NHL Breakout Players For 2018-19

You know they’re out there — the third-liner who showed glimpses last year, the solid supporting player poised to get a shot at a lead role, the high draft pick who has served his time in the minors, a backup traded to a better situation. Somebody who wasn’t anybody is going to surprise everybody.

It happens every year.

In 2017-18, it was Sean Couturier going from a career high of 39 points to an eye-opening 76 in his seventh NHL season. It was Mathew Barzal stepping up from the WHL and continuing to dominate on his way to 85 points and the Calder Trophy. And it was basically everyone on the Vegas roster — especially Erik Haula, a fourth-year vet who nearly doubled his previous career goals high of 15 by scoring 29 for the Golden Knights.

So, who will be the breakout players of the 2018-19 NHL season? Here’s one man’s Maybe Magnificent Seven:

Oliver Bjorkstrand: Here’s an interesting thought: The Blue Jackets had a down year across the roster. Several players should bounce back, and that bounce could propel Bjorkstrand to new heights. A big-time scorer in the WHL, he had only 11 goals in 82 NHL games last season after scoring 10 in 38 over the previous two.

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