Surging Sophomores: Five second-year NHLers making serious noise in 2024-25

Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Many have described Connor Bedard’s season as a step back this year.

And that’s understandable. The Chicago Blackhawks star hasn’t missed a game in 2024-25 but is on track for 65 points – just four more than when he missed 14 games with a jaw injury last year. But if you watch Hawks games, you know they’re not surrounding him with the talent needed to have him take a further step in his game, and it’s why the team still sits near the bottom of the standings.

So, which sophmores are actually thriving this season? For today’s exercise, we’re looking at players who fell outside the top five in Calder Trophy voting last year – Bedard, Brock Faber, Luke Hughes, Pyotr Kochetkov and Logan Cooley don’t qualify. We’re talking about players who either received most of their votes to finish as the fourth or fifth best rookie, or, in some cases, didn’t receive a single vote at all.

Let’s look at five second-year studs you need to know:

Jackson LaCombe, D (Anaheim Ducks)

It wasn’t that long ago that all the talk surrounding Anaheim’s future on the blueline surrounded Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov. But Lacombe has surpassed both of them to become the team’s No. 1 – not just on the left side, but overall. Taken 39th overall in 2019, LaCombe brings a deadly mix of two-way play and pure speed. He’s tracking for 44 points and currently sits sixth among all U-25 defenders in scoring. LaCombe continues to take on high defensive responsibilities with little issue while blocking shots, breaking up scoring chances and even leading the second power-play unit. LaCombe’s expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5 is 49.46 – which, given the matchups he’s facing on a bottom-feeding team, is truly remarkable.

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Most top young players don’t play a full four years of college hockey, but the University of Minnesota alum used that time to prepare him both mentally and physically for the grind of the NHL. With Cam Fowler out of the picture, LaCombe is leading all Ducks with 21:30 in ice time, and he’s the team’s only blueliner with at least 100 shots. He’s been a full-timer ever since leaving school and hasn’t looked back – and now fans across the league are starting to see just how good he is.

Lukas Dostal, G (Anaheim Ducks)

Sticking in Anaheim, how about Dostal? With Gibson out to start the season, Dostal was charged with leading the crease, and he helped put the Ducks squarely in the playoff conversation early on. It didn’t last for too long because the Ducks ultimately fell back to Earth. But Dostal boasts a 19.74 goals saved above expected at 5-on-5, which places him fourth in the NHL. He has made at least 30 saves in 20 of his 41 starts and hasn’t lost a game in regulation in any of the four starts in which he made at least 40 stops.

It’s been a tremendous past 10 months for the 24-year-old. Dostal took home top goaltender honors at the 2024 World Championship after helping the Czechs win gold on home ice. Gibson has seemingly been in trade rumors for a while now and likely will be until his deal comes to an end in 2027. But Dostal, who needs a new contract this summer as a pending RFA, might be the long-term answer in net as the Ducks focus on flying up the standings.

Dmitri Voronkov, LW (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Adam Fantilli isn’t the only Blue Jackets sophomore having fun. Voronkov had a solid first year in North America, registering an 18-goal, 34-point campaign. But he tied that mark in 32 fewer games this year and is on track for just under 30 goals and 60 points. That’s huge for a 6-foot-5 forward who was drafted as more of a depth forward option but has instead become one of the primary reasons why the Blue Jackets are in the playoff hunt.

Voronkov’s chemistry with fellow Russian Kirill Marchenko has given the team a fantastic 1-2 winger duo. Both have exceeded expectations, with Marchenko tracking for more than 70 points in his third NHL season. Add in a skilled two-way threat in Fantilli down the middle and it’s an exciting taste of the future in Ohio. Voronkov might be a bit hot and cold offensively, but he plays with the most power of anyone on that top line and his impact can’t go unnoticed.

Marco Rossi, C (Minnesota Wild)

Many wondered if the Wild would move on from the Austrian center during the 2024 offseason. Instead, the Wild stuck to their guns and kept him around – and it’s paying off. He had a solid 40 points as a rookie, but he has already surpassed the 50-point mark and should blast past 60 before the season ends, as well. It took Rossi a few years to get going after missing most of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-related health problems. But between his play internationally the past three years and his continued improvement in the NHL, Rossi looks like a long-term top-six center for the Wild.

The 5-foot-9 forward is a pending restricted free agent, and he’s due for a significant raise. He’s been a solid two-way player, and he’s one of Minnesota’s best players at 5-on-5. Rossi has played significantly better this year than he did as a rookie, which, of course, you’d expect from a young, developing player. But with just one really good season under his belt, his contract talks could get complicated if the Wild don’t think he’ll keep trending upward. We’ll see. But for now, Rossi is playing some excellent hockey.

Will Cuylle, LW (New York Rangers)

Fantasy hockey owners have loved Cuylle this year, and for good reason. He hits, he fights, and he’s trending towards a 20-goal, 40-point final output. Cuylle only had 21 points last year, but 13 of them were goals. So you could see that offensive potential, and he’s been delivering as a middle-six forward. Cuylle is one tough customer to play against, and the fact that he’s also putting up solid numbers is an excellent sign.

The 23-year-old was always tremendously skilled. He was one of the top prospects ahead of the 2018 OHL Draft and was one of the most dominant 2002-born players in North America. It took him a while to really find his legs in the OHL, but after a great final season in Windsor, he established himself as a legit prospect. The Rangers are reaping the rewards right now, and while he’ll never be a high-end play-driver, he’s the type of player you want battling hard in the playoffs.

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