As hockey season is coming to a close, we are highlighting some timely pieces from this NHL season:
(1) Zach Werenski’s Norris-Level Season
Living in Columbus, I get to see Werenski almost single-handedly bring the Blue Jackets into the playoff hunt. There are plenty of bright young players, but Werenski is in a class of his own. If he were in a bigger market or on a better team, I think he’d be a shoo-in for the Norris.
(2) Jim Montgomery’s Playbook Works Magic… Again
The Bruins fired their best winning percentage coach, Jim Montgomery. He was hired days later by the St. Louis Blues and led their team on a massive turnaround in short order. As of this writing, they just ended a 12-game winning streak, and are suddenly a contender. His playbook is basically the same. Read below:
(3) Lane Hutson’s Historic Rookie Campaign (Calder/ROY?)
Lane Hutson is on pace to break the assist record for NHL rookie defensemen while being 5’9”, 162lbs. Even crazier is that he is ranked 32nd among all defensemen in puck battle wins!
Will Scouch and I broke down why Hutson was going to take the NHL by storm before the season started.
Another rookie of the year candidate Macklin Celerini:
(4) Seamus Casey’s Impressive Debut
With injuries to the stacked D-Corps of the NJ Devils, we got a sneak peek of what Seamus Casey can do at the NHL level, including a few nice goals.
(5) Oliver Moore’s Skating
If you’re new to Oliver Moore, there is one thing you’ll notice… he’s got elite skating ability on the level of Connor McDavid. Obviously there is a lot more that goes into performance, but he’s a player who has been diligently working on his skating for years.
(6) Scouting 2025 Draft Eligibles
The 2025 draft class is filled with great talent. One of our favorites is Adam Benak, a 5’7” player who always fills the back of the net.
Further Reading