Stargazing: Hockey Hall of Fame crystal ball

If the Maple Leafs ever end their Stanley Cup drought, Matthews is going to be one of the biggest reasons why. One of the best players in the league, he's a threat to score at least 40 goals every season. 

Marner may never be an elite goal-scorer, but his passing and playmaking make him one of the most dangerous forwards in the league. In the 2018-19 season, he was one of just six players over the past 20 years to record at least 65 assists and 90 points in a season before their 22nd birthdays. 

He is the biggest threat to Alex Ovechkin's throne as the best goal scorer in the league. Laine will win a few goal-scoring crowns before his career is over. He has scored at least 30 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons and has one of the most feared shots in the league. 

Pettersson was a one-man highlight reel in 2018-19. Even when it did not result in a goal, his play with the puck was consistently breathtaking. The Canucks' rebuild seems to be stuck in neutral thanks to their management, but Pettersson and Brock Boeser will at least give Canucks fans something to watch. 

Dahlin just completed one of the finest seasons any 18-year-old defenseman has had in the NHL. With 44 points, he showed the offensive potential that made him the top pick in 2018 and was consistently one of the few bright spots on an otherwise underwhelming Sabres team. He and Jack Eichel are so good, they might actually be able to make this team relevant again. 

One of the reasons the Islanders were able to overcome the free agency departure of John Tavares is they already had another young superstar talent on their roster ready to take over. Two full seasons into his NHL career, Barzal is already one of the league's best playmakers and most dynamic skaters. His overall point production regressed a bit in Year 2, but make no mistake: He is a star. 

Hughes (middle above) did not have the same pre-draft hype as a Sidney Crosby or a Connor McDavid, but he was probably just one tier below that. Alongside Nico Hischier, the 2017 No. 1 overall pick, the Devils will have two of the best young talents in the league to build around for at least the next decade. 

It was a huge win for the Rangers' rebuild to get some draft lottery luck to move all the way up to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft. It put them in a position to select Kakko, who can accelerate their reconstruction. The FInn put on a show at the World Championships and is going to help reignite the Rangers' rivalry with the New Jersey Devils (who had the top pick, Jack Hughes, in Kappo's draft class).

Heiskanen was so good during his rookie season that one of his teammates, goalie Ben Bishop, said he is already one of the best defensemen he is ever played with and that he is going to be a Hall of Famer. Considering that Bishop has been teammates with the likes of Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman, that is significant praise. 

Only two years into his career it is already obvious that McAvoy is going to continue Boston's legacy of superstar defensemen. He is the team's top defender, plays huge minutes and is a force with the puck on his stick. There is a Norris Trophy (top all-around NHL defensemen) in his future. 

The Lightning just keep churning out superstars, and Point is the latest one to join its core. One of the highlights of his 2018-19 season was recording one of the fastest hat tricks in NHL history (91 seconds!). He scored 41 goals in 2018-19, his first 40-goal season. 

Carolina's run to the Eastern Conference  final finally got him the attention he deserved, but Aho was already an All-Star talent. He does not turn 22 until July 26 and already has 197 points in his career. There are only 11 other players active in the NHL who had that many points before their 22nd birthdays. 

Yet another example that size simply does not matter in the NHL. DeBrincat is one of the smaller players in the league (5-7, 165 pounds) but is already one of the most electrifying. He is one of the reasons the Blackhawks' window to contend for a Stanley Cup is going to re-open in the next couple of years. 

The Flyers have been searching for a franchise goalie for three decades. They're hopeful Hart is the man. If his rookie season (2.83 GAA) is an example of what may come, he could become a legend in Philly.

The biggest knock on Boeser is that he has missed significant portions of the past two seasons due to injury. But when he plays, you see why the Canucks and their fans are so excited. He has already scored 59 goals in 140 career games. That is a 35-goal pace over 82 games, and he is still only 22. 

The Devils are starting to build something special with the addition of P.K. Subban and two of the past three No. 1 overall picks. The first of those top picks was Hischier. During his first two years in the league, he has shown superstar potential and is on his way to being an outstanding top-line center and organizational cornerstone. 

As he long as he gets a chance to play alongside Sidney Crosby, Guentzel is going to be a threat to score 40 goals, just as he did during the 2018-19 season. He has great vision, an excellent shot and always seems to be in the right place to score. He has been one of the best postseason goal scorers since entering the league. 

Since making his debut during the 2016-17 season Werenski has not only been one of the best young players in the league, but he also has been one of the best defensemen regardless of age. He and Seth Jones form a dynamic duo on the Columbus blue line and are the faces of the franchise. 

We have seen Makar play only 10 games in the NHL, but they were mighty impressive. The 20-year-old rookie stepped right into the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Avalanche and made an immediate impact with his fearless and aggressive style of play. He will enter the 2019-20 season as one of the early favorites to win the Rookie of the Year. 

How good was Svechnikov's rookie season? He became just the 10th 18-year-old over the past 30 years to score at least 20 goals. That is a tough milestone to hit for a teenager, and he did it while also demonstrating an advanced two-way game for his age. The Hurricanes are a team on the rise, and Svechnikov will play a significant role. 

Tkachuk is quickly emerging as one of the NHL's best agitators. He is also an All-Star talent who has improved significantly in each of his first three seasons. His 2018-19 performance was especially dominant, with 34 goals and 77 total points. 

The Tkachuk family tree added another blossoming star to the NHL in 2018-19 when Brady, the No. 4 overall pick in 2018, made his debut for the Senators. And it was an impressive one, with 22 goals in only 71 games as a 19-year-old. The Senators have a long road ahead of them in their return to relevance, but Tkachuk is one of the players who should give them hope. 

This is where a lot of projection comes in to play. The No. 15 pick in 2019 has yet to play an NHL game, but his goal-scoring ability in junior hockey makes it easy to dream about his potential. If he were just a little bit taller -- he's 5-foot-7 -- he would have gone several picks higher. 

Patrick has not yet had his big breakout in the NHL, but he has definitely shown flashes of superstar potential in his first two years in the league. Year 3 will be big for him in his development, but the ability is there and he could be a franchise-changing player for the Flyers. 

With Erik Karlsson gone, Chabot was counted on to lead the Senators' defense in 2018-19. He made an immediate impact, finishing with 55 points in only 70 games as a 22-year-old. Only 34 other defenders in league history have scored more points in a season at age 22 or younger. Eleven of them are already in the Hall of Fame.