Every season, there are always a few players around the league who have a breakout season and “put the league on notice”. Last season, we saw it with players like Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas of the Washington Capitals, who both put up career highs, helping the team to the Metropolitan Division title.
We even saw Ryan McLeod, whom the Buffalo Sabres acquired for Matthew Savoie last offseason, put the league on notice as he recorded a 20-goal and 53-point season, shattering previous career highs. Every season, the Sabres have a player who breaks out. In the 2023-24 season, it was Ukko-Pekka Luukonen; the prior season, it was Dylan Cozens, and the list goes on. So, which player will put the league on notice this season?
Zach Benson
Zach Benson is entering his age-20 season, and with already 146 games under his belt, he’s going to be looking to make more of an impact in the offensive zone than ever before. Through his first two seasons, he has 58 points (30 in his rookie season, 28 last season). He gets overlooked a lot, and there are a few factors that play into that, such as playing in Buffalo and not being a consistent producer offensively.
He’s also been a great defensive forward for the team, though. Great on the forecheck, backcheck, in his zone as well as forcing turnovers and making the opposing team make mistakes when he’s on the ice. According to Evolving-Hockey, last season, he was in the 98th percentile in defense among all NHL skaters.
This season, I project him to take the next step offensively, which will end up putting the league on notice. We all know the league has become very offensively driven. The more a player scores and puts up points, the more they get recognized. A 50-plus point season as a 20-year-old will do that. Especially if his defensive game does not take a hit at all, he could be regarded as one of the better two-way forwards in the league.
Jiri Kulich
Jiri Kulich has a ton of offensive upside. In fact, with a lethal shot, he has 30-plus goal potential. The 21-year-old already has a ton to prove heading into this season. With Tage Thompson effectively moving to right wing, Kulich is going to be thrust into the first-line center role with Benson and Thompson as his wingers. That’s a big ask for someone who is heading into their second season after only recording 15 goals and 24 points.
With most of the NHL media and fans not knowing too much about Kulich, of course, most of them think Kulich is not even close to a first liner. Well, that could not be further from the truth. For the last month of the season, the Benson-Kulich-Thompson line was pretty good together. According to MoneyPuck, the trio had 151 minutes of ice time together and had an expected goals percentage of 57.7%.
With a full season of Kulich playing with those two, he won’t need to shoulder the load like most number-one centers. Benson is one of the best defensive forwards in the league, while Thompson is one of the best players and pure goal-scorers in the league. That’ll leave Kulich to play his game and develop into a true first-line center. His wicked shot, combined with his skating and playmaking ability, will be the reason he can score 30 goals in his second season. Is that a tall task for him? Absolutely. However, playing with Thompson and Benson, it’s not out of the question. Kulich has something to prove, and he’ll prove it this season.
Tage Thompson
I know having Thompson here is ridiculous, but hear me out. We all know he has had multiple seasons with 40-plus goals; however, he has never reached the 50-plus goal mark. This season is the season where he will eclipse 50 goals. The second-best shot in the league (only behind Auston Matthews), he also boasts the hardest shot in the league, while also having one of the best one-timers, too. Additionally, he is one of the best pure goal-scorers in the league.
After scoring the “golden goal” in the World Championship for Team USA and having an excellent tournament overall, he’s going to prove people wrong, and I believe he’s on a mission. We all know the only thing missing from the league is to see Thompson in the playoffs, and if he can get 50-plus goals, that’s a real possibility.
He’s going to have a chip on his shoulder. He’ll show everyone that he can get it done with the likes of Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch, as well. Thompson, being one of the team’s leaders on and off the ice, will show everyone why he’s not only a star but a superstar in the league.
Overall, I expect these players to show the league what they’re capable of. Yes, including Thompson. I think his game becomes more well-rounded, beyond just goal scoring. As for Benson and Kulich, they’re super young and have a ton of potential. This season, I expect them to show the league why they’re playing top-line minutes.
