The NHL’s next wave of young stars is off to an electric start.

Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini’s breakouts have garnered most of the attention, along with the Matthew Schaefer/Ivan Demidov-led Calder race, but there’s a deeper crop of players under the age of 24 who are taking big steps, including Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Will Smith and Matthew Knies, among others.

In late October, I wrote a story highlighting some under-the-radar rookies who have quietly made a prominent impact. Now, let’s shift our focus to underrated sophomore players who deserve some flowers too. We’ll be focusing on less-heralded players who are exceeding expectations rather than household names such as Celebrini, Lane Hutson, Gauthier, Smith and Matvei Michkov.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the second-year impact players.

Jackson Blake, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

Age: 22
Draft status: No. 109 pick in 2021
Stats: 16 GP, 4 goals-8 assists-12 points, 15:55 average time on ice

Blake has been a massive part of the Hurricanes’ elite, new-look second line, which also features Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven’s move from wing to center (more on that later). Coming off a solid 17-goal rookie campaign last year, Blake’s production has popped in this bigger top-six role, scoring 12 points through 16 games. Carolina has controlled more than 59 percent of scoring chances and is outscoring opponents 11-5 during Blake’s five-on-five shifts.

The 22-year-old winger is undersized at 5-foot-11 but is an incredibly shifty and creative attacker. He’s very elusive on his edges as a skater, and pairs that with lightning-quick hands. He can execute jaw-dropping dangles to beat defenders one-on-one and carries pucks into dangerous scoring areas on the inside. Here’s an example of him fighting through traffic on a zone entry to manufacture a prime scoring chance and draw a penalty.

Blake, Ehlers and Stankoven have been a deadly trio attacking off the rush. All three of them are quick-skating, above-average puck transporters. They’ve read off each other and adapted incredibly well. Below, you’ll see an example where Blake and Stankoven execute a neat give-and-go on an entry to produce a Grade-A chance.

In this next clip, Blake makes an explosive cut into the middle on a rush to generate an inner-slot opportunity. Ehlers pounces on the rebound for a goal.

Blake always has his head up as a puck carrier, even when he’s moving at top speeds, scanning for passing lanes. He manipulates defenders with his head fakes and deceptive cuts as a skater. Occasionally, he can turn pucks over trying to force plays, but he’s generally managed risk-to-reward well on zone entries. That, coupled with Ehlers’ arrival, has given the Hurricanes a new, dynamic gear attacking off the rush.

Blake is a very slick finesse player, but he’s also an underrated puck thief. He breaks up more plays than you might expect from a small winger by getting underneath the stick of bigger opponents. Here’s a play where he strips Ryan Leonard of the puck on the forecheck.

Lastly, here’s a sequence where he sneakily pickpockets Bobby McMann to extend his line’s attacking zone time.

Frank Nazar, C, Chicago Blackhawks

Age: 21
Draft status: No. 13 pick in 2022
Stats: 15 GP, 5G-6A-11, 18:46 average time on ice

The difference between Nazar’s impact at the start of last season compared to the end was night and day. He went from looking lost at the start of his rookie campaign to a player on the cusp of a monster breakout by the final weeks of the 2024-25 regular season. Nazar dominated for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships last summer and has picked up exactly where he left off, scoring 11 points in 15 games to begin 2025-26 before going down with an injury.

Nazar is a deadly rush attacker. He puts defenders on their heels with his blazing-fast speed, ranking in the 86th percentile of NHL players for speed bursts greater than 20 miles per hour. He also has a quick, heavy release on his shot that can fool goaltenders.

Frank Nazar scores, chaos follows, and he still goes to the bench for the drive-by celebration 💀 pic.twitter.com/lq0wBWijYB

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 16, 2025

When his line is attacking off the cycle, Nazar shows an underrated IQ for getting open as a shooter in high-danger areas. Watch how he sneaks behind Evan Bouchard to get open for a Grade-A chance in this clip, for example.

Nazar has already generated 16 shots on goal from “high-danger” areas according to NHL Edge, which ranks in the 87th percentile of forwards. The Blackhawks have leaned on him in a huge role: centering the second line, playing on the top power-play unit and averaging more than two minutes per game on the penalty kill.

One area that Nazar will need to improve with experience is his puck management. He’s had some dangerous turnovers in recent games against the Canucks and Kraken, including one that led to a two-on-one goal for Jordan Eberle. I’m not worried about that, though; Nazar has only played 71 career games. Some highs and lows are to be expected, and he’ll surely tighten up some of those turnovers with more reps.

Josh Doan, RW, Buffalo Sabres

Age: 23
Draft status: No. 37 pick in 2021
Stats: 16 GP, 4G-5A-9, 15:31 average time on ice

The Sabres were widely panned for their modest return in the offseason JJ Peterka trade, which netted them Michael Kesselring and Doan from Utah. It turns out a lot of those people were underestimating Doan, who has emerged as one of the best storylines in upstate New York so far.

Doan is a very fascinating player to scout. There’s very little flash to his game: he’s an average skater, isn’t the most creative or skilled player, and doesn’t do much flashy puck-handling. If you’re an out-of-market viewer who only watches the Sabres on occasion, it’d be easy to miss Doan’s impact and think he’s a run-of-the-mill forward because he doesn’t make a lot of eye-catching plays.

The more you watch Doan play, though, you appreciate his value as a smart, hard-working, heavy winger who consistently tilts the ice in his team’s favor. The Sabres have outshot and outchanced opponents by a wide margin in Doan’s shifts, controlling 61 percent of expected goals, which is the best mark among Buffalo’s top nine.

Doan is a beast along the boards, using his strength, relentless energy and expert stickwork to dominate opponents in puck battles.

Watch how many subtle plays he makes to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone in the clip below. Doan starts by checking a Blues forward on a clearance attempt. He pokes the puck forward on the second effort. Philip Broberg gets to the loose puck and tries to clear it off the boards, but Doan swats it out of the air and then wards off two Blues players to cleanly win possession back for his line.

Doan is an excellent puck retriever in all three zones. He constantly breaks plays up in the neutral zone, whether it’s ferocious backchecks or standing up to an opposing puck carrier flying up the ice with speed. In this next clip, Kesselring gets caught on a bad pinch, and the Hurricanes have a potential odd-man rush brewing. Doan hustles back and breaks the pass up to negate the danger.

Offensively, Doan has become the Sabres’ primary net-front option on the first-unit power play. Most of his goals have come right around the blue paint. Down low, his dogged ability to keep plays alive helps extend his line’s offensive zone possessions. Watch how he’s first to the puck and wins battles off an initial point shot, leading to an assist.

Doan is more of a supporting offensive piece than a primary creator, but his sharp, accurate passing to connect plays in all three zones also contributes to his strong two-way impact. He’s got all the makings of a high-energy, battle-winning top-six forward who can complement dynamic, skilled linemates.

Logan Stankoven, C, Carolina Hurricanes

Age: 22
Draft status: No. 47 pick in 2021
Stats: 16 GP, 5G-4A-9, 15:16 average time on ice

Is the Hurricanes’ long search for a second-line center finally over?

Stankoven, who had played exclusively on the wing in the NHL before this season despite being a natural center, has successfully transitioned to playing down the middle. He’s not just holding his own — he’s legitimately thriving, with Carolina controlling more than 62 percent of scoring chances and outscoring opponents 14-6 during his five-on-five shifts this season.

This isn’t to say it’s been a perfect transition. He’s won less than 43 percent of his face-offs. He’s had occasional hiccups managing the puck in Carolina’s end, though the team is so structured that it hasn’t cost them defensively.

It’s also important to note that Rod Brind’Amour is keeping this line’s usage somewhat sheltered. Stankoven has had only 10 defensive-zone starts at five-on-five this year (second-lowest on the team). For context, Jordan Staal’s checking line has had 49 defensive zone starts. Stankoven hasn’t faced very tough matchups, either, as he ranks 10th among forwards in terms of quality of competition, according to HockeyStatCards.

That shouldn’t diminish what Stankoven has accomplished at center, though. Stankoven has scored all nine of his points at even strength. He’s producing 2.34 points per 60 at five-on-five, which ranks just outside the top 50 among all NHL forwards this season.

Stankoven is quick, makes intelligent passes and has a decent shot. One of his most admirable qualities, though, is his dogged puck pursuit. He buzzes all over the ice with a ferocious, non-stop motor, constantly winning battles because of his relentless pressure. Watch this forecheck below, where he bumps 6-foot-4 defender Mattias Samuelsson off the puck, leading to a chance for Blake.

As a playmaker, Stankoven isn’t flashy, but he consistently hits dangerous seams with nifty passes. Here’s a rush where he slips a pass to Blake for a glorious chance.

In the next clip, he makes a sweet dish on the power play to set up Blake’s shot off the post.

Emil Heineman, LW, New York Islanders

Age: 23
Draft status: No. 43 pick in 2020
Stats: 16 GP, 6G-4A-10, 14:24 average time on ice

Acquired as part of the Noah Dobson trade, Emil Heineman is proving he’s far more valuable than many fans initially realized.

Heineman was far more impactful than his modest rookie point totals last year (10 goals, eight assists in 62 games) suggested. I argued last summer he was one of the league’s most underrated bottom-six players, and that he reminded me a bit of early-career Artturi Lehkonen.

This year, Heineman has been an excellent fit on the Islanders’ top line as a complementary winger. He’s scored six goals and four assists in 16 games, which is terrific production considering all but one of his points have been registered at even strength. The Isles are decisively winning Heineman’s shifts, controlling 55 percent of shots and outscoring opponents 11-7 with him on the ice at five-on-five.

Bo Horvat is obviously the clear play-driver of that top line. The Isles’ top-line center is off to a scorching start with 12 goals in 16 games, which, of course, has benefited Heineman. However, Heineman deserves flowers for his contributions as well.

Heineman is an Energizer Bunny with elite speed and a non-stop motor. He’s been a disruptive physical force, ranking top-10 among all NHL players for hits this season. He gives opponents fits on the forecheck, is reliable defensively and has an underrated shot offensively. In the clip below, watch how he breaks a play up in the neutral zone, which sparks a two-on-one counterattack that Horvat scores on.

Honorable mentions: Mackie Samoskevich, Denton Mateychuk, Collin Graf