Quiet breakout players this season

ShaneinTpa

Registered User
May 21, 2019
604
187
A thread to note breakout players around the league who have shown notable improvement that may not have been thread worthy individually.

Ducks dman Jackson LaCombe is becoming an impact player before our eyes. Following last night's game, the coach referred to him as their best defenseman by far. 4G 3A is his last 7 games, and has put himself into the top 10 in the league for goals by defensemen, tied for ninth with the likes of Bouchard, Dahlin, Ghost, Andersson, Severson and Sanheim. LaCombe had multiple great chances to add another last night, which would have drawn him even with Josi and Hughes for seventh. Already tripled his goal total from his rookie season last year.

It's not a fluke run where he's had a few seeing eye shots find their way through. LaCombe is a fantastic skater, seems to be learning the right times to jump up into the play. He was a forward I believe well into his teens and doesn't look out of place at all around the opposing net. But he's also not just an offensive D, really has cleaned up his decision making and looks like he can be an all around impact guy.

I sort of had him pigeon holed as an intriguing/talented puck mover who would likely fall behind Mintyukov and Zellweger in the pecking order and perhaps end up the odd man out just not having quite the same upside. Granted he's older and should be further along in his development but LaCombe is playing at a level where he won't make himself easily expendable at all. Looking more like a two way gem who could partner with anyone.


Is there anyone on your team taking a big step forward, that other team's fans perhaps haven't noticed or heard about?
Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul on the Lightning. Playing as 2nd and 3rd line centers respectively with the numbers they are putting up are a big reason why this team is currently outscoring the rest of the league
 

ShaneinTpa

Registered User
May 21, 2019
604
187
I was looking at him, and kind of recall at the time of the trade the advanced stat people loving it for Tampa sating Moser is more or less just as good but ar a much smaller cap hit.
As a Tampa Bay fan, I can tell you they’re very different players. Moser is more defensively inclined. Before his injury, he was a +13 in 27 games even playing on his right side much of the time. Sergachev is gifted offensively and an even better kid. Love them both. JJ is out for 8-10 weeks. That sucks
 

Clint Eastwood

Eff the Habs
Nov 11, 2018
5,907
11,067
Chili's
reallly wanted Lohrei for the Kings, figured he would take a while to 'arrive' but would be unstoppable when he did. Glad to see he's basically on track for that 24-25 year real breakout

I can't wait to see him take McAvoy's PP1 duties away. McAvoy excels at a lot of things but being a PP QB is not one of those things. Lohrei still has his struggles in the defensive zone but having a guy like him generating offense from the back end is something we've been missing since Krug left.

Speaking of good OFD. It looks like Brandt Clarke is doing quite well based on point production. I'm surprised no one has mentioned him yet.
 

WhatTheDuck

9 - 20 - 8
May 17, 2007
24,862
19,440
Worst Case, Ontario
A thread to note breakout players around the league who have shown notable improvement that may not have been thread worthy individually.

Ducks dman Jackson LaCombe is becoming an impact player before our eyes. Following last night's game, the coach referred to him as their best defenseman by far. 4G 3A is his last 7 games, and has put himself into the top 10 in the league for goals by defensemen, tied for ninth with the likes of Bouchard, Dahlin, Ghost, Andersson, Severson and Sanheim. LaCombe had multiple great chances to add another last night, which would have drawn him even with Josi and Hughes for seventh. Already tripled his goal total from his rookie season last year.

It's not a fluke run where he's had a few seeing eye shots find their way through. LaCombe is a fantastic skater, seems to be learning the right times to jump up into the play. He was a forward I believe well into his teens and doesn't look out of place at all around the opposing net. But he's also not just an offensive D, really has cleaned up his decision making and looks like he can be an all around impact guy.

I sort of had him pigeon holed as an intriguing/talented puck mover who would likely fall behind Mintyukov and Zellweger in the pecking order and perhaps end up the odd man out just not having quite the same upside. Granted he's older and should be further along in his development but LaCombe is playing at a level where he won't make himself easily expendable at all. Looking more like a two way gem who could partner with anyone.


Is there anyone on your team taking a big step forward, that other team's fans perhaps haven't noticed or heard about?

NHL Defenseman Goal Leaders:

1 - Cale Makar (13)
2 - Zach Werenski (12)
3 - Jakob Chychrun (11)
T4 - Jackson LaCombe (8)
T4 - Quinn Hughes
T4 - Mikhail Sergachev
T4 - Vince Dunn
T4 - Brandon Montour
T9 - Evan Bouchard (7)
T9 - Roman Josi
T9 - Colton Paryako
T9 - Kris Letang

Most goals by Ducks defenseman (single season)

Visnovsky - 18 goals in 81 games (2010/11)
Olausson - 16 goals in 74 games (1998/99)
Olausson - 15 goals in 70 games (1999/00)
Niedermayer - 15 goals in 74 games (2006/07)
Tverdovsky - 15 goals in 82 games (1999/00)

LaCombe's 8 goals in 32 games put him on an 82 game pace of 20.5 goals. With 43 games remaining in the schedule, he would max out at 75 games this season. In those 43 remaining games, he would project to score another 10.75 goals on this current pace, which means he is on track to challenge the Ducks single season Dman goal record if he keeps this up.
 
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voyageur

Grizzled vet
Jul 10, 2011
11,058
11,058
I think Neal Pionk being in the top 10 for d-men scoring wasn't on many people's bingo cards to start the season. Talk around here is that it is a contract year, but to be in the top 10 among d-men at 22 minutes a night, with his running mate out for the last 6 weeks, puts him into a higher tier of defensemen than he was considered before the season started.
 

Sniper99

Registered User
Jan 12, 2011
13,038
5,964
Edmonton
My other Caps pick is Sandin. Quietly having maybe the best season out of every non top pair defenseman in the league. Absolutely crushing his minutes at 5v5 and contributing a fair number of points too. He had a nice stretch right after they acquired him but it was mostly on the PP and he looked pretty rough last year, so I'm definitely surprised to see him look this good.
Leafs probably regret letting him go. If not well....
 

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