Whether it's veterans defying the odds or under-the-radar acquisitions stepping up, every year, there are players around the NHL who perform beyond expectations. The 2024-25 season has been no exception, providing a ton of incredible storylines that highlight the unpredictable nature of hockey.
Here are five of the NHL’s biggest overachievers from this memorable season.
Matt Duchene, C, Dallas Stars
Despite putting up 65 points in the 2023-24 season, Matt Duchene elected to stay in Dallas on a remarkably team-friendly contract, signing a one-year deal for $3 million. Things couldn’t have turned out better for both Duchene and the Stars, as the 34-year-old is second in team scoring with 29 goals and 78 points in 76 games.
With seven games remaining in the regular season, Duchene’s next goal would mark just the third time in his career that he’s reached the 30-goal milestone. There’s a case to be made that he’s been one of the league’s most valuable players relative to salary this year, and Duchene is poised for a huge playoff run with the Stars in the coming weeks.
Jesper Bratt, LW, New Jersey Devils
Considering Jesper Bratt was a sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft by the New Jersey Devils, he’s always been an overachiever. However, this year has been exceptional. Bratt was in the midst of a career-best season before Devils superstar Jack Hughes was sidelined, and it was reasonable to assume that his production would take a dip in the final weeks of the regular season.
However, the Swedish winger has been just as impressive alongside Nico Hischier and has become a primary playmaker of his own, recording 16 assists and 20 points in 15 games since Hughes went down. This is the second time in Bratt’s career that he is averaging over a point per game – he had 83 points in 82 games last season – and he’ll have to maintain that level of offense in order to lead the Devils to playoff success.
Zach Werenski, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been one of the best stories in the NHL this season, and Zach Werenski has been a huge part of it. The 27-year-old defensemen had historically been a 50-point player with clear offensive upside that was limited due to a weak supporting cast.
This season, the Blue Jackets got a huge scoring boost, soaring from 25th in goals per game (2.85) in 2023-24, all the way to 10th (3.19), and Werenski’s output skyrocketed as a result. His 74 points are second to only Cale Makar among defensemen and he’s one of only three D-men to be averaging over a point per-game this season. On top of all that, Werenski leads the league in ice time (27:01 minutes per game on average) and is the first player since Dustin Byfuglien in the 2016-17 season to average over 27 minutes a night.
In pretty much every other year, Werenski would be the runaway favorite to win the Norris trophy, but even if he doesn’t take any hardware home this spring, the Blue Jackets will be happy to know that they’ve got a bonafide superstar on their blueline for years to come.
Ryan Donato, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Creating offense hasn’t been easy for the Chicago Blackhawks this season, which is why it made sense that Ryan Donato was at the forefront of trade-deadline conversations earlier this year with his solid production and modest $2-million cap hit.
Donato is just one goal away from reaching the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career, and is currently tied with Connor Bedard for the most points on the team with 59 in 74 games played.
The 28-year-old is definitely benefitting from having an elevated role in a weaker lineup, and only time will tell if he’s truly become a top-line forward, but he’s exceeded all expectations and has been one of the very few bright spots for the Blackhawks this season.
Mikael Granlund, C, Dallas Stars
In a year where Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand, Brock Nelson and many other stars were dealt ahead of the trade deadline, Mikael Granlund has quietly emerged as one of the best in-season acquisitions. Similarly to Donato, Granlund put up impressive numbers on a lacklustre San Jose Sharks squad for a second consecutive season, recording 45 points in 52 games.
After an impressive showing at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Granlund has been nearly just as impactful with the Dallas Stars despite playing in a diminished role, putting up 18 points in 25 games while averaging over three minutes of ice time less per game.
Entering this season, it was hard to imagine that the Stars could actually get deeper, but GM Jim Nill has truly outdone himself by bolstering the team’s middle-six with Granlund.
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