Last week, I highlighted defensemen, so it's only fitting to turn the spotlight on forwards this time around. These are likely players you drafted in the later rounds, hoping for a modest production boost, or perhaps snagged off the waiver wire, pleasantly surprised by their breakout performance. Let's show some love to the forwards who've delivered unexpected value and might just keep your team in the hunt for a championship.

10. Aliaksei Protas (Washington Capitals)

Aliaksei Protas is having a breakout season, leaving many wondering how he was pulling this off especially with such limited ice time early in the season. Lately, though, the Caps seem to be paying attention, with his TOI climbing to 17–20 minutes in recent games (though he still managed two assists in just 14 minutes last outing). Through 46 games, Protas has 19 goals and 19 assists, pacing for 68 points, doubling last year's total. His metrics are sky-high compared to his career norms, making some regression inevitable. Still, watching Protas thrive on this rejuvenated Capitals team has been thrilling, and he's becoming a key piece of their offensive resurgence.

9. Dylan Holloway (St. Louis Blues)

The Blues' offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway have turned out to be absolute steals, especially with Holloway's breakout season. For fantasy managers, he's been a gem, likely winning you a few weeks along the way, a waiver wire pickup that's paid off in spades. After a quiet rookie campaign, Holloway has flipped the narrative entirely, tallying 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 47 games. He's now on pace for a career-best 61 points, a massive leap from last year's 19-point projection. The Blues took a chance as many fantasy managers have, and they're cashing in big time.

8. Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Cirelli is on track to blow past his career-high point totals this season. While his defensive game is rock-solid, Cirelli's offense has been fueled by more consistent shooting, with 90 SOG and a 20% S%. He's also been effective on the power play, with five PPG and 17 total PPP on the season. That said, his early-season production wasn't entirely sustainable. Looking at the numbers now, they're starting to normalize, and there could be a slight regression on the horizon. Even so, this may be the new version of Cirelli we're looking at, a more complete player who is making an impact at both ends of the ice.

7. Marco Rossi (Minnesota Wild)

Marco Rossi has been solid, even without “Kirill the Thrill” by his side. With Kaprizov out, Rossi stepped up as the top-line center, posting 12 points in the last 11 games. While Kaprizov's presence helps, Rossi's ability to produce without him shows his star potential. One of the few Wild players to suit up for every game since last season, Rossi is delivering exactly what fantasy managers hoped for, just earlier than expected. Through 46 games, he's put up 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points, projected over 82 games, that's an impressive 71 points for the young center.

6. Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets)

We've always known Gabriel Vilardi had the potential, but injuries seemed to hold him back. In a career spanning over six seasons, he's never played a full year, with just 246 games under his belt. This season, though, Vilardi has stayed healthy and is lethal on a red-hot Winnipeg Jets team. His performance on the power play has been stellar, with 10 goals and 19 points. His PDO of 1036 indicates some puck luck, but his consistent production suggests this breakout is for real. It's safe to say we're finally witnessing the Gabriel Vilardi breakout season we've all been waiting for.

5. Rickard Rakell (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Rakell has spent much of the season alongside Crosby and on the top power play, propelling him to 40 points, second on the Penguins behind Crosby's 49. This puts him on a solid 68-point pace, a huge leap from the 37 points he managed in 70 games last season. Expectations were modest heading into the year, given his last 60-point campaign was two years ago, with his previous one dating back to 2017-18 in Anaheim. If you scooped him off the waiver wire, you're likely thrilled with his resurgence and haven't looked back since.

4. Sean Monahan (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Sean Monahan likely had teams interested during his free agency, but concerns about his age and declining play saw many back off. He ended up in Columbus, where chaos seemed insurmountable, yet the team showed resilience with Monahan at the forefront. Before his wrist injury, he was on fire—eight points in four games and 41 points on the season. The last time he played at a point-per-game pace was back in 2018-19 with the Flames, when he recorded a career-high 82 points. If you snagged him off the waiver wire, you've struck gold. Monahan's resurgence this season has been remarkable, and he absolutely deserves recognition for leading the charge in Columbus.

3. Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Hagel had a solid campaign last year, thriving on 5-on-5 play, but questions lingered about whether he could sustain that production with Steven Stamkos out and Jake Guentzel stepping in. Not only has he answered those doubts, he's smashed through them. Through 43 games, Hagel has racked up 20 goals and 29 assists for 49 points, a huge leap from last year's 75-point season. Now pacing for 91 points, his growth is evident, driven by improved shooting efficiency and an expanded role. Hagel's impact shines across the board, adding six power-play points, two shorthanded goals, and contributions in every facet of the game.

2. Kirill Marchenko (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Marchenko is well on his way to potentially hitting 90 points this season from his previous high of 42 points last year. His chemistry with Sean Monahan and Dmitri Voronkov has been something special to see and even with Monahan out, Adam Fantilli has fit in very well to keep things going. His TOI has seen an uptick of over two minutes from last year, averaging 18:46 of ice time compared to 16:25 last season. Through 46 games, he's posted 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points and is pacing for 87 points on the season from his 56 last year. Marchenko's evolution signals a player poised to maintain an elite trajectory.

1. Martin Necas (Carolina Hurricanes)

I mean, "Necas Boy" has been one of the big surprises this year, with an ADP around 125 after being drafted well after that in most cases. He was at one point in the race for the top scorer in the league, albeit short lived. His production has slowed down since the beginning of the season however he is still well over a point per game pace of 1.11 with 16 goals and 35 assists in 46 games and on pace for 91 points this season. You cannot ask for more than that.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more content/fantasy hockey analysis, follow and message me on X @Punters_hockey.