The Stanley Cup Playoffs provide the biggest stage for an NHL player. With all eyes on them, some see the spotlight and wither, whether that be star players or depth players. But some take the bright lights and thrive. The superstars usually hog that spotlight, but every now and then, a player further down the lineup gets it and builds a name for themselves (and sometimes, a big pay day along with it).<\/p>\n
Today at Daily Faceoff, we\u2019ll dive into one player on every team who has the potential to be this unsung hero for their respective teams and could be an underrated driving force if they go on a deep playoff run.<\/p>\n
The Ducks went for substance over style when they swapped Trevor Zegras out for Poehling and a couple of draft picks last summer. One year later, it feels like both the Ducks and the Flyers got exactly what they wanted in that deal. Zegras has been a great fit in Philadelphia, but Poehling has thrived in a different way in Anaheim while flying under the radar a little bit. Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville has relied heavily upon Poehling as his No. 3 center for much of the year; meanwhile, Pat Verbeek rewarded the 27-year-old pivot with a new four-year contract extension last month. Poehling has never skated in a playoff game during his career, but his no-nonsense approach should translate effortlessly to the postseason grind.\u00a0\u2014 MIKE GOULD<\/p>\n
The Bruins leaned heavily on star goalie Jeremy Swayman and a killer power play to make it back to this stage, but good luck convincing their fans that a return to the Big, Bad ways of old had nothing to do with it. Kastelic was in the middle of that identity shift, finishing 14th in the NHL in hits (214) and T-20th in blocks by a forward (64), all the while finding time for heavyweight tilts with Mathieu Olivier and Kurtis MacDermid, to name a few. Kastelic might not find any willing dance partners in the playoffs, given the stakes. Still, don\u2019t be surprised to see him use his physicality to ramp up the intensity level, especially in games that aren\u2019t going well for the B\u2019s. This blurb could just as well have described linemate Tanner Jeannot, though Kastelic has shown more value between the whistles this season (12 G, 60.8 FO%).\u00a0\u2013 ANTHONY TRUDEAU<\/p>\n
Benson\u2019s season-long stat line doesn\u2019t wow because he missed 17 games, but he\u2019s been a fantastic facilitator when in the lineup. He\u2019s just so versatile, second on the team in assists per 60 at 5-on-5 yet also third in individual high-danger scoring chances per 60 and third in takeaways per 60. No Sabre with at least 10 games played has a better 5-on-5 on-ice shot attempt share, either. If teams are keying on the bigger stars such as Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin, Benson can hurt them, especially if he\u2019s playing on the third line and potentially drawing easier matchups. \u2013\u00a0MATT LARKIN<\/p>\n
The big, talented Russian blueliner was an afterthought in Rod Brind\u2019Amour\u2019s lineup last spring, still green in his first taste of the NHL, but he\u2019s now a trusted member of Carolina\u2019s D-corps. Nikishin does so many things well; he can shoot the puck, create offense for others and play a physical game. He\u2019s particularly dangerous as a 5-on-5 two-way threat; if you look at the pairings with the best expected goal share in the NHL this season, Nikishin occupies three of the top 10 spots \u2013 with three different partners. He hasn\u2019t gotten a ton of exposure in a relatively obscure market and under the shadow of other sensational rookies this season, but if the Ottawa Senators sleep on him, he\u2019ll make them pay. \u2013\u00a0MATT LARKIN<\/p>\n
Their captain? Really? Hear me out, though. Injuries limited him to just 35 points in 60 games. He might have been able to hit 50 points in a full season, but nobody really expected him to play close to all 82 games after missing three straight regular seasons. He hasn\u2019t played more than 60 games since 2018-19. But, man, we know what he\u2019s capable of when the going gets tough. He\u2019s been through so much the past few years that he simply hasn\u2019t been close to the same, dominant force we remember him to be. Consistency has been a bit of a mixed bag for Landeskog this year, but when he\u2019s feeling it, he can be a big-time shot generator in high-danger areas. If he can find another gear in his game, the Avalanche are going to be downright lethal. \u2013 STEVEN ELLIS<\/p>\n
For far too many years of this Stars almost-dynasty, their biggest issue has been their depth on defense. While Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell have been mainstays, and Thomas Harley has emerged in recent years to give them at least three competent defenders in their top-four, the fourth has been a consistent vacancy. They\u2019ve tried with Ryan Suter, Ilya Lyubushkin and Cody Ceci, and only really found success there in 2024 with deadline acquisition Chris Tanev. While Tyler Myers was Dallas\u2019 deadline acquisition this year, he\u2019s mostly played in a bottom-pair role, with Harley instead playing alongside Lundkvist. The two have played at their best alongside each other and complement each other both in terms of moving the puck and defensively. We all know Harley can show up in the postseason, but Lundkvist was consistently in Peter DeBoer\u2019s dog house come playoff time, so we don\u2019t know what he truly is yet unter Glen Gulutzan. If Lundkvist can maintain his form, the Stars will be tough team to crack defensively. \u2013 SCOTT MAXWELL<\/p>\n