Twitter- @JohannesHockey
While these may not be the five most notable breakout players, they are five interesting cases of somewhat unexpected production that I'd like to explore.
Nick Bonino- At 25 years of age, Bonino was due for a strong showing this year. He's done nothing but deliver, producing 37 points in 51 games so far. He's third in scoring on the Ducks behind only the mighty combo of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Bonino has provided some extra scoring punch to a championship caliber team and he's slotted into the 2C hole comfortably.
Victor Hedman- The towering 6'6, 233lbs rearguard was drafted with high expectations and he's developed slowly- as to be expected- over the last several years. This season is his coming out party, with 10 goals (10!!) and 26 points in 43 games so far. Hedman is a beast at both ends of the rinks and it's been a pleasure to watch him refine his game over the years.
Ryan Johansen- Somebody I've been following closely for years, Johansen suffered through his fair share of bumps along the road to becoming a star. Now in his third season, Ryan broke out in a major way, leading the Blu Jackets in points with 36 (18-18) in 48 games. At 6'3 and 223lbs, He's become a force all over the ice and the leader of a starless Columbus team.
Jaden Schwartz- Only 21 years old, Schwartz plays well beyond his years and it shows every time you look at his hairline.. I mean stats.. anyways. He's a diminutive but savvy presence on the ice for the blues, chipping in 16 goals and 33 points in 46 games. We knew he had this kind of production in him but I didn't think it would come so soon.
Reilly Smith- If you told me you expected Smith to have the season he's having, I'd laugh in your face. Who thought he'd be the most productive player coming back from the Seguin trade?! Most had him pegged as a third liner on a deep Bruins squad, but he's earned top 6 minutes and he's thriving. 35 points in 48 games! He does have a relatively high shooting percentage though, (17.4%) so look out for a bit of regression.
Thanks for reading! -Johannes
While these may not be the five most notable breakout players, they are five interesting cases of somewhat unexpected production that I'd like to explore.
Nick Bonino- At 25 years of age, Bonino was due for a strong showing this year. He's done nothing but deliver, producing 37 points in 51 games so far. He's third in scoring on the Ducks behind only the mighty combo of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Bonino has provided some extra scoring punch to a championship caliber team and he's slotted into the 2C hole comfortably.
Victor Hedman- The towering 6'6, 233lbs rearguard was drafted with high expectations and he's developed slowly- as to be expected- over the last several years. This season is his coming out party, with 10 goals (10!!) and 26 points in 43 games so far. Hedman is a beast at both ends of the rinks and it's been a pleasure to watch him refine his game over the years.
Ryan Johansen- Somebody I've been following closely for years, Johansen suffered through his fair share of bumps along the road to becoming a star. Now in his third season, Ryan broke out in a major way, leading the Blu Jackets in points with 36 (18-18) in 48 games. At 6'3 and 223lbs, He's become a force all over the ice and the leader of a starless Columbus team.
Jaden Schwartz- Only 21 years old, Schwartz plays well beyond his years and it shows every time you look at his hairline.. I mean stats.. anyways. He's a diminutive but savvy presence on the ice for the blues, chipping in 16 goals and 33 points in 46 games. We knew he had this kind of production in him but I didn't think it would come so soon.
Reilly Smith- If you told me you expected Smith to have the season he's having, I'd laugh in your face. Who thought he'd be the most productive player coming back from the Seguin trade?! Most had him pegged as a third liner on a deep Bruins squad, but he's earned top 6 minutes and he's thriving. 35 points in 48 games! He does have a relatively high shooting percentage though, (17.4%) so look out for a bit of regression.
Thanks for reading! -Johannes