Performance evaluation: Harley had a massive 2024-25 season, and two key reasons why were Miro Heiskanen getting injured in January and Harley getting the call to play for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The 18th overall pick in 2019 has had an interesting career arc, and 2024-25 marked a bit of a breakout for the young star. In the 48 games before Heiskanen was injured, Harley averaged 22:27 per game in ice time and ranked 34th among defensemen in scoring with 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists). In the 30 games without Heiskanen, Harley averaged 24:53 in time on ice and ranked sixth among NHL defensemen in scoring with 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists). Harley was called in at the last minute as a replacement for Team Canada at the 4 Nations and helped beat Team USA in the championship, winning a gold medal in the process. It was a huge challenge for the young defenseman, and he stepped up in a notable way. That helped boost his confidence as he returned to Dallas, where he led the defense down the homestretch of the regular season and through a First Round win against Colorado. He also took the majority of the minutes in the Second Round against Winnipeg as Heiskanen cautiously worked through his injury to get back into the lineup. Harley finished the playoffs with 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 18 games – a significant jump from the 4 points (0 goals, 4 assists) he had in 19 games the year before.
