The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are right here, and heroes might be cast over the subsequent few weeks, starting with Saturday’s doubleheader when the New York Islanders face the Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs tackle the Boston Bruins. The large stars will get their likelihood to shine, however lesser-known names can usually be the distinction within the postseason.
Within the Western Convention, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Eichel will get many of the highlight, however they can not hoist the Stanley Cup on their very own. They’re going to want some assist from the remainder of the lineup, and we’ll spotlight a few of these gamers.
Younger gamers like Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators rookie Luke Evangelista are hoping to interrupt out within the postseason. Casey Mittelstadt and Elias Lindholm, who joined new groups in the course of the season, will attempt to be the lacking puzzle piece for his or her respective groups. Different gamers, like Stuart Skinner and Pierre-Luc Dubois, are in search of redemption in some type or one other.
Let’s take a deeper dive and take a look at a few of the gamers to look at within the Western Convention because the NHL playoffs start.
When the Stars fell to the Golden Knights in final season’s Western Convention Closing, Wyatt Johnston was a rookie, and he appeared prefer it at occasions. This season, Johnston must make extra of an affect if the Stars are going to get previous the defending champs. If the 2023-24 common season was any indication, Johnston is as much as the duty. The 20-year-old ahead led Dallas with 32 targets, and his 58.9% anticipated targets share at five-on-five was top-of-the-line marks on the staff, per Pure Stat Trick. Do not count on Vegas to maintain Johnston off the scoresheet this time round.
Because the seconds ticked down towards the 2023 NHL commerce deadline, the Golden Knights managed to drag off a stunner. Vegas acquired Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks, making an already formidable roster much more imposing. On the time, Hertl was recovering from an harm, however he returned in time to play six video games on the finish of the common season. In that point, Hertl posted two targets and two assists whereas assuming a key position on the ability play. Hertl will add extra punch to the Golden Knights’ ahead group, and that might be particularly key with Mark Stone nonetheless working his method again from a spleen harm.
The Jets could not have a Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar of their lineup, however they do have a fairly underrated supply of offensive punch in Nikolaj Ehlers. Now in his ninth season with the Jets, Ehlers has been having maybe the perfect season of his profession. His 25 targets had been tied for fourth on the staff, and his 61 factors had been tied for third. Past that, the Jets owned a plus-29 purpose differential with Ehlers on the ice at five-on-five, in keeping with Pure Stat Trick. There was some frustration with Ehlers’ lack of ice time this season, however Winnipeg head coach Rick Bowness could not have a lot of a alternative if his staff falls behind.
Casey Mittelstadt might be one thing of an X-factor on this collection. Final season, the Avalanche’s lack of depth price them in opposition to the Seattle Kraken, and it is one thing the Jets may exploit this yr, too. Colorado tried to deal with its second-line middle problem final offseason by bringing in Ryan Johansen. That transfer did not pan out in any respect, so the Avs swung a giant commerce to herald Mittelstadt on the commerce deadline. Mittelstadt joined the staff on March 8, and since then he has 4 targets and 6 assists in 18 video games. These numbers do not soar off the web page, however he has been an improve over Johansen, and his playmaking potential offers the Avs extra versatility up entrance.
If there’s one space the place the Canucks have a transparent benefit over the Predators, it is down the center. Having Elias Lindholm as a third-line middle is a luxurious that few groups can match, and Nashville is not considered one of them. The difficulty is that Lindholm hasn’t precisely been a slam dunk in Vancouver. After being acquired by the Canucks in February, Lindholm acquired off to a little bit of a gradual begin however has picked it up currently. Nonetheless, his five-on-five impacts have been considerably underwhelming total. In response to Pure Stat Trick, Lindholm’s 44.6% anticipated targets share is without doubt one of the worst numbers on the staff. If Lindholm can elevate his recreation within the postseason, Vancouver generally is a major problem within the West.
The Predators’ prime line has been glorious all season, but when they need to go on a run this spring, the remainder of the lineup has to contribute extra regularly. A main candidate for a postseason breakout is rookie winger Luke Evangelista. The previous second-round choose has proven flashes of greatness all season, ending with 16 targets and 23 assists, however he actually discovered a groove late within the common season. Evangelista’s reference to Tommy Novak gave Nashville a talented second line, and people two boast a powerful 59.0% anticipated targets share at five-on-five, per Pure Stat Trick. If these two can maintain that going within the playoffs, when offense is tougher to return by, the Predators all of a sudden look extra threatening at ahead.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are going to create some offense. That isn’t a query. The large query in Edmonton is whether or not the goaltending will maintain up effectively sufficient for a Stanley Cup run. Stuart Skinner had an uneven season in 2023-24. He began out fairly poorly, however he discovered his recreation in the course of the season and helped the Oilers fly up the Pacific Division standings. In fact, the stress ramps up within the postseason, and Skinner didn’t deal with that stress effectively in 2023. Final yr, Skinner appeared in 12 playoff video games and posted a .883 save share to associate with 6.93 targets allowed above common. Skinner must be higher than that to ensure that Edmonton to outlive a loaded Western Convention.
Few gamers might be underneath extra scrutiny in these playoffs than Pierre-Luc Dubois. This previous summer time, the Kings acquired Dubois from the Jets and signed him to an eight-year contract price $68 million. Dubois’ manufacturing has not matched that paycheck. He completed the common season with 16 targets and 24 assists in 82 video games. That is not what Los Angeles thought it was getting when it landed Dubois, but when there’s a silver lining, it is that the staff has managed scoring possibilities with him within the recreation. Regardless of an underwhelming first season with the Kings, Dubois can change that narrative with a giant playoff efficiency in opposition to the Oilers.
