12 NHL players in opportunistic spots in the lineup to start the season

Credit: © Perry Nelson

The start of the regular season brings forth some interesting line combinations. Coaches always seem to be in more experimental moods at the beginning of the season, and with there sometimes being surprise players making teams out of camp, it throws things into a bit of chaos as coaches try to find a places for them in the lineup.

As a result, that often leaves some players in roles they never would have expected. Whether they’re a forward playing in the top six with some elite talent, a defenseman getting top pair minutes, or just a player that finds themselves on the top power play unit, it’s a gift horse that these players shouldn’t be looking in the mouth.

So, with a majority of teams already getting into action, let’s take a look at some players who find themselves in more opportune positions than they likely expected. This will either be young players finally getting a crack at top minutes or older players getting another chance to thrive, so no Evan Bouchard-types that have already shown they can thrive in those kinds of minutes.

Bobby Brink, Philadelphia Flyers

Bobby Brink looks to finally be getting an opportunity with the NHL club. After playing 10 games with them in 2022 fresh out of college, he spent the entirety of the 2022-23 season with Lehigh Valley, so he didn’t get an NHL game at all last season. The Flyers 2019 second-round pick slots next to Sean Couturier and Joel Farabee in the top six and is on the top power play unit, so he’s going to get plenty of chances to thrive in his first full rookie season. It’s a surprise to see a coach like John Tortorella put this much trust in an inexperienced player, but he also did try Travis Konecny and Ryan Poehling on that line at points in the Flyers’ 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, so it’s possible that this is short term.

Connor Brown, Edmonton Oilers

If there was an award for the player in the most opportune spot, it’s without a doubt Connor Brown. A torn ACL kept him out of all but four games last year, and while we don’t know how well he’s recovered from it and if he’ll be the same player, we’ll certainly find out as he plays next to Connor McDavid this season. Brown doesn’t get those juicy power play minutes with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but McDavid is still plenty productive at even strength, so Brown should still benefit on that top line, especially if the two Connors can re-establish their chemistry from their Erie Otters days. Brown’s career highs are 21 goals in 2020-21 and 43 points in 2019-20, and those could easily be bested this season if he gets consistent top-six minutes. He only played 4:40 with McDavid in their 8-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, but I’d imagine Jay Woodcroft was constantly changing lines to see what worked once they hit blowout territory.

Matt Coronato, Calgary Flames

Being a 13th-overall pick just two years ago, Matt Coronato was certainly going to get big minutes eventually, but after a strong training camp, he’s guaranteed himself those minutes in Calgary already, along with a spot on the first power play unit. Obviously the dream would be the top line with Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau, but Nazem Kadri is no slouch either, and Coronato gets to play with all three of them on the power play, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to break into the league in style. His line was the only one that stayed intact as rookie head coach Ryan Huska experimented during the parts of the Flames 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets where they struggled, so that could be a solid sign that Coronato is in the coaches’ good books already.

Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks

Ryan Donato was once thought of as an intriguing prospect with upside during his time with the Boston Bruins, but he’s since bounced around to a few teams and has never really shown too much of a productive side to his game. In fact, he probably didn’t have a ton of NHL opportunities when he signed his deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. But with Chicago’s season already two games old, Donato finds himself stapled to Connor Bedard’s side (and Taylor Hall’s before his injury) on the top line and is on the top power play unit as well. We’ll wait and see as to whether that holds for the season, but he’s got a goal and an assist already on the year thanks to the opportunity.

Jonathan Drouin, Colorado Avalanche

Brown isn’t the only player on this list that finds themselves next to an elite talent in this league with whom they also happened to have chemistry during their junior careers. Of course, Jonathan Drouin had a much higher profile entering the league as a third-overall pick in that year, but he hasn’t touched the career that former Halifax Moosehead teammate Nathan MacKinnon has. Well, now he’s playing with MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on the Colorado Avalanche’s top line, so if he’s ever going to make a career for himself, this is the time. He had one assist in the Av’s 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings, but that line did produce three 5v5 goals, so we still have no idea how much he will contribute there.

Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild

There are few better ways for a defenseman to get accumulated into the league and get an opportunity to shine than by playing them in a top-four role for a defensively sound Minnesota Wild team alongside Jonas Brodin. That’s where Brock Faber finds himself to start the season, and it’s not just because of Jared Spurgeon’s preseason injury, as Faber appeared to be slated for the role before the injury. It’s already paid off with him scoring his first career goal in the Wild’s season-opening 2-0 win over the Florida Panthers, so it looks like a role he’ll get settled in very quickly after getting his feet wet in last season’s playoff series.

Simon Holmstrom, New York Islanders

You could argue that being on the New York Islanders is never a good opportunity for a forward to be productive, but luckily for Simon Holmstrom, he’s in one of the few spots where he stands a chance to be. The 2019 first-round pick started his NHL career with 50 games last year and mostly found himself in a bottom-six role, but he’ll have a massive opportunity this year. Based on practice lines going into Saturday’s season opener against the Buffalo Sabres, he’s slated for the top right wing position on the team alongside Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat, who make up two of the three or four offensive weapons on the Islanders. Should he stick around in that spot, it’s a great chance for the 22-year-old to develop in the league.

Jonas Johansson, Tampa Bay Lightning

Johansson hasn’t had too many opportunities in the NHL over the course of his seven-year professional career in North America, and the few chances he’s had have usually not gone well. It was already a bit of a head scratcher when the Tampa Bay Lightning decided to sign him to be the backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy, but when news broke that Vasilevskiy would miss the first couple months of the season, many assumed that the Lightning would explore other options for a temporary starter. Instead, they’ll be relying on Johansson to hold down the fort until Vasilevskiy returns, so as long as the Swede can just simply not be so bad that he damages the Bolts’ playoff chances before Thanksgiving (which he didn’t in Tampa’s 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators in the season opener), it could improve his chances of sticking around in the NHL.

Alex Laferriere, Los Angeles Kings

After failing to live up to the hype of being a first-overall pick in New York, Alexis Lafreniere will look for a second chance to turn around his career in Los Angel- wait, that’s not him. Alex Laferriere, who was also a 2020 draft pick, not only found himself on the NHL team in his first full pro season, but he also sits alongside Kevin Fiala and Pierre-Luc Dubois on the Kings’ second line to start the year. It wasn’t the most effective line in their 5-2 loss in the season opener to the Avalanche, and it’s quite possible that it’s just a temporary solution to Arthur Kaliyev’s suspension, so Laferriere will need to make his mark quick if he wants this to stick there.

Cole Perfetti, Winnipeg Jets

It’s not that Cole Perfetti has been bad in his NHL career thus far. In fact, he’s produced at above a point-per-every-other-game pace in his first two seasons with 37 points in 69 games. But he hasn’t been consistent thus far, largely due to injuries, so the Jets’ 2020 10th-overall pick hasn’t quite lived up to his potential yet. That may change this year, as he looks to be taking over top six duties with Dubois gone this season. He’s slotted between Nikolaj Ehlers and Nino Niederreiter on the second line to start, and those two are about as good as it gets on the Jets for integrating a player into a high-pressure role without throwing them to the wolves defensively, so there’s a solid chance that Perfetti finally shows the NHL what he’s made of.

Rasmus Sandin, Washington Capitals

Okay, Rasmus Sandin may be in that Evan Bouchard category that I referred to off the top, as he’s shown that he can produce when given the opportunity with 15 points in 19 games with the Washington Capitals after he was acquired at the trade deadline. But, his success feels slightly less imminent this season, especially since he isn’t getting the exact same role with John Carlson starting the season healthy. Sandin may not be getting top power play minutes, but getting any power play time at least guarantees he’ll be playing with Alex Ovechkin, and Sandin will be alongside Carlson on the top pair to start the year. Sandin never got the opportunity to succeed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, so if there was ever a time to showcase that he can be a top-four defender, it’s this season.

James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins

Peak James van Riemsdyk is arguably the best player on this list (not accounting for how good the younger players can become, obviously), but he hasn’t been that kind of player for a couple seasons now. Part of that is due to age, so there’s no guarantee a good spot in the lineup will change anything, but few players will help him find that spark again quite like David Pastrnak. van Riemsdyk is currently replacing David Krejci alongside Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha on the Czech Line from last year’s Bruins team, so it’s possible ‘JVR’ finds a return to form as the elite net-front presence that he was in his Maple Leafs days. He’s also getting top power play minutes. If he was ever going to have another good season at this point in his career, it’s in this situation.

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