Every season, NHL teams go through some adversity, whether that’s a loss of personnel from injury or a trade that sends a key roster player from a falling team to a contender.
Nonetheless, there will be a handful of players who will be given a bigger role than their team might’ve planned for.
Here are three NHL players who will likely become more important to their teams than they initially expected this season.
Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have already encountered a couple of obstacles, and the regular season is yet to begin.
Earlier in the off-season, news surfaced that left winger Matthew Tkachuk would be out until December-ish with a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia.
That wasn’t the last of bad news that the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions would receive before opening night.
Over the weekend, the Panthers announced captain Aleksander Barkov suffered MCL and ACL injuries during practice and is expected to be out for seven to nine months.
With Barkov likely being sidelined for the regular season, there is a grand opportunity for Anton Lundell in Florida’s top six. The Finnish center has been a solid two-way pivot on the Panthers’ third line ever since he entered the NHL in 2021-22.
He’s been a consistent player who can score between 40 and 50 points next season, or even more in an elevated role. He put up a career-high 45 points in 79 games last season while averaging 16:43 in ice time.
NHL Goalies Who May Be More Important To Their Teams Than Expected
Anything can happen during a season in any sport. In an NHL season, players go through injuries, dips in form, off-ice issues and other instances that can affect their campaign.
Zayne Parekh, D, Calgary Flames
It’s no secret the Calgary Flames are considering moving defenseman Rasmus Andersson. Even Flames captain Mikael Backlund said he’s getting traded.
Considering Calgary is projected to miss the playoffs in the final season of Andersson’s contract, he could be dealt for futures, including draft picks, or young players who may not be ready to be a full-time NHLer.
Nonetheless, if Andersson gets traded, someone else will have to step up on the blueline. That could be 19-year-old D-man Zayne Parekh.
Aside from MacKenzie Weegar, Parekh is the brightest spot on Calgary’s defense. He only featured in one NHL game last season, but he scored a goal and finished the evening with a plus-three rating and 20:31 of ice time.
With one goal in three pre-season games so far, Parekh has drawn positive reviews and could earn a full-time spot in the NHL lineup. If Andersson gets moved, the fellow right-handed Parekh could even be relied upon to produce from the back end.
At any rate, the rookie blueliner could become a lot more important than he expected for the Flames this season.
Ivan Demidov, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Like Parekh, Ivan Demidov is entering his rookie campaign for the Montreal Canadiens this season. He was exposed to the NHL last year for two regular-season games and the first round of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals.
Demidov showed great promise offensively, scoring four points during his short stint last season. Building on that campaign, Demidov is set to start this season on the second line.
The right winger will likely be accompanied by center Kirby Dach and left winger Patrik Laine, which may lead to Demidov’s workload being a little heavier than expected.
Dach has struggled with injury issues during much of his career so far, and he had 22 points in 57 games besides starting last season on the second line. While Laine is a veteran goal-scorer and is effective on the power play, he isn’t as consistent during 5-on-5 play, scoring just five times at even strength in 52 games last year.
The linemates should complement each other, but Demidov may have to be a serious line-driver in his first full NHL season instead of being the supplementary piece.
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