Young wings to watch discussed by NHL.com writers

NHL Network will reveal its Top 20 wings Sunday during a one-hour special (8 p.m. ET).
It is the latest in a summer series ranking the top players at each position according to a panel of network personnel.
To whet fans' appetite for the reveal, NHL.com asked some of its writers to identify a young player who could be among the Top 10 within the next few seasons.

The player has to be 23 or younger as of Oct. 3, 2018, opening night of the 2018-19 season. If he is a player in the NHL, he has to be established as a wing, not as a center.
Some of these players may be on the NHL Network list. Some could be new to the list, or moving up if they are in the bottom half.
Here are the selections, in alphabetical order by writer:
David Pastrnak, RW, Boston Bruins-- In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pastrnak made it clear: He's a star, now and in the future. He finished a hat trick in the third period, giving him six points in the game, on the way to 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games. In four seasons in the NHL, the 22-year-old has 203 points (94 goals, 109 assists) in 254 games, including 34 goals in 2016-17 and 35 last season. Plus he does it all with flair, personality and usually a grin. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Patrik Laine, LW, Winnipeg Jets-- Laine has 80 goals in 155 NHL games. Only Jimmy Carson (92) and Dale Hawerchuk (85) scored more in the NHL as a teenager. Laine scored 36 as an 18-year-old in 2016-17, when he was runner-up to Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year, and 44 last season, when he was runner-up to Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin for the Rocket Richard Trophy as goal-scoring champion. Now he's 20, and primed to be elite for a long, long time. -- Nick Cotsonika, columnist

Sebastian Aho, RW, Carolina Hurricanes-- Aho played center at the end of last season, but he's played wing for most of his two NHL seasons and Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour is contemplating moving him back to wing this season because of his finishing skill. The 21-year-old led the Hurricanes with 29 goals last season after scoring 24 as a rookie in 2016-17. Those numbers are even more impressive considering the lack of goal-scoring depth around Aho in Carolina. Jeff Skinner, who was traded to the Buffalo Sabres on Aug. 2, was the only Hurricanes player with more goals (61) during the past two seasons. The next highest was Teuvo Teravainen with 38. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Carolina Hurricanes -- Here's a prediction: It won't take long before the No. 2 pick of the 2018 NHL Draft is ranked among the elite young players in the game. Last season with Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League, Svechnikov scored 40 goals in 44 games. The 18-year-old likely will get plenty of time in the NHL this season to display a skill set that combines power-forward size (6-foot-2, 188 pounds) with dynamic skill and a strong, accurate shot. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him score 25-30 goals this season. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Filip Zadina, RW, Detroit Red Wings-- It remains a mystery to me how one of the finest goal-scorers of the 2018 NHL Draft fell to the Red Wings at No. 6. Zadina (6-foot, 195 pounds) will prove to be one of the steals of this draft class as the 18-year-old challenges for an NHL roster spot as soon as this season. He's a playmaker with hockey sense, great on special teams, and has a wicked wrist shot. In his first season in North America he was named the top professional prospect in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after finishing first in rookie scoring with 44 goals and 82 points in 57 games for Halifax. -- Mike Morreale, staff writer

Alex DeBrincat, LW, Chicago Blackhawks-- In his rookie season, DeBrincat led the Blackhawks with 28 goals in 82 games, including a hat trick in three games (against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 27, against Detroit on Jan. 25, and against the St. Louis Blues on March 18). He was the first Blackhawks rookie to achieve that. The 20-year-old was expected to spend some time in the American Hockey League but instead made a smooth transition to the NHL from the Ontario Hockey League, where he scored 167 goals in three seasons (191 games) with Erie. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Mitchell Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs-- The 21-year-old led the Maple Leafs with 69 points (22 goals, 47 assists) last season, and with nine points (two goals, seven assists) in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. His production could increase this season because he's expected to play on a line with center John Tavares, who signed a seven-year, $77 million contract as a free agent July 1. Marner is a pass-first wing but developed a shooter's mentality last season. Of his 22 goals, 17 were scored in his final 35 games. He has 130 points (41 goals, 89 assists) in 159 NHL games. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer