Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs Showcase Elite Teenagers
Wednesday’s game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs will showcase the best teenagers in the game. The future is here folks, and it will be on display at Nationwide for all to enjoy.
The future is here. Hockey’s best collection of teenage stars will be on the ice at Nationwide Arena when the Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Tornoto Maple Leafs.
According to Ken Campbell of The Hockey News, this NHL season started with 29 teenagers on rosters. That number has dwindled, but the affect the remaining players have had on the league is undeniable. Three of the most impactful teenagers will all step on the ice Wednesday in Columbus.
Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and Zach Werenski will all finish in the top five in Calder Trophy voting this season. The three have people saying “I can’t believe that kid just did that” night in and night out. These kids can’t legally drink (in America) but are making the rest of the league question if their vision is blurry.
Toronto Scoring Duo
Auston Matthews is one of the two favorites to win the Calder Trophy after guiding Toronto from last place in the NHL to currently sitting in a playoff spot. Matthews, although showing signs of streakiness, has turned this Toronto team around quicker than anyone could have predicted. His 32 goals and 25 assist have him in second among all rookie scoring.
Mitch Marner has to be given an immense amount of credit in dragging Toronto toward the playoffs as well. Marner is right on Matthews heels in the rookie scoring race, posting a 17-39-56 total. Marner, impressively, has played five less games than Matthews.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The two 19-year-olds are the leading scorers on a team that is the youngest team in the NHL. Massive improvement in Toronto can be traced to the dynamic play of these two future Art Ross winning forwards.
But Werenski’s the Best
Let’s face it, the Calder Trophy will not end up with Zach Werenski, but it should. The teenager can’t legally have a beer in Columbus for another two years, but he can shut down the best skaters in the league. While playing in a division that includes Crosby, Tavares, Ovechkin, Malkin, and Hall, Werenski has proven he can dominate the NHL’s best.
Werenski is also 5th on the total rookie scoring list and is four points away from breaking 50 points this season. As a 19-year-old defenseman! That has only happened three times in NHL history, and all were future Hall of Famers.
Related Story: Werenski Breaks Scoring Record, Should Win Calder
The phenomenal season Werenski has had will unfortunately not nab him the Calder but hopefully another, more important prize. Watching him defend Matthews and Marner will be another high end match up that CBJ fans get to enjoy.
The two teams that finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last year are now looking at playoff runs due to their collection of teenage sensations. Marner, Matthews, and Werenski will be dominate forces in the game for years to come. The future is now for hockey with these bright young stars in the game and I can’t wait to see what they do next.