Last year around this time, I wrote about which players drove play the most and the least on each team in the West.

I relied on IPP (Individual Points Percentage) and secondary assists, which is a very simplistic way to determine the players, but it has some validity. IPP is the percentage of on-ice goals scored where the player gets a goal or assist.

I was considering adding in xGF% but that can be heavily influenced by the quality of linemates or the quality of the team. IPP is pretty clear in separating players from an offensive standpoint.

This doesn't mean some players are unable to carry play, just that there is usually one alpha dog on each line or power play. We can look at Team Canada in the recent Four Nations and the few times Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon played together. It was a little awkward.

Players need the opportunity to carry the puck and create chances, but coaches can squash this for some players by putting them in certain roles, where they are asked to dump the puck in or clear the puck off the glass. To be a play driver, it takes trust from the coaching staff.

We are going to focus on forwards in the top-six and highlight any defenders who have a high IPP as well. 

I'd consider any forward with an IPP over 70 to be a play driver, while defenders who are over 50 are carrying the puck offensively and driving play.

Anaheim Ducks

Best Play Driver: Troy Terry (last year: Terry 72.0)

Terry has an IPP of 74.2, slightly higher than his 72.0 in 2023-24. The next forward is Leo Carlsson at 68.9.

Trevor Zegras is at 65.6 in 2024-25, a small improvement from his 62.5 in 2023-24, albeit both were injury-plagued seasons.

Jackson LaCombe has an impressive IPP of 57.4, which is well above the 34.1 of Pavel Mintyukov and 32.6 from Olen Zellweger.

Biggest Passenger: Alex Killorn (last year: Ryan Strome 62.1)

Killorn has an IPP of 51.9, which is the lowest among forwards in the top six by quite a margin. Killorn leads the forwards on the Ducks with an xGF% of 48.7 so at least the defense is there for him.

Last year's passenger, Strome, is sitting with an IPP of 62.7 up from 62.1 in 2023-24.

Calgary Flames

Best Play Driver: Nazem Kadri (last year: Yegor Sharangovich 73.5)

Kadri has an IPP of 80.0 which is much higher than the 71.4 he put up in 2023-24. Connor Zary is next at 77.4.

The highest defender is Mackenzie Weegar at 45.2 IPP, ahead of Rasmus Andersson at 37.7.

Biggest Passenger: Mikael Backlund (last year: Andrei Kuzmenko 52.3)

Backlund has a much more defensive role this year and as a result his IPP is down to 45.3 with an impressive xGF% of 52.0.

Sharangovich is at 56.1 after being at 73.5 in 2023-24.

Chicago Blackhawks

Best Play Driver: Ryan Donato (last year: Connor Bedard 80.5)

Donato's 23 goals and 28 assists in 65 games are a large result in his play, not from him playing with someone else. He has an IPP of 72.7.

Bedard has dipped to 65 after being 80.5 in 2023-24 as a rookie. Bedard has struggled with an xGF% of 41.8.

Their most offensive defender is Alex Vlasic and he has an IPP of 34.2.

Teuvo Teravainen has an IPP of 69.3 and a team leading xGF% of 48.3. There is an argument to be made that he is the most well-rounded forward on the Blackhawks.

Biggest Passenger: Tyler Bertuzzi (last year: Nick Foligno 54.4)

Bertuzzi has an IPP of 53.1 which is exactly where he was at in 2023-24.

Colorado Avalanche

Best Play Driver: Nathan MacKinnon (last year: MacKinnon 70.8)

MacKinnon has 103 points now and an IPP of 77.4 compared to 70.8 in 2023-24. He also leads the Avalanche in xGF% at 58.4.

Cale Makar has an impressive IPP for a defenseman at 62.4. Last year Makar was at 61.9. His xGF% was second on the roster behind MacKinnon at 56.5.

Biggest Passenger: Artturi Lehkonen (last year: Jonathan Drouin 41.7)

Lehkonen has an IPP of just 46.6 and is pretty reliant on his linemates to generate chances.

Drouin has an IPP of 53.6 after being at 41.7 in 2023-24.

Dallas Stars

Best Play Driver: Jason Robertson (Matt Duchene 73.0)

Robertson has had a bounce back 2024-25 as his IPP is 76.1 after dipping to 69.3 in 2023-24.

Matt Duchene (72.8) and Roope Hintz (72.6) were both above 70 as well. It will be interesting to see where Mikko Rantanen (68.5) ends up as he has only been above 70 once in his career back in 2018-19. That was playing primarily with Nathan MacKinnon.

On defense, Thomas Harley (39.4) was a little higher than Miro Heiskanen (35.7) but the Stars don't rely on their defense to generate offense it would seem.

Biggest Passenger: Evgenii Dadonov (Jamie Benn 61.2)

There aren't many passengers on the Stars. Dadonov has an IPP of 62.1, which would put him in the top five on most rosters. The Stars have such a strong top-nine forwards that all nine can generate offense.

Edmonton Oilers

Best Play Driver: Leon Draisaitl (last year: Connor McDavid 78.0)

Draisaitl sits with an IPP of 82.8 compared to 67.4 in 2023-24. He has had an exceptional 2024-25.

McDavid is still a great driver 79.4, but he's been surpassed in 2024-25 by Draisaitl.

Evan Bouchard leads the defenders on Edmonton with an IPP of 47.7.

Biggest Passenger: Zach Hyman (last year: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 51.4)

Hyman has an IPP of 40.2, down from 52.7 in 2023-24. His production has gone from 54 goals in 80 games to 22 goals in 61 games.

Los Angeles Kings

Best Play Driver: Kevin Fiala (last year: Fiala 74.1)

Fiala leads the Kings with an IPP of 71.0, which is just slightly ahead of Anze Kopitar at 70.7.

Brandt Clarke is the top defender with an IPP of 50.0 while Drew Doughty sits at 33.3.

Biggest Passenger: Alex Laferriere  (last year: Trevor Moore 52.3)

Laferriere has an IPP of 54.2, which would indicate that he is reliant on his teammates to produce his offense.

Minnesota Wild

Best Play Driver: Kirill Kaprizov (last year: Kaprizov 70.6)

Kaprizov has played just 39 games in 2024-25 but has produced 23 goals and 29 assists with an IPP of 81.3.

The top defender on the Wild is Jared Spurgeon at 51.0. Brock Faber has an IPP of 31.6, down from the 42.3 he had in 2023-24 as a rookie.

Biggest Passenger: Joel Eriksson Ek (last year: Eriksson Ek 51.2)

Eriksson Ek has played just 41 games in 2024-25 and his IPP is down to 47.9. He's a great defensive forward but struggles a little to drive offense.

Nashville Predators

Best Play Driver: Filip Forsberg (last year: Forsberg 68.8)

Forsberg has almost matched his IPP of 2023-24 as he sits at 68.6. Jonathan Marchessault is just behind him at 68.1.

Roman Josi is at an IPP of 51.4, down from 58.0 in 2023-24, but still very much the top driving defender on the Predators.

Biggest Passenger: Ryan O'Reilly (last year: O'Reilly 60.3)

O'Reilly gets this distinction for the second time in a row as his IPP sits at 57.5, down from 60.3.

San Jose Sharks

Best Play Driver: Macklin Celebrini (last year: Tomas Hertl 79.1)

Rookie Celebrini leads the Sharks with a 79.4 IPP, which shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone who has watched him this year.

In a small sample size, Shakir Mukhamadullin has an IPP of 57.1 in 24 games. Probably not sustainable, but impressive nonetheless.

Will Smith is at 68.6 which bodes well.

Biggest Passenger: Alex Wennberg  (last year: Fabian Zetterlund 47.7)

Wennberg has an IPP of 46.3 and doesn't provide enough offense for a player who averages 18:19 per game.

Seattle Kraken

Best Play Driver: Kaapo Kakko (last year: Oliver Bjorkstrand 78.4)

The Kraken traded their IPP leader in 2023-24 to Tampa Bay and acquired their 2024-25 leader from the NY Rangers.

Kakko has an IPP of 69.8, just ahead of Eeli Tolvanen at 68.8.

Brandon Montour 48.7, Vince Dunn 46.3 and Ryker Evans 45.8 all showed prowess at carrying the puck from the back end.

Biggest Passenger: Andre Burakovsky (last year: Jordan Eberle 53.8)

Burakovsky had an IPP of 51.1 and has played himself out of the top-six.

St. Louis Blues

Best Player Driver: Robert Thomas (last year: Thomas 81.4)

Thomas has an IPP of 78.3 which leads the Blues by a margin.

Dylan Holloway (70.4) and Jordan Kyrou (71.1) were both above 70 as well.

Colton Parayko led the defense with an IPP of 50.0 followed by Philip Broberg at 47.7.

Biggest Passenger: Jake Neighbours  (last year: Brandon Saad 55.3)

Neighbours has an IPP of 56.7, which reveals his reliance on his teammates.

Utah Hockey Club

Best Play Driver: Clayton Keller (last year: Keller 81.4)

Keller led Utah with an IPP of 82.2, which surprises no one.

Michael Kesselring led the defense with an IPP of 53.2, followed by Mikhail Sergachev at 45.7, which is a little surprising.

Biggest Passenger: Nick Schmaltz (last year: Nick Bjugstad 60.0)

Schmaltz has an IPP of 56.7 which is the lowest of forwards in the top six.

Vancouver Canucks

Best Play Driver: Quinn Hughes (last year: J.T. Miller 73.4)

Hughes led not only the defense on the Canucks but the whole team in IPP at 63.6. The Canucks have no one in the top-six driving play and the IPP substantiates that.

Elias Pettersson had an IPP of 71.9 in 2023-24 but with much less confidence he has cratered to 59.2 in 2023-24.

Biggest Passenger: Nils Hoglander (last year: Brock Boeser 58.7)

Hoglander has an IPP of 51.5, down from 65.5 in 2023-24. Some of that could be attributable to bad luck but PDO (103.1) would disagree with that assumption. I think he just lacks offensive vision and the ability to generate great chances.

Vegas Golden Knights

Best Play Driver: Ivan Barbashev (last year: Jack Eichel 73.3)

Barbashev leads the Vegas top-six in IPP at 72.4, ahead of Eichel at 69.0.

On defense, Shea Theodore had an IPP of 57.8. The Golden Knights will hope to have him back sooner than later.

Biggest Passenger: Pavel Dorofeyev (last year: Chandler Stephenson 61.7)

Dorofeyev has an IPP of 57.3, which is just higher than Victor Olofsson at 53.7. Olofsson has struggled to stay in the top-six.

Winnipeg Jets

Best Play Driver: Kyle Connor (last year: Connor 76.9)

Connor leads the Jets once again with an IPP of 74.3, ahead of Nikolaj Ehlers at 70.4 to make them the only two Jets over 70.

Josh Morrissey had an IPP of 48.6 to lead the Winnipeg defense.

Biggest Passenger: Alex Iafallo (last year: Iafallo 48.6)

Iafallo has an IPP of 46.8 and has played his way out of the top-six and become more of a defensive forward.

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