I ask the question because New York Islanders right winger Maxim Tsyplakov avoided arbitration and re-signed for two years at $2.25 million per year on Friday. He had 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 77 games in his rookie NHL season. He's 26 and mainly played in the KHL since 2017-18. I'm not suggesting he's an Artemi Panarin or Kirill Kaprizov level of player, but after taking a similar route that they did to the NHL, it'll be interesting to see how Tsyplakov does in his second year of NHL hockey.
Of course, there's Calder winner Lane Hutson, 2024 first overall pick Macklin Celebrini, his teammate Will Smith, and a boatload of exciting players entering their sophomore seasons. Who are you most looking forward to follow in 2025-26? Who do you have in your fantasy hockey keeper leagues?
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