(Photo Credit: EA Sports NHL, via Twitter)
Not as integral to possession and defense as play at center, it’s much easier to integrate a talented right wing into a top-six role and stack them with plenty of points to speed up their development. For this list, right wings had to have a minimum potential of three-and-a-half stars, with them then sorted by their starting overall rating in NHL 19.
Patrik Laine (89 OVR, Elite med POT)
Age: 20Nationality: FinnishRole: SniperDrafted: Winnipeg Jets, 2016 (2)Height: 196cmWeight: 93kgShoots: RightBest Stats: Wrist Shot Accuracy 95, Hand-Eye 95, Slap Shot Accuracy 94
Patrik Laine has arguably started off his life in the NHL better than the player taken before him in the draft, Auston Matthews. The Finnish sniper has immediately become one of the biggest scoring threats in the league, even giving Alex Ovechkin a run for his money as the league’s top goalscorer.
Mitchell Marner (86 OVR, Elite med POT)
Age: 21Nationality: CanadianRole: PlaymakerDrafted: Toronto Maple Leafs, 2015 (4)Height: 183cmWeight: 79kgShoots: RightBest Stats: Deking 92, Puck Control 92, Agility 92
Mitchell Marner has become one of the young stars of the Toronto Maple Leafs and a foundation of what will almost certainly become a Stanley Cup-winning team. Always with an eye out for his teammates to create a goal, Marner is one of the best young playmakers in the NHL right now, let alone in five years or so.
Brock Boeser (85 OVR, Elite med POT)
Age: 21Nationality: AmericanRole: SniperDrafted: Vancouver Canucks, 2015 (23)Height: 185cmWeight: 87kgShoots: RightBest Stats: Slap Shot Accuracy 91, Wrist Shot Accuracy 91, Offensive Awareness 90
Over in Vancouver, there hasn’t been a lot to look forward to in terms of success over the last couple of seasons, but young players like Brock Boeser are giving reasons for optimism. Last season, his rookie campaign, the right wing topped the Canucks in goal scoring with 29 and point-scoring with 55.
Timo Meier (81 OVR, Top 6 med POT)
Age: 21Nationality: SwissRole: Power ForwardDrafted: San Jose Sharks, 2015 (9)Height: 183cmWeight: 97kgShoots: LeftBest Stats: Aggressiveness 88, Body Checking 88, Wrist Shot Power 87
Sharks fans have been impatiently waiting for their highest draft pick since Logan Couture to break into the NHL, but the patience of the front office has certainly paid off. Timo Meier has arrived as a bulky and physical winger who not only torments the opposition defense but also their goaltender with his high-volume shooting.
Christian Fischer (80 OVR, Top 6 med POT)
Age: 21Nationality: AmericanRole: Two-Way ForwardDrafted: Arizona Coyotes, 2015 (32)Height: 188cmWeight: 97kgShoots: RightBest Stats: Strength 86, Slap Shot Power 86, Balance 86
On a team that is lacking in pretty much every department bar slowly developing stars, Christian Fischer put up respectable numbers as a rookie last season. With 15 goals and 33 points in 79 games, the hope is that he and his fellow young Yotes will take another step forward next season.
Andrei Svechnikov (80 OVR, Elite med POT)
Age: 18Nationality: RussianRole: SniperDrafted: Carolina Hurricanes, 2018 (2)Height: 191cmWeight: 83kgShoots: LeftBest Stats: Slap Shot Power 87, Wrist Shot Power 87, Offensive Awareness 86
Andrei Svechnikov’s silky stick skills, incredible natural ability to score goals, and his mighty frame has Carolina Hurricane fans buzzing about having the next great Russian dynamo. Some are even comparing him to a young Alex Ovechkin before he’s even experienced an NHL puck drop. Given his potential in NHL 19, he could well become the next ‘Great Eight’ in-game.
Jesse Puljujarvi (79 OVR, Elite med POT)
Age: 20Nationality: Swedish/FinnishRole: SniperDrafted: Edmonton Oilers, 2016 (4)Height: 193cmWeight: 96kgShoots: RightBest Stats: Speed 87, Acceleration 87, Balance 87
Swedish by birth, Finnish by play, Jesse Puljujarvi is an almighty unit on the ice. It’s taken the right wing time to adapt to the demands of the NHL, but he certainly has the natural skill, speed, and size to have more of an impact soon. In NHL 19, his size, speed, and decent shooting stats make him a great all-around player to have already, let alone when he reaches his lofty potential.
Daniel Sprong (78 OVR, Top 6 med POT)
Age: 21Nationality: DutchRole: SniperDrafted: Pittsburgh Penguins, 2015 (46)Height: 183cmWeight: 87kgShoots: RightBest Stats: Durability 88, Speed 87, Deking 87
Daniel Sprong hasn’t been given much of a look in the NHL over the last two seasons, but there is a lot of hype around the young right wing. This season, the man from Amsterdam is expected to contend for a top-six role. While he may struggle to transition from AHL to NHL, in NHL 19, he’s rated well enough to warrant game time with your franchise.
Filip Zadina (76 OVR, Elite med POT)
Age: 18Nationality: CzechRole: Two-Way ForwardDrafted: Detroit Red Wings, 2018 (6)Height: 183cmWeight: 85kgShoots: LeftBest Stats: Offensive Awareness 86, Speed 85, Slap Shot Power 85
With the ability and potential of a top-three overall pick, the Detroit Red Wings must have been over the moon when Filip Zadina slipped past the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Arizona Coyotes – who all had other more pressing needs to fill. The Czech right wing has the speed and finesse to put up decent numbers in the NHL as well as pull his weight in the defensive end.
Alex Nylander (74 OVR, Elite med POT)
Age: 20Nationality: SwedishRole: PlaymakerDrafted: Buffalo Sabres, 2016 (8)Height: 183cmWeight: 82kgShoots: RightBest Stats: Discipline 90, Acceleration 87, Speed 87
When fans discuss a new age of hockey in Buffalo, one of the top prospects named to bring about success is Alexander Nylander. The franchise has been patient with the young Swede, leading to what is expected to be his breakout season in 2018/19. He’s a fast and skillful player who has the potential to be a good contributor to team scoring in the future.