Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the development of prospects as they excel in junior, make the NHL, and push towards stardom.

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 I'll be taking over this column from Ben Gehrels who has left me with very big shoes to fill! Follow him on X at @beegare for a steady stream of high-level prospect analysis and all-around greatness.

Before we get started, I would like to start by thanking all of our readers for your continuous support throughout the years.  DobberHockey is hands down the best site for anything hockey and that would not be possible without you.

As the title describes, I will be touching on the 2024 NHL playoffs and those players who have been standout playoff performers.  Two of them are under 25 years old. The other is more of a late bloomer, but I had to give him his flowers based on how well he has played. So, lets get straight into it.

Evan Bouchard

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl may be racking up points as if they’re playing on easy mode, but Evan Bouchard‘s performance has been equally crucial to the Oilers’ playoff success. Let’s dive into the numbers to see how he measures up.

Bouchard's growth as a player is evident with his 18 goals and 64 assists in 81 games. Drafted by the Oilers, Bouchard was expected to be a standout defenseman. However, when Tyson Barrie joined from Toronto in 2020, Bouchard's ice time and power play opportunities were limited. The following year, Bouchard’s average TOI increased to 19:48 while Barrie’s decreased to 18:58. Both finished with nearly identical point totals, with Bouchard slightly edging out at 43 points compared to Barrie’s 41.

The trade deadline last year saw Barrie shipped to Nashville and Mattias Ekholm arriving in Edmonton, giving Bouchard the chance to run with the top spot and quarterback the power play. A closer look at Dobber Frozen Tools‘ Advanced Stats shows his offensive contributions in the 2023-2024 season have skyrocketed.  His GF at 5v5 jumped from 69 to 99, and his xGF/60 increased from 3.25 to 3.69, showcasing his ability to create quality scoring chances, especially when playing alongside someone named Connor McDavid. However, simply being on McDavid’s line doesn’t guarantee success—many have struggled despite the opportunity. Barrie's departure and Ekholm’s addition were also pivotal for Bouchard's rise.

The consistent knock against Bouchard has been his defensive play. Interestingly, while his GA at 5v5 slightly increased from 57 to 58, his xGFA/60 dropped from 2.39 to 2.29, indicating an improvement in limiting high-quality scoring chances. It’s as if he’s finally realized defense is part of the job description.

Bouchard has been outstanding against tough opponents, evidenced by his large dark blue bubble on the player usage chart, indicating his positive impact on the team's shot metrics. The only other defenseman facing similar or tougher opponents is Mattias Ekholm. This deployment strategy leverages Bouchard's strengths, boosting the team's offense while maintaining solid performance against quality opponents.

In the playoffs, Bouchard’s evolution is even more pronounced. He ranks third in overall points with 6 goals and 22 assists over 21 games (just four points behind McDavid and tied with Draisaitl). Over the past two playoff seasons, Bouchard has been a workhorse, leading the team in 5v5 minutes with an average of 19:45 per game, while Ekholm averages 17:56. His shooting percentage slightly dipped to 11.1% this year, a sustainable rate for a player of his caliber. Frequent OZ starts reflect increased trust from the coaching staff, and his SOG/60 improved from 6.3 to 7.3, indicating a more aggressive offensive presence. Clearly, Bouchard’s motto this season was, “Shoot first, ask questions later.”

Bouchard is the perfect example of why the best defence is good puck possession. The more time you spend in the offensive zone, the less time is spent in the defensive zone, leading to less goals and chances against.

It's not all about shot blocks and hits. :) pic.twitter.com/qH3HC5elUU

— Sid (@NHL_Sid) May 15, 2024

Bouchard's growth into a standout player has been impressive, showing he can step up when it matters most. Ekholm’s presence has been crucial, providing the experience and stability that boosted Bouchard's confidence and performance. The chemistry between Bouchard and Ekholm is reminiscent of the successful pairing of Devon Toews and Cale Makar in Colorado, highlighting the importance of a strong defensive duo. McDavid has played with several defensemen during his time in Edmonton, but none have been as productive as Bouchard. If this is the new norm, the Oilers might have found their defensive golden boy.

Wyatt Johnston

Johnston has been turning heads with his playoff performance, but we should have seen this coming given how hot he was leading into the postseason. Although his playoff experience is still relatively limited, it's enough to draw some conclusions about his game. Last season, Johnston had a solid rookie campaign with the Stars, posting 41 points in 82 games. In the second half of this season, he really turned it on, scoring 41 points in his last 40 games, mostly at even strength since he was on the second power-play unit. Out of his 65 total points, only 10 came with the man advantage. Now, he rightfully earned a spot on the top power-play unit for the playoffs, which he has seen an almost 27% increase this year.

Johnston’s advanced stats over his two years in the NHL show significant improvement and potential, suggesting he's on the verge of breaking out as a notable superstar, especially as he approaches the 200-game breakout threshold with 164 regular-season games under his belt. Even though he is no longer a prospect, generally speaking, take a quick look at this PNHLe upside chart. It literally has star potential written all over it.

Upside Trend Chart

During the playoffs Johnston led all forwards in ice time, clocking in at 20:37, with Jason Robertson right behind him at 19:44. He also had the highest shooting percentage at 17.5%, while the next closest was Miro Heiskanen at 13.6%. Additionally, he was tied with Robertson and Heiskanen for total points, each racking up 16 points throughout the playoffs.  Johnston’s PTS/60 doubled from 1.1 to 2.4, highlighting a marked improvement in his ability to contribute to scoring. This jump is especially impressive given his reduced offensive zone starts, which were sheltered, however he is tracking to be right side of driving play with increased ice time.

His forechecking and ability to pressure the puck helped Dallas maintain possession and extend zone time which has earned him some notoriety as a two-way forward on the team. Some pundits have gone as far as saying he the ability to be a strong two-way forward like Nico Hischier and Patrice Bergeron.  I won't say that just yet as he's only in his second season with the NHL, however, I can see how those comparisons can be drawn.  He was heavily relied on down the stretch and in the playoffs. 

Add Logan Stankoven into the mix and both he and Johnston were a solid one-two punch. It is fairly safe to assume that Johnston is in all likelihood rostered in one of your fantasy leagues, but if not, now would be a very good time to take the opportunity to snag him before anyone else does.  Also, on another note I would suggest the same with Stankoven. I have seen what he was able to do in the WHL, and once he got called up to play for Dallas, it was almost a no brainer that he was going to be staying with the team. I got beat to the waiver wire on Stankoven, but hopefully you don't.

WYATT JOHNSTON SNIPES IT 58 SECONDS INTO GAME 4 😱🚨 pic.twitter.com/udNKKLwGuX

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 30, 2024

Gustav Forsling

The Canucks, Blackhawks, and Hurricanes all took a flyer on Gustav Forsling, however, he never really got a chance until he made his way over to the Panthers who claimed him off waivers. It was truly a rollercoaster of a journey for Forsling. He has quietly emerged as a reliable presence on the blue line. His performance over recent seasons has been impressive, particularly how valuable he has been to the team both offensively and defensively.

Forsling posted 10 goals and 29 points over 79 games, which is fairly decent considering how much slack he had to pick up while both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour were out with injuries.  Forsling 3-year average puts him just above 40 points and an astonishing plus-40 rating. Regardless of how we feel about know plus/minus ratings for fantasy hockey, a plus-40 rating is still impressive. His playoff performance this year has him currently at 11 points in 17 games, which would be 53 points at an 82-game pace.

His PTS/60 improved to 1.7 from 0.9, indicating a more significant contribution to the team’s scoring. His SOG/60 also saw an increase, rising from 4 to 6.5, indicating a more aggressive approach to getting pucks on the net. On the defensive side, Forsling has been trusted in nearly all situations more frequently, as evidenced by his zone starts and matchups against top opponents. His GA/60 and xGA/60 metrics have shown he is becoming more effective at limiting high-quality scoring chances for the opposition. A lot of that stems from his steady defensive presence, which helps keep Florida out of its own zone.

Forsling is an aggressive defender at the blue line and uses his size and positioning to keep opponents to the outside in transition to break up scoring opportunities The only other player who is going up against a higher quality of competition is Sam Reinhart. Maurice deploys Forsling in every key situation for the Panthers and has on countless occasions pegged him as the team's "most elite athlete".

Are things lining up for a positive progression for Forsling? Well, maybe. There is a positive change in production with an increase of 10% being more involved as a participant on goals at 5v5.  He has had an uptick of 2% in his shooting percentage. He has sublime vision and is an extremely smart, talented player.  Should either Montour or Florida come to an agreement on a new contract this summer or Ekblad decides to re-sign next year you can expect to see the same output from Forsling.  The Panthers have already locked down Forsling with a new contract this year for 8 years at $5.75M.

Now this is purely speculation on my part, but if one of the key pieces like Montour or Ekblad moves on, Forsling could take a big leap in his offensive production, which in that case he needs to be picked up immediately. Even if they stick around, Forsling is still proving to be a consistent and valuable asset for any fantasy lineup and you can at the very least expect his production to be the same if not slightly better next season.   

Gustav Forsling, signed to a 8x$5.75M extension by FLA, is a mobile two-way defenceman who loves to shoot the puck and racks up primary assists. An efficient defensive zone player who defends the rush well. Great fit in Florida and a nice bit of business. #TimetoHunt pic.twitter.com/EqKvbPx52j

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 7, 2024

Thanks for reading and see you next week! Follow me on X  @Punters_hockey for more content and fantasy hockey analysis.