The NHL Has Become a Younger Player's League

The NHL has undergone several changes in the last 15 years. One of the biggest is the age of the players making the noise.

Defenseman Brendan Smith has seen it all in his long, NHL career. But even he has encountered something for the first time in 2025-26.

As of this writing, Smith doesn’t have an NHL contract. He’s on a PTO with the Columbus Blue Jackets. It’s the first PTO Smith has had to take hoping to play a 15th season.

The Hockey Writers recently spoke to Smith at Blue Jackets’ camp about a wide variety of topics. Both he and head coach Dean Evason believe that there’s a chance an NHL contract can be earned.

One of the topics discussed with Smith that didn’t make the original story was one of a transition in the NHL. As it turns out, Smith was on the wrong end of it early in his career. He’s also on the wrong end of it now.

Today’s NHL has fully transitioned into a young player’s league.

The Game Has Evolved

Even just looking at the last 15 years, the NHL has undergone an evolution in the way the game is played. The game is more skilled than ever. It’s also faster than ever.

Naturally, that favors a younger player who can skate over an older player who loses their speed over time. While some older players can adapt and stay with the current trends in the NHL, it’s no longer the norm.

Ironically, the average age in the NHL is slightly older than in recent years. What has changed though is just how far a drop off there’s been in performance as players get older.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Alex Ovechkin is a prime example of that.

With advances in nutrition, technology, fitness and more, younger players are finding they can get ahead through their athleticism while making a more immediate impact. Older players aren’t able to keep the same explosiveness they once had. It puts players like Smith in a position to accept a PTO in the hopes of being able to land a contract.

Smith Shares a Great Story

Smith said it himself in our story. He said he understands he’s not a spring chicken. He has to go out and prove he can still play the game at a high level.

Teams have every incentive to utilize younger players in their lineups. It gives them a chance to play earlier and develop for future seasons. With a hard salary cap, successful teams are able to utilize cheaper entry-level contracts to try and have more talent fit under the cap.

Overall, older players are being squeezed out due to these changes. Smith started his career with the Detroit Red Wings back when the likes of Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg were playing. This is where his story begins about how the game has truly evolved in the last 15 years.

The question posed to Smith was what do older players have to do to adjust to a younger league?

“It’s a great question and it’s very loaded,” Smith said. “There’s a lot to unfold on that question.”