from Sonny Sacheva of Sportsnet,

Stickhandling specialist Pavel Barber has as good a grasp on the answer as anyone — the slick-handed skills coach has long been YouTube’s preeminent source on all things stickhandling, and has worked with NHLers like Jonathan Toews and Jake Virtanen on improving handles.

Last year, we asked Barber to break down the top 10 stickhandlers in the game overall. His rankings took eight variables into consideration: (1) deception, (2) ability to shoot and pass out of handles, (3) ability to create space, (4) creativity, (5) puck protection, (6) small-area work, (7) soft touch, and (8) hand speed.

This time around, we asked Barber to focus on the young guns — players who’ve logged four years or fewer in the NHL, but have already proven the silkiness of their mitts.

Here’s how his list shakes out:

1. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Fresh off a Calder Trophy win in 2018-19, Elias Pettersson has refused to wilt in his sophomore campaign, scoring at an even better clip for the surging Canucks this season.

But what makes Pettersson the best of the NHL’s youth mvoement isn’t just his ability with the puck — it’s the decision-making that supplements that skill....

more on Pettersson plus the other nine players...