These NHL Late Bloomers Are Hitting Their Stride As Free Agency Looms

It took a while for these four NHLers to hit their stride in The Show. But they're providing important contributions in contract years that the rest of the NHL should pay attention to.

After previously putting the spotlight on some impressive players finishing out their entry-level contracts and some solid veterans who still haven't lost a step, now it's time to take a look at four NHL players who are hitting their stride a little later in their careers than we usually see.

All four are forwards — and all are playing some of the best hockey of their careers as they head toward unrestricted free agency this summer. 

And while any of them could theoretically become a playoff rental, three are filling important roles on teams that are serious Stanley Cup contenders, so don't expect them to go anywhere. As for the fourth — his versatility could make him a valuable commodity leading up to the deadline if his GM decides to go that way.

A late bloomer who was originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round in 2014, Michigan native Dakota Joshua signed with the St. Louis Blues when he came out of college in 2019. He got onto Vancouver’s radar when the Canucks and Blues shared an AHL franchise during the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season, then became a full-time NHLer at age 26 when he signed as a free agent with the Canucks during the summer of 2022.

At a bargain cap hit of $825,000 this season, Joshua has evolved into a crucial member of Vancouver’s bottom six, logging big minutes on the improved penalty kill and scoring 12 goals on an effective energy line with Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger.

Joshua will be looking for more money and more job security as he approaches UFA status this summer.

Originally drafted in the third round in 2015, Minnesota native Tommy Novak played four years at college, then further developed his game in the minors before making his NHL debut with the Predators on Oct. 19, 2021. He logged 27 games, then found himself back in the AHL for the first two months of the 2022-23 campaign.

But when he earned his next recall in December 2022, Novak made the most of it. He produced at nearly a point-per-game pace that resulted in 17 goals and 43 points in 51 games with Nashville — and earned a one-year, $800,000 contract extension last February.

This year, Novak missed a little time with injury. He's currently at eight goals and 23 points in 40 games.

And while he's slotted in on the wing right now with Nashville, Novak is listed as a center — a valuable commodity at this year's trade deadline.

The Preds are right on the playoff cutline in the Western Conference, and so far, first-year GM Barry Trotz has been non-committal about whether he's a buyer or a seller. If he does decide to re-stock the cupboards, 26-year-old Novak could bring back a tidy return.

The Ottawa Senators had high hopes for Stefan Noesen when they drafted the productive and physical Texan 21st overall from the OHL's Plymouth Whalers back in 2011. But Noesen never played a game in the Sens organization, dealt to the Anaheim Ducks as part of the Bobby Ryan trade in 2013. After that, he continued to bounce around and was in the minors as recently as the 2021-22 season.

But that year, something clicked. On a two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes organization, Noesen put up 48 goals, 85 points and 112 penalty minutes with the AHL's Chicago Wolves, then added another 25 playoff points as the Wolves captured the Calder Cup. That earned him a new two-year deal with the Canes — and a full-time NHL roster spot for the first time since 2018.

Last season, Noesen established a new career high with 36 points, then added eight more in the playoffs. This year, he’s up to 27 points in 47 games on a Carolina team that sometimes gets stuck in a rut offensively.

With his 31st birthday approaching on Feb. 12, Noesen has carved out an important role on a very good Carolina team and has shown he can elevate his game in the playoffs. Whether it’s in Raleigh or elsewhere, he should earn a pay bump and another multi-year deal on or before July 1.

On the Colorado Avalanche, it’s easy to get overshadowed by stars such as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. So the relative success of the Jonathan Drouin reclamation project has largely flown under the radar this season.

After struggling to live up to sky-high expectations earlier in his career, the third overall pick in 2013 has found his footing since being reunited with his junior teammate MacKinnon in the Mile High City. After logging just one point in his first 10 games and being healthy-scratched twice, Drouin has been producing consistently since mid-November. Now, he’s up to 10 goals and 28 points in 47 games while riding shotgun on MacKinnon’s wing. It's a sweet gig if you can get it — and one that’s seeing him log more than 17 minutes a game.

Drouin turns 29 on March 28 and will hit unrestricted free agency this summer after playing this season on a contract worth $825,000. With Colorado always tight to the cap ceiling, it’ll be interesting to see if he tries to parlay this success into a bigger deal elsewhere or if he sticks with the great opportunity that he has been given in Colorado.