NHL Breakout Players – Pacific Division Pt. II

With NHL training camps opening this week and the regular season less than a month away, the 32 clubs are looking for young players to breakout after playing in Europe, the NCAA, or the AHL to make their mark in the big show. For contending clubs, finding players on their entry-level contracts is essential to stay under the $83.5 million salary cap, while rebuilding teams are looking for youngsters as potential building blocks.

We continue our look at the possible breakout players from the Pacific Division:

San Jose Sharks

William Eklund – The 2021 seventh-overall pick got two brief NHL trial runs before spending most of the season in Sweden and last year in the American Hockey League. Eklund will likely get plenty of opportunity with the rebuilding Sharks this season.

Daniil Gushchin – A super-skilled scorer who left Russia at 16 to play in the USHL, Gushchin scored 22 goals with the AHL Barracudas and his first NHL goal last season. San Jose will give young prospects like him an extended NHL opportunity.

Seattle Kraken

Shane Wright – The Kraken were fortunate to have a player who many projected to be the top pick in the 2022 Draft fall to them fourth overall, but they wasted a year of development by keeping him for the first half of the year before finally sending him back to junior until January. The 19-year-old may start in the AHL this season but could get called up very quickly.

Tye Kartye  – The Cinderella story of 2023, Kartye went undrafted after scoring 45 goals with the OHL Soo Greyhounds and was signed by Seattle. After scoring 28 goals with AHL Coachella Valley, Kartye was recalled and stepped into for the Kraken in the postseason, scoring three playoff goals.

Vancouver Canucks

Nils Hoglander – Only 22, the Swedish winger has played parts of three seasons with the Canucks, but last season was sent down to the AHL to get more playing time and work on the areas of his game that were lacking.

Vasily Podkolzin – Vancouver’s 2019 first-rounder, Podkolzin scored 14 goals as a rookie in 2022 before going through a sophomore slump and splitting time between the NHL and AHL. The Canucks have a crowded forward group, so one of these youngsters could get a chance while the other gets lost in the shuffle.

Around Full Press Hockey

NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators

NHL:  Matthews’ Contract Extension Ought To Make Leafs Fans Overjoyed

PWHL: In Hainsight: Chevrie Appointed as Head Coach of Montreal’s PWHL Franchise

Full Press Hockey Weekly:  Ep 67: Karlsson Trade, Matt Dumba Signs, NHL News and Notes

PODCAST: Ep 68: Auston Matthews Extension, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Much More

WANT MORE PODCASTS? Check Out Some Of The Latest From Around The FPC Network

Vegas Golden Knights

Brandon Brisson – The Golden Knights first-round pick in 2020, Brisson was a scoring star at Michigan and gained a year of seasoning in the AHL. He represents one of the few top-end prospects Vegas did not trade in their quest for the Cup, and with their cap constraints, a young player on his rookie contract would be welcomed.

Kaeden Korczak – A big blueliner draft in the second round in 2019, Korczak has split time between Henderson and Vegas the last two seasons. With a number of their NHL defensemen getting long in the tooth, the 22-year-old may get a chance at significant time in Vegas this season.