NHL's best surprises at 2024-25 midseason: Breakouts, records and shattering expectations

Its halfway through the NHL s regular season, and offer-sheet addition Dylan Holloway has become a welcome addition in St.

Louis, rookie Lane Hutson has shattered expectations in Montreal and the Blue Jackets are an offensive powerhouse.

Those are just a few of the unexpected developments we heard about this week when The Athletic asked its NHL staff for their best surprises as many teams have either crossed or are close to the 41-game mark.

Heres one surprise for each team in the first half.

Anaheim Ducks Jackson LaCombe : The 24-year-old LaCombe played 71 games as a rookie and endured the errors that come with learning how to play defense at the NHL level.

Its also often forgotten that the former University of Minnesota standout skipped past the AHL.

But as he started the year essentially in an internal competition with fellow young left-handed shooters Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger , LaCombe has stepped up beyond the two and grabbed a top-pairing role.

Hes already tied his point total (17) from 2023-24 and his eight goals are tied for fourth among all NHL blueliners as of Wednesday.

The growth in his game over the last month has been meteoric.

Eric Stephens GO DEEPER Ducks' return in Cam Fowler trade isn't much, but their future is helped in an important way Boston Bruins Morgan Geekie as No.

1 left wing: Geekie is a right-shot forward who played mostly center and right wing during his first Bruins season.

He started so slowly in 2024-25 that ex-coach Jim Montgomery made him a healthy scratch five times.

Considering all that, Geekie has been a good find as No.

1 left wing next to Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak .

Hes strong on the forecheck, good at the net front and patient with his shot.

Fluto Shinzawa Advertisement Buffalo Sabres Jason Zucker : Zucker was signed to a one-year, $5 million contract this offseason and started out on Buffalos third line.

The 32-year-old has since found a place on the top line and power play.

He leads the team with eight power-play goals as of Wednesday and is second on the team in goals (15) and points (31).

That puts him on pace for 30 goals and 62 points, totals he has only matched once in his career.

Matthew Fairburn Calgary Flames Their record: Even if the Flames are on the outside looking in for a playoff spot, the fact that theyre even in contention is a big surprise considering their expectations.

Dustin Wolf has played well in his first full NHL season.

Connor Zary , before being injured, showed progress from the season before, as has Matthew Coronato.

The oft-maligned Jonathan Huberdeau is about to have his first 20-goal season for Calgary.

If they get hot again, maybe the postseason is in their future sooner than anticipated.

But a lot will need to go right.

Julian McKenzie Carolina Hurricanes Jack Roslovic s scoring touch: Last season, Roslovic had a total of nine goals with two teams, and when July 1 rolled around, he was not among the players landing a lucrative free-agent deal.

Three days later, he signed with Carolina for one year at $2.8 million.

No one couldve guessed that hed be on pace for over 30 goals this season.

Roslovic has had his defensive struggles since joining the Hurricanes, but his ability to finish plays has given Carolina a boost at five-on-five.

Cory Lavalette GO DEEPER Carolina Hurricanes stocking stuffers: a 'gift' for each player Chicago Blackhawks Arvid Soderblom : Soderblom was one of the Blackhawks biggest disappointments last season.

He had played well in the AHL and was thought of as the potential goalie of the future, but after struggling throughout last season, the Blackhawks signed Laurent Brossoit in the offseason.

Because of Brossoits offseason injury, Soderblom hasnt had to return to the AHL and has gotten to prove himself again in the NHL.

Hes taken advantage of that this season and has been one of the few bright spots this season.

Scott Powers Advertisement Colorado Avalanche Ross Colton : Colton was on track for a monster season, even leading the Avalanche in scoring for stretches, before he missed the entire month of November with a broken foot.

It took him some time to find his rhythm after returning from that injury, but hes played well as of late.

His 12 goals in 25 games through Wednesday are a nice surprise and a welcome addition to Colorados already impressive offensive attack.

If Colton and Casey Mittelstadt form a formidable second line, it makes the Avalanche incredibly tough to match up with.

Jesse Granger Columbus Blue Jackets High-scoring offense: With so many young players still needing to prove themselves, it was unclear how potent the Blue Jackets offense might be this season.

The answer? Very.

Through Wednesdays game, Columbus averages 3.37 goals per game, fifth-best in the NHL.

Theyre on pace to have two 90-point producers ( Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko ) and two 30-goal scorers (Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov ).

Plus, their long-moribund power play is currently ranked ninth in the NHL at 23.9 percent through Wednesday.

Aaron Portzline Dallas Stars Matt Duchene : Duchene has been a very good player for a very long time, but a week shy of his 34th birthday, hes flirting with a truly elite level of play this season.

That 43-goal, 43-assist season he had in Nashville in 2021-22 looked somewhat fluky at the time, and he followed it with two very typical Duchene seasons reliable, middle-six, 20-goal production.

But with 16 goals and 38 points in 39 games, and a sparkling 58.22 xG percentage through Wednesday, Duchene has turned back the clock and been Dallas best forward, making up for injury and underperformance elsewhere in the lineup.

Mark Lazerus Detroit Red Wings Simon Edvinsson : This is always what the Red Wings had hoped and envisioned for Edvinsson but the surprise is how quickly hes been able to reach this level.

He spent most of the first half playing on Detroits top defense pairing, and even now that new coach Todd McLellan has split up Edvinsson and Moritz Seider , the 21-year-old blueliner is having a great season.

Despite having just 25 games of NHL experience coming into the season, hes been a very good defender right away, and hes added 15 points in 36 games through Wednesday despite not getting any power-play time.

Edvinsson looks like a top-pairing caliber defender for a long time to come.

Max Bultman Edmonton Oilers The Darnell Nurse- Brett Kulak pairing: The Oilers entered the season with their second defense pairing being a major question mark.

They might have solved it thanks to giving Nurse and Kulak spot duty together.

Nurse has improved to the point where hes arguably been their best blueliner.

Kulak has gone from someone who wasnt comfortable enough playing the right side during the playoffs to managing there quite well.

The Nurse-Kulak pairing has comparable underlying numbers to the top duo of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard , which gives the Oilers an effective top defense corps.

Daniel Nugent-Bowman GO DEEPER Five notable Oilers stats and what they could mean going forward Florida Panthers Sam Reinhart , Selke candidate: After a recent six-game goalless streak, Reinhart is on pace to score just 45.

Slacker! Even if his offensive output dips, though, Reinhart has elevated his defensive game more than enough to make up for it; he leads the league in Defensive Rating through Wednesday and should be on the Selke Trophy short list along with linemate Aleksander Barkov .

Sean Gentille Advertisement Los Angeles Kings Darcy Kuemper s bounce back: There could be other answers here given the Kings strong first half and I was quite tempted to go with the impact Warren Foegele has made as a successful free-agent signing or how Vladislav Gavrikov has been tremendous.

Im not sure many pegged Kuemper to rank fourth among eligible NHL goalies in save percentage (.920) and goals-against average (2.22) through Wednesday after he struggled and lost the net to Charlie Lindgren in Washington.

Injuries have rendered him available twice and hell need to stay healthy, but hes become the clear No.

1 in Los Angeles with a solid David Rittich backing him up.

Reuniting with the Kings has never felt so good for the 34-year-old Stanley Cup winner in Colorado.

Eric Stephens Minnesota Wild Jake Middleton : At the time he broke his finger last month, a case could be made that Middleton was playing better than any other Wild defenseman.

Hes big, strong, skates well, gets the breakout going, was chipping in offensively, was shutting down opposing top lines with Brock Faber and led the league with a plus-22 before his injury.

Hes also one of the biggest characters in the sport, which does wonders in the locker room.

He returned Tuesday and instantly made an impact with the tying goal in the third period and an assist on his first shift.

Michael Russo In case you haven't been paying attention, HE'S BACK !! pic.twitter.com/9Lpf7qXA4b Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 8, 2025 Montreal Canadiens Lane Hutsons consistency: The rookie defenseman has played in all 40 of the Canadiens games this season and has dipped below 20 minutes of ice time only six times.

Hes gone more than three games without registering a point only twice, a four-game drought from Oct.

14-22, and another four-gamer from Dec.

28 to Jan.

3.

He is a constant threat offensively and his defensive play has been good enough to have him face difficult opposition and lead the team in five-on-five ice time by more than 75 minutes.

Expectations for Hutson were high this season, and at the halfway point, he has still shattered them.

Arpon Basu Nashville Predators Adam Wilsby : Most of the Preds surprises, including the teams overall play, have been comparable to finding a lump of coal in the stocking.

But Wilsby has been a breath of fresh air, the 24-year-old defenseman and 2020 fourth-round pick showing off some serious skating ability and skill since getting the call-up from Milwaukee in late November.

This franchise has never struggled to find defensemen, of course.

Joe Rexrode New Jersey Devils The newcomers: President of hockey operations and general manager Tom Fitzgeralds offseason is looking awfully good.

The Devils players have responded to coach Sheldon Keefe and his detailed approach, and newcomers have stood out on the ice.

Stefan Noesen already has a career high in goals, and Johnathan Kovacevic , Brenden Dillon and Brett Pesce have solidified the blue line.

And, after a season of poor goaltending, Jacob Markstrom has a .911 save percentage.

Peter Baugh New York Islanders Anders Lee s resurgence: The Isles captain had just 10 goals through the first half of last season and was at 18 through Wednesday, as well as leading the team in points.

Among all the failings of this group, the 34-year-old Lee playing back to the level weve seen from him in the past is a good thing.

Arthur Staple New York Rangers Will Cuylles emergence: Cuylle has followed up a strong rookie season with 24 points and 11 goals through 41 games one of the few bright spots for the Rangers in a disappointing season.

Cuylle has added penalty killing to his responsibilities from last season, reflecting that hes earned more trust from the coaching staff.

Hes a restricted free agent after the season and will be in line for a big raise.

Peter Baugh Advertisement Ottawa Senators The Thomas Chabot Nick Jensen pairing: Adam Gaudette couldve been the answer here as his 13 goals are basically like finding money in your couch.

But well give it to the teams most stable pairing, Chabot and Jensen.

They work well together, have rarely split up and are generating more offense than Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm or Dougie Hamilton and Brendan Dillon, according to Money Puck.

They also allow fewer goals than those two pairings, too.

In a year where Jake Sanderson has had to get reacquainted with Travis Hamonic and Artem Zub at different points, the Senators have managed just fine with the Chabot and Jensen ensemble.

Julian McKenzie Philadelphia Flyers Noah Cates : Just when it looked like the pending restricted free agent was playing himself off the team, Cates started centering a line with Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink in November.

They have been the Flyers most consistent and most energetic line since then, resulting in Cates becoming one of the teams more consistent scorers.

After a disappointing season in 2023-24, and no goals and three assists in his first 16 games this season, the Flyers may now have to figure out how to extend him.

Kevin Kurz Pittsburgh Penguins Rickard Rakell s goal scoring: Rakell has always been a streaky scorer, but his consistency has carried the Penguins in a season when neither Sidney Crosby nor Evgeni Malkin is on pace for 30 goals.

Rakells offseason focus on conditioning has noticeably paid off.

Hes quicker and stronger around the net.

Hes been worth every penny of his $5 million cap hit.

Rob Rossi San Jose Sharks Jake Walman : In St.

Louis and Detroit, Walman was a late-blooming NHL talent who showed signs he could thrive in a big role but didnt always earn the full trust to handle that regularly.

The Sharks provided him an opportunity to seize a spot within their top two pairings.

Instead, they got a clear No.

1 defender whos been better than expected in his own end and has emerged as their leading offensive threat from the blue line.

His big shot has made him a power-play option in the past but hes doing a great job quarterbacking San Joses unit (the team has struggled during his current injury absence).

Walmans puck-moving acumen has resulted in 20 assists, 11 more than his previous career high.

Eric Stephens GO DEEPER Sharks midseason report cards: Top marks for Celebrini and Askarov, but who else? Seattle Kraken Brandon Montour : We knew Montour was exceptional based on what he accomplished during his Panthers tenure, but its still a big step going from holding down a second pair on an elite team to being the guy on the back end on a team that cant win without you.

Montour, however, has made that transition seamlessly in his first season with the Kraken.

His two-way play has been excellent and hes won his minutes while logging 80 minutes more at five-on-five than any other Kraken blueliner.

Montour has been a big free-agent hit for Seattle.

Thomas Drance St.

Louis Blues Dylan Hollywood Holloway: When the Blues acquired Holloway from Edmonton via an offer sheet, there was excitement in St.

Louis about his speed and potential.

The 23-year-old forward came to town with some talent, but hes far exceeded any expectations.

Holloway is second on the team with 15 goals and tied for second with 32 points.

Hes on a line with Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn , which has been the Blues best line with 29 points in the last 10 games.

Jeremy Rutherford GO DEEPER Dylan Holloway's ceiling? NHL scout's evaluation, player comp for Blues' offer-sheet pickup Tampa Bay Lightning Conor Geekie s growth: Geekies ability to keep up and complement Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel has been clutch, since that right-wing slot was a big question mark heading into the year.

Geekies the passenger of the three on that line, alongside Cirellis shutdown presence and Hagels play driving.

But hes helping facilitate plays for that dynamic duo.

The Lightnings second line is winning its minutes with a 66 percent expected goal rate despite going up against top offensive competition.

Shayna Goldman Advertisement Toronto Maple Leafs Anthony Stolarz : Stolarz hasnt played for a bit now because of a knee injury, but he was leading the league with a .927 save percentage and taking control of the Maple Leafs crease before he went down.

Stolarzs ability to remain healthy amid a larger workload was a question before the injury and it remains a question now in the aftermath.

It also remains to be seen whether he can regain his earlier form when he returns.

But his play over 16 starts and one period was largely excellent, surprisingly so.

Jonas Siegel Utah Hockey Club Karel Vejmelka s terrific play: Few took notice when the unheralded goaltender was signed by the Coyotes as a 25-year-old free agent out of the Czech league a few years ago.

But Vejmelka has battled through a couple so-so seasons on a bad Arizona team, then losing his starting job last season, to now becoming a legitimate Vezina candidate.

He has the third-best goals saved above expected in the NHL at midseason.

The Utahns would be toast without the big mans steady play, and hes set himself up for a nice payday as a UFA.

James Mirtle Vancouver Canucks Kiefer Sherwood : Acquired on an affordable two-year deal as an unrestricted free agent, Sherwood was billed publicly as a depth addition.

Although the club quietly believed that he possessed some untapped offensive upside, even Canucks management wouldnt have expected this level of production.

At the midway point of the campaign, Sherwood is on pace for 20-plus goals and 40 points, and has done that without sacrificing his physical edge he leads the league in hits by a wide margin.

Thomas Drance Vegas Golden Knights Brett Howden s goal scoring: Entering this season there were questions about who would score for the Golden Knights, and theyve had several depth players step up to fill the void.

None have surprised more than Howden, who has already shattered his previous career high of nine goals in a season by scoring 15 in the first half of 2024-25.

He has played more confidently with the puck, found soft spots in the defense and finished scoring chances at a remarkable rate.

Jesse Granger Washington Capitals Aliaksei Protas : Protas play hasnt been a complete surprise we picked him as the Caps preseason breakout candidate for a reason but itd be dishonest to say we saw this coming.

Its one thing to be a useful middle sixer; its something else to be top 10 league-wide in five-on-five points.

Hes got 27 there, 36 overall and set a new career high back on Dec.

28.

Sean Gentille Winnipeg Jets League-leading power play: The last time the Jets power play finished an 82-game season in the top 10, Patrik Laine and Dustin Byfuglien were two of its mainstays.

The Jets have had too much talent to struggle for so long through multiple coaching staffs but assistant coach Davis Payne has built an elite system and the Jets have executed it to near perfection.

Winnipeg has multiple options, fast movement and an attack-first mentality at all times.

Kyle Connor is two power-play goals away from matching his career high.

Nikolaj Ehlers , finally on the top unit, is three away, while Gabriel Vilardi has already surpassed his.

Its a big part of Winnipegs standings surge and everyone involved is playing a key role.

Murat Ates GO DEEPER The Jets' biggest strengths and weaknesses after 30 games and the stats behind them (Top photos of Dylan Holloway and Lane Hutson: Ezra Shaw and Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images).

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