Sports offer the excitement of witnessing players exceed expectations and reach their full potential. Some athletes surpass even that, achieving unprecedented levels of excellence. As we delve deeper into the 2023-24 NHL season, we can identify players who have broken out of their previous performances and are making significant contributions to their teams.
A breakout player, for the purposes of this article, is a non-rookie who is on track to achieve a significant personal best while also playing an important role on their team. Although forwards Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Marco Rossi of the Minnesota Wild have had strong individual seasons, their teams’ struggles have relegated them to honorable mention status.
The following five players have been the biggest difference-makers:
QUINN HUGHES, D, VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Hughes’ first season as captain of the Vancouver Canucks has been a dream come true. After only one playoff appearance in the last eight years, the Canucks have been a mainstay near the top of the NHL standings this year. Individually, Hughes has already set a new personal best in goal-scoring and is leading all defensemen in points while also hovering within the overall top 10. His performance so far is certainly breakout-worthy.
QUINTON BYFIELD, LW/RW, LOS ANGELES KINGS
At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Byfield is a big forward who needed time to settle into his body. Still just 21, the second overall pick from 2020 has already hit career highs with eight goals and 23 points in just 29 games this season. He’s part of an ultra-deep forward group on a Kings team that has also been racking up the wins.
COLE PERFETTI, LW, WINNIPEG JETS
Drafted eight picks after Byfield in 2020, Perfetti is a more modest 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. After injuries slowed his development over the last two seasons, the talented forward hit the 100-game mark of his NHL career with a new career high of 10 goals and counting this season. With 21 points, he’s already more than two-thirds of the way to matching his 30-point total from last season. Perfetti has become a power-play mainstay on a Jets team that has taken over top spot in the Central.
CONNOR INGRAM, G, ARIZONA COYOTES
Ingram’s 12-6-0 record and .919 save percentage are key reasons why the Arizona Coyotes are flirting with their first playoff spot since the 2020 bubble. The 26-year-old 2016 third-round pick didn’t make his NHL debut until 2021 and had just 30 games in the league on his resume prior to this season.
TRAVIS SANHEIM, D, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Sanheim was signed to a max-term, $50-million contract extension by former Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher in the summer of 2022. Although Fletcher was ousted before the deal kicked in this fall, new GM Danny Briere is reaping the benefits as Sanheim anchors the blueline for the surprising Flyers. With 22 points in 30 games, the 27-year-old could easily eclipse his previous career high of 35 points. More importantly, he has become a prime minute-muncher, logging more than 25 minutes per game and keeping company with the likes of Doughty and Heiskanen.
