From Arturs Silovs standing tall with the Canucks to Casey Mittelstadt excelling after years of playoff misses, these NHL players are thriving in their first playoffs.
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are a completely different animal than the regular season.
Being a successful regular-season contributor is hardly a prerequisite to playoff success. That’s why there’s always a bit of buyer beware when acquiring an unproven playoff commodity at the deadline or throwing a young player into the post-season fire.
The following five players aren’t technically NHL rookies, but they’re playoff newbies who are thriving under the spotlight.
Arturs Silovs, G, Vancouver Canucks
When Vezina-finalist Thatcher Demko and backup Casey DeSmith both got injured in the first round against the Nashville Predators, the Vancouver Canucks were forced to start Silovs in net.
A sixth-round pick in the 2019 NHL draft, the 23-year-old had only dressed in nine career NHL games before these playoffs.
But against all odds, the Latvian rookie has shocked the hockey world and kept Vancouver afloat, even getting the nod after DeSmith was ready to return.
In seven playoff contests, Silovs has posted a .907 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average. His underlying numbers are even shinier, with Silovs ranking fifth in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (0.428) among the 13 goalies who have played at least five games during these playoffs, according to moneypuck.com.
Mason Lohrei, D, Boston Bruins
Mason Lohrei wasn’t even with the Bruins to start the post-season.
But after deadline acquisition Andrew Peeke got injured in Game 2 of the first round, Lohrei — who split the season between the NHL and AHL — was summoned from the minors. Given how the last three weeks went, it’s safe to say the 23-year-old won’t be returning to the AHL anytime soon.
The 6-foot-5 smooth-skating defenseman had a coming-out party in Game 1 of the second round, recording the eventual game-winning goal and an assist. That breakout performance earned him a spot alongside Charlie McAvoy on the team's top pair, where he’s remained ever since.
Since his promotion, Lohrei has four takeaways, and he's tied for second on the team with five blocks during 5-on-5 play over the last four games, according to naturalstattrick.com.
Logan Stankoven, RW, Dallas Stars
Logan Stankoven continues to exceed expectations throughout his rookie season.
After recording 57 points in 47 AHL games — tying him for the second-best point-per-game mark of any U-21 player from the past decade with 1.21 — the 5-foot-8 forward earned a recall in late February.
Since then, Stankoven has carved out a top-nine role on a Stars team that’s one of the NHL’s deepest up front.
Stankoven has recorded three goals and six points in 12 playoff games, scoring all but one of those points during 5-on-5 play. He has also posted the second-best 5-on-5 expected goals-for percentage of any Stars skater (62.17 percent), per naturalstattrick.com.
Stars coach Peter DeBoer even had him on the ice late in Game 3 to protect the Stars' lead when the Colorado Avalanche pulled their goalie.
Casey Mittelstadt, C, Colorado Avalanche
Casey Mittelstadt was an enigma heading into these playoffs.
Mittelstadt — who recorded 50-plus points over his last two regular seasons — had never played in an NHL playoff game before Colorado acquired him before the trade deadline. Despite his recent success with the Buffalo Sabres, questions remained about whether the 25-year-old had the necessary ingredients to be an effective playoff player.
Sure enough, Mittelstadt has silenced all the doubters.
He’s been fantastic in these playoffs, recording nine points in 10 games while demonstrating a stellar all-around game. Previously critiqued for being too much of a perimeter player, Mittelstadt has created lots of offense up the middle on Colorado’s second line alongside Artturi Lehkonen and Zach Parise — a trio that has posted a stellar 67.82 expected goals-for percentage during 5-on-5 play.
Dakota Joshua, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Having suited up for one game with the St. Louis Blues in the 2022 playoffs, Dakota Joshua isn’t technically a playoff newbie, but he only played eight minutes that time, so we’ll include him anyway.
Besides, the player he is today is a far cry from the minor-league player he was back then.
The 6-foot-3 power forward has looked like the quintessential playoff performer this year, pairing his eight points in 10 playoff games with 55 hits, which rank him second in the NHL.
Joshua has been a huge part of Vancouver’s third line, alongside Conor Garland and Elias Lindholm. This trio has recorded the fourth-most goals-for per 60 minutes (4.04) of any line that has played at least 50 minutes in these playoffs, according to moneypuck.com.