The Top 10 Surprise Players of The 2007-08 NHL Season

Every year, we see players come out of nowhere and have great seasons.

Well, last season was no different, as many "nobodies" turned heads with their fantastic play.

Many of these players may not have been well known before this season, but they don't have to worry about that anymore. These are the top 10 surprise players of the 2007-08 season:

1) Mike Richards

When the Philadelphia Flyers signed Daniel Briere to a long-term contract, it was clear they expected him to be their leader on the ice. However, it was Mike Richards who came into the scene and showed his abilities to be the future captain of this team.

Whether it was a power play, penalty kill or shootout, Richards was used in all key situations, and had a career year with 75 points (28 G, 47 A)—which includes five shorthanded goals. The Flyers showed their confidence in Richards by signing him to a 12-year contract extension on December 13.

2) Mike Green

Since the departure of Sergei Gonchar, the Washington Capitals hadn't had an offensive-minded defenseman. Enter Mike Green. 

Green finished the season with the most goals among defensemen (18) and seventh in points (56). In the first round of the playoffs he continued his scoring with three goals and four assists in the seven games against the Flyers. 

Green's nickname is "Game Over," for the  three overtime winners he scored in the regular season for the Capitals.

3) Mark Streit

With Sheldon Souray leaving to Edmonton, Andrei Markov was expected to step it up on the blue line offensively. But Montreal got a second great offensive defenseman to join Markov.

Streit scored 62 points (13 G, 49 A), slightly more than Markov's 58 points. Montreal has the number-one power play in the league, due in large part to both of these defensemen.

4) Pascal Leclaire

The Columbus Blue Jackets' slim playoff hopes were a result of the great goaltending of Pascal Leclaire. He finished 24-17-6, with a .919 save percentage.

Did I mention he also had nine shutouts—only one behind Henrik Lundqvist for the league lead? The Blue Jackets may make the playoffs sooner rather than later if Leclaire can keep up numbers like that.

5) Ty Conklin

When Marc-Andre Fleury suffered a high ankle sprain, Conklin was forced to step in for the Penguins. In a situation where many goalies may have failed, Conklin thrived, posting a 18-8-5 record with two shutouts.

Fleury came back to finish the season strong and carried the Penguins to the finals of the playoffs—but it can't be forgotten how Conklin came in as a backup and left looking like a star.

6) Patrick Sharp

The arrivals of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane may have made Patrick Sharp a better player. The three played on the same line for much of the season, and Sharp led the team in goals, power-play goals, short-handed goals and game-winning goals. 

Sharp's numbers have improved convincingly from season to season, and we may see more of the same in the future.

7) Nikolai Zherdev

Zherdev has always had the ability to score goals and handle the puck, beautifully but at times his work ethic has been questioned. After finishing the 2006-07 season with 32 points, he set career highs in '07-'08, both in points (61) and assists (35).

On December 29, 2007 Zherdev scored two goals against Carolina, and could have hit the empty net for the hat trick—but instead, he gave the puck to Beech for the goal.

The Columbus Blue Jackets only had Rick Nash and Zherdev scoring consistently, and they rarely played on the same line. The Ukrainian is now headed to the Rangers, where he should thrive skating alongside players like Chris Drury and Scott Gomez.

8) Dustin Brown

Brown may very well be the cornerstone for the rebuilding Los Angeles Kings. He finished the season with 60 points (33 G, 27 A) and led the league in hits. Not bad for a guy that's only six feet tall.

Jarome Iginla and Brendan Morrow are the best power forwards in the league. They can do anything for their teams, whether it be score goals, kill penalties, or fight. Brown is certainly doing his part to join this exclusive club.

9) Andrei Kostitsyn

Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn both play on the same team, but it is Andrei who is the more dangerous of the two. He scored 26 goals, a number of which made many highlight reels.

Unsurprisingly, he was put on the top line with Alex Kovalev and Tomas Plekanec, where the three showed great chemistry. At just 23 years of age, the future is certainly bright for the young Belarussian.

10) Nik Antropov

Antropov took some of the load off Mats Sundin this season. The native of Kazakhstan set new highs in goals, assists and points—26, 30, and 56, respectively—and a solid plus-ten rating. With the captain's future uncertain, the Leafs are glad to know that Antropov is still around.