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New York Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Can Red Wings find missing piece on defense with pick No. 13 in NHL Draft?
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Since Steve Yzerman took over as general manager of the Red Wings back in 2019, Detroit hasn't been shy about stockpiling defensemen through the draft. Yzerman used his first pick as GM (No. 6 in 2019) to select Moritz Seider, who quickly became a foundational piece of the Red Wings' blue line. Two years later, he used the No. 6 pick in 2021 on Simon Edvinsson, who has joined Seider as a top-four staple for the long-term future. In 2023, Detroit grabbed slick Swede Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who projects to run the team's top power play in the future. Yzerman's Red Wings have also used a whopping six second-round picks on defensemen since 2019, including Albert Johansson, who turned himself into a nightly regular this past season. Advertisement It's been a lot of draft capital, and in a couple of years, it looks entirely possible that Detroit could have a true homegrown blue line to show for it. Detroit has a pair of true two-way pillars in Seider and Edvinsson. It likely has its power-play quarterback in Sandin-Pellikka. It also has the potential for depth, headlined by Johansson at the NHL level and with prospects Shai Buium, William Wallinder and Anton Johansson all candidates to become regulars someday. But even projecting down the line, there may still be a missing piece: one more true stopper who projects to play tough minutes in that top four — whether pairing with Seider or slotting in as a physical, defensive piece who enables Sandin-Pellikka to maximize his talents. And as the 2025 NHL Draft creeps ever closer, Detroit's 13th pick on June 27 may just present the opportunity to find that piece — if a few things break the right way. The draft's top prospect, lefty Matthew Schaefer, will be long gone by 13. The safe bet is that WHL righty Radim Mrtka, who measured in just under 6-foot-6 at the combine, will be gone too. After that, though, it's a little more open-ended. The best fit might be Kashawn Aitcheson, a lefty out of OHL Barrie who plays with a throwback level of snarl. Aitcheson measured in at 6-foot-1 1/2 at the combine, and while his thundering hits are certainly a hallmark of his game, he also has plenty of offense, scoring 26 goals this season while putting up nearly a point per game. Compilation of hits (and a couple fights) of dman Kashawn Aitcheson from the Barrie Colts during his #NHLDraft year. Kash is a missile and throws bone crushing hits, as seen in the clips. The physical aspect of his game makes him an extremely attractive prospect. #2025NHLDraft — Ryan McArthur (@ryanpmcarthur) May 22, 2025 Aitcheson told me he's still working on the balance of when to get aggressive and make those big hits (or jump into the rush), and when to hold off, which will be part of his maturation process, but the fact he's so capable of doing both is highly appealing. He also has an impressive feel for the moment — he had two goals (including the winner) and an assist in Barrie's Game 7 win over Kingston in this year's OHL playoffs and led all OHL defenseman with six winning goals in the regular season. Advertisement 'I think it's just the bigger the game, the bigger the moment, I think the bigger player I get,' Aitcheson told me in Buffalo. 'That's just kind of how it's always been.' Put all those elements together — the physicality, the offense, the feel for the moment and the solid size in a mobile defender — and it's easy to get excited. That said, while Aitcheson plays like the kind of player the Red Wings have coveted, it was interesting to learn he hadn't met with Detroit when we spoke midweek in Buffalo and wasn't scheduled to. That doesn't mean everything, but there are also two potential destinations for him right in front of Detroit's spot, with Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers picking 11 and 12. That makes his path to Detroit look a bit less likely. Another strong candidate would be WHL lefty Jackson Smith, who certainly fits the long, rangy profile Detroit has targeted in its defensemen. Smith measured in at 6-foot-4, 199 pounds and looks every bit of it. He's also a good skater, has offense in his game and is easy to see becoming a two-way blueliner with serious impact on the transition game. One thing I find interesting about Smith after speaking with his coaches in Tri-City is that he's been used differently for Team Canada than he has with his junior club. Coming up, he was an offensive-minded player, and accordingly, he's played more of an offensive role for his WHL team — where his 54 points in 68 games were more than double Tri-City's next-highest-scoring defender. But the national team leaned on him to use his tools more as a defensive stopper. 'I can kind of just switch my mindset to 'just got to shut down these guys,'' Smith said. 'Like, don't worry about the other side of the puck, just shut them down.' That mindset shift entails being 'a pest in the D-zone, making simple plays, just keeping it simple, not trying to do too much,' he said, and right now, he does take some risks that his future NHL team will want to iron out as he develops. Advertisement Smith also acknowledged the physical side of the game can come and go for him, and feels it's something he needs to bring back to his game more in WHL play. 'But then when I go to Team Canada events I do again, so I think it's just a bit more of a mentality for me, where you need to keep on being physical.' But while he's still on the raw side, the tools are there if he's able to roll it into one complete package: The offense that can come from his skill and skating and the physical tools to shut down transition offense. If he can do that, and add in more of the physical dimension, the recipe for a two-way, top-four defender is there. He also has valuable versatility in being able to play both sides of the ice, growing up playing the right side and doing so again at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge. 'I can play either side, I'm very comfortable with both,' Smith said. 'Gotten a little bit more comfortable on the left side these past two years, but you throw me on the right side, I'll do the same thing.' As with Aitcheson, there's a chance Smith could get scooped up just before Detroit goes on the clock. Big, toolsy defenseman tend to go early in drafts, and both qualify. But if that happens — which would likely mean four defensemen going in the top 12 — that's the path for a top winger prospect such as Victor Eklund to still be on the board for the Red Wings at 13. Detroit certainly could use another scoring winger in its system, and there are a handful they met with at the combine who could fit. If they end up really wanting a 'D,' though, there are a few more names to know. Kitchener LHD Cam Reid isn't as big as the defensemen Detroit usually targets high in the draft — and the Red Wings were one of two teams he didn't interview with in Buffalo — but he's an excellent skater who competes and plays a smart game. It's not too hard to imagine him still finding a way to eat minutes in the NHL, even as a smaller player. Advertisement 'It's no secret, I'm not the tallest guy on the ice, but that doesn't mean I can't have an impact like I'm tall out there,' Reid said. 'I just kind of think of it (as) just get in the face of guys, and just try to be a guy that's hard to play against. That's all I really care about.' There are also a couple of bigger bodies in righties Logan Hensler (NCAA Wisconsin) and Blake Fiddler (WHL Edmonton), though the value gets more debatable the further you go down the list. The importance of a strong, well-rounded blue line is hammered home every time you watch a Stanley Cup playoff game. It's hard to win at any meaningful level without one. But if Aitcheson and Smith end up going just before Detroit picks, the Red Wings may have to weigh that against their need for more offensive pop in their forward pipeline. (Photo of Moritz Seider and Brogan Rafferty: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Todd McLellan points to Detroit Red Wings' mental sagging for stretch run struggles
The Detroit Red Wings are running out of time to stop what their coach described as mentally sagging and start believing in themselves. Once again, after their latest loss, the phrase "not enough" was applicable: Not enough scoring when handed five power plays the first 22 minutes of the game, not enough push after making it close, not enough to avoid losing for the 11th time in the last 14 games. "Every loss is pretty hard right now," Simon Edvinsson said after Thursday's 4-3 defeat to the Ottawa Senators. "Everybody knows how important every game is. We were close, we had some chances all of the game, but we couldn't get the puck in. The last goal wasn't there for us." Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot (72) and Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond (23) battle for the puck in the second period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, March 27, 2025. THURSDAY'S ACTION: Red Wings squander chance to improve in playoff race, fall 4-3 to Ottawa Senators Advertisement The Wings (33-33-6) next play Saturday at home against the Boston Bruins, with the schedule down to 10 games and four teams to climb over to reach the second wild-card spot in the East. "You can say however many times as you want that we're going to do everything in our power to get there," Lucas Raymond said, "but I think for us right now it's just about digging in and getting it done and keeping that belief in ourselves." The Wings face a brutal schedule, with six of nine games in April on the road, and two back-to-backs, also on the road. But their biggest enemy may be themselves. "We have to get better defensively, we have to get better in the faceoff circle, we have to have better coverages," coach Todd McLellan said. "I look at the game tonight, 4-3, wow, you almost came back, you made it close. But that might be the most outnumbered rush situations I've seen this year from our team. The first goal was four-on-two. There were multiple two-on-ones. There were short breakaways, where the D was just getting walked from the tops of the circles in. Advertisement "Until we learn to take that crap out of our game, we're going to need six a night, and that can't happen. So that's not good enough. When you use those words, sometimes people think effort or whatever — no. It's systematic. It's the mind. It's understanding the game. That's not good enough." Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (92) and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (85) battle for the puck in the second period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, March 27, 2025. That was the same assessment after Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the same as the losses this month to the Washington Capitals — the same after pretty much every elite team they've lost to this month. The Wings were 15-5-1 from Christmas, when McLellan was named coach, until the Four Nations Face-Off break, but they are 5-10-1 since that ended on Feb. 22. "I go back to when we arrived, we talked about building up a belief system," McLellan said. "It's getting tested, and it has been getting tested this whole month. It's not just the wins and losses in your record, it's about what happens in a game. And we've seen that multiple times where it doesn't go our way and it drops off for five minutes. And then we get it back. Advertisement "We can't sag. It's as much mental as it is physical and structural." Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@ Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, 'The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,' was released October 2024. Her books, 'On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,' and 'The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings' are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings playoff chase: Blame it on mental sags, says coach
New York Times
25-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The NHL's most improved players of 2024-25, from Dylan Holloway to Logan Cooley
One of the best parts of every NHL season is tracking which players take off. It doesn't matter how many skaters are labeled as can't-miss breakout picks in September, there are always surprise performances that nobody saw coming — whether it's a young piece blossoming into a franchise star, a spare part forcing his way into the team's core or anything in between. Advertisement There were a few important caveats in making this 'most improved' list. For starters, we won't be including rookies. Simon Edvinsson, who's having a huge year in Detroit, is not Calder Trophy-eligible, but we're considering him a rookie for this article because he only played 16 NHL games last season. Same with Shane Wright. Second, because there are so many breakout campaigns to choose from, we filtered out already-established star players who have leveled up, such as Zach Werenski, Brandon Hagel, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Lucas Raymond and Cole Caufield, among others. Yes, they all took a significant step, but everyone already knew them as marquee players and producers. Third, we're excluding big-name/established players in the middle of bounce-back years such as Jakob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Filip Gustavsson, Tom Wilson, Rickard Rakell, Anders Lee, Jake Walman, Jason Zucker, Darcy Kuemper and Nick Jensen, among others. There are so many deserving candidates and whittling this list down was very hard; it definitely isn't perfect. But here's my best attempt at capturing the league's most improved players in 2024-25, presented in no particular order. This breakout isn't entirely surprising. Holloway only produced modest offensive numbers last year — 16 points in 63 games between the regular season and playoffs — but he showed tantalizing flashes of dynamic speed and skill in a limited role with the Edmonton Oilers, averaging 11:22 per game. With a larger opportunity in St. Louis, natural age-related growth and Holloway's explosive athletic tools, there were several reasons to be bullish about the left winger taking a step forward this season. The 23-year-old has exceeded even the most optimistic targets, though, as he's on pace for 58 points. He's found an even higher level since the Blues' coaching change, scoring 33 points in 36 games under Jim Montgomery. Advertisement One critical difference compared to last season is that he seems less rushed and more poised making plays with the puck. He's always had the jaw-dropping foot speed to thrive in an NHL environment, but sometimes when he had the puck his reads and decision-making were frenetic and didn't keep up. Now, it's as if the game has slowed down for him — he gets his head up and scans the ice for passing options more efficiently, which has unlocked better playmaking. For example, watch how patient Holloway is with the puck in the clip below. He doesn't have much time and space in the neutral zone, but instead of forcing an entry or dumping the puck in, he recognizes that Brayden Schenn is flying up the wing. Holloway calmly holds onto the puck and springs Schenn for a Grade-A chance, on which he hits the post. Earlier in the same game, Holloway showed good vision and did a clever job of masking his intentions — his head and body were turned to the net as if he was going to take a sharp-angle shot until the last second — to set Zack Bolduc up in the slot for a goal. Here's a play where Holloway uses his speed down low to hold onto the puck. As he circles the net, he slides a pass across to the back door for a brilliant chance. The three clips I've shown aren't sexy, highlight-reel plays. If I wanted to pick flashier plays, there are countless examples of Holloway torching defenders with his wheels. But I specifically chose the examples above because they showcase his increased confidence, ambition and poise with the puck, which has made him a terror because he's stacked that on top of the game-breaking speed, ferocious energy and heavy frame he's always had. Advertisement Thompson was a solid goaltender on a dirt-cheap $766,667 cap hit in Vegas, but between injuries, inconsistent play and an untested playoff track record, he'd never established himself as a true No.1 goaltender. He and Adin Hill were both scheduled to be free agents at the end of 2024-25. Thompson wanted a bigger opportunity and Hill, who led Vegas to a Cup win, was already their guy, so the Golden Knights flipped Thompson to the Capitals for two third-round picks. The 27-year-old goaltender has been lights-out in D.C. Thompson has a .920 save percentage, ranks second-best among all goaltenders with 26.9 goals saved above expected and owns a ridiculous 25-2-5 record. If the season ended today, he'd probably be a Vezina Trophy finalist behind Connor Hellebuyck. Data via Evolving-Hockey Washington rewarded Thompson with a six-year, $5.85 million AAV extension last month. Goaltenders can be notoriously volatile year over year, but given how precipitously the salary-cap ceiling is expected to climb over the next three seasons and given the rapidly inflating goalie market, it's a deal that could yield considerable surplus value. Thompson will be the 14th highest-paid goaltender in the NHL next season, and he's only going to fall further down that list in the coming years as new goalie deals get signed. In other words, even if Thompson regresses a bit next season and is closer to a league-average starter, he'll still be worth his contract. And if he maintains this year's monster breakout, it'll be one of the best deals in the league. The well-deserved hype around Werenski's otherworldly performance this season has caused Marchenko's exceptional breakout campaign to fly under the radar outside of Columbus. The 24-year-old Russian winger has exploded for 56 points in 54 games, 15 points ahead of the team's next-highest-scoring forward. Marchenko's lethal, heavy shot is a standout attribute. His release is lightning-quick and he generates a ton of power, which makes it difficult for goaltenders to get set even when he's firing from medium to long distances. Advertisement Marchenko is a high-volume shot creator — he leads Blue Jackets forwards in shots per 60 at five-on-five — but what makes him special is that he has dangerous tools besides just his shot. He's a big-bodied winger at 6-foot-3 but is also a surprisingly fast and shifty skater, ranking in the 93rd percentile of NHL forwards for speed bursts above 20 miles per hour according to NHL Edge. Marchenko's speed, silky-smooth puckhandling and size make him a dazzling puck carrier. Here's an example of his elite skill off the rush: He and Sean Monahan have spent over 400 five-on-five minutes together on the top line, in which the Blue Jackets have controlled a whopping 60 percent of expected goals and outscored opponents 34-11. Columbus looks unstoppable offensively when Zach Werenski's pair is deployed with the Marchenko/Monahan duo. They're fast and lethal on the counterattack but also have the size and puck control to create chances off the cycle. In the clip below, for example, watch how strong Marchenko is on his feet. He wards off the pressure of two defenders and cuts into the middle to make a play to continue his line's offensive pressure. Moments later, he ends up with a Grade-A scoring chance. Samberg is arguably the most underrated piece of the dominant Jets. Winnipeg's top-four blue line was a bit of a question mark heading into this season. The Jets' blue line always felt like it was missing another high-end top-four driver, and that's before second-pair stalwart Brenden Dillon left for New Jersey in free agency. Samberg's emergence as an elite shutdown defenseman has been a godsend for the Jets. Advertisement The 26-year-old left-shot defender's role has skyrocketed compared to the third-pair minutes he played last season. Samberg is averaging 21:20 per game and has been trusted by the coaching staff to eat the toughest matchup assignments against top forwards of all Winnipeg blueliners. The Jets have controlled 56.3 percent of expected goals during his five-on-five shifts, which is the best mark among the team's defensemen by a country mile. Chart via Evolving-Hockey's RAPM model Samberg has averaged the most PK minutes per game on the team and is driving stellar short-handed results in that heavy usage. He checks many boxes for a modern-day elite shutdown player: He's 6-foot-4 which gives him a massive reach/wingspan, he skates well which enables him to quickly gap up to eliminate time and space, his anticipation is impeccable and his defensive stick is constantly clogging lanes and breaking plays up. He's got underrated offensive skill for a defensive defenseman too, as he's chipped in with 13 points in 36 games despite missing some time with an injury, which is about a 30-point pace over 82 games. Here's an example of that: A little drop pass from Dylan Samberg to set up Gabriel Vilardi! 👀 — NHL (@NHL) January 27, 2025 Protas had just three goals and 18 points in 42 games last January when the Capitals inked him to a bold five-year, $16.87 million ($3.375 million AAV) extension. That contract already looks like a steal as the 24-year-old Belarusian winger has scored 23 goals and 50 points in 57 games this season. Those offensive numbers are especially shocking because he's played less than 10 minutes on the power play all season. Protas' 22 even-strength goals are tied with David Pastrnak, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Ovechkin for sixth-best in the NHL. Protas is a power forward boasting a freakish physical profile. He stands at a hulking 6-foot-6 but also skates like the wind, ranking in the 90th percentile of NHL forwards for speed bursts above 20 miles per hour. Watch how quickly he flies down the ice to turn a loose puck into a breakaway goal; it's rare for such a big man to move that well. Protas' shot appears to have more oomph behind it this year. Here's an example of him ripping a snipe past Alex Nedeljkovic during the Caps' first game back from the 4 Nations break. He can also make an offensive impact by parking himself in front of the net, sees the ice well as a passer and has decent puck skills for such a huge player. Necas has always had game-breaking speed and skill, but it's taken until this season for him to break out as a star player. The 26-year-old winger is on pace to crack 90 points, and the pop in his production can be explained by a few factors. Advertisement Firstly, Necas had an excellent showing for Czechia at the IIHF World Championships last summer. He excelled offensively at that tournament, but most crucially, the coaching staff had full faith and trust in him, which he hadn't experienced in Carolina and which built his confidence high heading into training camp. Necas' high-octane puck-rushing style has never been an ideal fit with Rod Brind'Amour's system and in previous seasons, the leash was short if he turned pucks over or made defensive mistakes. But this year, the Canes, who lost a lot of talent in the summer, gave him much more free rein to play his natural style. The fit for Necas in Colorado since the Mikko Rantanen blockbuster has been perfect. The Avs love attacking off the rush, which is Necas' bread and butter. Necas is one of the fastest players in the NHL — he's behind only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid for speed bursts above 20 miles per hour — and is a one-man zone entry machine. The Avs have put Necas on the top line with MacKinnon and their dominance genuinely looks like something out of a video game. It's magical. Imagine how terrifying it is to defend MacKinnon's elite speed and skill; now imagine having to stop two forwards with the same skill set who play together like they have 10 years of chemistry. Enjoy a few of these outrageous plays: Martin Nečas 🇨🇿 včera nakonec se 3 body. 8 bodů v 7 zápasech. A když jsem včera viděl od Nečase toto vyvezení puku z obranného pásma do útočného, věděl jsem, že to musím druhý den pro vás střihnout. Jinak tohle není nějaká výjimka. Nečas patří k elitě v tomto směru. @DenikSport — Adam Papoušek (@AdamPapousek) February 7, 2025 The Avs have controlled a whopping 67 percent of scoring chances during Necas' five-on-five shifts. With the pressure to prove his value mounting, Rossi finally began putting it together last season, scoring 40 points as a rookie for the Wild. Rossi's taken another leap in 2024-25, on pace to crack 70 points. You'd expect most undersized, high-point-producing centers to have explosive, game-breaking skill, but Rossi is a different archetype stylistically. Advertisement The 23-year-old is a sneaky net-front savant because of his timing, IQ and underrated physical strength. He barely racks up shots (he ranks 13th among Wild forwards in shots per 60 at five-on-five), but he's efficient at generating the highest quality looks from the interior — he ranks in the 91st percentile of forwards for shots on goal from high-danger locations, which is where 14 of his 20 goals have come from according to NHL Edge. Rossi's off-puck play to get open in these premium scoring areas is a huge asset. He can outbattle bigger defenders to win inside position for tips and rebounds despite his height disadvantage. He can also intelligently slink into dangerous scoring locations and get open without being detected by the opposition. In the clip below, watch how Rossi gets open at the back door for a goal because of his timing and off-puck movement — he starts high in the attacking zone, sinks deep into the corner to get lost from Anaheim's penalty killers and then re-emerges at the back post at the perfect time to feast. It's easier for Rossi to get lost in coverage because of how much attention Kirill Kaprizov demands from the opposition, but he isn't just riding Kaprizov's coattails. Kaprizov has missed 19 games since the Christmas break due to an injury and Rossi has scored 17 points, nearly a full point-per-game, in those contests. Johnson has every ingredient you look for in a playmaking machine: He's got mesmerizingly quick hands, is an ambitious, creative puck carrier and boasts exceptional IQ/vision. The knock on the No. 5 pick from 2021 was whether his wiry frame and lack of explosive straight-line speed would hold him back from top-six NHL success. Specifically, you wondered if he'd be limited to the perimeter and not have enough meaningful puck touches in threatening areas to let his elite offensive tools shine. He was also derailed by a major shoulder injury last season. Well, Johnson came into camp this year thicker and faster and the rest is history. The dynamic 22-year-old winger has scored 19 goals and 38 points in 43 games. He drives offensive zone entries with possession at the highest rate of Columbus' forwards, according to Corey Sznajder's manually tracked data. He's often responsible for the top power-play unit's zone entries, too. Advertisement The clip below shows an example — you'll notice Johnson is a dynamic puck carrier more so because of his incredible stickhandling, his deception (he'll use his head movement to fake different passes) and how he slaloms in and out of space at intelligent angles, rather than relying on being blindingly fast in a straight line. Johnson's also developed into a high-end finisher who can cleanly beat goalies from midrange distances. The key isn't just his shot, but how he uses his slick puckhandling to manufacture clear shooting lanes. He showed that in both of his goals against Chicago, which included this gorgeous finish on the power play. The Blue Jackets' crop of exciting young forwards has arrived, which has propelled the team to top-10 status in goals scored per game. Broberg couldn't crack the Oilers lineup consistently in 2023-24, suiting up for 12 games in the regular season and 10 in the playoffs. In one year, he's gone from predominantly being an AHL player to thriving in a top-four role for the Blues. Broberg has always had an exciting combination of size (6-foot-4) and smooth skating ability. The question was whether he could develop the IQ and puck skills to complement those physical tools, which he has. The 23-year-old is averaging 20:07 per game, has chipped in with 17 points in 45 games and is driving solid two-way results. Broberg is becoming a confident puck carrier, which allows him to escape forechecking pressure on the breakout consistently. He's making subtle, poised passes to drive zone exits, too. Here's an example where he finds a loose puck in the defensive zone slot, stays composed even with an Islanders forward quickly closing on him and makes a nifty backhand saucer pass to spark a controlled breakout. Broberg is excelling defensively because of his range and long, disruptive stick. He's been on the ice for just 1.45 goals against per 60 at five-on-five. He's going to be a valuable top-four building block in St. Louis for a long time. Cooley endured some growing pains during the first half of his rookie campaign last season, scoring one goal at five-on-five in his first 41 games while also getting crushed from a two-way perspective. By the end of the year, however, he looked like one of the most promising young players in the NHL. Cooley piled up 11 goals and 16 points in his last 22 games, but more important than the numbers, he looked infinitely more comfortable and dangerous. Advertisement Cooley has built on last year's strong finish, scoring 44 points in 51 games this season. He and Dylan Guenther have been a deadly duo on Utah's second line, although Cooley's been bumped up to center the top line lately. The 20-year-old sophomore is already nearly unguardable off the rush with his game-breaking speed and puckhandling. LOGAN COOLEY 🥶 The former third overall pick now has 42 points in 46 games! — NHL (@NHL) January 21, 2025 Cooley's continuing to improve as a two-way player, which has included increased penalty-killing responsibilities this season. He's also grown physically bigger: He was listed at 5-foot-10, 174 pounds by most draft guides in 2022 but is now officially listed at 6 feet, 191 pounds. That size difference makes a considerable difference as a center. With his speed, hands, offensive instincts and developing two-way chops, Cooley has all the makings of a future superstar. Honorable mentions: Anthony Cirelli, Sean Monahan, Simon Holmstrom, Matt Coronato, Ryan Donato, Dmitri Voronkov, Johnathan Kovacevic, William Eklund, Jackson LaCombe, Matthew Knies, Kevin Lankinen, Lukas Dostal, Jake Evans, Michael Kesselring, Mackenzie Blackwood, Connor McMichael, Will Cuylle, Anton Lundell, Ryan McLeod, Stefan Noesen, Adam Gaudette, Pavel Dorofeyev, Alex Laferriere, Spencer Knight (Photos of Dylan Holloway and Logan Cooley: Steph Chambers and Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
