Every NHL Team's Most Pleasant Surprise so Far in 2015-16
One of the best qualities of sport is the way it can catch even a dedicated observer by surprise.
Some of the best individual stories out there are examples of individuals working hard and surpassing expectations. From unknown prospects coming out of nowhere to make teams to old warhorses defying Father Time, the first third of the 2015-16 NHL season has been full of surprisingly good performances from players of whom much less (if anything) was expected.
This slideshow is dedicated to those players. We've made an effort to shine the spotlight on one player on each team who has exceeded expectations and provided his club with some needed quality. Read on to see our list of the league's most pleasant early surprises.
Anaheim Ducks: Shawn Horcoff
1 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 25 games, four goals, eight points, -5.0 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 76 games, 11 goals, 29 points, +0.7 Relative Corsi
Performance: At first, Shawn Horcoff may seem like a bit of a reach on a team that has mostly been beset by bad news in the early going. After all, his points totals are close to flat and his on-ice shot metrics have actually deteriorated. But that's misleading.
Horcoff has been cast in a very tough role. Last year, he started nine more shifts in the offensive end of the rink than in the defensive end. This year, he's on place to begin 150-plus more shifts in his own end than in the offensive zone.
Horcoff's been put in a defensive-zone specialty role, and he's doing well considering. He's still chipping in offensively (he's sixth on the team in scoring) under much tougher conditions than there were a year ago and doing it despite being 37 years old. He's also playing major minutes on the league's best penalty kill.
Arizona Coyotes: Martin Hanzal
2 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 22 games, five goals, 19 points, +4.8 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 37 games, eight goals, 24 points, +4.1 Relative Corsi
Performance: Martin Hanzal played in less than half of his team's games last season, undergoing back surgery in February to fix a long-term problem. At the time, general manager Don Maloney was quoted by NHL.com as saying the team expected "a full recovery."
Early on, it seems that has happened. He's putting up the same quality possession numbers he always has, and he's already nearly equaled last season's scoring totals. At his current pace, he'll easily eclipse the 40 points he scored in 2013-14, which is the best total of his career. Not only is he once again fully operational, but Hanzal's been better than ever.
Boston Bruins: Loui Eriksson
3 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 23 games, nine goals, 21 points, +6.0 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 81 games, 22 goals, 47 points, +1.7 Relative Corsi
Performance: It took more than two years, but the player the Bruins thought they were getting from Dallas in the Tyler Seguin trade has finally showed up in Boston. Loui Eriksson is scoring at a pace reminiscent of his best days in Texas, back when he was a regular 70-point man.
He's not sacrificing defence, either; he's playing the kind of diligent two-way hockey that has always made him such an appealing forward.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=256)
Buffalo Sabres: Linus Ullmark
4 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 11 games, 4-5-2 record, 0.916 save percentage
2014-15 Stats: Not in the NHL.
Performance: Either Linus Ullmark or fellow goaltender Chad Johnson would have been fair picks here, but given that Ullmark is in his first season in North America, he gets the nod. The plan was to have Robin Lehner start for Buffalo, but an early-season injury scratched that. Instead, Ullmark and Johnson have been tasked with keeping the Sabres competitive, and they've done rather well.
After the difficulties Ullmark had in Sweden last year, this is a performance better than what Buffalo had any right to expect from the 22-year-old.
Calgary Flames: Johnny Gaudreau
5 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 25 games, six goals, 22 points, -0.3 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 80 games, 24 goals, 64 points, +3.1 Relative Corsi
Performance: It's perhaps cheating a bit to call this a surprise, but with virtually the entire rest of the roster slumping, the fact Johnny Gaudreau has not only managed to sustain but actually improve on last year's point pace is remarkable.
Of particular interest is his personal shot rate; he's firing pucks more frequently than he did a year ago, which has helped to compensate for a dip in shooting percentage.
Carolina Hurricanes: Brett Pesce
6 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 17 games, two goals, four points, -0.4 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: Not in the NHL
Performance: The loss of James Wisniewski almost the moment his NHL career started left the Hurricanes with a problem on the back end, and while the team has a number of famous defensive prospects, it was Brett Pesce who stepped up to fill the void.
While 2014 No. 7 pick Haydn Fleury continues to develop in the juniors and 2015 No. 5 pick Noah Hanifin and 2011 No. 12 pick Ryan Murphy play in lesser roles, it is Pesce who has stepped into a top-four spot, logging an average of 19:13 per game and, of late, regularly eclipsing the 20-minute mark. It's lightning-quick development for the 2013 third-round selection who just turned 21 in November and is in his first season as a professional.
Chicago Blackhawks: Artemi Panarin
7 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 25 games, seven goals, 23 points, +6.0 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: Not in the NHL.
Performance: Artemi Panarin is an obvious choice—so obvious it's hard to even consider other candidates. The undrafted, 24-year-old Panarin has stepped out of the KHL and into a top scoring role with Chicago as a fully-formed complement to star Patrick Kane, who is the only Blackhawk he currently trails in scoring.
As Chicago struggles to get scoring both from the Jonathan Toews line and a significantly weakened contingent of depth players, Panarin has been a godsend.
Colorado Avalanche: Reto Berra
8 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 13 games, 5-7-0 record, 0.927 save percentage
2014-15 Stats: 19 games, 5-4-1 record, 0.918 save percentage
Performance: The 28-year-old Reto Berra has been getting progressively better since entering the league in 2013. He was terrible in his first season in North America, getting repeatedly lit up while with the Calgary Flames, but the Avs saw enough to go out and acquire him.
In 2014-15, his first full year in Denver, Berra put in a creditable performance as backup. This season, he's running away with Semyon Varlamov's starting gig.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Cam Atkinson
9 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 25 games, six goals, 15 points, +4.9 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 78 games, 22 goals, 40 points, +1.2 Relative Corsi
Performance: In a vacuum, it would be hard to call Cam Atkinson's modest statistical improvements a surprise, but they aren't taking place in a vacuum. Instead, the 26-year-old winger has slightly improved his offensive pace and more dramatically improved his underlying numbers in a difficult situation.
The Blue Jackets have struggled mightily this season, and most of the team's stars are off to slow starts. Atkinson is the exception, not just delivering but improving.
Dallas Stars: John Klingberg
10 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 25 games, five goals, 27 points, +2.4 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 65 games, 11 goals, 40 points, +1.8 Relative Corsi
Performance: The arrival of John Klingberg last season was a stunning development for the Stars, who needed a top-end defenceman in the worst way. Klingberg was unfairly overlooked in Calder Trophy voting after his 40-point campaign, but there had to have been some concern as to whether he could repeat his performance, particularly since he posted an (absurdly high for a defenceman) 11.2 shooting percentage.
Not only has Klingberg repeated it, but he's bettered it. His shooting percentage has stayed high, his point totals have jumped dramatically from already impressive levels and his on-ice possession stats have improved. He's ridiculously proficient for a second-year hockey player and might even figure into Norris Trophy conversations.
Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin
11 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 25 games, 10 goals, 18 points, +2.8 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: Not in the NHL.
Performance: This is another one of those choices that was probably predictable from the moment the title of this slideshow was read. But there's simply no way around it. Detroit doesn't rush its prospects, so when the Red Wings do, there's almost always a good reason for it.
Dylan Larkin has been a lifesaver for the Red Wings. With Pavel Datsyuk out early, he stepped into the void, playing both centre and wing. He provided the team with much-needed offensive punch and a remarkably well-developed two-way game for a 19-year-old. Now Datsyuk's back, he's so entrenched as a key player up front there's no way for the Red Wings to do anything other than roll with it.
Edmonton Oilers: Leon Draisaitl
12 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 16 games, eight goals, 18 points, +6.3 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 37 games, two goals, nine points, +2.9 Relative Corsi
Performance: A year ago, Leon Draisaitl was a disappointment for a team in desperate need of help down the middle. This year, he's stepped up in the injury-enforced absence of Connor McDavid and delivered in a big way for Edmonton, quadrupling his goals and doubling his points in less than half the number of games he played a year ago.
His shooting percentage is a concern but not remotely responsible for all of Draisaitl's improvement.
Florida Panthers: Jaromir Jagr
13 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 22 games, eight goals, 18 points, +4.2 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 77 games, 17 goals, 47 points, +5.4 Relative Corsi
Performance: Some might quibble with the word "surprise", but when a 43-year-old can rebound from a disappointing 47-point campaign and score at almost a point-per-game pace, it really should be considered surprising. This is particularly true given that Jaromir Jagr was recently slumping badly as he fought through a hamstring injury and that Florida is a place where offence goes to die.
None of that's mattered. Jagr leads the team with 18 points, outshining a collection of high draft picks up front and continuing to add to the wonder of an already legendary career.
Los Angeles Kings: Tyler Toffoli
14 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 24 games, 11 goals, 20 points, -0.7 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 76 games, 23 goals, 49 points, +2.4 Relative Corsi
Performance: Tyler Toffoli emerged as a secondary scorer last season, building on a strong performance in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs and proving he could be an offensive threat over a full campaign. This year, he's gone further, emerging as a leading light on a Kings team that typically struggles to score. He's second to Jeff Carter in points for Los Angeles.
As for the decline in his relative shot rates, it's not worth worrying about. His raw Corsi number is down a negligible amount, from a very strong 57.3 percent last year to an almost equally strong 56.7 percent this year. The big change has been that the rest of the team has improved its numbers in that category, thereby lowering his relative standing.
Minnesota Wild: Ryan Suter
15 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 23 games, four goals, 21 points, +7.9 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 77 games, two goals, 38 points, +1.0 Relative Corsi
Performance: Ryan Suter is enjoying his best season in ages, and while there's always the risk he's going to run down as the year goes on and he plays crazy minutes, so far that hasn't happened. Instead, he's on pace for the best offensive results of his career and should easily clear his previous high of 46 points set in 2011-12.
The Wild are also dramatically improved in terms of puck possession when he's on the ice, something that hasn't always happened in previous years.
Montreal Canadiens: Alexei Emelin
16 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 19 games, zero goals, two points, +4.8 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 68 games, three goals, 14 points, -4.4 Relative Corsi
Performance: A year ago, the Habs were getting shelled whenever Alexei Emelin stepped onto the ice. Montreal allowed 29 shots per hour at five-on-five, a lousy number. Those problems were compounded by the Habs' inability to generate shots; they managed only 24 in that same hour with Emelin on the ice. It takes a lot of quality goaltending to make up for that kind of deficit.
This year, things have turned around dramatically. Some of the credit must go to Emelin's new partner, Jeff Petry, who has been a revelation for the Canadiens. But Montreal now outshoots its opponents 29-27 with Emelin on the ice, and he's found a way to be one half of a useful top-four pairing.
Nashville Predators: Ryan Ellis
17 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 23 games, two goals, 10 points, +0.1 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 58 games, nine goals, 27 points, +3.4 Relative Corsi
Performance: It's easy to forget these days, but Ryan Ellis was an offensive monster during his time in the juniors. He put up 89 points in just 57 games in his draft year; in his final campaign, he topped the 100-point mark. Even for an offensive defenceman, that's crazy production.
This is the first year he's shown real signs of being a big producer in the NHL, though it's worth noting the Preds have always had plenty of offensive options on the back end, so power-play time hasn't always been easy to find. His previous career-high in points is 27, a number he should surpass this season.
As with the Kings' Tyler Toffoli, the drop in Ellis' Relative Corsi number is not a concern—it's a result of improved team performance rather than a decline in his own work. Additionally, Ellis is starting more of his shifts in the defensive end of the rink this year, which makes it harder to put up gaudy on-ice shot totals.
New Jersey Devils: Lee Stempniak
18 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 24 games, five goals, 18 points, +2.5 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 71 games, 15 goals, 28 points, -0.1 Relative Corsi
Performance: The Devils have had a few pleasant surprises, but none have been of the magnitude of Lee Stempniak. A 32-year-old winger who was one of the veterans left dangling during a tough summer, Stempniak ended up taking a bargain-bin contract offer from the Devils. He's since emerged as one of their leading scorers and done it while playing his customarily strong two-way game.
In the summer, it looked like there was a decent chance his career was coming to an end. This performance, provided it holds up the rest of the way, should add years to it.
New York Islanders: Thomas Greiss
19 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 12 games, 7-3-2 record, 0.925 save percentage
2014-15 Stats: 20 games, 9-6-3 record, 0.908 save percentage
Performance: Two years ago, the Isles had a dreadful campaign in large part because of the debacle that was their goaltending situation. They addressed that last year with the addition of Jaroslav Halak, who solidified the No. 1 goalie job. When Thomas Greiss was added this summer, he was the clear-cut backup.
He isn't any longer. Halak has been excellent for New York, but he opened the door a bit when he missed some time early in the year. Greiss took full advantage and is now forcing a time-sharing system because he's simply been too good to leave on the bench.
New York Rangers: Oscar Lindberg
20 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 26 games, nine goals, 16 points, -0.2 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: One game, zero goals, zero points, +3.6 Relative Corsi
Performance: Oscar Lindberg entered training camp as a player who was on the bubble for a roster spot with the Rangers. Not only did he manage to win one, but he's been among the team's most effective forwards over the first third of the season.
He hasn't been a big scorer at the AHL level, and his NHL shooting percentage (20.9 percent) is mildly concerning, but he's also a quality two-way guy who contributes in areas beyond the scoresheet.
Ottawa Senators: Mike Hoffman
21 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 20 games, 11 goals, 22 points, +5.8 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 79 games, 27 goals, 48 points, +1.8 Relative Corsi
Performance: Mike Hoffman almost came from out of nowhere last season. A fifth-round pick back in 2009, he had three lousy AHL seasons before finally finding his game at that level in 2013-14. So when he scored 27 goals in his first full NHL campaign, the question was less "how high can he climb?" and more "can he do it again?"
Apparently, he can. Not only has he matched last year's work, but he's exceeded it. His shot rates have improved, his shooting percentage has improved and his points totals have improved. His on-ice shot metrics have improved too. He looks to be a genuine late bloomer.
Philadelphia Flyers: Michal Neuvirth
22 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 11 games, 5-3-1 record, 0.939 save percentage
2014-15 Stats: 32 games, 7-20-4 record, 0.914 save percentage
Performance: Philadelphia used to be known as a bit of a goalie graveyard. These days, it seems to be the place where maybe starters go and turn into definite starters.
Michal Neuvirth's play isn't a massive shock in that he's had strong runs before and goaltending performance is famously hard to predict, but it's certainly been one of the most pleasant surprises for the Flyers. Neuvirth held the fort and delivered some wins for the Flyers while Steve Mason found his game, and as a result, Philly is still in the race for a wild-card spot.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury
23 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 20 games, 12-7-1 record, 0.929 save percentage
2014-15 Stats: 64 games, 34-20-9 record, 0.920 save percentage
Performance: For years, Marc-Andre Fleury was perhaps undeservedly lumped in with Pittsburgh's top talent in terms of his importance to the franchise. This was a player, after all, who had been middling for years in the regular season and worse than that in the playoffs. Last year, though, he put together a strong regular season and playoffs for the first time in a half-decade.
He's been even better this year. The Pens defence was decimated in the offseason and the forwards have slumped, but Fleury has kept his team in games and turned aside the vast majority of shots he has faced.
San Jose Sharks: Joel Ward
24 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 24 games, nine goals, 20 points, +3.6 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 82 games, 19 goals, 34 points, -1.7 Relative Corsi
Performance: Joel Ward has been put in a more offensive role with San Jose than he was with the Capitals, and he's delivered in a big way in the early going. It's probably a little unrealistic to expect his goal scoring to stay where it is; at 22.5 percent, his shooting percentage is nearly double his career average of 12.1 percent.
Even so, he has a very good chance of topping his previous career high in points (49, set in 2013-14).
St. Louis Blues: Colton Parayko
25 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 23 games, five goals, 13 points, +3.4 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: Not in the NHL
Performance: It's tempting to give Jake Allen the nod here, but it's simply not possible to look past Colton Parayko. A year ago, Parayko was finishing up his college career at the University of Alaska Fairbanks; now, the 22-year-old is delivering a performance well beyond any that could have been expected given his age and experience level.
He's a 6'5", 214-pound defenceman who can make skilled plays with the puck, and he's been a revelation on the St. Louis back end.
Tampa Bay Lightning: J.T. Brown
26 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 24 games, two goals, eight points, +3.5 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 52 games, three goals, nine points, -2.6 Relative Corsi
Performance: A strong contender as the worst pure shooter among regular NHL forwards, J.T. Brown appears to be making incremental progress on his shot, climbing from a 3.5 shooting percentage in 2013-14 to 4.1 percent last year all the way to 5.1 percent this season.
He's already nearly matched his scoring totals for all of last season, and the team's underlying metrics with him on the ice are solid, particularly given the number of shifts he starts in the defensive zone.
Toronto Maple Leafs: James Reimer
27 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 15 games, 7-3-4 record, 0.934 save percentage
2014-15 Stats: 35 games, 9-16-1 record, 0.907 save percentage
Performance: James Reimer has almost single-handedly breathed new life into the Maple Leafs. Since taking over the starting job from the struggling Jonathan Bernier earlier this year, he's been exceptional, providing Vezina-caliber play for the beleaguered Leafs.
It's his best performance in ages and couldn't have come at a better time for either the player (who is a pending free agent) or the team.
Vancouver Canucks: Ben Hutton
28 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 20 games, zero goals, eight points, +1.1 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: Not in the NHL
Performance: Most projections would have penciled Ben Hutton in for some AHL seasoning and then perhaps eventual NHL time. Instead, the 22-year-old rookie pro jumped almost straight from the University of Maine to regular minutes on Vancouver's blue line.
The 2012 fifth-round selection played just a four-game trial with Utica of the AHL at the end of last season before winning a job out of training camp this year.
Washington Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetsov
29 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 23 games, eight goals, 26 points, -3.1 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 80 games, 11 goals, 37 points, -3.1 Relative Corsi
Performance: Not many would have pegged Evgeny Kuznetsov to be leading the Capitals in scoring at this point in the year, but here we are. He's jumped from a secondary offensive role and into much tougher matchups and has seen his scoring shoot up. Some of that's the result of a sky-high shooting percentage, but even so he's been impressive.
His two-way play is still a work in progress, but the Capitals' shot metrics have improved this year, so even though it looks like Kuznetsov is marching in place, he's actually seen his numbers increase even as the level of opposition he plays against gets tougher.
Winnipeg Jets: Blake Wheeler
30 of 30
2015-16 Stats: 26 games, nine goals, 26 points, +6.8 Relative Corsi
2014-15 Stats: 79 games, 26 goals, 61 points, +2.4 Relative Corsi
Performance: At the age of 29, Blake Wheeler is on pace for the best season of his NHL career. It's not just his offence—though the increase in point production has been impressive, particularly juxtaposed against a league where scoring is in a steep decline—but it's also his two-way game, as evidenced by Winnipeg's dominance in terms of shot metrics whenever he steps on the ice.
Statistics courtesy of NHL.com, Hockey-Reference.com and war-on-ice.com.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
