.
The ceiling of each player on the list remains unknown, but it is exciting for the fans of each team to project who will reach elite status as an established veteran.
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We asked seven NHL.com writers for their opinion on which player will be the best among this group of players down the road.
Here are their answers (in alphabetical order):
Dylan Cozens, Buffalo Sabres
Selected with the No. 7 pick by the Sabres at the 2019 NHL Draft, the forward is an elite skater with speed, size (6-foot-3, 189 pounds), and a powerful, deceptive shot. He plays a 200-foot game with an ability to create offense in different ways, leading the Sabres in penalties drawn (five) with his elusiveness and skating ability. He's been given added responsibility in the absence of injured forwards Jack Eichel (neck) and Mittelstadt, averaging 14:07 in ice time in eight games as the No. 1 or No. 2 center. Cozens has scored three points (one goal, two assists), and Buffalo controls 48.1 percent of shots attempted 5-on-5 when he's on the ice. With more experience and responsibility, he will emerge as a franchise player and leader. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer
Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres
In his fourth NHL season, Dahlin has played 205 games and has scored 111 points (18 goals, 93 assists), including four assists in eight games this season. What he is now is not what he will be three years from now. The Sabres have struggled since the defenseman arrived after being the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, and he shoulders some of that. But they're improving, as is Dahlin. He has all the makings of a standout defenseman, it's just that it typically takes longer than becoming a standout forward. Dahlin can skate, he's cerebral, he moves the puck and he rarely gets beat. He's nearing 250 NHL games, when we get to evaluate what a player truly is or isn't. Dahlin (6-3, 207) will prove this season what he is; a No. 1 defenseman who will be in the Norris Trophy discussion should the Sabres become a perennial playoff contender. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Jamie Drysdale, Anaheim Ducks
The defenseman doesn't have the same cachet as Zegras, but there's a solid chance Drysdale will surpass his teammate, along with the rest of these players. The No. 6 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, he has played 34 NHL games and has scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists), including three (one goal, two assists) in 10 games this season. Drysdale is playing on the top defense pair with Hampus Lindholm, averaging 21:44 per game, establishing the ways in which he can turn defense into offense. He's not the biggest defenseman (5-11, 183), but his skating is elite. And with the experience Drysdale will get with a rebuilding Ducks team, his development curve is sure to increase. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

William Eklund, San Jose Sharks
The forward, selected No. 7 by the Sharks at the 2021 NHL Draft, received a nice birthday present Oct. 12 when he made the NHL roster out of training camp. Sharks captain Logan Couture said Eklund (5-10, 176) reminds him of Patrick Kane in the way the Chicago Blackhawks forward avoids hard hits in open ice. That's quite the compliment for Eklund, who has scored three points, all assists, in his first seven NHL games. He's adjusting quickly after scoring 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 40 games with Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League last season, when he was named the league's rookie of the year. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils
The Devils thought enough of Hischier's character to name him captain last season, his fourth in the NHL. Injuries have prevented him from playing a full season since he scored 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 82 games as a rookie in 2017-18 but was limited to 21 games last season when he scored 11 points (six goals, five assists). If he stays healthy, Hischier can reach his full potential to be one of the better two-way centers in the NHL. He has three points (one goal, two assists) in seven games this season and has won 51.6 percent of face-offs, and his plus-26 shot attempts differential 5-on-5 is tied with Mercer for first among Devils forwards. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Ty Smith, Devils
What will help make New Jersey's offense run at top efficiency for the next few seasons is Smith's ability to skate the puck out of his end to create offense, or find open teammates with smart, accurate passes. The Devils put the defenseman on a slower development path, but it's allowed him to grow physically (5-11, 180) and hone the details of his game, and they are reaping the rewards now in his second NHL season. He doesn't have a point in four games and is averaging 18:59 of ice time, down from the 20:07 he played in 48 games last season, but there are going to be ups and downs in the development of any young defenseman. Smith has the skills and smarts that every franchise defenseman needs, and it's easy to project him being just that for the Devils within the next three seasons. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor
Trevor Zegras, Ducks
The 20-year-old forward has produced offense with five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 games this season after scoring 14 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 24 NHL games last season. Zegras, the No. 9 pick of the 2019 draft, is playing important minutes on the power play and in late-game situations, whether the Ducks are ahead or trailing. Zegras is averaging 17:16 of ice time per game this season, second among Ducks forwards behind veteran Ryan Getzlaf, (18:59). Impact and responsibility are building for the most valuable player of the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, where Zegras scored 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in seven games for the United States, which won the tournament. -- Tim Campbell, staff writer