The Most Surprising Success Stories of the 2016-17 NHL Season So Far
With half of the NHL season in the books, there is enough evidence to make a few declarations with some certainty.
For example, raise your hand if you thought both the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames would be in playoff positions at this point or if you put money on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson being among the top 10 scorers.
There have been plenty of surprising success stories in the 2016-17 season so far—from teams performing above expectations to players bouncing back or putting up numbers above their career trajectories.
Read on to see the most surprising of these instances.
The Power of the One-Two Punch in the Rookie Scoring Race
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The Preseason Story
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the No. 2 selection, Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets, were expected to make their respective teams' opening-night rosters and have impacts early on, but those expectations were tempered, given the unlikelihood of the teenagers both adapting so quickly to the next level. Historically, the top two picks have not even led the rookie scoring races together.
The Story Today
The Matthews-Laine storyline is the opposite of Taylor vs. Tyler. Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin didn't live up to the hype, but Matthews and Laine have so far. We hope Laine's recent concussion doesn't keep him out long because he and Matthews have a shot at finishing among the top 20 point producers in the entire league this year.
What the Future Holds
Even if you count Sidney Crosby (the top pick in 2005) and Alex Ovechkin (the top pick in 2004) after the lockout season, the top two picks leading the freshman scoring race has only happened twice this century—with the Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Colorado Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog both finishing with 52 points in 2011-12.
These guys could be the first pair of rookie snipers to hit 40 goals in the same year since Teemu Selanne and Eric Lindros in 1992-93.
David Pastrnak Pacing the Boston Bruins Offense
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The Preseason Story
David Pastrnak is coming off a solid second season in the NHL with 15 goals and 26 points in 51 games. Many believed he would take another step forward in his third year in the league, with Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com predicting a 25-goal, 45-point season for the breakout candidate—strong totals but far below the likes of the rest of the Boston Bruins' offensive leaders.
The Story Today
With Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Backes and David Krejci on the roster, the 20-year-old Pastrnak would have been an unlikely vote as the team leader in goals halfway through the 2016-17 season. But that's what has transpired. Despite missing some games with injury, Pastrnak has 19 goals through 37 contests and leads 2015-16 scoring leader Marchand by four.
What the Future Holds
It's a bright one for Pastrnak, who has found a home alongside Marchand and Bergeron on the team's top line. Pastrnak is on pace for close to 40 goals and more than 60 points. The one concern is that he hasn't scored since Dec. 14—although he has five points in his last five games following a seven-game drought.
Charlie Coyle's Rise at Regular Strength
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The Preseason Story
The Minnesota Wild's Charlie Coyle cracked the 40-point mark and scored 20 goals for the first time last year, but the forward bounced around the lineup. He was looking at a more permanent move to the wing with the addition of Eric Staal and a new head coach in Bruce Boudreau. The 24-year-old could take another step forward but would likely be in more of a secondary scoring role behind the top guns.
The Story Today
Coyle is second in scoring on the Wild roster behind Staal, with the two often teaming up together as linemates. More impressive than his overall total is the fact that he's doing it without capitalizing much on his power-play time. Coyle is tied for 15th among all forwards with 25 even-strength points. Staal's success may be another surprise for the Wild, but none are as pleasant or impressive as the leaps taken by Coyle.
What the Future Holds
On pace to score close to 30 goals and 70 points, Coyle is having a heck of a year that will shatter his career highs. He was the key piece of the Brent Burns trade in 2011, so the team always believed he would turn out to be an offensive leader. He's proving the Wild right and should be one of the team's top producers for years to come.
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Jeff Carter Gunning for the Rocket Richard Trophy
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The Preseason Story
Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings is a perennial 20-goal scorer in the NHL but he hasn't scored more than 30 since the 2010-11 season. The Kings aren't typically one of the most offensive teams in the league and finished 14th in the league last year, with Carter contributing 24 of their 223 tallies.
The Story Today
Carter is just two goals shy of last year's total with another half-season to play. He's on pace to hit 40 for just the second time in his career and the first time since 2008-09. He sits second in the league behind Sidney Crosby and leads the second-best Kings sniper by a whopping 11 goals.
What the Future Holds
As surprising as it is that the 32-year-old is having this kind of resurgence at this stage of his career, the track record is there for him to sustain it this season. We just wouldn't expect the trend to continue into next year.
The Edmonton Oilers Overcoming a Decade of Disaster
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The Preseason Story
The Edmonton Oilers had gone an entire decade without a sniff of the NHL postseason, and despite many high draft picks during that time, they have shown almost no sign of improvement. They're on their seventh head coach and traded away one of their biggest offensive producers in Taylor Hall in the offseason after finishing last in the Western Conference last year, just one point ahead of the league's worst team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Story Today
The Oilers are in a seesaw battle with their provincial rival, the Calgary Flames, for the third spot in the Pacific Division. They're in the top 10 in goals scored per game and top five in shots per game. Sophomore sensation Connor McDavid is leading the way with a league-best 48 points in 43 games.
What the future holds
McDavid has a shot at the Art Ross Trophy, but he could also contend for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player if the Oilers get into the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
Chad Johnson Taking Over the Top Role in Calgary
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The Preseason Story
The Calgary Flames brought in a new goaltending tandem in the offseason to take over for the league's worst group last year. The highlight was bringing in St. Louis Blues backstop Brian Elliott, who had the fourth-best save percentage over the previous three seasons among goalies to start at least 100 games, per Hockey-Reference.com. They signed unrestricted free agent Chad Johnson to back him up.
The Story Today
Johnson has been the Flames' best goalie this season, and it's not close. The team's obvious starter has a 15-9-1 record with a top-10 goals-against average of 2.26 and a .923 save percentage that blows Elliott's .889 out of the water. When Elliott struggled early in the season, Johnson came in and won 13 of 17 starts to help propel the Flames into the playoff picture.
What the Future Holds
Both Johnson and Elliott are unrestricted free agents this summer, but the Flames would be smart to sign Johnson as soon as possible to ensure the most stable of the two is locked up for the long term. Elliott could rebound and be an important part of the stretch run, but he hasn't taken advantage of his opportunities the way Johnson has.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Rebuild's Early Returns
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The Preseason Story
After finishing last in the league last season, the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs were more likely to contend for a second straight No. 1 draft pick than a playoff berth, as mentioned in a previous piece. They they have some nice, young building blocks—highlighted by top draft selection Auston Matthews—but they also have plenty of growing to do first.
The Story Today
Matthews is one of the league's top snipers so far and sits among the top 25 point producers in the NHL. But he's not alone. Fellow Leafs young gun Mitch Marner and veteran James van Riemsdyk are having strong seasons to help unexpectedly boost the Leafs up the standings.
They're in contention for third in the Atlantic Division and have been showing the league they're not to be taken lightly. Goaltender Frederik Andersen has overcome a rocky start and become a strong backstop more nights than not.
What the Future Holds
The Leafs are more than just Matthews and a bunch of good rookie performances, although it helps that so many young players are driving this team forward. With head coach Mike Babcock, one of the most respected leaders in the league, the team should remain in the playoff hunt.
If the Leafs make it, they'll be just the third team this century to make the jump from 30th in the league to a playoff position, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Peter Budaj's 18 Wins for the Los Angeles Kings
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The Preseason Story
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was expected to help the team contend for the Pacific Division title after falling just short last season, and the defensive-minded Kings were thought to be challengers for the William M. Jennings Trophy for lowest goals-against average. Peter Budaj wasn't even the backup. The 34-year-old was the team's top AHL goalie after spending all but one game in the minors last year.
The Story Today
Quick went down with a devastating groin injury in the Kings' season opener, and backup Jeff Zatkoff, who the Kings signed in the offseason, didn't perform as well as the team had hoped. It's Budaj who has taken over the top job. He ranks seventh in goals-against average, second in shutouts and eighth in wins. Not bad for a guy who wasn't expected to play in the NHL this year.
What the Future Holds
Quick is expected to come back in March, but Budaj has earned a spot as a reliable backup in the event that Quick isn't sharp down the stretch.
Nick Holden Has as Many Five-on-Five Points as Erik Karlsson
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The Preseason Story
Nick Holden was a journeyman defenseman coming off three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, where he scored 25 points as a career high. Last year, he netted six goals and 22 points for the Avs. The New York Rangers traded for the 29-year-old to add some depth, but he wasn't expected to be anything more than a serviceable bottom-pairing guy.
The Story Today
Holden has as many points in five-on-five action as elite offensive defenders Erik Karlsson, Dustin Byfuglien and Victor Hedman. Holden is tied for third in that category, which is especially impressive when you consider he's tied for 62nd in even-strength ice time at fewer than 18 minutes per game—a full two to three minutes per game behind those other leaders.
What the Future Holds
After earning a spot on the top pairing alongside Marc Staal, there's a good chance Holden continues to chip in offensively, although he may slide down those rankings a little if he cools down after a productive December boosted his numbers.
The Columbus Blue Jackets' Winning Streak
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The Preseason Story
The Columbus Blue Jackets were the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference last year and the fourth-worst in the entire NHL. They landed the third overall pick in the 2016 draft through the lottery and were expected to struggle again on the ice in 2016-17.
The Story Today
As unlikely as it seems, the Blue Jackets are perched atop the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference standings, thanks largely to an incredible 16-game winning streak that stretched from Nov. 28 to Jan. 3.
The streak and overall success have been fueled by surprises—from winger Cam Atkinson's point-per-game pace and inevitable career numbers to bounce-back seasons by goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and captain Nick Foligno to the impressive performances of youngsters like rookie defenseman Zach Werenski and center Alexander Wennberg.
What the Future Holds
The streak ended with a dud, but the Blue Jackets are a deep team with a strong work ethic that doesn't rely on superstar performances for victories. It will be tough to win the division with the defending Stanley Cup champ Pittsburgh Penguins and reigning Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals nipping at their heels, but it isn't out of the question that the Blue Jackets will prevail. The playoffs will be even tougher, but having an elite goalie at the top of his game makes anything possible.
All stats via NHL.com unless otherwise noted.
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