It feels to some that the NHL preseason has dragged on far too long, and teams have lost key players to injury. Drew Doughty, Patrik Laine and John Tavares have all been knocked out of games, with Doughty and Laine expected to miss regular-season action.
Injuries open opportunities for other players to have an increased role and positively impact their teams. But there are quite a few candidates for major leaps this season who are worth keeping an eye on, whether it's due to a teammate's injury or other reasons.
A major leap does not always mean just offensive production. It can mean an elevated role at even strength, more special teams time, and exposure to tougher matchups.
The following list includes players who had good seasons in 2023-24 but are expected to take another step forward in their development. In fact, most of the players featured on the list are not breaking out, but merely expected to take another major step to becoming a star in the NHL. As for those projected to take a step back, we covered them here.
Connor Bedard
C, Chicago Blackhawks
Yes, Connor Bedard had 61 points in his rookie season, winning the Calder Trophy. And yes, he is on this list. Why? He's expected to produce 30% more in his sophomore season. He has healthy wingers who have the talent to make plays, with Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen all as possibilities.
He was tracking toward 70-plus points last season prior to injury, and the Blackhawks are expected to give him every opportunity to be their offensive conductor in 2024-25. Nobody should be surprised if Bedard puts up 35 goals and 80 points this season. Adding talented wingers to the lineup and a fully healthy season, Bedard could easily find himself in point-per-game territory.
He's currently on the bubble of Canada's 4 Nations Faceoff roster, but he will be an easy selection if he makes that leap in the early portion of this season.