Players to watch

TORONTO All-stars Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov helped lead Tampa Bay to the top of the Eastern Conference standings last season and a leaguehigh 54 wins, but it was the breakout performances from forwards Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde that made the Lightning the highest-scoring team in the league.

The 22-year-old Point scored 32 goals and 66 points while Gourde had 24 goals and 64 points to finish third and fourth, respectively, in team scoring behind Kucherov and Stamkos despite entering their sophomore seasons with little expectations.

Here are five players looking to do the same in 2018-19:

1. Alex DeBrincat, forward, Chicago. (2017-18 stats: 82 games played, 28 goals, 52 points)

worth US$2.6 million annually.

3. Andreas Johnsson, forward, Toronto. (nine games played, two goals, three points)

Johnsson was a force every night he stepped on the ice last year with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, earning himself a late-season callup that turned into regular action throughout the first round of the playoffs. A bottom-six forward right now, an injury or the dragging on of William Nylander’s contract dispute could easily lead to Johnsson getting more of an opportunity, including both sides of special teams.

4. Charles Hudon, forward, Montreal. (2017-18 stats: 72 games played, 10 goals, 30 points)

Hudon cracked the Canadiens lineup for the first time last season after consistently producing points in the AHL for three years. With Montreal’s 2017-18 campaign being one the team wants to forget and move on from, the 24-year-old has a chance to be one of the players to take the next step this year.

5. Kyle Connor, forward, Winnipeg. (2017-18 stats: 76 games played, 31 goals, 57 points)