By Scott Burnside

updated 2:41 a.m. ET April 25, 2004

In a season marked by tragedy and an endless film loop of bad press about the quality of the game and its attendant economic woes — not to mention the hovering labor war cloud — it seems the only reasons for optimism are the fresh young faces getting ready to dominate the game.

Indeed, the next generation of stars never has faced a greater burden.

The ability of players such as Ilya Kovalchuk to embrace the often difficult companion of stardom, not just in their respective cities but for the entire league, will say much about the future of the game.

Now the good news: Of the five players under 25 who are best equipped to save the NHL, four are not yet even 21. They should be around a long time.

Ilya Kovalchuk, 20, LW, Thrashers
During his first two seasons, Kovalchuk was the Silent Bob to Dany Heatley's Jay. A native of Russia, Kovalchuk relied almost exclusively on his linemate and best friend to speak in his behalf, whether it was ordering room service or dealing with the media.

The Thrashers' universe was forever altered in September when Heatley was seriously injured in a car crash that took the life of teammate Dan Snyder.

Surprisingly, Kovalchuk has stepped into the void with panache. At the midpoint of the season, the dazzling forward was among the NHL's top three in goals and points. Kovalchuk, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft, also led all forwards in average ice time, a reflection of the increased responsibility heaped on his young shoulders.

"I love it," Kovalchuk says of his increased role. "You can show everything that you can do. Not just five-on-five or on the power play but penalty killing, too. That makes you a better player."

"The nicest progression that I can look at is from a leadership standpoint," says coach Bob Hartley. "He wants to be on the ice."

Kovalchuk remains a loose cannon offensively, often trying to beat two or three opponents instead of dumping the puck or passing. And his play along the blue line on power plays ranges from the ridiculous to the sublime. Yet he remains a consensus pick as the game's most exciting young player. His acceleration with the puck is dynamic, and he is one of a handful of players who can routinely score from the top of the circle.

"The most impressive thing about him to me is just his energy," says Lightning coach John Tortorella. "He brings so much energy to the game. And (he) is not afraid to make a mistake. I'm sure Bobby sometimes scratches his head at some of the things he does. But at the other end of it, that's a guy who does a lot of good things for his hockey club."

Kovalchuk also has shouldered more responsibility off the ice. He hired an English tutor last summer in Moscow to elevate his comfort level with the media and fans, an important consideration given Atlanta's lukewarm reaction to the sport.

"I think he understands he's a star," says countryman and mentor Slava Kozlov. "Mentally, he's very strong. His improvement from last year is unbelievable."

Rick Nash 19, LW, Blue Jackets
Veteran defenseman Scott Lachance recalls overhearing his young roommate breathlessly telling buddies in Brampton, Ont., last season that he actually had taken a shot against Patrick Roy.

Can you believe it? A shot. On Patrick Roy.

If Ilya Kovalchuk is the sizzle of the NHL's next generation, then Rick Nash is the steak. The top pick in the 2002 draft, Nash hit the midpoint of this season leading the league in goals. And his development, physically and mentally, has shown "a big difference in one year," says one Western Conference pro scout.

The personable Nash insists this is all really the result of good fortune, as though anyone with a trusty rabbit's foot or four-leaf clover could have achieved as much. But beyond the "aw, shucks" persona is a young man with a surprising edge.

After tying for second in rookie scoring with 39 points and being named to the all-rookie team, Nash added 10 pounds to his 6-4 frame, which has made him even more difficult to control in high-traffic areas in the corners and in front of the net. Nash appears to have the complete package -- size and speed with the rare gift of being able to deftly handle the puck close to the net.

"He has a real good smell for the puck," says Blues coach Joel Quenneville. "I can see him consistently putting up big numbers."

Marc-Andre Fleury, 19, G, Penguins.
The similarities are eerie.

A No. 1 draft pick out of Quebec arrives in Pittsburgh to save a moribund franchise and give long-suffering fans renewed sense of enthusiasm for the game.

Mario Lemieux, late 1980s, right?

Not exactly, although Lemieux did open his home to the Penguins' new savior, Marc-Andre Fleury, the goaltender the team chose with the first overall pick last June.

Lemieux was born to be a superstar, "and I think Marc-Andre Fleury was born to be a great goaltender. And I think he knows that," says Penguins general manager Craig Patrick.

"When you make him your first pick overall, you're making a statement that they're expecting him to be a franchise player, and I have no doubt Marc can do it," says Barry Trapp, director of amateur scouting for the Maple Leafs.

More irrepressible than cocky, the 6-1 Fleury played his way onto the Penguins' roster at training camp and promptly gained rookie of the month honors for October. He also moved out of the Lemieux household and into his own apartment.

Fleury led Canada to a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in Finland -- with the team's only loss coming when Fleury's clearing pass late in the gold medal game struck a teammate and bounced into the net for the winning goal. The need to put that game behind him is another test of Fleury's mental fortitude.

"I had a great time there," Fleury says. "But I'm back here, so I'm trying to focus on what's going on here and maybe forget about that last game."

Still, Fleury's mental toughness is constantly being challenged as he plays behind the NHL's worst team and because of his troubling technical flaws. Fleury has a tendency to overplay shots from the point, relying on athleticism instead of a more disciplined style.

"He overcommits to players because he's so quick. He tends to chase the game," says former goaltender Glenn Healy, now a TV analyst in Canada. Healy says the Penguins should get Fleury a goaltending coach who is comfortable with his style.

Jay Bouwmeester, 20, D, Panthers
Five or six years ago, the Maple Leafs' Trapp was watching a bunch of teenagers trying out for a provincial team in Calgary when he spied a tall, slender player he mistook for a college prospect.

"It was Jay. He was 14," Trapp says. "I sat and watched him for an hour and a half. In all the years I've been doing this, I've never seen a player since Paul Coffey with the mobility and skating athleticism that this guy has."

Few defensemen have made the jump from junior hockey to the NHL as effortlessly as Bouwmeester. At 18 last season, Bouwmeester played all 82 games under coaching tyrant Mike Keenan, logging 20:08 a night, the most of any rookie. He has added about 4 minutes a night this season and his puck-handling skills and poise have improved dramatically.

However, Bouwmeester's broken left foot, which he suffered in mid-January and will sideline him until mid-February, is a setback to the Panthers' playoff hopes. Before the injury, Bouwmeester's play was top-two caliber "on any team," says Panthers coach and general manager Rick Dudley, who dismissed Keenan and took over behind the bench in November.

One pro scout found Bouwmeester's passing game wanting and suggested he was "a little bit overrated." But there is almost universal praise for his skating and maturity, especially given the lack of veteran leadership present in the Panthers' locker room.

Even before he became the youngest player to play for Canada's national junior team at 16, Bouwmeester displayed a curious dispassionate quality toward his stardom. He makes no apologies for his stoic demeanor.

"I'm not going to change my personality or anything like that," he says.

"I like Jay just the way he is," says Dudley, who made Bouwmeester the third pick overall in 2002. "More and more people will say he's one of the best defensemen in the league, and then they'll say he's the best defenseman in the league."

Ladislav Nagy, 24, LW, Coyotes
If there is a "Who the heck is that?" player in this year's NHL scoring race, it's Ladislav Nagy. After scoring 23 and 22 goals in his first two full seasons with Phoenix, the Slovakia native has blossomed, averaging a point a game as the Coyotes have surprised critics by staying in the race for a playoff spot.

"He's a very gifted and skilled young hockey player," says Coyotes G.M. Mike Barnett. "He creates important offense for us each and every night. Many of his goals are of the highlight nature, but he's also importantly learning to play on the defensive side of the puck, which means he can play even more minutes in critical situations."

Scouts say the biggest difference in Nagy's game has been his willingness to go to the net, to use his considerable one-on-one skills to beat defensemen or to shoot through them. Plus, he has an uncanny ability to fight off opponents for the puck in the corner.

Nagy has a "high, high skill level, good lateral movement, and his wrist shot is deadly," says one scout.

Acquired by the Coyotes at the 2001 trade deadline in the deal that sent Keith Tkachuk to the Blues, Nagy struggled initially under coach Bob Francis, but his consistency has improved dramatically.

"Right now I'm not thinking ... 'Oh, I didn't score in three games,' " Nagy says. "I learn not to get frustrated."

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