Three NHL players we didn’t expect to have a fantastic season in 2020-21

Jason Robertson, F – Dallas Stars

Another candidate in the Calder Trophy race that has recently emerged as a key piece in the Dallas Stars roster is 21-year-old Arcadia, California native Jason Robertson.

The 39th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft came into this season having played only three NHL games last year. With the depth of the Stars roster last season, it was only fitting that there truly was no place in the front 12 in Dallas for Robertson.

In February, Robertson was called up by the Stars to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs and recorded an assist. Since then it’s been quite clear that the young American winger has filled the void for Corey Perry‘s absence when the veteran forward opted to sign for the Montreal Canadiens in the offseason.

Robertson’s season is quite remarkable in so many ways. Out of the list of players here he is by far the most surprising. No hype. No expectations. Just hard-nosed hockey over the course of the season since coming to the NHL. In 51 regular season games, the 21-year-old has accumulated 45 points (17 G, 28 A) while playing on the top line with Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski.

He is a Calder Trophy candidate, second behind Kirill Kaprizov, and has been both a scorer and a playmaker for the team. Mind you, it is uncertain moving forward if he will be consistent. Jumping the gun in this case is like learning how to run before you walk. With Robertson only time will tell.

But, for now at least, he has been having an amazing season and something the Dallas Stars needed as they have been hampered with injuries over the course of this year.

While it was a bitterly disappointing year for the Dallas Stars, who failed to make the postseason despite reaching the Stanley Cup Final last season, the franchise can at least have some hope about their latest young star in Jason Robertson who has adapted to NHL life incredibly well.