NHL Breakout Candidates in 2015-16
Here’s our final NHL breakout candidates list before puck drop tonight to open the 2015-16 season. Over the past month or so we’ve been releasing all sorts of season preview related articles to get you primed for opening night tonight.
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After having a look at NHL training camps and preseason, we’d like to release our final edition of breakout candidates for the upcoming season. Our NHL breakout candidates list will feature individuals, duos, and lines that look primed for a spike in productivity during the 2015-16 campaign.
If you’d like to take a look at the opening-night rosters for all 30 teams, ESPN released this piece.
We’d love to hear your feedback on our list. Whether you agree or disagree. Perhaps we’ve left an omission off the list that you believe is worthy? Which of the following below intrigues you the most heading into the new NHL season?
We’ve also got a link that include ALL of our season preview material for 2015-16 found here
Hampus Lindholm, Anaheim
The young Ducks d-man shined last season increasing his point total by 4 from the previous season to 34. He also saw about 2 minutes more ice-time per game in 2014-15. He’s a responsible defenseman that’s a plus player who can also produce offensively.
Expect another gradual spike in production this season from Lindholm. With Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm, and Cam Fowler manning the point for the foreseeable future, things looks good in Anaheim.
Josh Manson, Anaheim
Pegged earlier before NHL training camps opened as a guy who could steal a roster spot, it looks as though Manson did just that.
He is Dave Manson‘s (ex NHLer) son, who’s actually a converted forward. Don’t expect much production from him because he’s strictly a defensive defenseman. He’ll be a solid shut down guy for the Ducks this season.
David Pastrnak, Boston
Sep 22, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins right wing
(88) during the third period against the Washington Capitals at TD Garden. The Boston Bruins won 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
This 2014 first rounder actually led the Boston Bruins in scoring during the second half of the 2014-15 season.
He put up 28 points in 25 games with Providence in the AHL before tallying 27 points in 46 games with the Bruins.
After Boston’s unusual moves in the offseason, a spot opens up for Pastrnak to move up the depth chart.
There’s a chance he could spend a lot of time on the top line. Look for last year’s point totals to nearly double.
Evander Kane, Buffalo
After coming over at the trade deadline last season, Kane opted to have surgery on his shoulder and never did suit up for the Sabres in 2014-15.
He had 22 points in 37 games with the Jets last season before being traded.
He now joins an overhauled Sabres roster where Evander Kane should be the benefactor of big minutes up front. Buffalo will see improvement, but may still not win a lot of games. But expect Evander Kane and Jack Eichel to have big seasons in Buffalo.
Elias Lindholm, Carolina
It’s a bit of a make or break season for Elias Lindholm. He needs to show the Canes he can be a solid top-six forward, preferably a top line forward.
He saw a spike in productivity last season putting up 39 points in 81 games. He also watched his ice-time jump from 14 to 16 in 2014-15. Lindholm should range around 17 minutes/game this season.
Chances are, we’ll see a nice spike in scoring this season. He’s one of our top NHL breakout candidates for this season.
Teuvo Teravainen, Chicago
A lot of roster moves in the offseason complemented with the fact that Teravainen had a solid playoff for the Blackhawks last season.
He’ll be moving way up the depth chart to begin the season. It’ll be interesting to see how he does compared to KHL transfer Artemi Panarin.
Regardless top-six minutes mixed with the skill Teuvo Teravainen possesses is an easy recipe for higher point totals.
Boone Jenner, Columbus
Jenner looks to be slotting in on the second-line next to Brandon Dubinsky to open the season in Columbus. He’s got a couple years of NHL experience now. Battled an injury last season but saw over 18 minutes/game ice-time when he was healthy and tallied 17 points in 31 games last season.
Jenner was already primed to be an NHL breakout candidate because of his skill level. But after the dominant preseason the Blue Jackets had, there’s another reason to believe the hype.
Nathan MacKinnon – Matt Duchene – Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado
Feb 3, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) and left wing
(92) celebrate the win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Avalanche defeat the Stars 3-2 in the overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Gabriel Landeskog is the only top-liner coming off a decent season where he put up 59 points. Matt Duchene had a slightly down season only tallying 55 points. Nathan MacKinnon fell victim to the sophomore slump and only produced 38 points.
The distraction of Ryan O’Reilly is gone in Colorado and some new faces look to make an impact.
The Avs should be a little better this season. But their top-line will be a lot better. All three will see better point totals this season as the three come together to show they can be one of the better top-lines in the NHL in 2015-16.
Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas
Injuries derailed Nichushkin’s season last year. This is a kid who broke onto the scene his rookie season with 34 points in 79 games.
He only appeared in 8 games last season, but expect him to slot in on the top-line to open the season in Dallas alongside Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.
It’s a bit of a make or break season for Nichushkin as he needs to cement his place on that top-line. The production needs to be there, or he’s gonna slip down the depth chart. He’s one of our top NHL breakout candidates for this season.
Teemu Pulkkinen, Detroit
After paying his dues down in Grand Rapids, and to some extent being over-simmered because there was just no room for him. It’s time for Pulkkinen to step in and prove his worth after dominating in the AHL.
There’s a good chance he could find himself getting top-six minutes at some point, but more likely he starts on the third line. Regardless of where he plays, this is a kid with sneaky good talent who will showcase it in 2014-15. He’s one of our top NHL breakout candidates for this season.
Jonathan Huberdeau & Aleksander Barkov, Florida
These two will have the benefit of playing alongside Jaromir Jagr and his luscious mullet for the entire 2014-15 campaign. Even if Jaromir Jagr doesn’t produce as much, the experience that Huberdeau and Barkov can learn from this future hall-of-famer in over the course of one season will be invaluable.
These are two young players who are surpremly talented and sometimes forgetten about due to the NHL market they play in. Look for both to have very impressive seasons down in Florida this year.
Andy Andreoff, Los Angeles
Another guy we had pegged before training camps as a guy who could steal a roster spot. It looks as though he did it. Andreoff appeared in 18 games for the Kings last season putting up 3 points over that span.
The former 2011 NHL third-rounder steps in for his first full season with the Kings. He’s not likely to be a heavy point producer, but he’s a gritty power forward type with some offensive skills.
Tyler Graovac, Minnesota
Oct 1, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild center Tyler Graovac (53) and Buffalo Sabres forward
(20) go after a loose puck during the third period at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild won 6-1 over the Sabres. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
Graovac put up 46 points in 73 games with AHL affiliate Iowa Wild in 2014-15. He appeared in 3 games for the Wild but didn’t put up any points.
This is another guy we had pegged prior to training camps as a rookie that could come in and have an impact.
Looks as though he’ll suit up for the Wild to open the season. He may not get a ton of ice-time to start, but he’s got the skills to move up the depth chart as the season goes on.
Damon Severson, New Jersey
One of the few bright spots on a worrysome looking Devils roster.
Severson put up 17 points in 51 games last season, and looks poised to be a top-4 d-man to open the season, but could land on the top pairing but the end.
He’s an underrated blue-liner with solid two-way skills but more of an offensive upside. The Devils may not score a ton of goals this season, but I’m willing to bet a fair amount of them with begin with this young man in the Devils zone.
Anders Lee, NY Islanders
The Islanders depth chart is so deep that it’s difficult to figure out line combinations. It’s more likely we see a juggling of lines until the Islanders find the right match-ups.
Kyle Okposo and John Tavares are virtual locks together on the top-line. After the training camp we saw from Anders Lee, its conceivable he could see a fair amount of time alongside those two in 2014-15. Lee had a solid rookie season last year, and should be able to avoid the sophomore slump. He’s one of our top NHL breakout candidates for this season.
Shane Prince, Ottawa
There was a roster battle at one point between Shane Prince and Matt Puempel, but both look to start the season with the Senators opening night.
Prince was another guy we had pegged prior to training camp to crack a roster spot.
Prince led Binghamton in scoring last season with 65 points. He’s one of those guys that proved he was NHL ready. Look for him to compete in the Calder Trophy race.
Tomas Hertl, San Jose
Mar 3, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl (48) warms up against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The San Jose Sharks won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Hertl busted onto the scene his rookie season in San Jose. Most remember him for that 4 goal performance during his first year.
He hit a wall in his second season falling victim to the dreaded sophomore slump that saw a dip in ice-time.
With guys like Melker Karlsson and Nikolay Goldobin sent to the AHL to open the season, look for Hertl to have an expanded role once again.
He’s a supremely talented young player who should definitely see his numbers multiply in 2014-15. He’s one of our top NHL breakout candidates for this season.
Paul Stastny, St.Louis
Stastny was one of the prized free agents during the summer of 2014. He ended up signing a $7 mil contract with the St.Louis Blues.
Unfortunately, his 60 points with the Avs in 2013-14 dropped to 46 points in 2014-15 with St.Louis.
Not to worry folks. Stastny is a great player who will find his game once again this season so look for those totals to increase dramatically with a major breakout.
Slater Koekkoek, Tampa Bay
Yet another guy we had pegged as likely to steal a roster spot prior to NHL training camps. He’ll be lucky to be a 6 or 7 guy to open the season but should earn more ice-time by the end of the season.
He’s more of a two-way defender so his point totals will never be off the chart, but he should be able to produce offensively and defensively.
Tyler Bozak, Toronto
Leafs fans have some pretty vocal opinions on Tyler Bozak. You always hear about him being Phil Kessel‘s long time linemate. But you never hear anyone question whether Bozak had to sacrifice some of his offense to help balance Kessel’s inept ability to play defense.
A little less defensive responsibilities this season could mean that Bozak tops 50 points finally for the first time in his career after falling one short on two occasions.
Bo Horvat, Vancouver
If you’ve ever watched the Canucks play, then you must love what this kid brings to the table each and every night. Even though he’ll never be an elite scorer, he will always be a guy that stands out to you when he’s on the ice.
Horvat put up 25 points in 68 games last season. Look for him to breakout and produce in the 35-40 range this season.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington
Sep 24, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Washington Capitals right wing
(77) celebrates his goal against Montreal Canadiens with teammates left wing
(8) and center Evgeny Kuznetsov (92) during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
With Nicklas Backstrom sidelined to open the season, it looks as though Evgeny Kuznetsov should be centering between Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie on the Capitals top-line.
He was regarded as the best player outside of North America before finally making the jump over to the NHL in 2013-14.
He had an instant impact producing 9 points in 17 games. In his first full season with the Caps in 2014-15, he tallied 37 points in 80 games while seeing an average of just over 13 minutes of ice-time.
Now imagine him playing 17-18 minutes a night this season and it’s easy to assume last years point total can be doubled.
Nic Petan, Winnipeg
Petan always had an outside shot at making the Jets heading into training camp this season. In his last year of Major Junior with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, he tallied 89 points in 54 games.
He’s been part of some impressive teams in Portland where he was a star among guys like Oliver Bjorkstrand, Brendan Leipsic, and Seth Jones over his tenure in the WHL.
Petan has a solid offensive upside and could be a solid contributor to a team that is hurting for top-six scoring.
He’ll have to pay his dues and earn more ice-time as the NHL season progresses, but could be a Calder Trophy candidate. It’s more likely that Nikolaj Ehlers is the more productive of Jets rookies though.
Next: 2015-16 NHL Fantasy Pool Guide
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