There comes a time in the cycle of every franchise when you need to stack your roster with some young talents to bring into the NHL lines immediately or in the near future.
Your top-six center may be running out of contract and looking for a huge salary, or your starting goaltender may be showing signs of age, but either way, you’ll want to bring in a young talent to ensure that you’re ready for when a change is needed.
On the other hand, you may just be starting a new Franchise Mode on NHL 20, and fancy the challenge of taking a team entirely comprised of young talents to glory.
Here, you’ll find all of the best young players – skaters and goaltenders – in NHL 20’s Franchise Mode. There’s a full slate of the best young players in the game at the foot of the article: those with the highest overall ratings feature in the main body of the article.
Choosing NHL 20 Franchise Mode’s best young players
The most important aspect considered when picking the best young players in NHL 20 Franchise Mode is their starting overall rating.
Skaters that feature in the body of the article have the highest overall rating, with the others listed in the table at the foot of the article having an overall rating of at least 80. The article also features the best young goaltender in NHL 20 Franchise Mode, with those in the table having an overall rating of at least 74.
All of the best young skaters in this article are 22-years-old or younger, with the best young goaltenders being 24-years-old or younger at the beginning of Franchise Mode.
For this simulation, the 10 October Roster was used to collect the data on NHL 20’s best young players.
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (94 OVR)
Potential: Franchise med
Position: Center
Type: Playmaker
Drafted: 1st Round, 1st Overall (2015)
Nationality: Canadian
Best Stats: 97 Offensive Awareness, 97 Acceleration, 97 Agility
Connor McDavid is doing what Connor McDavid does best: dazzle the crowd and put up an inordinate amount of points. Just 55 games into the season, McDavid placed second in the Art Ross Trophy race with 30 goals and 81 points, only trailing teammate Leon Draisaitl by four points.
Still only 23-years-old, the star of the show in Edmonton has already notched 453 points in 342 NHL games, with a further nine points in 13 postseason matches following the Oilers’ only trip to the playoffs since 2015.
In NHL 20, McDavid is as good as they come: his attribute ratings are perfectly gauged to make him the most potent player in Franchise Mode.
With a combined speed score of 96.7, McDavid is the fastest skater in NHL 20 Franchise Mode, boasting 97 acceleration, 97 agility, and 96 speed.
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (90 OVR)
Potential: Elite high
Position: Center
Type: Sniper
Drafted: 1st Round, 1st Overall (2016)
Nationality: American
Best Stats: 95 Poise, 93 Puck Control, 92 Wrist Shot Accuracy, 92 Deking, 92
Passing
Auston Matthews has become the face of the young Toronto Maple Leafs in the short time since being the undisputed number one selection of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
The American, who spent his draft year in Switzerland with the ZSC Lions, has struggled to last for a whole season since his rookie campaign, but he has still managed to put together 151 goals and 273 points through 268 games for the Buds.
Matthews is only 21-years-old old at the start of Franchise Mode on NHL 20, and yet he is already rated 90 overall with a mighty Elite high potential.
His attribute ratings of 91 slap shot accuracy, 90 slap shot power, 92 wrist shot accuracy, and 90 wrist shot power make the Toronto center one of the best snipers in the game.
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche (90 OVR)
Potential: Elite med
Position: Right Wing
Type: Sniper
Drafted: 1st Round, 10th Overall (2015)
Nationality: Finland
Best Stats: 93 Puck Control, 93 Offensive Awareness, 92 Deking, 92 Hand-Eye, 92
Passing, 92 Wrist Shot Accuracy
Mikko Rantanen has been a scoring machine for the Colorado Avalanche since being brought into the NHL lines in the 2016/17 campaign – scoring at least 20 goals per season.
This season, the Finnish sharpshooter has been hampered by injury, but he’s still managed to score just under a point-per-game with 17 goals and 37 points in 38 games.
Starting out on NHL 20 Franchise Mode, not only is Rantanen one of the best young players, but he’s also one of the highest-rated snipers, toting a 91 for slap shot accuracy, 92 for wrist shot accuracy, 91 for slap shot power, and a 90 for his wrist shot power.
Mitchell Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs (89 OVR)
Potential: Elite med
Position: Right Wing
Type: Playmaker
Drafted: 1st Round, 4th Overall (2015)
Nationality: Canadian
Best Stats: 94 Passing, 94 Puck Control, 93 Deking, 93 Offensive Awareness
Toronto Maple Leafs fans treasure mitch Marner due to the shifty winger’s incredible work rate, eye for a fancy pass, and relentless points production.
Marner has continued to increase his points tally year-on-year, going from 61 in 2016/17 to 69 in 2017/18, and reaching an almighty haul of 26 goals and 94 points last season. So far in this campaign, the Canadian has 57 points in 45 games having missed 11 games through November.
The Maple Leafs right winger’s 94 passing, 94 puck control, 93 deking, 93 offensive awareness, 92 agility, 91 slap shot accuracy, and 91 wrist shot accuracy speak for themselves.
Despite still only being 22-years-old, Marner is one of the premier playmakers on either wing in NHL 20’s Franchise Mode.
Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres (88 OVR)
Potential: Elite high
Position: Center
Type: Playmaker
Drafted: 1st Round, 2nd Overall (2015)
Nationality: American
Best Stats: 92 Deking, 92 Hand-Eye, 91 Wrist Shot Accuracy, 91 Offensive
Awareness, 91 Agility
In the running to the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, there was a bit of a debate between pundits as to if Jack Eichel could beat Connor McDavid to the first overall selection. This was after McDavid broke his hand in a fight and was forced to miss six weeks.
Of course, the debates were mostly for the sake of making a talking point, but Eichel has certainly proven himself to be the leader and point scorer that the Buffalo Sabres wanted when they took him second overall.
Following on from a 28-goal and 82-point campaign in 2018/19, Eichel is well on pace to reel in his best points tally to date, already exceeding his career-best goal-scoring season with 31 goals and 69 points in 55 games.
Eichel is a great all-rounder in NHL 20, with his 85 strength, 75 faceoffs, 85 poise, 90 slap shot accuracy, 91 wrist shot accuracy, 90 passing, 92 hand-eye, 88 defensive awareness, 91 offensive awareness, and decent speed ratings making him a solid top-line center.
Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers (84 OVR)
Potential: Elite med
Position: Goaltender
Type: Hybrid
Drafted: 2nd Round, 48th Overall (2016)
Nationality: Canadian
Best Stats: 90 Speed, 89 Agility, 88 Stick Low, 88 Glove Low, 88 Angles
At a time of crisis for the Flyers’ goaltending corps last season, Philadelphia called upon top prospect Carter Hart, and he didn’t disappoint.
Hart sealed a win on his debut, went on to secure a .917 save percentage and 2.83 goals against average over 31 games. The young shot-stopper then started this season with a shutout to become the youngest goaltender in Flyers history to achieve such a feat.
With an 84 overall rating from the start of NHL 20’s Franchise Mode, Hart is a viable starter. If you play him as your main goaltender, the 21-year-old will quickly develop into one of the highest-rated goalies in the game. The Flyers netminder is easily the best young goaltender in NHL 20.
Hart’s best attributes from the get-go are his 88 stick low, 88 glove low, 88 angles, 87 stick high, 87 glove high, 87 rebound control, 87 recover, 89 agility, and 90 speed.
All the Best Young Players in NHL 20
Here’s a complete list of all of the best young skaters and goaltenders in NHL 20 Franchise Mode.
| Name | Position | Team | Potential | Overall | Age |
| Connor McDavid | Center | Edmonton Oilers | Franchise med | 94 | 22 |
| Auston Matthews | Center | Toronto Maple Leafs | Elite high | 90 | 21 |
| Mikko Rantanen | Right Wing | Colorado Avalanche | Elite med | 90 | 22 |
| Mitchell Marner | Right Wing | Toronto Maple Leafs | Elite med | 89 | 22 |
| Jack Eichel | Center | Buffalo Sabres | Elite high | 88 | 22 |
| Sebastian Aho | Center | Carolina Hurricanes | Elite med | 88 | 22 |
| Patrik Laine | Right Wing | Winnipeg Jets | Elite med | 87 | 21 |
| Elias Pettersson | Center | Vancouver Canucks | Elite high | 87 | 20 |
| Thomas Chabot | Defenseman | Ottawa Senators | Elite med | 86 | 22 |
| Zach Werenski | Defenseman | Columbus Blue Jackets | Elite med | 86 | 22 |
| Mathew Barzal | Center | New York Islanders | Elite med | 86 | 22 |
| Alex DeBrincat | Center | Chicago Blackhawks | Elite med | 86 | 21 |
| Charlie McAvoy | Defenseman | Boston Bruins | Elite med | 86 | 21 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | Defenseman | Buffalo Sabres | Elite high | 85 | 19 |
| Brock Boeser | Right Wing | Vancouver Canucks | Elite med | 85 | 22 |
| Kyle Connor | Left Wing | Winnipeg Jets | Elite med | 85 | 22 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | Left Wing | Calgary Flames | Elite med | 85 | 21 |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | Center | Columbus Blue Jackets | Elite med | 85 | 21 |
| Timo Meier | Right Wing | San Jose Sharks | Top 6 med | 85 | 22 |
| Nico Hischier | Center | New Jersey Devils | Elite med | 84 | 20 |
| Ivan Provorov | Defenseman | Philadelphia Flyers | Elite med | 84 | 22 |
| Noah Hanifin | Defenseman | Calgary Flames | Elite med | 84 | 22 |
| Clayton Keller | Left Wing | Arizona Coyotes | Elite med | 84 | 21 |
| Mikhail Sergachev | Defenseman | Tampa Bay Lightning | Elite med | 84 | 21 |
| Miro Heiskanen | Defenseman | Dallas Stars | Elite med | 83 | 20 |
| Dylan Strome | Center | Chicago Blackhawks | Elite med | 83 | 22 |
| Jake DeBrusk | Left Wing | Boston Bruins | Top 6 med | 83 | 22 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | Right Wing | Carolina Hurricanes | Elite med | 83 | 19 |
| Travis Konecny | Center | Philadelphia Flyers | Top 6 med | 82 | 22 |
| Jack Hughes | Center | New Jersey Devils | Elite high | 82 | 18 |
| Jesperi Kotkaniemi | Center | Montreal Canadiens | Elite med | 82 | 19 |
| Brady Tkachuk | Left Wing | Ottawa Senators | Elite med | 82 | 19 |
| Jakob Chychrun | Defenseman | Arizona Coyotes | Elite med | 82 | 21 |
| Nolan Patrick | Center | Philadelphia Flyers | Elite med | 81 | 20 |
| Cale Makar | Defenseman | Colorado Avalanche | Elite med | 81 | 20 |
| Kaapo Kakko | Right Wing | New York Rangers | Elite med | 81 | 18 |
| Colin White | Center | Ottawa Senators | Top 6 high | 81 | 22 |
| Henri Jokiharju | Defenseman | Buffalo Sabres | Top 4 med | 81 | 20 |
| Tyson Jost | Center | Colorado Avalanche | Top 6 med | 81 | 21 |
| Travis Dermott | Defenseman | Toronto Maple Leafs | Top 4 med | 81 | 22 |
| Brandon Carlo | Defenseman | Boston Bruins | Top 4 med | 81 | 22 |
| Adam Fox | Defenseman | New York Rangers | Top 4 med | 81 | 21 |
| Jesper Bratt | Left Wing | New Jersey Devils | Top 6 low | 81 | 21 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | Center | New York Islanders | Top 6 low | 80 | 22 |
| Filip Hronek | Defenseman | Detroit Red Wings | Top 4 med | 80 | 21 |
| Samuel Girard | Defenseman | Colorado Avalanche | Top 4 med | 80 | 21 |
| Cody Glass | Center | Vegas Golden Knights | Top 6 high | 80 | 20 |
| Rasmus Andersson | Defenseman | Calgary Flames | Top 4 med | 80 | 22 |
| Dennis Cholowski | Defenseman | Detroit Red Wings | Top 4 med | 80 | 21 |
| Dante Fabbro | Defenseman | Nashville Predators | Elite med | 80 | 21 |
| Christian Fischer | Right Wing | Arizona Coyotes | Top 6 med | 80 | 22 |
| Martin Necas | Center | Carolina Hurricanes | Elite med | 80 | 20 |
| Quinn Hughes | Defenseman | Vancouver Canucks | Elite med | 80 | 19 |
| Roope Hintz | Center | Dallas Stars | Top 6 med | 80 | 22 |
| Robert Thomas | Center | St. Louis Blues | Top 6 med | 80 | 20 |
| Filip Chytil | Center | New York Rangers | Top 6 med | 80 | 20 |
| Carter Hart | Goaltender | Philadelphia Flyers | Elite med | 84 | 21 |
| Juuse Saros | Goaltender | Nashville Predators | Starter med | 81 | 24 |
| Thatcher Demko | Goaltender | Vancouver Canucks | Elite med | 80 | 23 |
| Eric Comrie | Goaltender | Arizona Coyotes | Starter med | 80 | 24 |
| Tristan Jarry | Goaltender | Pittsburgh Penguins | Starter med | 79 | 24 |
| Mackenzie Blackwood | Goaltender | New Jersey Devils | Starter med | 79 | 22 |
| Ilya Samsonov | Goaltender | Washington Capitals | Elite med | 78 | 22 |
| Alex Nedeljkovic | Goaltender | Carolina Hurricanes | Starter med | 74 | 23 |
| Ville Husso | Goaltender | St. Louis Blues | Starter high | 74 | 24 |
Looking for more NHL 20 guides?
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best and Worst Teams to Use and Rebuild
Looking for the best players?
NHL 20 Draft: Best Players and Top Draft Steals 2020
NHL 20 Draft: Best Players and Top Draft Steals 2021
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Free Agents
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Centers
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Goaltenders
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Defensemen
NHL 20: Fastest players – Forwards and Defensemen
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Left Wingers
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Right Wingers
NHL 20 Ratings: Best Young Skaters
NHL 20 Ratings: Best Enforcers
NHL 20: Fastest Players – Forwards and Defensemen
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