Elevated Expectations For Certain Players

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

Either from your own team or really any team in general.

 

Post about players you really expect to turn up their game several notches, have a breakout season, or just plain blow away the critics with their play.

For players in this thread, the talent and potential seems to have always been there, maybe they showed flashes of it, but in 2015-16 you expect them to shine it on through!

 

I will start:

 

Tampa Bay Lightning---

 

Jonathan Drouin.

No question this guy is talented but there has been talk that he simply would not 'make a good pro'...or that his play won't translate to NHL sucess due to the better defenses and goaltending in the league compared to Jrs or the AHL.

 

I say this guy has just as good a chance as any other talented young player in the league. He plays on a team that encourages high powered offense, fast skating, and skilled play.....and THIS year, from accounts I have been reading, he will get regular time on top line with Steve Stamkos and either Valteri Filppula or Ryan Callahan.

 

Drouin got his feet wet so to speak last season, it wasn't a terrible season by any stretch, but the goal totals were less than ideal.

Granted, he played lots on the 4th line with just a bit of PP time, but still, he needs to stop deferring to the 'vet player' and take his shots when they are there for him.

I believe playing on the top line with Stamkos will benefit both him and Stammer, who hasn't really had a regular skilled partner since MSL got traded.

 

Jonathan Drouin, 2015-16 is YOUR year!

 

 

Minnesota Wild-----

 

I have three guys here:

Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker, and Mikael Granlund.

 

Here we have the makings of a potential top tier scorer and grinder (Coyle), a top tier scoring winger (Zucker) and an all around number one center in Granlund.

 

All three have shown bits n pieces over the last few seasons, Zucker and Granlund in particular have really come a LONG way since their AHL and Finnish league days respectively.

It still has not translated into 'Mission Accomplished' for either, but the talent is there for them to elevate.

 

This year has to be the year for all three guys.

The Wild sorely need a legit 1C to go far in the playoffs, Granlund has to be that guy...I expect he will put up career numbers this year.

The Wild could also use a youthful, bruising, yet skilled 2C or 1W/2W...that could be Charlie Coyle. It HAS to be.

And Jason Zucker could and should fill the role that Marion Gaborik did for Minnesota oh so many years ago.........prolific scoring top six winger.

 

I have no doubt the Wild will be contenders this year, but just being a contender isn't good enough anymore.

Team needs to take that next step, and my expectations are that along with several other key guys on the team, these three young players elevate and help take the team to the next level.

 

 

And just a few short bits from some other teams I will be watching this year:

 

Calgary Flames:

Dougie Hamilton.

Freed from the shackles of a much slower and defense oriented Boston Bruins team, he will be unleashed in a more dynamic, puck moving and skating Calgary defense. Flames realy heavily on their D to create the offense (either themselves or for their forwards) and Hamilton, I expect, will be a big part of that.......along with giving Calgary a legit top pair guy to play regular D as well.

 

Columbus Blue Jackets:

Brandon Saad.

No longer under the cover of Toews, Kane, or Hossa in Chicago, OR their system, Saad will be asked to take on a bigger role with the young Blue Jackets. He has the size, skill, and speed to play the Columbus style bruising play.....but likely will need to lead the way and show the NHL, that he is more than just a nice spare part from Chicago.

My expecations are he will rise and show he is a superstar in his own right and that his acquisition by the Jackets was an absolute STEAL!

 

Washington Capitals:

Braydon Holtby.

Has been a solid netminder for awhile now, came close to being a Vezina candidate last year.....THIS year, he needs to up his game, and I expect he will, and provide the Caps with a world class, Vezina quality netminder, while Alex Ovechkin and company do their thing at the other end of the ice.

Caps have had their ups n downs over the last few seasons, but Ovie isn't getting any younger, the Caps have gone out of their way to get good players to go with him and remove questionable players....now Holtby needs to show he isn't second fiddle to Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, or anyone else.

 

Dallas Stars:

Tyler Seguin.

Since being traded to Dallas, has had back to back 35+ goals and 80 pointish seasons.

Outstanding.

Now, this season, my expectation is for him to show that those two seasons were NORMAL for him and he will rise as being the undisputed "go to" player on the Dallas Stars and be their leader on the ice, no matter what situation the Stars find themselves in.

A very talented player, he needs to take a back seat to NO ONE, and potentially has "Superstar" written all over him, while, like Drouin in Tampa Bay, playing in a system that encourages his style of play.

I see no reason why Seguin can't cement his name alongside any of the other top line forwards in the league this season....and in some cases, surpass them.

 

Who else ya got big, big expectations for HF.net?

Your team or any other one....let's hear it.

[jammer2]

 Evegeni Kuznetsov and Tyler Taffoli.

[yave1964]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

Teemu Pulkinnen. The best pure shooter for the Wings since... Well maybe Shanny. 30 goals a lock if healthy.

Phil Kessel 45 goals with the kid dishing him the puck. Just a bit of an upgrade over Bozak.

Nathan Mackinon bouncing back from a sophomore slump to record 75 points.

Jonathan Drouin, if he lands on the top line with Stamkos scoring 60 points or more.

Bo Horvat elevating his game and giving the Canucks a top tier second line center.

Elias Lindholm putting in 25-30 goals in Carolina.

Some no brainers but out on a limb with several of these.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@jammer2

 

I like the Tyler Taffoli expectation.

Several Cup winning Kings have exited or are no longer forces to be reckoned with, yet the Kings are still an in-their-prime team and it is up to the next wave of LA players to continue making the Kings a Cup contender......Taffoli definitely is at the top of that list.

 

@yave1964
Some good mentions there, Yave.

Bo Horvat in Vancouver, I like that one in particular. The Vancouver core is getting up there in age, and this guy has shown flashes of briliance.....his elevation, along with some others, will ensure Vancouver isn't forgotten about anytime soon.

 

Of course, we agree on Drouin, and Phil Kessel, oh my, I actually forgot about him!

New team, change of scenery, playing with Crosby, still in his prime years....yea, I'd say having big, big expectations out of him is a must.

 

And Nate MacKinnon is another guy who you are spot on about.

Sophomore slump last year, this year, he can't look so mediocre.

Especially if his NHL entry draft 'brother' Jonathan Drouin turns it up a degree or three this year!