A fresh wave of young talent in the Central Division is poised to take on greater roles this season, following a similar deep dive into the Atlantic. These players—still under 25 and no longer classified as prospects—must prove they can build on last year’s progress while avoiding the common pitfall of underdelivering after early promise. With their teams counting on them to step up, their performance could shape the division’s competitive landscape. The focus now shifts to whether they can translate early potential into sustained success.

We continue our look into younger players who face a big season ahead. Up next is the Central Division, after looking at the Atlantic. In order to qualify for the list, nominees must be returning to their same team as last season, aged under 25, mostly past “prospect” status but having yet to cement themselves […]