Due to popular demand and a number o’ requests I’ve put together my list of guys to watch out for breakout seasons or, failing that, another step forward in young but promising careers. I am a benevolent god, what can I say? The people speak and I listen. I have a feeling this is going to be a series of posts because there’s just too much to say about too many guys. As such this list isn’t exhaustive and if I didn’t touch on one of your guys let me know in the comments and I’ll assemble another list or just tell you what you need to know directly. For now these are the top guys I think you should be targeting in mid to late rounds. Every one of the names on this list are keepers so if you’ve got room consider adding a few of them; you’ll thank me in a few years. If you don’t have room, well, make some! How? I don’t know. What am I, some kind of expert? Puh! Anyway, there’s a lot to cover in this lists so without further ado (I love the word ado, I don’t know why), here are my 2014-2015 Players to Watch:
Mikael Granlund broke out last season posting 41 points in 63 GP powered mostly by 43 helpers. While this isn’t my type of guy (I lubs the goal scorers) Granlund is one of my favorite young players in the league right now. He suffered from a concussion early last season so that limited him to just 63 games, but when he came back healthy and strong he exploded with 16 points in 20 games. A top-six role is his for the taking to start the season and a return to the top line for the Wild with Zach Parise and Jason Pominville is expected. There is some injury risk here, but not enough to stop me from drafting him where I can. 2015 Projections: 78 GP, 10 G, 45 A, 55 PTS
Nikita Kucherov has excelled at every level of the game including dominating the QMJHL with 63 points powered by 29 goals in 33 games in 2012-13, followed by 24 points powered by 13 goals in 17 games in the AHL last season. Then they called him up to the big show and he put up 9 G, 9 A and 18 points in 52 games. That’s a bit of a drop off there, but not an unexpected one. At just 21 years-old the Russian sniper is poised to take a modest step forward this year but he’s not going to see much time with the man advantage so that will hamper is production a bit. On the upside he’s going to compete for a top-six slot with the Bolts and may end up seeing at least a little time on the top line with Ryan Callahan and Steven Stamkos. 2015 Projections: 65 GP, 15 G, 15 A, 30 PTS
Vladimir Tarasenko is going to score some goals this season, there’s no doubt about that. A hand injury that required surgery hampered the young sniper last season but it didn’t stop him from taking a big step forward in 2014. After a solid rookie campaign in 2012-13 that saw him post 19 points (8 goals) in 38 games, he came back last season and battled through 64 games to post 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points, nice! It’s good to see that 20 goal marker broken at an early age and with the team he has around him and top-six minutes coming this season you can expect a modest uptick again this year. That being said, 8 of his 22 assists were secondary, so expect a slight downtick there. But still, goals! 2015 Projections: 75 GP, 25 G, 20 A, 45 PTS
Jakob Silfverberg was the meat of what the Ducks picked up in the deal that sent Bobby Ryan to the Sens a few years back, and while talented, injuries have limited him so far. That being said, dude has a sick wrist shot and a quick delivery that helps make it even scarier. He had a modest rookie campaign with the Ducks in 2012-13 posting 23 points in 52 games with 10 goals, but wasn’t able to build much on it after breaking his hand early last season. He wasn’t ever quite the same and the Ducks were deep enough that even when he came back there wasn’t much room for him to fly. If he sees any time with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf he could produce like whoa, but it’s more likely he sees time on Ryan Kesler’s line if he breaks into the top six, which seems like a strong possibility going into this season. 2015 Projections: 72 GP, 22 G, 15 A, 37 PTS
Mikkel Boedker is the best offensive option the Coyotes have going into this season. Yeah, I said it. Last season was definitely a breakout campaign for the speedy Dane and he should continue to impress this season with another step forward. First and foremost, dude is durable like whoa and hasn’t missed a game in forevs (the last three seasons, at least) so you can reasonably expect to see him out there every night. What can he do with all that TOI? Score! That’s what. Last season he failed to post a shot in just nine of his 82 games and just barely missed scoring 20 goals with 19. Despite that he broke the 50-point marker and despite a lackluster Arizona offense he should push the 60 point plateau this season, but fall just short. 2015 Projections: 82 GP, 20 G, 36 A, 56 PTS
Elias Lindholm didn’t waste any time getting his NHL career started and made the leap from the Swedish Elite League where he posted 30 points in 48 games, to the NHL at the tender age of just 18 years old. He didn’t disappoint in his rookie campaign with the Canes last year putting up 21 points in 58 games. And while that sounds largely unspectacular in fantasy terms, the upside here is huge. His hands are oh so soft, he sports good vision and his stick handling skills give me the vapors! There’s an open spot on the right side of Carolina’s top six this season and Lindholm could fill it, but he’s had concussion problems in the past (including one that cost him a handful of games last season) so be wary. That said, you could do a lot worse late in deep league drafts. 2015 Projections: 74 GP, 15 G, 31 A, 46 PTS
Brandon Saad has been progressing steadily since entering the league two seasons ago and is looking like a breakout candidate for 2015. Last season he did most of his damage playing with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, posting 23 points in the 27 games he played with them. To be fair, I could probably put up decent points with those two on my line, but it is what it is. Saad really came alive with Patty Kane and Andrew Shaw in the Western Conference Finals and kept pace in scoring with Kane matching his 9 points in 7 games, so the kid can get it done. He probably won’t bounce from top-six to bottom-six like he did last year, which bodes well. If indeed that is the case, and he’s getting consistent top-six minutes, he could pot upper-20s goals and 50+ points this season. 2015 Projections: 82 GP, 27 G, 29 S, 56 PTS
Brayden Schenn enters his fourth season in the NHL and might be living up to the early hype after potting 20 goals in 82 games last season. Schenn takes after his brother and piles up the hits finishing with 200 last season. The Flyers have been careful with him so far and his minutes have largely been against less than the best that opponents have to offer, so you have to take some of that success last season with a grain of salt. That said, not a very big grain. Too much salt is bad for your heart, didn’t you know? There’s no reason to think he won’t break the 20-goal barrier again this season and tack on a few more helpers to boot. 2015 Projections: 82 GP, 22 G, 33 A, 55 PTS
Mark Scheifele showed good chemistry with the Jets’ top offensive weapon Blake Wheeler last season and it should carry over to this year. The question is whether or not it will get better or just bleh out. You know, I never really thought I’d say “top offensive weapon” followed by the name Blake Wheeler, but here we are. Last year Schief tied for 8th in rookie scoring with 34 points over 63 games and the talented playmaking pivot stands to take another step forward this year on the top line with Wheeler and Evander Kane. Now, Kane has trouble staying healthy, so Scheif’s value could take a bit of a hit if he goes down again this season, regardless the chemistry with Wheeler is there and the points should follow. Don’t expect the world from him, but he has an upside of 50+ points this year. 2015 Projections: 77 GP, 18 G, 35 A, 53 PTS
Evander Kane scored 30 goals back in 2011-12 and has been tantalizing us since with the potential to return to that kind of scoring prowess. Last season he was held back by a hand injury that subsequently became infected and it’s not easy to shoot pucks accurately with a bum hand, just ask Jonathan Drouin. I often cite inflated shooting percentages as reasons why goal scorers will regress in the following year, but Kane is the opposite posting a paltry 7.6% SP last year which should come up a bit this season. If healthy he’ll get minutes on the top line with Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, a great place for him to finally realize all that upside. 2015 Projections: 78 GP, 28 G, 31 A, 59 PTS
Alex Galchenyuk was hampered by injuries all last season and that kept his production down, but if he’s healthy in 2015 we should see a rebound campaign after he finished a solid rookie season with a line of 9 G, 18 A, 27 PTS in 48 GP. Last year the injuries aren’t all that held Galchenyuk back, he was asked to play a two-way role and his defensive assignments kept him from unleashing what looks like a boatload of offensive talent. The Habs decided not to make a big splash in the free agent market this season and this guy is one of the reasons why. They hope he’ll step up and stay healthy, and you could reap the benefits in the late rounds if he does. 2015 Projections: 70 GP, 22 G, 23 A, 45 PTS
Sean Monahan posted a stellar rookie campaign last season potting 22 goals over 75 GP. Can he replicate that performance, even step up to the next level? Mayhaps, mayhaps. Just mayhaps?! But 22 goals as a rookie, JD! How can you not be over the moon on this kid? First, six of his 22 goals came in the first eight games he played. Without that hot streak to start the season he wouldn’t have sniffed 20 goals, let alone broke the mark. Don’t get me wrong, the kid still has goal scoring talent, but he is as streaky as you would expect a young goal scorer to be. Second, his shooting percentage was a robust 15.7% last season and that’s going to be difficult to maintain. That being said, he’s just 19 to start camp this season and there is the room and the talent for a step forward this season. 2015 Projections: 76 GP, 25 G, 27 A, 52 PTS
Tomas Hertl was so sick in a 9-2 drubbing of the Rangers last year that he forced Martin Biron into retirement. I’m not even kidding, did you see that between the legs goal? I’d retire if an 18-year-old schooled me like that too. Hertl exploded out of the gates last season and lead all rookies in scoring over the first quarter of the season with 18 points powered by 12 goals in 20 games played. Then he ended up on the business end of a knee-on-knee collision with the indestructible Dustin Brown and had to have his MCL and PCL repaired. He wasn’t supposed to skate in a game again until 2015 but he said screw that and rejoined the Sharks for their epic playoff collapse, but hey, he scored a goal, so there’s that. Seriously though Hertl posted 25 points in 37 games last season and there’s no reason to think with his knee completely repaired that he won’t start scoring goals again. If he ends up on Jumbo Joe’s wing, look out. 2015 Projections: 78 GP, 25 G, 20 A, 45 PTS
Tanner Pearson found a home on ‘That 70’s line’ with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli last season and I see no reason why the Kings will break up the trio to start their 2015 season. Last year he split time between the NHL (7 PTS in 25 GP) and the AHL (32 PTS in 41 GP) and while he didn’t score much at the NHL level he definitely showed his talents with Manchester in the AHL. Pearson has shown himself to be highly intuitive putting himself in good position on most plays. He has a sickly quick release with the puck that could translate in to some delicious goooooals this season, but he isn’t going to explode on the scene just yet as he’s still working on developing his overall game. Still, a top-six position awaits him to start the season and he’s well on his way to become a household name in the hockey word. 2015 Projections: 70 GP, 14 G, 18 A, 32 PTS
Tyler Toffoli handled a similar song and dance as Tanner Pearson bouncing between the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL and the Kings, but ended up hanging around the big show for much longer than his Monarchs linemate showing up in 62 games for the Kings. His 29 points over those 62 contests might seem meh, but consider he did that while sporting just over 13 minutes a game. There’s no reason to think his TOI won’t go up this season and with it his scoring should as well. Like I just covered with Pearson, I can’t see the Kings breaking up That 70’s Line, so a top-six slot is his to lose. He has some trouble with his defensive assignments and seems to get a bit lost in Daryl Sutter’s system at times, the Kings and I hope he matures a bit this season and improves on those short comings. Most of the success That 70’s Line showed was found in playoffs, so that might spike his perceived value in drafts and I’ve seen him going way too early, so don’t get caught in that mess. Still, in late, deep leagues the sophomore is more than worth a flier. 2015 Projections: 80 GP, 18 G, 25 A, 43 PTS
Jonathan Huberdeau is a lot better than he played last season. No, really. The former Calder winner was hampered by hip and foot injuries all year that really limited what he could do. Lets not forget the concussion he suffered that cost him 10 games as well. Am I sensing an injury prone, but talented you guy who could go either way? You bet your sweet pucks I do. Yes, the Cats are terrible, but they’re building a great core of young players with Huberdeau at the center of it with talented Russian pivot Aleksander Barkov. He’s just too good to not rebound if healthy, but that’s starting to seem a big “if” in the health department. 2015 Projections: 70 GP, 15 G, 30 A, 45 PTS
Charlie Coyle started last season as a center, but that didn’t work out very well because the Wild got crushed by injury and needed help on the wings, so he was shifted to the right side. Unfortch for him he started last season on a line with Dany Heatley and predictably, that didn’t do wonders for his totals. The sprained knee he suffered through that cost him 10 games early on didn’t help either. Once Charlie was moved to the top line with Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu he flourished posting 6 points in 8 games, but it was a fleeting look at what he could do with the right linemates. He has a lot of offensive upside, but tapping it seems largely dependent on which line he’s on, but he’s tentatively slated to skate with Mikael Granlund and Thomas Vanek on the second line, and I’d buy that for a dollar! 2015 Projections: 78 GP, 18 G, 24 A, 42 PTS
Dougie Hamilton took a step forward last season and put up 25 points in 64 games paired with Zdeno Chara, which stands to be his pairing again this year. Is there anyone better for the kid to learn from? These are valuable minutes and the former ninth overall pick has had two successive successful seasons (try saying that three times fast) going into 2015. We can expect another modest step forward this year as well. He was slowed by an LBI that cost him ten games but he came back with gusto in the post season putting up 7 points over 12 games. Torey Krug will eat away at Hamilton’s PP TOI, so a breakout campaign isn’t likely, but he’ll keep getting better. 2015 Projections: 82 GP, 10 G, 25 A, 35 PTS
Brendan Smith will get every chance to step up and fill the defensive void for the Wings as part of their second pairing with Kyle Quincey this season. I’m not real high on Smith but he has the size (6’2”, 200lbs) and the hockey mind to succeed. Last season he bounced from D to LW at one point and suffered through some injuries, but posted a modest rookie campaign in the process. He’s not going to make a huge leap but pushing the 10 goal, 30-point markers isn’t out of the question. 2015 Projections: 78 GP, 8 G, 20 A, 28 PTS
