While we like to count the National Hockey League (NHL)’s biggest stars in our respective pools, a few underrated players could set you apart from the rest.
Here is a list of four players who could surprise this season.
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Sean Durzi, Arizona Coyotes
24-year-old defenseman Sean Durzi, who was traded from the Los Angeles Kings to the Arizona Coyotes during the offseason, will take on more responsibility within the Yotes defense. Last year he scored nine goals, which was the best total among Kings defensemen. With the addition of several talented forwards, Arizona’s premier power play unit, which Durzi will be a part of, could well wreak havoc.
We can therefore expect the Mississauga native to have a very productive campaign. Last year he scored 38 points in 72 games.
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Gabriel Vilardi, Winnipeg Jets
Vilardi’s case is similar to Durzi’s. The 24-year-old forward, sent from Los Angeles to Winnipeg in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, could be one of the catalysts in the Jets’ offense.
He is having the best season of his career with 23 goals while also playing second fiddle. With a heavier workload and playing with more productive teammates Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers, Vilardi will have the opportunity to reach new heights.
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Bowen Byram, Colorado Avalanche
His health has always been a question mark as he has never played a full season since arriving in the NHL. He only appeared in 42 games last year, but what’s reassuring is that he played in 31 of the Colorado Avalanche’s final 33 regular season games and all seven playoff games.
He had an encouraging offensive performance last season with 24 points, and if he stays injury-free, a 50-point season isn’t out of the question.
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Connor Brown, Edmonton Oilers
After a complete break with the Washington Capitals, Connor Brown will look to get back on track with the Edmonton Oilers. He’ll be playing with Connor McDavid and what better way to boost offensive stats than to be next to the best player in the world? Recall that the two people skated on the same line in the Ontario Junior League (OHL) with the Erie Otters from 2012 to 2014.
Brown scored 197 points in 131 games during this series. McDavid collected 165 in 119 games. So it won’t be very complicated to develop the chemistry.