Not every NHL rookie breaks out instantly.
Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson and runners-up Dustin Wolf, Macklin Celebrini and Matvei Michkov were the ones who did and excelled for most of their rookie season. Others needed more time to get going.
For the latter group, their strong finish to the season can provide the confidence needed to propel them to fully break out and potentially become an NHL star, rather than suffering the clichéd 'sophomore slump.'
Here are five players who finished 2024-25 on fire and why they could elevate their status even further in 2025-26.
Cutter Gauthier, LW, Anaheim Ducks
Cutter Gauthier entered the 2024-25 season with a level of pressure that no other player on this list had.
After being drafted fifth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022 and forcing a trade that sent him to the Anaheim Ducks, the 21-year-old was bound to be under the microscope throughout the year.
Gauthier lived up to the high expectations he set for himself, putting together a 20-goal campaign while finishing fifth in rookie scoring with 44 points in 82 games.
Even with that success, the underlying numbers suggest things could’ve gone even better.
Leading up to the draft, Gauthier had been an elite goal-scorer at every level he played at. He scored 19 in 22 games in his final season in the United States League, then led the NCAA in goals in 2023-24 with 38 in 41 games with Boston College.
That made it puzzling for Ducks fans when he managed to put up just nine goals in the first 54 games of the season while playing top six minutes and getting time on the power play.
The truth is, luck played a huge role in Gauthier’s early struggles. Despite being a high-volume shooter, he converted on just 8 percent of his shots through that 54-game stretch.
For context, Brayden Point, Nico Hischier and Mark Scheifele took fewer shots than Gauthier's 190 this past season and all ended up scoring at least 35 goals.
Even as Gauthier's numbers improved in the second half of the season, at 11 goals and 22 points in 28 games, there’s clearly a ton of untapped potential in Gauthier’s game. Look for him to take a huge jump in production this season on a young Ducks team that could sneak into playoff contention.
Oilers' Isaac Howard Follows The Footsteps Of McGroarty And GauthierIsaac Howard bet on himself by forcing a trade to the Edmonton Oilers, but it comes with a catch.
Zack Bolduc, RW, Montreal Canadiens
The St. Louis Blues had a ton of players outperform expectations last season, especially Zack Bolduc.
The 22-year-old finished the 2024-25 season with 19 goals and 36 points in 72 games despite averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time.
Bolduc did most of his damage after the 4 Nations break, with 13 goals and 18 points in the final 26 games.
The high 22.8 shooting percentage while playing bottom-six minutes may lead people to think the scoring would be unsustainable. That said, Bolduc’s history may indicate there’s another level he can reach after the Montreal Canadiens acquired him in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux.
Bolduc was a prolific goal-scorer during his junior hockey days, putting together back-to-back 50-goal seasons with the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts.
With Kirby Dach’s timeline to return and overall playing ability still unknown, Bolduc could even move from the wing to the second-line center role with the Canadiens.
It's unclear whether or not Bolduc is ready to be relied on as a top contributor or if his final push last season was a flash in the pan, but his situation presents one of the more intriguing storylines to follow throughout the season.
Canadiens: Bolduc Is Up To The ChallengeSince being traded by the St. Louis Blues to the Montreal Canadiens, Zachary Bolduc has been looking forward to playing for the team he cheered for as a kid. He’s been to Brossard to check out the CN Sports Complex and has spoken to his new coach a couple times. La Presse’s Simon Olivier Lorange caught up with Bolduc and new Habs signing Samuel Blais at the first edition of the QMJHL Foundation tournament in Terrebonne.
Marco Kasper, C, Detroit Red Wings
There are a lot of questions surrounding the ‘Yzerplan’ and what direction the Detroit Red Wings are headed in, but one player who has been a pleasant surprise is Marco Kasper.
Kasper started out the 2024-25 season in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins before being called up in October. There was understandably a learning curve for the 21-year-old, but the real turning point for Kasper’s season was when Todd McLellan was hired to replace Derek Lalonde at the end of 2024.
In 29 games under Lalonde, Kasper averaged 14:40 of ice time and had seven points in that span. McLellan showed more trust in Kasper, playing him 15:55 per game since the coaching change. Kasper's 17 goals led all rookies in that timeframe, and he had 30 points in the final 48 games.
A full season alongside Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane should allow Kasper to solidify himself as a top-six center in the NHL. He could end up being a crucial piece to bringing the Red Wings back to playoff contention as soon as this year.
Will Smith, RW, San Jose Sharks
A fantastic rookie campaign from Macklin Celebrini made it easy to overlook just how effective Will Smith was for the San Jose Sharks last year. Still, the 20-year-old is poised for a huge sophomore season after a tremendous final stretch of games.
Smith struggled to find his footing throughout the first half of the season, failing to record a point in the opening eight games of his NHL career. Those inconsistencies managed to follow him all the way to January, putting up just 15 points in the first 40 games of the season.
Things began to turn around for Smith just before the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he visibly had adapted to the speed and physicality of the professional level. It reflected in his offensive production after the break, where he closed out the year with 22 points in the final 25 games. That’s just one less point than Celebrini had in that stretch.
His ice time had also drastically increased, averaging 18 minutes in the final 25 games compared to 14:42 through the first 49.
There were real concerns that the Sharks had ushered in Smith to the NHL earlier than he should have been, but their instincts truly paid off. While the team doesn’t appear ready for playoff contention just yet, there’s no denying that Smith will end up playing an integral role in the team’s offensive game plan for years to come.
Mackie Samoskevich, RW, Florida Panthers
Mackie Samoskevich’s development is one part of a long list of successes for the Florida Panthers over the last two seasons.
The 2021 first-round pick led the AHL's Charlotte Checkers in scoring in 2023-24, recording 54 points in 66 games before making the full-time jump to the NHL in 2024-25. He recorded 31 points in 72 games in his rookie NHL campaign.
Samoskevich’s real opportunity to shine came as a result of Matthew Tkachuk’s injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off. While previously being deployed as a speedy bottom-six winger with offensive upside, he slotted into the Panthers’ second line alongside Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues, where he had 14 points in the final 24 games of the season.
While the Panthers are set to contend year over year, it’s no secret the prospect pool in South Florida runs pretty thin. After signing a one-year contract this summer, it’s unclear if GM Bill Zito has Samoskevich in his long-term plans for the franchise, but at 22, there aren’t any youngsters like him to inject into the lineup.
The Newtown, Conn., native is entering this season in a similar role, with Tkachuk continuing to recover. He could have a longer run of games in the top six.
Expect Samoskevich to expand his short-term role with the Panthers and potentially become a top trade candidate at the deadline.
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