Ten future NHL stars shining at Beijing 2022 Olympics: Power, Farrell, Beniers, Slafkovsky, McTavish...

OK, so current ice hockey NHL stars like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Patrick Kane, and Alexander Ovechkin aren't at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

But the future of the NHL is, and the young guns are taking over in China.

United States rising star Sean Farrell hit a hat-trick - and a few headlines - in USA's opening 8-0 win against hosts China before posting an assist in the 4-2 win over Canada.

Slovakian 17-year-old Juraj Slafkovsky has enhanced his growing reputation with three goals in his side's first two games.

And a number of other youngsters have caught the eye like Canada's NHL No.1 draft pick Owen Power, USA's No.2 pick Matty Beniers, and Slafkovsky's fellow 17-year-old teammate Simon Nemec.

Read on for 10 of the top NHL and Olympic ice hockey prospects at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

1. Juraj Slafkovsky: Slovakia's NHL star in the making

At 1.93m tall (6'4"), 17-year-old Juraj Slafkovsky is the talk of the ice hockey town in Beijing.

First, he scored two goals in Slovakia's opening 6-2 defeat to Finland, and then he wristed one in again against Sweden in their second match.

After two games, Slovakia has scored three goals all from the stick of Slafkovsky.

A great passer with excellent vision and a quick-release shot that packs both power and precision, his stock has risen during Beijing.

Scouts were talking about him as a top-10 NHL entry draft pick for 2022 before Beijing - he's eligible - now he's looking almost certain to be top five.

2. Owen Power - Canada's defenceman on Sidney Crosby's trail

Inspired by Canadian Olympic and NHL great Sidney Crosby, Owen Power's journey is just beginning.

The 19-year-old, who already has a world title to his name, looks comfortable in his new surrounding with the Buffalo Sabres no doubt even more pleased with their top draft pick.

Power played 19-and-a-half minutes in Canada's crushing victory over Germany in their opening game, and veteran team-mate Eric Staal was impressed.

“I think his ability to control the play you saw tonight, he’s really walking the offensive blue line and moving pucks, finding lanes, getting chances... he’s got great instincts to know where to be on the ice.

"He’s going to have a great career ahead of him.”

When things got tough against the U.S. in game two as Canada lost 4-2 he didn't shy away either, getting on the puck and trying to make things happen.

No Canadian has had more ice time than the University of Michigan prodigy in either of the first two games, and there's plenty more to come from Owen Power, both in Beijing and beyond.

3. Sean Farrell - USA and Harvard hockey sensation rocks Beijing

Does it get any better than a hat-trick on your Olympic debut?

Sean Farrell is living the dream at Beijing 2022 and his three goals and three assists after two games sees him currently top the overall points scorer table.

The Harvard forward was picked 124th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2020 NHL Draft, and it just might turn out to be a very wise pick.

The U.S. are riding high after that 4-2 victory over Canada, and Farrell is a key factor in their run at gold.

He isn't getting carried away though.

His behind-the-back, no-look assist on Noah Cates' goal against China was highlight reel magic, but he's staying humble.

"We were kind of cycling down in the corner and I think most times, we will have a guy out front," he told NBC.

"I was kind of throwing it there. I knew someone would be going to the net and it ended up on Catesy's stick and he buried it."

He picked up another assist in the U.S.' big win against Canada too - their first in 12 years - proving that he can also produce in the big moments.

4. Brendan Brisson - USA ice hockey star on a roll

A goal against China, a goal against Canada, you could say that 20-year-old Brendan Brisson is on a roll.

Drafted 29th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020, Brisson is bringing his best to the Olympic stage.

He plays at Michigan with Owen Power and Matty Beniers and is sometimes in the shadow of those two big prospects.

His goal that helped the U.S. to that huge victory over Canada, a well-taken top-corner finish, will have him high on confidence as the competition goes on.

5. Matty Beniers - the USA's swiss army knife

Defending, attacking, playmaking, puck-carrying - Matty Beniers does it all.

With a goal against China on his Olympic debut at 19, Beniers gave a glimpse at what's to come from him.

An all-rounder with incredible skating and skills to do a job on both power play and penalty kill, Beniers is one of the most exciting young talents in the game.

At 15, he joined the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in Michigan and has never looked back.

Picked second overall by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, he's bound for the big league, combining a hard-working mentality with a positive attitude.

“He’s the kind of guy you want to start your franchise with,” Seattle General Manager Ron Francis said on their first ever pick.

Beniers already has a Worlds bronze medal in his trophy cabinet and would love to add Olympic gold at Beijing 2022.

MORE: Matty Beniers: A star in the making

6. Simon Nemec - Holding his own for Slovakia

Nemec is Slovakia's other 17-year-old hockey prodigy with he and Slafkovsky combining for their team's only goal against Sweden.

A teenage defender who doesn't look out of place mixing it with the pros at the Olympics, he's got plenty of eyes on him too.

A regular with HK Nitra back home, he's done his draft prospects no harm with his performances in Beijing.

Racking up 19 minutes and 28 seconds against Finland and 15:56 against Sweden, he's already seen as a safe pair of hands for the Slovaks.

A solid defenceman who's working on his offensive contribution now too, getting that assist against Sweden will do him a world of good.

7. Ivan Fedotov - ROC man mountain

At 2.01m (6'8") and 93 kg, ROC goalie Ivan Fedotov presents something of an imposing figure.

His 33 saves in ROC's opener against Switzerland were crucial to his side's 1-0 win, and he also shut out Denmark in Game 2 as the reigning Olympic champs won 2-0.

With 49 saves and no goals conceded in 120 minutes, the 25-year-old is key to ROC's defence in Beijing.

Fedotov was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the seventh round in 2015, but currently plays his hockey in the KHL with CSKA in Moscow.

Could his Olympic shut-out form get him to the NHL? Maybe, with talks between Fedotov's agent and the Flyers over a move next season already rumoured to be taking place.

8. Alexander Nikishin: ROC defender is rock solid

Congratulating his goalie in the photo above wearing number 57 is Alexander Nishikin, a 20-year-old prospect who is on the Carolina Hurricanes' books.

With around 19 minutes against both Switzerland and Denmark in their opening two shutout victories, this rising star is part of a stone-wall defensive unit.

Learning as he goes, the 1.91m tall (6'3") stopper is an offensive threat too. Before Beijing he had eight goals and 12 points in 46 games for Spartak in the KHL with his 12% shooting average most impressive for a blue-liner.

He was picked in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, 69th overall, and looks to have a bright future ahead of him.

9. Mason McTavish: Ready to explode

Unlike Power, Canadian teammate Mason McTavish has already played in the NHL.

McTavish was selected third overall by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks last July, and had a goal and an assist in the team's season-opening 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

An injury held up his progress - he has been farmed out but he had five points in two games at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship before the tournament was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the 2021 U-18 World Championships, he scored 11 points in seven games and captained Canada to the title.

He's made the step up to the senior team in Beijing and doesn't look out of place at all, coming so close to levelling the scores against the U.S. with Canada trailing 3-2.

He let fly with a wrist shot which cannoned off the crossbar, centimetres away from what would have been a huge goal.

10. Pontus Holmberg: Sweden's hot young prospect

Pontus Holmberg is a Swedish forward with plenty of potential which he is showing at the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

His assist on one of Sweden's goals against a plucky Latvian side turned out to be vital as they won 3-2 in their opener.

The 22-year-old played over 13 minutes in that game and had almost 10 minutes in Sweden's 4-1 win over Slovakia which saw them go two-for-two.

Holmberg is expected to gain more ice time as the tournament progresses, and could be playing in the NHL next season.

He already has a two-year entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but is out on loan at Vaxjo Lakers for this campaign.