Wyatt Johnston underwent a drastic transformation in his power-play scoring from the first three seasons of his NHL career to this campaign. He's drawing comparisons to Brayden Point in the process.
The NHL's best power-play goal-scorer struck again on Wednesday.
Wyatt Johnston scored the double-overtime-winner for the Dallas Stars as they took a 2-1 series lead over the Minnesota Wild.
He did it in typical Wyatt Johnston fashion, deflecting a point shot from the low slot. Johnston scored 27 goals in the regular season from the low slot and led the NHL in goals from the high-danger zone with 30, according to NHL Edge.
Johnston's overtime-winner was his third of the series and his fifth point. The 22-year-old has built several reputations, including as a strong two-way center, arguably the best net-front presence in the NHL and, most importantly, a clutch playoff scorer.
The 2024-25 post-season proved challenging for Johnston, but the year prior, he was outstanding, scoring 10 goals and 16 points in 19 games.
Johnston looks poised to step up again for the Stars, and that's in large part to the continued growth he has shown throughout his four-year NHL career.
During his first three seasons, Johnston was one of the NHL's more effective 5-on-5 scorers. He scored just three of his 24 goals on the power play during his rookie season, three of his 32 in his sophomore season and 11 of his 33 in his third season.
But in his fourth season, he notched 27 of his 45 goals on the man advantage.
That many power-play goals are nothing to scoff at. Among active NHL players, his 27 tallies ranked tied for the second-most in a single season with the Florida Panthers' Sam Reinhart. Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl's 32 goals in 2022-23 are the most in a season among active players. Additionally, Johnston's power-play goals this season are tied for the 13th-most in a season all-time.
Johnston had shown flashes of becoming lethal on the power play in the early part of his career. He has a quick release and has a knack for finding space in the bumper, similar to Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point, a player he has been compared to in the past. But Johnston was able to add to his repertoire.
The 23rd overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft learned a lot from Joe Pavelski, who made his career by being a deflection specialist. Pavelski took Johnston under his wing and even let him live in his house when he was a rookie.
By taking what makes Point effective on the man advantage and using the skills he learned from Pavelski, Johnston has become one of the premier power-play specialists.
The Stars owned the second-ranked power play during the regular season, clicking at 28.6 percent.
In the playoffs, they've converted on six of 17 opportunities, a 35.3 percent success rate. Johnston has two goals and two assists on the power play.
While Johnston has entered stardom because of his production, he has become so much more.
He's not as fast as Point. Johnston ranked in the 55th percentile in 22-plus miles-per-hour bursts, the 94th percentile in 18-to-20 miles-per-hour bursts and lower than the 50th percentile in maximum speed, while Point ranked above the 90th percentile in each. But he brings many of the same elements.
Johnston and Point are excellent puck carriers in transition. They're able to avoid checks and gain the blueline before dishing to their left-handed right wingers, Mikko Rantanen and Nikita Kucherov, who are looking to slow the game down, make cross-ice passes and get the puck to the slot.
Their ability to back off defenders opens up free ice, and they almost always work themselves into the right areas to receive the puck.
Johnston had also become a solid defensive center. At 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, Johnston can stand his ground and win more puck battles.
Coach Glen Gulutzan trusts the youngster and proved it by playing him over 20:00 a night during the regular season. That number has grown to 23:46 during the playoffs, over a full minute more than the next Stars forward.
In all, the Toronto, Ont., native has become possibly the most important forward on the Stars.
If they hope to take down the Wild and move deep into the playoffs, they'll need everything they can get from Johnston, which includes clutch power-play goals in what may soon be deemed his office.
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