Every NHL season brings surprises, with the 2024-25 campaign being no different. While the established stars and elite teams dominated the headlines, a fresh wave of unexpected talent made themselves known. These breakout players didn’t just have good seasons; they changed the course of their team’s plans and the balance of the league itself.
From impactful first-year players to late-blooming vets, here are five players who turned heads this season.
Lane Hutson – Montreal Canadians, Defenseman
It’s rare that a defenseman leads their rookie class in points, but Lane Hutson proved to be not your normal first-year blueliner. Selected by the Montreal Canadians with the 62nd pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old led this year’s rookie scoring race with 66 points. Earning top pairing minutes, Hutson led the team in assists (60), which helped elevate Hutson to win the Calder Trophy and finish among the top ten in Norris Trophy voting.
Although he dominated the college game while playing at Boston University, the 5’9”, 162lb defenseman was thought to be too small for the NHL game. Hutson quickly proved all the “experts” wrong, quickly becoming a cornerstone of the Habs’ defensive future.
Kirill Marchenko – Columbus Blue Jackets, Right Wing
After scoring 25 and 42 points in his first two NHL seasons, Kirill Marchenko finished his third year with a surprising 31 goals and 74 points in a classic case of “who is this guy and where did he come from?”. Selected 49th in the 2018 NHL Draft, Marchenko spent the next four years in the KHL before joining the Blue Jackets in 2022.
As the first Blue Jacket in team history to notch at least 20 goals in his first three seasons, the 24-year-old star in the making earned a spot on Columbus’s first-line power play unit. Despite missing three games with a broken jaw, Marchenko finished second on the Blue Jackets in overall points and appears primed to lead the team into the future.
Aliaksei Protas – Washington Capitals, Right Wing
The hulking forward from Belarus wasn’t exactly known for his goal scoring entering this season. In his previous three NHL campaigns, Aliaksei Protas recorded 3, 4, and 6 goals. This year, he nearly tripled that total with 30 goals to go along with 36 assists, with over 70% of his points coming in 5-on-5 situations. The 6’6”, 247lb forward not only had a breakout year in goals, but he also finished third in the league in +/- at +40, showing his value at both ends of the ice.
Originally pencilled in as a bottom-six forward, Protas found himself bumped up to the second line, behind Alex Ovechkin. With the Great 8 getting ready for retirement, the Capitals may have found their future first-line right winger in the 24-year-old sniper.
Dustin Wolf – Calgary Flames, Goaltender
When Dustin Wolf stepped between the pipes for the Calgary Flames during the 2024-25 season, not much was expected from the rookie goaltender (who technically was in his third season with the team). Posting a 7-7-1 record as a backup last season, Wolf stepped into a starting role this season, finishing with a 29-16-8 record with a 2.64 Goals Against Average and a .910 Save Percentage, rewriting all expectations.
While the Flames were hampered by offensive struggles, it would be Wolf who often stole the show in numerous games. Finishing the campaign second in Calder Trophy voting, Wolf delivered one of the most impressive rookie seasons between the pipes in recent memory, giving Flames fans, including those using sportsbook promos to wager on the Rookie of the Year voting, confidence that he is their starting goaltender of the present and future.
Martin Necas – Colorado Avalanche, Center
Sometimes, a change of scenery has a huge impact on a player’s performance. While Martin Necas had a couple of decent years with the Carolina Hurricanes, including 71 points during the 2022-23 season, this year may have proved to be his breakout season after eight years in the league. Splitting time between Carolina and Colorado, Necas finished with a career high 83 points (55 and 28, respectively).
Acquired by the Avalanche in a three-team deal, Necas brought a blend of speed, ice vision, and puck management to a team that already featured an elite player like Nathan MacKinnon. The 2024-25 season firmly established Necas as one of the league’s top tier two-way players and helps the Avalanche remain among contenders for next year’s Stanley Cup.
