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Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five NHL Players Having Under-The-Radar Breakout Seasons
By Rory Arthur, The Hockey News Intern Every year there are a handful of breakout players who take a step up in their production and take on a bigger role for their respective NHL teams. Some of these players blossom into superstars and get their plaudits for it. But some fly beneath the radar, growing into key roles without receiving a ton of mainstream attention. Here's a look at five such players in 2024-25. The hulking 6-foot-6 Belarusian winger has blasted past his career highs this season. Protas had 13 goals in 169 NHL games across his first three seasons for Washington. This year, he already has 29 goals through 67 games, as well as 30 assists. And when you take into account that 54 of his 59 points thus far have come at even strength – ranking him eighth in the NHL, which is just two points behind Connor McDavid – you get a player who's gone from being a bottom-six forward to a top producer for the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals. Aliaksei Protas keeps on rolling 🔥⁰Already building on career-best marks in points and goals this season, the @Capitals forward picked up his first NHL career hat trick and three short-handed points to lead the league in goals and overall scoring as NHLPA Player of the Week! — NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 14, 2025 The 2019 second-round pick has really taken off for the Ducks this season, especially since the calendar flipped to January. Since the start of the new year, LaCombe has 21 points in 30 games and is regularly playing 24-plus minutes a night. The 24-year-old has become a top-pair defenseman as the Ducks have turned in a winning record in the 2025 portion of the schedule. LaCombe's best game came in Edmonton on March 4, when he put up three assists and was a plus-5 in the Ducks' 6-2 win. Johnson's biggest moment of fame occurred at the 2022 World Junior Championship when he scored the golden goal for Canada. Now in the NHL, the 22-year-old fifth-overall draft pick from 2021 is having a breakout season in Columbus. Despite missing a handful of games with a shoulder injury in the fall, he's already surpassed his career highs in goals and points in just 50 games. Kent Johnson with one of the cleanest goals of the 360, no look, perfect placement on the backhand. What a goal. — Nasher (@TheNasher61) February 5, 2025 One big part of Johnson's success has been a full-time move to the wing, as evidenced by him not taking a single faceoff this season after spending time at center in past seasons. This has allowed the highly skilled forward to showcase his scoring ability without having to stress over the two-way responsibilities of a center. Edvinsson may not have the flashy point totals of others on this list, but the Swedish defenseman has quietly emerged as a solid top-four D-man in Detroit. The Red Wings love to slowly integrate their prospects into the NHL club by giving them plenty of time with AHL Grand Rapids, and that was the case for the 6-foot-6 blueliner's first two seasons. But in 2024-25, the mobile Edvinsson has solidified his spot, playing almost 21 minutes a game for a team fighting for a wild-card playoff berth, and he'll be a key player if Detroit can get over the line and make it into the post-season. Dorofeyev has broken out as a goal-scoring machine in Vegas this season, especially on the power play. The Russian winger is second on the team in goals with 27, including 11 on the man advantage, using his big one-timer from the right wall as a weapon to beat opposing goalies. He's also shooting more accurately this season, as he's registering three shots-on-goal per game in 2024-25, up from around two shots per game last year. Dorofeyev has embraced his role at the top of Vegas' lineup. Pavel Dorofeyev's got goals in three straight games! ⚔️#NHLStats: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ — NHL (@NHL) March 15, 2025 Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clayton Keller Named NHLPA Player of The Week
Coming off a career-high 5-point performance in Utah's dominant 6-1 win over Minnesota, Clayton Keller has been named the NHLPA Player of the Week. Keller coming in hot 🔥Coming off his first career 5-point night to lead the league in points & assists has Clayton Keller securing his spot as NHLPA Player of the Week! — NHLPA (@NHLPA) February 28, 2025 Along with having a career-high outing against the Wild, Keller has a great stretch ever since coming back from the 4-Nations break. In the four games since coming back, Keller has totaled 9 total points with two goals and seven assists across four games. Utah has gone 3-1 in those games with its only loss coming against the LA Kings on the road. Not only does Keller's 9 points over the last four game lead the team, but it also is the highest total in all of the NHL. There is no sign of Keller slowing down either, especially as it fights for the final Wild Card spot in the Western conference. So, if anything, Keller is likely to keep getting points and adding to this already impressive stretch. Along with that, there is also a chance for Utah to finish its homestretch 4-0 if it can win its upcoming game against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, March. 1. So expect Keller to keep up his impressive play against the Devils. Utah HC's Jack McBain & Wild's Jacob Middleton Drop Gloves In HeavyWeight Tilt Last night in the Utah Hockey Club vs. Minnesota Wild game, there was more action than just goals being scored.
