August 24, 2011
NHL Predictions: 10 Players Set To Take the Next Step After a Strong 2010-11
Each season, established top-flight players have down years while unproven, inexperienced players catch us all by surprise and take the league by storm.
We saw several examples of this last year. Star sniper Dany Heatley, who was recently dealt to the Minnesota Wild, registered a career-low 26 goals and 64 points for San Jose. Former 40-point defenseman Jay Bouwmeester put up a lackluster 24 points in 82 games for the Flames.
On the flip side, young Flyers forward Claude Giroux tallied 76 points at just 23 years of age last season and power winger Core Perry, whose previous career-high for goals in a season was 32, lit the lamp 50 times and won the prestigious “Rocket” Richard trophy as the league’s top goal scorer.
Giroux and Perry weren’t the only youngsters who saw their stock sky-rocket as a result of their tremendous performances in 2010-11. Numerous players throughout the NHL made drastic improvements on their previous point totals and secured a spot for themselves on their club’s roster.
Here are 10 players, listed in no particular order, who put together impressive campaigns last season and appear poised to build on that success this year.
Related posts:
- 2010 NHL Playoffs: Five Players That Need to Step It Up in Round Three
- NHL Playoff Predictions 2011: Can Bruins Build off Strong Game 3 to Beat Habs?
- 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs: 10 Players That Need To Step Up Quickly
- NHL Predictions: 5 Players Who Will Hit the 50-Goal Plateau This Season
- New York Islanders: 5 Players Who Need to Keep Up Their Strong Play
