Hockey’s a funny game when it comes to player stats – one year you’re on fire, the next you might be struggling. Let’s look at five players who could bounce back in a big way next season.
Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues had a decent but not spectacular 2024-25 season, posting a 28-22-5 record with three shutouts. His numbers weren’t amazing (.900 save percentage), but there’s reason for hope.
The Blues made some smart moves that should help their defense, bringing in Nick Bjugstad and Pius Suter. Even better, Binnington’s game improved significantly after Jim Montgomery took over as coach – his save percentage jumped from .891 to .905.
Andrei Kuzmenko’s story is interesting. After a crazy rookie year where he scored 39 goals for Vancouver (shooting at an incredible 27.3%), he came back down to earth last season with just 11 goals in 66 games.
But here’s the thing – after getting traded to Los Angeles, Kuzmenko looked like his old self again. He put up 17 points in 22 games and played really well in the playoffs.
Andrew Mangiapane could be in for a big year with Edmonton. Remember when he scored 35 goals for Calgary in 2021-22? Now he’s got a chance to play with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl – that’s pretty exciting.
Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson had a rough 2024-25 season that nobody saw coming. Just 15 goals and 30 assists in 64 games? That’s not the Pettersson we know. Health issues might have played a part, but he’s admitted he needs to be better.
Finally, there’s Mika Zibanejad in New York. His season started terribly – just 29 points in his first 50 games. But check this out: he absolutely caught fire in the final 32 games, putting up 33 points and looking fantastic playing alongside J.T. Miller.
The big question now is whether new Rangers coach Mike Sullivan will keep that successful partnership going.
