Top young wing entering this season discussed by NHL.com

Who are the best wings in the NHL entering the 2024-25 season?

That is a question NHL Network will answer when a panel of its producers and analysts select the top 10 wings in the League right now during the second of a nine-part series that looks at the best players, both by position and as an overall ranking.

As an appetizer for the list of best wings show, which airs on NHL Network on Wednesday (6 p.m. ET), a panel of NHL.com writers identified young forwards who have a chance of cracking this list in the next three seasons. Here, in alphabetical order, are a list of forwards our panel identified who are 23 or under and could be on the verge of becoming elite.

Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild

The 23-year-old has scored 75 goals in 203 NHL games since making his debut with the Wild on Jan. 6, 2022. In that time, he has more goals than Evgeni Malkin (74 in 205 games), Tim Stutzle (74 in 203), Aleksander Barkov (73 in 188), Brock Boeser (72 in 198), Brad Marchand (71 in 201), Anze Kopitar (64 in 211) and Jamie Benn (64 in 217). That's heady company and Boldy clearly belongs. He also has 96 assists to give him 171 points, including 69 points (29 goals, 40 assists) in 75 games last season. He had seven game-winning goals, proving his ability to be clutch too. He then went to the 2024 IIHF World Championship with the United States and led the tournament with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in eight games, putting him on the Olympic radar. Boldy has size (6-foot-2, 201 pounds). He now has experience and has 60 goals in the past two seasons. There's a 40-goal season coming; he's developing into an elite winger. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Quinton Byfield, Los Angeles Kings

Byfield, who turns 22 on Aug. 19, appears ready to become the superstar he was pegged to be after the Los Angeles Kings made him the No. 2 pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. He has raised his scoring output each of the past three seasons, topped by his first 20-goal season in 2023-24. At 6-5, 225, Byfield has learned how to use his frame and strength to create space. He's an excellent skater, capable of putting a defender on his back foot and taking the puck to the net or becoming an immovable object in front. While Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty remain the faces of the Kings, Byfield is emerging as their best player, and it wouldn't be surprising to see another uptick in production, perhaps to the 30-goal, 60-point range this season. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens

Since his first full NHL season (2021-22), Caufield leads all wings 23 or under in goals with 77, just ahead of Boldy (75) and Lucas Raymond (71) of the Detroit Red Wings. In the process, he keeps getting better; in 2023-24, his third full season, the 23-year-old set personal highs in goals (28), assists (37) and points (65). Perhaps more importantly, he led the Canadiens in game-winning goals (seven), the same number as Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers and one more than Marchand and former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. Caufield, captain Nick Suzuki and 2022 No. 1 draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky, each under 25, have become the faces and foundation of a Montreal Canadiens rebuild that is beginning to show results. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

William Eklund, San Jose Sharks

The 21-year-old left wing is on an upward trajectory in large part due to the amount of confidence he attained last season when he finished second on the Sharks with an NHL career-high 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 80 games. He averaged 18:40 of ice time in a top-six role and also earning minutes on the power play and penalty kill because of his versatility and rapid growth in his play without the puck. Eklund tied for sixth on San Jose with 72 hits and was second in penalties drawn (19). He was becoming more of an agitator over the second half of the season and, more importantly, has become assertive when operating in the offensive end. Eklund's certainly in the conversation to earn a roster spot for Sweden not only at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off but also the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. Rookie forwards Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and Will Smith should attract a lot of the attention this season, giving Eklund, who'll again have a top-six role, an opportunity for big offensive production. -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

Dylan Guenther, Utah Hockey Club

The 21-year-old is one of the reasons to be excited about the Utah Hockey Club in its inaugural season. Guenther has established himself over the past two seasons with the Arizona Coyotes with 50 points (24 goals, 26 assists) in 78 total NHL games. The No. 9 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, he surprised some by making Arizona’s opening-night roster in 2022-23 at 19 years old and getting 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 33 games before being loaned to Canada for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship (where he scored the winning goal in overtime of the gold-medal game against Czechia) and completing the season with Seattle of the Western Hockey League. After beginning last season with Tucson (American Hockey League) and getting 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 29 games, he was called up and had 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 45 games. That included 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in his final 18 games to set him up to take another step this season and continue to grow as one of the best young wings in the NHL. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Nils Hoglander, Vancouver Canucks

The 23-year-old had his best offensive season in 2023-24, and the left wing is expected to play a top-six role again this season. Hoglander had 36 points (24 goals, 12 assists) in 80 games and was an impressive plus-23 in his fourth season with Vancouver. Selected by the Canucks in the second round (No. 40) of the 2019 NHL Draft, he took time to develop into an effective two-way player and continues to improve his game. Hoglander has 90 points (50 goals, 40 assists) in 221 NHL games. If Hoglander can stay healthy, he is capable of scoring 30 goals, particularly if playing on a line with either J.T. Miller or Elias Pettersson. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Alexis Lafreniere, New York Rangers

The No. 1 pick by the Rangers at the 2020 draft, Lafreniere had a breakout season in 2023-24 and was even more impressive in the postseason. I expect the 22-year-old to continue the upward trajectory this season. He set NHL career highs in goals (28), assists (29) and points (57) last season, then scored eight goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which tied veterans Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck for most on the Rangers. What was even more impressive was that four of the goals came in the Eastern Conference Final against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers; the rest of New York scored eight goals. He was a force the entire postseason, showing why he was the No. 1 pick four years ago and why he will be a handful for opposing teams for years to come. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

Jake Neighbours, St. Louis Blues

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and this 22-year-old epitomized that last season. The No. 26 pick by the Blues at the 2020 draft, Neighbours began the season on the fourth line but by early April, before he was sidelined with an upper-body injury, he was playing right wing on the top line. Neighbours was outstanding, finishing with 38 points (27 goals, 11 assists) in 77 games. He and forward Pavel Buchnevich, who also had 27 goals, were tied for second behind center Jordan Kyrou (31) for the Blues lead. Each tied for the team lead with eight power-play goals. He’ll face bigger expectations this season, but it looks like Neighbours is ready to meet them. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

The 22-year-old, the No. 4 pick of the 2020 draft, had 57 points (23 goals, 34 assists) in 82 games in 2021-22. Raymond finished fourth in the voting for the Calder Trophy, which goes to the NHL rookie of the year. After taking a step back in 2022-23, when he had 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 74 games, he leapt forward last season with 72 points (31 goals, 41 assists) in 82 games, leading Detroit in scoring. Much of that was due to natural maturation, physically and mentally. He has the potential to be one of the best wings in the League, and the Red Wings will need him to be as they try to become a consistent playoff contender. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Juraj Slafkovsky, Montreal Canadiens

We can start with the pedigree of the 20-year-old, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. But as we well know, draft status does not a star make. In this case, though, I think Slafkovsky will continue to bloom into a premier wing in the NHL. He had a breakout season in 2023-24, with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games for the Canadiens, including 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in his final 40 games of the season. He’s a heavy, power forward-type (6-3, 220) who has improved his play away from the puck as he builds his game at the NHL level. He was given a chance at a star turn last season, playing with Caufield and Suzuki and he did not look out of place. He’s still younger than most on this list, still full of potential. Clearly the Canadiens see it, given the eight-year, $60.8 million contract Slafkovsky signed July 1. The rest of us will see the results soon. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer