It's time again for a poll I like to run every summer, focusing on which players are primed to hit the all-important point per game mark for the first time in the upcoming season.  Looking back at 2023-24, among 33 (down from 38 in 2022-23) skaters who appeared in at least half of their teams' games while averaging at least a point per game, just five (Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Adam Fox, Evan Bouchard, and Jesper Bratt), reached the elusive point per game mark for the first time, with all but Bouchard having previously come within a handful of points of achieving the milestone. Only 15% of point per gamers last season were first timers, down from 29% in each of the two previous seasons.  Also, of the 11 who hit the mark for the first time in 2022-23 (Elias Pettersson, Alex Tuch, Tim Stutzle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Tage Thompson, Zach Hyman, Clayton Keller, Jeff Skinner, Roope Hintz, Travis Konecny, Brady Tkachuk), nearly all fell short for 2023-24.  This is definitely something to keep in mind in assessing the single season value of the five players who were first timers in 2023-24.

Who will graduate to become a member of this prestigious list for the first time in 2024-25?  That's for you to decide with your votes! To that end, I've listed the 20 skaters, in alphabetical order, that I feel stand the best chances of becoming first time point per gamers in 2024-25. Your task is to vote for any and all you believe will be at or above the point per game mark in 41+ games when 2024-25 is all said and done. Just to be clear, point per game refers to scoring rate, not that the player would need to have actually scored 82 points, unless he does happen to play in all 82 games. A link to cast your vote(s) will appear at the end of the column.

Victor Arvidsson – Unlikely to sniff PP1, Arvidsson nevertheless should be a top sixer, which might be enough to make him a point per gamer, as it almost did for Evander Kane in 2021-22, especially since, like Kane, Arvidsson is a high volume shooter. Plus, Arvidsson had 15 points in just 18 games for an LA team that played him under 17:00 per game, so he seemingly still has gas left in his tank at age 31.

Connor Bedard – Even though, unlike that other Connor guy, Bedard did not reach the point per game mark in as a rookie, Bedard seems to be ready to pop. After all, Bedard played last season with what could be kindly termed a glorified AHL squad, and this offseason Chicago added some actual talent, making it seem all but inevitable that Bedard does reach the point per game mark for the first of what could be many, many more times.

Brock Boeser – Yes, Boeser slowed after 46 points in his first 44 games; however, neither his spot on PP1 nor alongside J.T. Miller at ES was affected. Then Boeser put up point per game numbers in the playoffs, with 11 of his 12 points being goals or primary assists. Although the team did add Jake DeBrusk, Boeser's top tier deployment seems to not be in jeopardy and he might be able to sustain a point per game pace all season this time.

Matt Boldy – It is possible the 2025-26 Wild will look a lot different, what with the team being able to spend freely once again. Even if so, it's all but assured Boldy will stay in the top six and on PP1 at least for 2024-25. Given that he finished with 41 points in 39 games, plus is right at his 200 game breakout threshold, he is poised to reach the point per game mark now.

Cole Caufield – Overhyped?  Maybe; however, Caufield does seem like a player who could explode at any time.  Also, the Habs stand to be improved, which if anything should help Caufield, especially when it comes to the PP.

Macklin Celebrini – Most people are thinking that if Bedard couldn't hit the point per game mark as a rookie, how in the world will Celebrini find a way to do so?  While I agree it's far from a lock, the Sharks could be better than many think, with William Eklund ending with 15 points in his last 14 games, and Fabian Zetterlund with 12 points in his last 13 contests, plus the addition of Tyler Toffoli.  Celebrini might just do as a rookie what Bedard was unable to achieve.

Rasmus Dahlin – No question he disappointed in 2023-24, plus Owen Power cut into his PP1 time.  But this is a player who stood at 48 points after just 40 games two seasons ago, and likely would've reached point per game mark but for an injury.  Whereas there is a logjam when it comes to Buffalo wingers, their #1 source of blueline offense no question remains Dahlin.

Noah Dobson – Surprised to see his name here?  Don't be, considering he had 70 points last season, and was above the point per game mark before finishing with just eight points in his final 19 games.  With 2024-25 seeing him inch closer to his 400 game breakout threshold, the Islanders' offense having nowhere to go but up, and Dobson being their unquestioned top source for defensemen points, he could reach the brass ring of point per game production.

Joel Eriksson-Ek – Although he only finished with a 68 point pace, his scoring rate and TOI both rose for a remarkable sixth season in a row, plus he finished with point per game scoring over his last 34 contests, after the Wild finally put him and Kirill Kaprizov on the same line at even strength.  JEE might be more affected than Boldy come next season if indeed the Wild bring in high priced talent; however, he could use this season to make a statement in the form of point per game production.

Nico Hischier – After nearly reaching the point per game mark in 2022-23, Hischier seems ready to do so this coming season, as he had 45 points in his last 41 games, plus found magic with Timo Meier (spoiler alert – he makes the list too) in Q4.  With the Devils seen by many as a team to be reckoned with for 2024-25, Hischier stands a great chance at finally entering point per game territory.

Seth Jarvis – With the departures of Jake Guentzel, Michael Bunting, and Teuvo Teravainen, it creates a lot more opportunity for Jarvis, who already found a spot on PP1 and posted 19 points in his final 20 games just as he was hitting his breakout threshold.  Nevertheless, there is the issue of Carolina's balanced ice time approach, and whether that will hold him back enough to not put up enough points.

Adrian Kempe – Sporting a five season stretch of increased scoring pace, and having received more ice time every season he's been in the NHL, Kempe, who nearly hit the mark in 2023-24, seems destined to finally make it this season.  Or will LA's balanced ice time approach stand in Kempe's way?

Timo Meier – If Q4 of last season hadn't happened, Meier would be nowhere to be found when it came to this list.  But in Q4, once he was finally put on a line with Hischier at ES, Meier went nuts to the tune of 24 points in 21 games, 15 of those being goals.  Let's not forget he once tallied 81 points for San Jose.  Was Q4 really a sign of things to come, or just him running red hot for an unsustainable period of time?

Matvei Michkov – Not even turning 20 until December, and having never played a game in North America, Michkov nevertheless enters the NHL with sky-high expectations.  But will all the talent in the world be able to elevate him on a Flyers team that doesn't have many other players of his caliber, plus a coach, in John Tortorella, whose system is not conductive to big scoring.

Valeri Nichushkin – While of course there are major question marks surrounding Nichushkin in terms of whether he'll play this season, if he does he instantly becomes a viable candidate to be a point per gamer.  After all, he started 2022-23 with 42 points in just 40 games in the top-six and on PP1, so one would think he'd go back to those coveted spots if he returns.

Lucas Raymond – It is true that in posting a scoring rate of 72 points Raymond shot 19.0% and did not even average two SOG per game.  But he also finished quite strong, with point per game scoring in Q4, which saw him take 50 shots in 21 games and receive the highest ice time of his career to date.  Raymond is a player on the rise, and is just past his breakout threshold; so the ingredients might be there for him to reach the point per game promised land in 2024-25.

Nick Suzuki – On perhaps any other team, Suzuki likely would've had a point per game season by now.  But for the Habs, who have done him no favors, he's had to settle for inching closer with each passing season.  The same could have been said about Larkin until last season, when he did reach the mark, as Suzuki thus finally might for 2024-25.

Andrei Svechnikov – On the one hand, Svech is still just 24 years old, but on the other he's now had three straight seasons of 70-73 point scoring pace.  Yet arguably more so than even before the stage is seemingly set for Svech to take on a larger role, and, with that, perhaps tack on more points such that he does hit that thus far elusive point per game mark.

Vincent Trocheck – A PP1 staple, and tethered to Artemi Panarin at ES, Trocheck was a point per game player in the first half, and only fell short by a few points.  Is it realistic to think he can reach a career best at age 31, particularly given the rough and tumble style he plays plus him also logging time on the PK?  Never say never when it comes to playing with Panarin.

Carter Verhaeghe – The 2023-24 campaign not only legitimized Verhaeghe, but would've seen him reach point per game production, were it not for a mere eight points in his final 14 games. Counting on him doing so for 2024-25 might be a safer bet than not.

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Those are your 20 choices.  Vote for whichever players you believe will indeed end 2024-25 will better than point per game scoring in 41+ games. The link to cast your votes is here.

Questions for Mailbag Column

Next week's monthly mailbag has room for several more questions. To get yours to me, you can either private message “rizzeedizzee” via the DobberHockey Forums or, instead, send an email to [email protected] with “Roos Mailbag” as the subject line.