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Prospects. They can be a challenge to predict, no matter the potential they display beforehand. Some burst out of the gate immediately, becoming permanent pieces to their respected clubs, while others take time to grow into their true potential. 

As fantasy owners, we know this all too well. We are all creatures looking for instant gratification in the form of point production, and if it doesn’t happen on an immediate level, it’s easy to give up hope. Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakkoo are both perfect examples of this dilemma, and both are likely to bounce back as strong-producing candidates. This is just the nature of the beast when dealing with young players, and whether it stems from system issues, injury, or even just the pressure of being a highly-touted prospect, every situation is different.

Here is a list of players who I believe could enjoy a bounce-back season and come back to produce for your squad in the 2029-21 season. 

Emil Bemstrom, RW, Blue Jackets (GP:56  G: 10 A: 10  PTS: 20 )

Heading into his NHL rookie season as the top goal scorer in Sweden, Bemstrom had large expectations to live up to, and it is tough to determine whether he truly did or not. While 10 goals as a rookie in the NHL is by no means disappointing, his overall lack of consistency was something to be noted. As the season went on, there was a sense the frustration, and lack of trust coming from the coaching staff. This frustration was evident during their playoff run, where he saw a series of healthy scratches. There were certainly stretches where he looked to find his game and others where he just looked lost in the system. 

Frankly, the team's overall struggle to stay healthy could have been a huge player in his dwindled progress. He is a shoot-first goal scorer, meaning when the opportunities are not presenting themselves, it’s easy to fall off track. In which case, a demotion to the AHL to find his scoring touch could have greatly benefitted his game and overall confidence. Unfortunately, since the team had no options to do so, his game slowly fizzled out, eventually becoming detrimental to his confidence. 

Recently, he has been loaned to Helsinki (Liiga), where he will spend his "off-season". Considering his uncanny ability to produce goals, this move should pay off in spades with regards to his production, in turn, developing a healthy dose of confidence before his sophomore training camp. Make no question, he enjoys shooting the puck. Eventually, his 10% shooting average will lead to goals, and when that happens, fantasy owners better have him locked and loaded. 

Gabriel Vilardi, C, Kings (GP: 10  G: 3  A: 4  PTS: 7)

I have not selected him for a bounce-back due to lack of play, rather, a lack of playing time due to injury. After missing almost a year of action as a result of a back injury, Vilardi finally returned to game action midway through the 2019-20 campaign. It was a solid return, to say the least. 

He began in the AHL, where he broke out strong, contributing 25 points through 32 games and certainly looked no worse for wear. His strong play awarded him a final stretch promotion to the NHL, where he put up seven points in just 10 games playing, despite slotting in on the Kings' bottom-six units. He even earned himself a look at the club's powerplay, where he posted two of those points. 

When healthy, Vilardi is a strong offensive producer, with his shot as the main driver in his overall upside. At 6-foot-3, 201-pounds,  he’s got the size to ease his way in at the national level and is certainly poised to make that jump out of camp this season. Even with the Kings' long list of highly touted prospects, he should win the sweepstakes and take-on a middle-six role, providing owners with instant returns in the points department. 

Cody Glass, C, Golden Knights (GP: 39  G: 5  A: 7  PTS: 12)

Much like Vilardi, Glass fell victim to injuries during his rookie season. In this case, it came in the form of a mid-season concussion, which forced him to miss eight games right before the Christmas break. Once healthy, he was brought back into a sheltered role for five games before falling to what would become a season-ending leg injury. A double whammy to a budding star with a bright future. 

Despite being plagued with injury, he posted 12 points in 39 games, which included five goals and six power-play points. Not bad, but not great. He also struggled to stay consistent at even-strength, an area that he will have to clean up to take that next step in his career. With that being said, he has a vast history of contributing to the scoresheet and holds the potential to be a points-only format game-breaker. 

Although he is a natural centerman, Glass could likely be moved to the wing to be placed in a top-six role, squeezing out as much offensive potential as possible. Given that point production is his bread and butter, there is no use having him stew with third-line minutes any longer. Assuming he is healthy, Glass has the potential to be a points-only monster and surely holds the highest ceiling among this list. 

Alexandre Texier, LW, Blue Jackets (GP: 36  G: 6 A: 7  PTS: 13)

I guess there is a common trend happening here: injuries. On New year’s Eve, Texier suffered a lumbar stress factor, forcing him out of the lineup for the remainder of the regular season. Owners should note that he was finally catching fire before his departure, tallying 13 points in his final 14 games.  This came after just four through his first 22. He returned to action for the club's playoff run and looked to have brought that consistency with him. While he only contributed four points, he looked much more poised with the puck and brought consistent play night in, resulting in an increase in minutes.

He holds a decent upside and continues to make improvements in his game. He does not bring much to the peripheral table, but will enjoy time on the club's power play, and is likely to catch time with either budding star, Pierre-Luc Dubois or newly acquired Max Domi next season. He has bounce back written all over his game.

Barrett Hayton, C, Coyotes (GP:20  G: 1  A: 3  PTS: 4)

Hayton’s rookie season with the Arizona Coyotes failed to live up to its 2018 fifth overall price tag. Combine this with the team’s/fans’ urgent need to find top-six offense, there is a tremendous deal of pressure on him not to fall into "bust" territory. Luckily, there remains to be a great deal of potential yet to be realized and I suspect a strong resurgence in Year 2.

While he came out the NHL gate hot, registering four points through his first six games, He spent the following few months in-and-out of the pressbox, up and down the line-up, and saw little-to-no time on the club's power-play units. On top of that, he would suffer a separated shoulder during an epic run for gold with Team Canada at the WJC, which ultimately put him out until late February. Even though he did return to the lineup to wrap up the season, he played a sheltered role and failed to produce.

Fully healthy, he has recently been loaned to the Liiga (Finland), where he will play for the club Ilves. In fact, he’s already played a game and registered an assist. The hopes are that he stays game-ready, all the while building some much-needed confidence before heading back for his second NHL season – hopefully, as a top-six threat. He’s still just 20 years young, and with a strong set of skills across the board, there is more than enough time for him to blossom. An AHL stint to start could be on the menu, but I do expect Hayton to be a Coyote next season and produce at the NHL level.

Ryan Poehling, C, Canadiens (GP: 27  G: 1  A: 1  PTS: 2)

One game – three goals. That was Ryan Poehling's introduction to the NHL in the final stages of the 2018-19 season. Later that summer, if I had a guess, fantasy owners went over the moon in an attempt to get their hands on his rights in the wake of that instant success. Well, unfortunately, the script went a little bit differently. 

Through the 2019-20 campaign, the Minnesota native took part in his first season as a pro, and it proved to be a continuous struggle. He split his time between the AHL and NHL levels and registered just 13 (36 games) and two (27 games) points, respectively. While Montreal was no offensive goliath, his production came as somewhat of a shock and also a slight concern. Much in part to the fact that he’s been pegged as a smart, two-way player with offensive upside and a strong potential to become a consistent middle-six forward. 

Given his struggles during last season, it is likely that he begins the year in Laval. However, with a full year of experience under his belt and a long-awaited break to build his game back up, I intend him to bounce back strong. To entice fantasy owners, it is important to note that despite his struggles to create offense, he did finish his 27-game stint in Montreal with 38 hits, 10 blocks, and 26 shots – all while averaging 10:52 of icetime a night. Once the offensive numbers begin to follow suit, he could provide some upside in deep multi-cat formats.

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Thanks for reading. Tune in next week when I dive into a few bubble prospects. As always, feel free to follow me on Twitter @hall1289