In Full Bloom

This week the Eastern Edge looks at a handful of players and what their future might bring

When I read through the forums, I often see questions like, “is player X for real” or “what can we expect next year and beyond”.  This week, I’ll give you my take on five Eastern Conference players that have caught my eye.

Ondrej Palat – Tampa Bay Lightning

In the 62 games Palat played this season before Martin St. Louis was traded, he had 37 points, a 50 point pace. Since the arrival of Ryan Callahan, Palat has been taking nearly 80 per cent of his even-strength shifts with Callahan and Valtteri Filppula. Over the 13 games that followed the big deal, Palat has recorded 14 points, an 88 point pace. What are we to make of this?

In his final year of junior hockey, Palat scored 39 goals and 96 points in 61 games and was plus-37 for Drummondville of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. His first American Hockey League (AHL) season, he scored 30 points in 61 games. Last year, he play