Bedard, Carlsson and Celebrini in mind<\/a>. The trio is having the most obvious jump this season, leaping into a tier with the league\u2019s best. Now it\u2019s time to take a look around the league to see who else is taking \u201cthe leap,\u201d even if not quite to the same level. It\u2019s also time to check on some players who, notably, are stuck in neutral.<\/p>\n1. Colorado Avalanche, 19-2-6<\/p>\n
Last week: 1
Sean: 1
Dom: 1<\/p>\n
Usually, any discussion about a player taking \u2018the leap\u2019 is reserved for younger players; the Avalanche are a little light on those. Still, it\u2019s hard not to be impressed by the step Martin Necas<\/strong> has taken. It\u2019s not just that Necas is scoring at a 100-plus point pace \u2014 he\u2019s done that before in stretches \u2014 it\u2019s the substance behind it. Necas\u2019 production in Carolina sometimes felt a bit hollow, but this is no empty-calorie production in Colorado. He does have it easy playing with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, but Necas has still been special in his own right.<\/p>\n2. Dallas Stars, 18-5-5<\/p>\n
Last week: 2
Sean: 3
Dom: 2<\/p>\n
Last season, his third in the NHL, was a fine one for Wyatt Johnston<\/strong>. In an expanded role, he had more points than ever before (71), still looking the part of a potential franchise center at 21 years old. His play-driving numbers dipped a bit, though, and he struggled in the postseason, so there was still work to be done.<\/p>\nHe\u2019s been up to the task thus far; though his production at five-on-five is down (2.13 to 1.74 points per 60), he\u2019s emerged as a true power-play weapon with a league-leading 10 goals and looks like a long-term partner for Mikko Rantanen.<\/p>\n
3. Washington Capitals, 17-9-2<\/p>\n
Last week: 8
Sean: 2
Dom: 3<\/p>\n
Good as Jakob Chychrun<\/strong> was last season, it was fair to wonder \u2014 still! \u2014 if he could truly put it all together. We may have our answer. Chychrun leads the league in goals by a defenseman (10) and, in top-pair minutes alongside Matt Roy, has a Net Rating behind only Cale Makar. Washington has outscored opponents 35-13 with him on the ice.<\/p>\n4. Tampa Bay Lightning, 16-9-2<\/p>\n
Last week: 3
Sean: 4
Dom: 4<\/p>\n
In his first season with the Lightning, J.J. Moser<\/strong> was solid. Good, but nothing to write home about as a solid second-pair option. This year, though, he\u2019s taking a jump toward being genuinely top-pair caliber. Moser has seen a large rise in his five-on-five impact and has been especially strong defensively. Most importantly, he\u2019s stepped up in the absence of Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh, showing he may be this team\u2019s No. 1 defenseman of the future.<\/p>\n5. Minnesota Wild, 15-8-5<\/p>\n
Last week: 5
Sean: 5
Dom: 5<\/p>\n
How many wingers have been better than Matt Boldy<\/strong>? With 29 points in 26 games while delivering some of the best puck possession impacts in the league, the answer is probably not many. He\u2019s been that good and he\u2019s done it playing matchup minutes for Minnesota.<\/p>\nIn this year\u2019s Player Tiers, we put Boldy just outside of the franchise tier. So far, he\u2019s looked like a player taking that next step to land inside of it.<\/p>\n
6. Carolina Hurricanes, 16-8-2<\/p>\n
Last week: 4
Sean: 6
Dom: 6<\/p>\n
With Seth Jarvis a proven commodity and Logan Stankoven more of a complementary piece, K\u2019Andre Miller<\/strong> is the Hurricane that comes closest to fitting the criteria. Carolina acquired him with the idea that he\u2019d return to form and then some, and that\u2019s basically what he\u2019s done. Miller is producing points at the highest rate of his career and has the best Defensive Rating on the team in tough minutes.<\/p>\n7. Vegas Golden Knights, 12-6-8<\/p>\n
Last week: 11
Sean: 8
Dom: 7<\/p>\n
On a well-established team like Vegas, it\u2019s hard to find a player taking a sizable leap.\u00a0However, it is worth discussing\u00a0Jack Eichel<\/strong>\u2019s incremental gains each season. He seems to get better every season and this year looks like a serious Hart Trophy threat \u2026 in the non-Colorado division of the conversation, anyway. Eichel is on track to have his first season with a Net Rating north of plus-20.<\/p>\n8. Pittsburgh Penguins, 14-7-5<\/p>\n
Last week: 17
Sean: 7
Dom: 10<\/p>\n
Sometimes the nerds are right. Sometimes. Parker Wotherspoon<\/strong> is the latest example of that. Looking at his numbers in a vacuum, Wotherspoon seemed like a player who could be a solid defensive top four option for a team willing to give him the chance to prove it. The Penguins did and he\u2019s thriving this year on the team\u2019s top pair. Wotherspoon is playing over 21 minutes per night and his plus-2.4 Defensive Rating leads the Penguins.<\/p>\n9. Philadelphia Flyers, 15-8-3<\/p>\n
Last week: 14
Sean: 9
Dom: 9<\/p>\n
It\u2019s tough to imagine Trevor Zegras<\/strong>\u2019 first 26 games in Philly going any better. He\u2019s been a point-per-game player, producing more, scoring more and driving play more effectively than he ever did with the Ducks. He\u2019s helped turn the power play into a functional one, with 11 points there. He\u2019s one of the best shootout performers in the league. Time to talk extension.<\/p>\n10. Anaheim Ducks, 16-10-1<\/p>\n
Last week: 6
Sean: 10
Dom: 8<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve already gassed up Leo Carlsson enough. Time to throw some flowers at Cutter Gauthier<\/strong>. His production dipped a bit in November, but he\u2019s heating back up, with three goals in his last five games, and he\u2019s still shooting the puck at a high rate; his 14 shots per 60 is second in the league, behind only Brady Tkachuk. The Ducks have scored 28 times with him on the ice at five-on-five, best on the team, and his defensive metrics are good enough to make it stand up.<\/p>\n 11. New York Islanders, 15-10-3<\/p>\n
Last week: 12
Sean: 11
Dom: 11<\/p>\n
It took Emil Heineman<\/strong> all of 25 games to match his goal total (10) from his rookie season in Montreal. He\u2019s tied for 20th in the league with eight five-on-five goals \u2014 same as Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Kyle Connor, among others \u2014 and he\u2019s doing it on a line with Bo Horvat. Not bad for a guy treated by many as a secondary return in the Noah Dobson trade.<\/p>\n12. New Jersey Devils, 16-10-1<\/p>\n
Last week: 7
Sean: 12
Dom: 12<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve been Dawson Mercer<\/strong> fans for a while and that distinction hasn\u2019t provided much payoff over the last two years. This season feels more like a player getting back on track. Mercer scored 56 points as a 21-year-old, only to follow it up with 33 and 36. He\u2019s on pace for 61 this season.<\/p>\n13. Los Angeles Kings, 12-8-7<\/p>\n
Last week: 10
Sean: 14
Dom: 13<\/p>\n
The growth continues for Brandt Clarke<\/strong>, who\u2019s averaging about two minutes more per game than last season, mainly in the Kings\u2019 top four. With him on the ice at five-on-five, Los Angeles is outscoring opponents 18-11 and controlling about 55 percent of the expected goals. Only Mikey Anderson has a better Defensive Rating on the Kings, and Clarke\u2019s point production at five-on-five has increased from 1.21 to 1.54 points per 60.<\/p>\n14. Ottawa Senators, 13-10-4<\/p>\n
Last week: 9
Sean: 13
Dom: 14<\/p>\n
In our conversations for Player Tiers, there was one pretty common sentiment from many members of our panel: \u201cMan, is Jake Sanderson<\/strong> good.\u201d<\/p>\nWe saw a flash of that last season, enough to put him on the cusp of franchise status. This year, he\u2019s entrenching himself at that level. Sanderson is dominating at five-on-five to an even stronger degree this season and looks very likely to eclipse last year\u2019s 58 points with 23 points in 27 games. He\u2019s been Ottawa\u2019s engine and currently sits ninth among defensemen in Net Rating.<\/p>\n
15. Montreal Canadiens, 14-9-3<\/p>\n
Last week: 16
Sean: 16
Dom: 16<\/p>\n
It may or may not be enough to make the U.S. Olympic team, but Cole Caufield<\/strong> has taken major steps as a playmaker and play-driver without sacrificing any of his goal-scoring brilliance. He\u2019s producing 1.25 primary assists per 60, an increase of about 50 percent season-over-season. It\u2019s probably time to stop thinking of him as one-dimensional.<\/p>\n16. Columbus Blue Jackets, 13-9-5<\/p>\n
Last week: 20
Sean: 17
Dom: 15<\/p>\n
We\u2019re not ready to sound any alarms on Adam Fantilli<\/strong>, but watching Carlsson go supernova can\u2019t be all that fun for Blue Jackets fans. He was taken directly ahead of Fantilli in 2023 at No. 2. Two goals on Thursday night have Fantilli producing at a pace similar to last season, when he had 31 goals and 23 assists, but there\u2019s still some work to be done; the Blue Jackets are losing his five-on-five minutes 25-15.<\/p>\n17. New York Rangers, 15-12-2<\/p>\n
Last week: 23
Sean: 15
Dom: 17<\/p>\n
There was a time when it seemed like Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re<\/strong> was taking the leap. During the 2024 playoffs, Lafreni\u00e8re often looked like the Rangers\u2019 best player and was a key factor in the team reaching the conference finals. That\u2019s exactly what made last year\u2019s stagnation so disappointing, and this year looks even worse with just 14 points in 29 games. To Lafreni\u00e8re\u2019s credit, he\u2019s never driven play better than he has this season. But if he can\u2019t even be a consistent 50-point scorer, it doesn\u2019t mean much.<\/p>\n18. Toronto Maple Leafs, 13-11-3<\/p>\n
Last week: 25
Sean: 18
Dom: 18<\/p>\n
The Leafs were in a state of disarray before Joseph Woll<\/strong> returned to action, let down by Anthony Stolarz struggling to carry a bad defensive team. Toronto has cleaned things up of late and Woll has thrived behind that, once again looking like the team\u2019s goalie of the future. Going into Thursday\u2019s game against Carolina, Woll had a sterling .921 save percentage and has saved 0.73 goals above expected per game, up from 0.4 last year.<\/p>\nOf course, this year\u2019s Leafs can\u2019t seem to have nice things and Woll exited Thursday\u2019s game after two periods. Bummer.<\/p>\n
19. Detroit Red Wings, 14-11-3<\/p>\n
Last week: 19
Sean: 19
Dom: 19<\/p>\n
Take your pick here. Lucas Raymond<\/strong> and Moritz Seider<\/strong> arguably took the leap last season; this year, they\u2019re taking it a step further. They\u2019re both playing near a plus-20 Net Rating pace, looking like some of the league\u2019s best players in the process. Their massive steps are exactly what the Red Wings need to take a massive step of their own. Now Detroit just needs to figure out the rest of the roster (excluding Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat, of course) currently holding those two back.<\/p>\n20. Boston Bruins, 16-13-0<\/p>\n
Last week: 21
Sean: 20
Dom: 20<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a big difference between dominating in a rotation and dominating as a starter. In that regard, Jeremy Swayman<\/strong> is fully realizing his potential as a franchise goalie. While his first season as the de facto starter didn\u2019t go great, Swayman is right back on track this time around.<\/p>\n21. Utah Mammoth, 13-12-3<\/p>\n
Last week: 15
Sean: 21
Dom: 21<\/p>\n
In order for the Mammoth to be a playoff team, they needed to see their young duo \u2014 Logan Cooley<\/strong> and Dylan Guenther<\/strong> \u2014 take a massive leap. Those two are taking a leap, just not the leap necessary so far. Both players have been much better at five-on-five in terms of production and possession, but their work on the power play has held them back significantly. It\u2019s a baby step with positive signs for the future. But right now, Utah needs a mammoth-sized one.<\/p>\n22. Edmonton Oilers, 12-11-5<\/p>\n
Last week: 27
Sean: 22
Dom: 22<\/p>\n
If \u2018the leap\u2019 is a young player jumping up several tiers, we need an opposite for an old player falling down several tiers. We\u2019re proposing \u2018the cliff,\u2019 and there, Mattias Ekholm<\/strong> is on high alert. His Net Rating has been above plus-10 in each of the last three seasons with the Oilers, a top-pair rate. This year, he\u2019s right at zero: exactly average. More troubling is a minus-1.7 Defensive Rating after averaging plus-5.0 over the last three years.<\/p>\nEkholm\u2019s drop-off was evident in the back half of last season. Now, with the Oilers floundering, his play is a real red flag. His acquisition was a game-changer for the team; his sudden decline has the potential to be the exact same thing.<\/p>\n
23. Seattle Kraken, 11-8-6<\/p>\n
Last week: 22
Sean: 23
Dom: 23<\/p>\n
Same as ever for Matty Beniers<\/strong>: He\u2019s fifth in Defensive Rating among centers but producing just 1.75 points per 60. He\u2019s scored three goals in 25 games (0.35 per 60, down from 0.78 last season), and he\u2019s shooting the puck less frequently than ever. There\u2019s value in elite defensive centers, but Seattle needs more from him.<\/p>\n24. Florida Panthers, 12-12-2<\/p>\n
Last week: 13
Sean: 24
Dom: 24<\/p>\n
On the surface, Anton Lundell<\/strong> is taking the leap many thought was possible after what he showed last season. Under the hood is a lesson for Baby Barkov about what makes Big Barkov so good.<\/p>\nLundell has increased his scoring to a 66-point pace which would be a career high, a function of earning a larger offensive opportunity. But in a more difficult role, Lundell has struggled to live up to expectations defensively. Even in that role, Barkov dominates at both ends. Adjusting for a new context, Lundell\u2019s play doesn\u2019t look materially different from last season.<\/p>\n
25. Chicago Blackhawks, 12-9-6<\/p>\n
Last week: 24
Sean: 25
Dom: 25<\/p>\n
The Blackhawks are set up front with Connor Bedard. They might also be set between the pipes with Spencer Knight.<\/strong> For years, Knight was talked about in extremely high regard, and last year he showed serious flashes of it, enough to be the centrepiece in the Seth Jones trade. This year, he\u2019s showing it\u2019s a reality by leading the league in GSAx. He\u2019s the real deal.<\/p>\n26. San Jose Sharks, 13-12-3<\/p>\n
Last week: 26
Sean: 26
Dom: 27<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just Macklin Celebrini in San Jose; it\u2019s also Will Smith<\/strong> taking a leap to point-per-game hockey with 27 points in 28 games. There are still big questions about Smith\u2019s defensive game that limit his overall standing, but at his age, it\u2019s nice to see such a big scoring jump. Hopefully, the rest comes soon for the Sharks.<\/p>\n27. Winnipeg Jets, 13-12-1<\/p>\n
Last week: 18
Sean: 28
Dom: 26<\/p>\n
Cole Perfetti<\/strong> is our pick here for less-than-ideal reasons. He\u2019s Winnipeg\u2019s only under-25 player, and he\u2019s got four points in 12 games for a 1.26 per 60 rate, down from 2.41 last season. Playing with Jonathan Toews hasn\u2019t helped Perfetti, but if the Jets are going to reverse course here, they\u2019re going to need more. They don\u2019t have many other in-house options.<\/p>\n28. Buffalo Sabres, 11-12-4<\/p>\n
Last week: 29
Sean: 27
Dom: 28<\/p>\n
Through 14 games, Zach Benson<\/strong> has yet to score a goal. That\u2019s OK \u2014 that\u2019s not his game. Playmaking and play-driving are two of Benson\u2019s calling cards and this year he\u2019s stepping up in both categories. Benson has 11 assists in 14 games and has pushed his expected goals percentage to 56 percent, up from 54 percent last season. By Net Rating, his plus-1.9 has almost matched last year\u2019s 75-game total of plus-2.1.<\/p>\n29. St. Louis Blues, 9-12-7<\/p>\n
Last week: 30
Sean: 29
Dom: 30<\/p>\n
The Blues are Regression City, with almost every player that looked amazing under Jim Montgomery last season plummeting this season. In that sense, Philip Broberg<\/strong> maintaining last year\u2019s leap should be celebrated. He\u2019s been one of the team\u2019s lone bright spots, proving last year was no fluke. The same can\u2019t be said for Dylan Holloway, unfortunately.<\/p>\n30. Vancouver Canucks, 10-14-3<\/p>\n
Last week: 28
Sean: 32
Dom: 29<\/p>\n
On a team with massive defensive issues, it\u2019s best to grade on a curve. Filip Hronek<\/strong> has been one of Vancouver\u2019s few saving graces without the puck this year, allowing 0.19 fewer xGA\/60 relative to teammates. Hronek has taken a legitimate defensive jump this season.<\/p>\n31. Nashville Predators, 10-13-4<\/p>\n
Last week: 32
Sean: 30
Dom: 31<\/p>\n
Yep, we\u2019re talking about Luke Evangelista<\/strong> again. Look, you think of something to write about this team, okay? Evangelista is on a bit of a tear lately with eight points in his last six games, a nice addition to his great puck possession work. He\u2019s taking the leap toward legit top-six piece status.<\/p>\n32. Calgary Flames, 10-15-4<\/p>\n
Last week: 31
Sean: 31
Dom: 32<\/p>\n
The Flames threw a lot of money at core pieces last summer expecting some kind of leap. So far, the results have been mixed.<\/p>\n
The good: Kevin Bahl<\/strong> has been a defensive stud, stepping up massively from last year.<\/p>\nThe bad: Matt Coronato<\/strong>\u2019s production has stagnated and his impact on expected goals has been below average.<\/p>\nThe ugly: Dustin Wolf<\/strong> has struggled immensely and is being outplayed by backup Devin Cooley.<\/p>\nThere\u2019s still a lot of time to get a good return on investment, but if the hope was for those three to take a further step this season, going one for three isn\u2019t ideal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of the most exciting things about the start of each NHL season is seeing which players have…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":426900,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[3115,3103,1720,3113,3107,291,2995,3110,1320,2993,2997,1323,2081,3112,3104,3111,2994,1301,1302,293,3105,3108,1334,1328,2999,62,2996,3106,1304,67,132,68,2082,3114,3116,3109,292],"class_list":{"0":"post-426899","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-anaheim-ducks","9":"tag-boston-bruins","10":"tag-buffalo-sabres","11":"tag-calgary-flames","12":"tag-carolina-hurricanes","13":"tag-chicago-blackhawks","14":"tag-colorado-avalanche","15":"tag-columbus-blue-jackets","16":"tag-dallas-stars","17":"tag-detroit-red-wings","18":"tag-edmonton-oilers","19":"tag-florida-panthers","20":"tag-los-angeles-kings","21":"tag-minnesota-wild","22":"tag-montreal-canadiens","23":"tag-nashville-predators","24":"tag-new-jersey-devils","25":"tag-new-york-islanders","26":"tag-new-york-rangers","27":"tag-nhl","28":"tag-ottawa-senators","29":"tag-philadelphia-flyers","30":"tag-pittsburgh-penguins","31":"tag-san-jose-sharks","32":"tag-seattle-kraken","33":"tag-sports","34":"tag-st-louis-blues","35":"tag-tampa-bay-lightning","36":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","37":"tag-united-states","38":"tag-unitedstates","39":"tag-us","40":"tag-utah-mammoth","41":"tag-vancouver-canucks","42":"tag-vegas-golden-knights","43":"tag-washington-capitals","44":"tag-winnipeg-jets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426899\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/426900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}