Potential surprise hero for every 2023 Stanley Cup playoff team

Heroes of all kinds are made in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The superstars have their moments, just like Conn Smythe Trophy winner Cale Makar did time and again last year, but unheralded names become etched in history seemingly every season as well. Last year, Artturi Lehkonen scored the winning goal in four of the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche’s 16 victories, while third-liner Nick Paul was a force for the East’s Stanley Cup Final entry, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Which unsung names have potential to make important impacts in the postseason this year? We present to you a dark horse from each of the 16 franchises that qualified.

Boston Bruins: Taylor Hall

For a team as good as the Bruins, it’s hard to really pin down one dark horse, but after injuries and overall inconsistent play limited him to just 36 points in 61 games, the return of Hall will be important in Boston’s playoff push. He was quiet in his first few games back from a lower-body injury while just trying to get comfortable again. That’s understandable given his near month-and-a-half-long break. Florida will do its best to lock down Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk, so it’s paramount that someone like Hall can find his groove again and show why Boston’s depth has been so deadly this year. Hall doesn’t have a ton of playoff experience, and he hasn’t produced a ton in the postseason, either. Now’s an excellent time to change that. – STEVEN ELLIS

Carolina Hurricanes: Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Most fans who casually watched the Canes this season might see Kotkaniemi’s modest bump from 29 to 43 points and yawn. They’d say that Kotkaniemi isn’t a player who has lived up to the hype since his gaudy offer sheet and subsequent eight-year, $38.5 million deal. They’d also be wrong – particularly since the calendar turned to 2023. Kotkaniemi has been one of Carolina’s most impactful players since well before the Stadium Series, and he’s got the numbers to back it up. Since March 1, Kotkaniemi is second on the team in scoring with 18 points in 24 games – which are three more than Sebastian Aho. He’s made some major strides this season, and after a disappointing playoff last season where he registered only two points in 14 games, he’s ready to bust through into national view. — FRANK SERAVALLI

Colorado Avalanche: Bowen Byram

Anyone not named Cale Makar is a dark horse on the Avalanche blue line, which is unfair to players like Devon Toews and Sam Girard, but I’m also not sure people realize just how good Byram is. If you ask me, I think he’s primed for a breakout, and the 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoffs would be a perfect time. Health has long been a concern. Byram has missed significant time in his young career due to injury, but there’s no denying the 21-year-old’s ability. In 89 career NHL games, Byram has 15 goals and 42 points. He’s shown ability on the power play, and Byram can defend. He’s plus-14 for his career – really impressive for such a young defenseman. He was excellent last year en route to winning his first Stanley Cup, with nine assists in 20 Stanley Cup playoffs games. With Makar battling his own injuries, I think Byram will feature strongly. – MIKE MCKENNA

Dallas Stars: Max Domi

At first glance, Domi’s arrival in Dallas looks disappointing. He’s only scored twice in 20 games since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, but in my eyes, Domi has the potential to break through on a bigger scale with the Stars, especially with Mason Marchment back for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Domi and Marchment previously lined up alongside Tyler Seguin, and the results were favorable for head coach Pete DeBoer, especially for a third line. Domi can drive play on his own, and the 28-year-old was having a solid offensive season in Chicago before the trade, with 18 goals and 31 assists in 60 games. I like that Domi has some sandpaper to his game, which fits in well within the Stars ethos. He has nine points in 24 career Stanley Cup playoff games. – MIKE MCKENNA

Edmonton Oilers: Klim Kostin

The list of dark-horse candidates isn’t long for the Oilers. The way this year has shaped up for Evander Kane, he’s flown under the radar, but it’s difficult to call any player with 13 goals in 15 postseason games last year a true “dark horse.” Kailer Yamamoto has played better of late but hasn’t been right all season. Warren Foegele isn’t the guy. What about Kostin? Why not him? The difficulty is we have a limited sample size. He’s never played in a Stanley Cup playoff game. He was a black ace for the Blues in 2019. Both times he’s played in the playoffs as a pro – with KHL Omsk and AHL Springfield – he has increased his goals and points per game. Kostin isn’t afraid to get dirty and play physical. He’s been a heck of a free pickup for the Oilers, and he might get even better now. — FRANK SERAVALLI

Florida Panthers: Radko Gudas

Sometimes you have to win ugly in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the bruising Gudas certainly brings that. Sometimes, it’s too ugly; he is known to play on the wrong side of the line, suspended four times in his career. And that’s the point: He is the type of player who can, like it or not, change the course of a series and erase an important player on the opposing team with one devastating hit, whether it’s clean or dirty. He has also tilted the play in his team’s favor when on the ice this season, ranking in the 93^rd percentile among defensemen in 5-on-5 expected goal share, so Gudas can win the matchups he’s given, even if his share of the ice time pie isn’t huge. – MATT LARKIN

Los Angeles Kings: Vladislav Gavrikov

The Kings acquired Gavrikov to make the blue line tougher to play against, and he has done just that in his short time with the club. He’s up to nine points in 20 games – one point shy of his 10-point output in 52 contests with Columbus – while holding down the fort on the team’s second pairing. Gavrikov blocks a ton of shots, can land big hits and, with the added support in Los Angeles, is playing the best hockey of his career. He looks comfortable in a new environment, and he’s heating up just in time for what the Kings hope is a long playoff run. This time, right now, is exactly why the Kings traded away their best goalie in franchise history. Make it mean something. – STEVEN ELLIS

Minnesota Wild: Frederick Gaudreau

After an absolutely mega March in which sophomore forward Matt Boldy led the NHL with 12 goals, he’s no longer a dark horse, but Gaudreau, his sidekick on Minnesota’s second line, sure fits the bill. Minnesota is a team capable of grinding down opponents, but the line of newly reacquired forward Marcus Johansson, Gaudreau and Boldy has added a rush threat to the Wild’s offense that was previously absent. Gaudreau’s overall production is down a little this season – 38 points compared to 44 last year – but I like the trajectory of his line with Johansson and Boldy. He’s also the first forward over the boards on the penalty kill for Wild coach Dean Evason. Expect Gaudreau to take key faceoffs for Minnesota and play in every situation. – MIKE MCKENNA

New Jersey Devils: Erik Haula

The "Haula Famer" is healthy and has put together one of his best seasons since breaking through with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18 in their inaugural season. More than that, Haula is a proven playoff performer. Consider this: Haula’s career average is 0.46 points per game over 614 regular-season games. When the postseason rolls around, Haula has found the scoresheet more regularly at 0.49 points per game with 30 points in 61 career Stanley Cup playoff contests. Most players drop precipitously, like teammate Tomas Tatar, who goes from 0.58 to 0.3 points per game. Some players shine; some players wilt. That’s the nature of the beast. Outside of two-time Cup winner Ondrej Palat, Haula is the only Devils player with Stanley Cup Final experience, and that will be valuable. — FRANK SERAVALLI

New York Islanders: Jean-Gabriel Pageau

The spring air brings out the best in the feisty Pageau. He has 23 goals in 76 career playoff games. He jumps from career marks of 0.21 goals per game and 0.46 points per game in the regular season to 0.30 goals and 0.53 points in the playoffs. He’s a Swiss Army Knife of a player, centering the third line, second power-play unit and second penalty-kill unit, and he ranks among the best in the NHL at the faceoff dot, winning 57.2 percent of his draws. He epitomizes the type of support player every team needs to win a playoff series. – MATT LARKIN

New York Rangers: Tyler Motte

All eyes will be on the Kid Line to see if it can elevate again for the Blueshirts, but I’ve got my focus on Tyler Motte. Since being reacquired by New York, Motte has collected five goals in 24 games. His previous career high in any full season was nine in 74 games. He’s producing above his norm, and he’s punched above his weight in the playoffs. No one is expecting Motte to produce any gaudy numbers, but he scored four times in helping Vancouver to the second round in the 2020 bubble. He also chipped in twice last year for the Rangers. Motte plays the right way, he can drive his own line at the bottom of the lineup as a self-starter and he’s been around the block twice now. You never know: When looking for an unlikely hero, he could be the guy. — FRANK SERAVALLLI

Seattle Kraken: Eeli Tolvanen

When he’s been hot this year, Tolvanen has played the best hockey of his career. Recently, though, he has quieted down with just six goals and nine points since March 1. That inconsistency has been a sticking point of Tolvanen’s career, but he has still found some value as a power-play scorer. Tolvanen has just one assist in seven career playoff games, all with Nashville. Granted, he’s in a better spot, career-wise, right now with the Kraken, a team that has thrived by having three dangerous scoring lines almost every single night. Lined up beside Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand, Tolvanen will need to find that spark again that made him one of the team’s most valuable players a few months ago. – STEVEN ELLIS

Tampa Bay Lightning: Ian Cole

The Lightning made Ryan McDonagh one of their annual cap casualties last offseason and have missed him in their top four. While rookie Nick Perbix has logged plenty of minutes in that spot this season, it’s Cole who has formed the critical shutdown pair with Erik Cernak to fill McDonagh’s void. Cole and Cernak have been the team’s most reliable chance-thwarting duo when paired together, and they typically lead Tampa’s No. 1 penalty-kill unit, ranking 1-2 on the team in shorthanded minutes per game this season. That’s a crucial assignment given the Lightning take the second-most penalties per 60 of any team in the league and face the NHL’s No. 2 power-play team in the Maple Leafs. The Bolts penalty killers were instrumental in helping them triumph over Toronto last year. If that happens again, Cole will play a big part. – MATT LARKIN

Toronto Maple Leafs: Luke Schenn

When GM Kyle Dubas made a flurry of moves at the trade deadline, he was clearly mining for grit and character, going against his usual trend of trusting the numbers. If Dubas’ philosophical shift works, Schenn will be one of the players proving him right. He brings a winning pedigree and intimate knowledge of Toronto’s opponent, having played on Tampa’s 2020 and 2021 championship teams. He provides the punch-you-in-the-mouth pushback Toronto’s blue line has lacked in recent seasons; Schenn leads the NHL in hits with 318 this season and has fought six times. He brings a beloved dressing room presence, too. He can be an emotional leader for a team desperately in need of heart at this time of year. – MATT LARKIN

Vegas Golden Knights: Michael Amadio

Remember when Amadio was this unstoppable force a few months ago? It was hard to ignore him, especially on the fantasy front. After spending most of his career as a depth player, he managed to pot 16 goals in a middle-six role with a Golden Knights team that dealt with some significant injuries up front. He’s not a high-volume producer, but 16 goals for a guy who has struggled to be an everyday player over the past half-decade is nothing to sneeze at. That type of scoring depth can push you over the top in the playoffs. Regardless of Mark Stone’s health, Vegas will need Amadio to step up. – STEVEN ELLIS

Winnipeg Jets: Adam Lowry

By 620 games into an NHL career, usually a player is pretty well defined. Through Lowry’s first eight seasons, that was definitely the case. He could be counted on to chip in a dozen goals and 20-something points while playing key minutes on the penalty kill for the Jets, but this season I’ve seen growth in Lowry’s game. He’s shooting the puck more often, and his offensive production has risen accordingly. Lowry has 36 points, and the gritty forward averages roughly two hits per game. Lowry plays the hard-nosed hockey that can make a difference in the playoffs. He’s a top penalty killer and one of the more reliable players for head coach Rick Bowness. There’s a reason why Lowry wears an A for Winnipeg, and I could easily see him burying a few greasy goals for the Jets during the Stanley Cup playoffs. – MIKE MCKENNA