With the first half done, we will look at some of the players in the West who have exceeded expectations with what people had going into 2024-25. I will avoid looking at rookies and blue-chip prospects in their second or third seasons as they are a different category altogether.

These are players who you might have had on your bench or in reserves but have emerged as possible starters in your lineup.

Jackson LaCombe – Anaheim –  D – 39GP-8G-12A-20PTS

LaCombe was projected to possibly be behind Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov in ice-time and production. He had 17 points in 71 games (0.24/g) in 2023-24 and averaged 19:23 per game while being on the power play (PP) 11.3% of the time. In 2024-25, he is on pace for 10-15 goals and 35-45 points while averaging 20:29 per game with 36.7% on the PP. With Cam Fowler traded to St. Louis, he has averaged over 23 minutes per game since.

Kevin Bahl – Calgary – D – 45-2-12-14

Dobber's 2024-25 Pool Guide had Bahl projected with 80 games for Calgary in 2024-25, with three goals and 26 points (0.32/g) after putting up 11 points in 82 games (0.13/g) in 2023-24 with New Jersey. Bahl is on pace for exactly 26 points after 82 games and also for 125-135 hits and 135-145 blocks while averaging a career-high 21:31 per game. I wasn't convinced he could stick in the top-four but he has remained there so far.

Ryan Donato – Chicago – F – 44-13-12-25

Donato has a career-high of 16 goals and 31 points in 74 games while with Seattle in 2021-22. After 44 games he is on pace for over 24 goals and 23 assists, which would shatter both highs. He has slowed his production a little after Luke Richardson was replaced by Anders Sorensen, but he could still get past 20 goals and 20 assists.

Mackenzie Blackwood – Colorado – G – 15-12-4, 91.8%

I'm not sure anyone would have envisioned that Blackwood would be the number one goalie in Colorado a few months into 2024-25 but here we are. He has started 13 of 17 games since being in Colorado and has a record of 9-3-1 with a save percentage of 93.1. His GSAA on the year is 16.19 after never being above even since his GSAA was 6.68 in 2019-20 with New Jersey.

Vasily Podkolzin – Edmonton – F – 46-6-12-18

It's not as if Podkolzin has broken out to become a 30-goal scorer in his first year with Edmonton, but he has solidified his role in the NHL and become a regular player who is more than a fourth-line player. He's on pace for a respectable 32 points, which would set a career-high and he has 98 hits so far which broke through his previous high of 84 in 79 games as a rookie in 2021-22. One can only think that the Canucks gave up a little early or mis-managed his development a little.

Alex Laferriere – Los Angeles – F – 41-13-13-26

After just 41 games in his sophomore campaign, Laferriere broke through his career-highs of 12 goals and 23 points that he established as a rookie in 2023-24. His ice time went from 13:13 to 16:27 and he was on the PP 52.6% of the time compared to 12.6% as a rookie. His pace has slowed after 17 points in his first 23 games, but he should get to 20 goals and 20 assists while throwing more than 100 hits.

Joel Edmundson – Los Angeles – D – 39-4-7-11

Edmundson is in his 10th NHL season and has never played more than 69 games. Most people thought that he would be a sixth or seventh defender in Los Angeles and play 15-17 minutes per game while being a regular healthy scratch. Drew Doughty was injured in pre-season and Edmundson has stepped up with 11 points, a plus 15, 62 hits and 58 blocks in 39 games while averaging 20:32. He could break his career-high of seven goals, 20 points, and have his fourth season with 100 hits and 100 blocks.

Alex Turcotte – LA – F – 38-7-12-19

The 5th overall pick in 2019 had played just 32 NHL games before 2024-25. He made the Kings out of camp as a probable fourth liner or 13th forward. He has solidified his role on the third line and played 30.9% on the PP. He had seven points in his first 18 games (0.39/g) and 12 points in his past 20 (0.6/g).

Darcy Kuemper – LA – G – 13-4-5, 92.2%

Kuemper is having his best season since 2021-22, when he won 37 games with Colorado and had a save percentage of 92.1 and a GSAA of 25.12. He has missed some time with injuries, but has an impressive GSAA of 12.3 in just 23 games after putting up a negative GSAA of 11.82 in 33 games with Washington in 2023-24.

Filip Gustavsson – Minnesota – G – 18-9-3, 91.4%

After breaking out with the Wild in 2022-23 with a record of 22-9-7, a save percentage of 93.1 and a GSAA of 31.61, Gustavsson struggled in 2023-24 going 20-17-5, 89.9 and negative 4.65. He has struggled in the second quarter of 2024-25, going 8-5-0, 89.7 and a GSAA of negative 1.62 so monitor him closely during the next 10-15 games as he might not break through projections if he falters.

Nick Blankenburg – Nashville – D – 23-2-3-5

When 2024-25 began, Blankenberg was the seventh or eighth defender in Nashville. Dante Fabbro was waived and Alexandre Carrier was dealt to Montreal for Justin Barron, Jeremy Lauzon is injured and Spencer Stastney was injured so now Blankenberg is the fifth or sixth defender. He is averaging over 18 minutes per game and is a plus 11, with 25 hits and 24 blocks in 23 games. It might not last, but he's a deep league addition for some.

Jake Walman – San Jose – D – 35-5-21-26

After his first 201 NHL games, Walman had never been above 0.33 points per game or had more than 21 points. In 2024-25, his first year with the Sharks, he has played 22:42 per game, 55.6% on the PP, 48.1% shorthanded and is on pace for more than 50 points while being plus three. He has turned into a top-pairing defender almost out of the blue at the age of 28.

Ryker Evans – Seattle – D – 45-5-13-18

Evans played 36 games in 2023-24 because of injuries on the blueline, but he was still considered the sixth or seventh defender going into 2024-25 by most. He's averaged over 20 minutes per game and is on pace for 30-35 points, with 120-130 hits and blocks. He's proved he can play in the top-four, which allowed the Kraken to trade Will Borgen to the Rangers.

Dylan Holloway – St. Louis – F – 47-15-20-35

The cap-strapped Oilers lost both Holloway and Philip Broberg to offer sheets from St. Louis and both are making the Blues look like it was a brilliant move. Holloway had nine points in both partial seasons that he played in Edmonton but has emerged as a top-six player in St. Louis. In addition to being on pace for 25 goals and 60 points, he has 94 hits in 47 games.

Colton Parayko – St. Louis – D – 47-10-16-26

Parayko has matched his career-high in goals after just 47 games (he has reached 10 goals, three times prior). He is currently on pace for 45 points, which would blow through his high of 35 which he last had in 2021-22. Add in his hits (74) and blocks (112) and you have a coveted fantasy player.

Michael Kesselring – Utah – D – 45-5-13-18

Kesselring has progressed in 2024-25 from playing under 16 minutes per game in 2023-24 to averaging just under 19. He has moved up from the sixth or seventh defender to the fourth or fifth and has been fairly successful. He has surely benefitted from the injuries to John Marino (who just returned to the lineup after missing 42 games) and Sean Durzi, so perhaps sell high. If I was another team, I'd target Kesselring.

Karel Vejmelka – Utah – G – 10-13-3, 91.0%

Vejmelka lost his starting role in Utah in 2023-24 to Connor Ingram after struggling with a record of 13-19-2, a save percentage of 89.7 and a GSAA of negative 6.27. He has bounced back (coupled with Ingram struggling) and has his starting role back at the moment, sporting a GSAA of 6.64, which is the first time he has been in the positive in his career.

Kiefer Sherwood – Vancouver – F – 45-13-8-21

I went into 2024-25 thinking that the Canucks would be elated if Sherwood could duplicate his 2023-24 stat line of 68-10-17-27 with 234 hits. He's exploded those expectations and set his career-high with 13 goals and an incredible 265 hits after 45 games (he is on pace to break the NHL record for hits). He faded a little in the second quarter, but he has a chance at 20 goals.

Kevin Lankinen – Vancouver – G – 16-8-6, 90.2

I'm not sure that Lankinen has exceeded expectations in terms of his save percentage and GSAA, but his opportunity has certainly exceeded them. He has never played more than 37 games in a season and has already played 30, while his career-high of 17 wins is one win away. His game has levelled off and Thatcher Demko has returned to the lineup, but I think he will still split 50/50 with Demko the rest of the way until Demko gets his mojo back (if he gets it back).

Brett Howden – Vegas – F – 46-15-6-21

Notwithstanding the 15 goals in 46 games, after never having more than nine before, Howden has produced at a clip of 0.46 points per game after averaging 0.3/g in his 350 prior games. With 86 hits in 46 games, he's also on pace to crack 100 for just the second time in seven seasons.

Thank you very much for reading and if you have any comments, please leave them below or follow me on Twitter @gampbler15