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NHL Hockey: Surprise Teams and Catalyst Players Roundtable

By Bryan Nelson

Feb 20, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider (35) stands on the ice during a stoppage in play against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider (35) stands on the ice during a stoppage in play against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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NHL Hockey: Mar 18, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) celebrates a goal against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Hockey: Mar 18, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) celebrates a goal against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

NHL Hockey: Teams That Could Surprise and Catalyst Players in 2016-17 (Group Roundtable)

Every year there is that one team that performs well above our expectations. Last season, we witnessed the Buffalo Sabres improve by nearly thirty points above their previous season.

NHL hockey is nothing like the other big leagues in North America. A rebuilding era is more than just a season of shrewd moves and a strong draft. A new coach can instill confidence in a team that has lost it, and every player needs to be in sync for the team to find any success on the ice.

Jan 31, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; General view of Bridgestone Arena during player introductions before the 2016 NHL All Star Game at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; General view of Bridgestone Arena during player introductions before the 2016 NHL All Star Game at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

On a weekly basis here at Puck Prose, we turn to our contributors and experts to get their opinion on various league-wide NHL topics.  In our previous edition, we asked which World Cup of Hockey teams/players would surprise, you can check it out here.

This week, we asked our team two questions tying into one another. The first was which team they thought would surpass expectations in 2016-17. The other was which player on that team would be a catalyst for their success.

There was a diverse range of thoughts expressed. Every reasoning is different, but one thing is for sure, we have an exciting NHL hockey season on our hands if these teams perform well.

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