It's time for a staple poll where you decide which players will hit the all-important point-per-game mark for the first time in the upcoming season. If past seasons are any indication, it is fewer than you might expect, as in 2023-24 only five of the 38 players who scored at a point-per-game rate while appearing in at least half their teams' games were first timers; and last season, of the 35 skaters who scored at a point-per-game rate in at least half their teams' games, a mere four (Brandon Hagel, Dylan Strome, Nick Suzuki, and Zach Werenski) were first timers. Will this downward trend continue? That's up to your votes to predict….

Listed below are the 20 skaters, in alphabetical order, I feel are most likely to join this club for the first time in 2025-26. Cast your votes for any and all you believe will, in fact, score at a point-per-game or better rate in 41+ games. To be clear, this is scoring rate, not actual points. As long as they play in 41 or more games, all they would need to do to qualify is have a point total equal to or higher than their games played total. A link to cast your vote(s) will appear at the end of the column.

Connor Bedard

Given the hype Bedard received, it's likely come as the surprise to most that he's yet to hit the point-per-game mark. Is he not as great as advertised, or has he been brought down by the team around him? Or might he be comparable to Nathan MacKinnon, who took several seasons to hit his stride? For what it's worth, this season Bedard reaches his 200-game breakout threshold; so that might add to hopes he'll achieve this milestone.

Matt Boldy

Most likely he'd have hit the mark in 2024-25 had Kirill Kaprizov stayed healthy and buoyed the PP where Boldy has found great success. It also will help that Boldy's usual center, Joel Eriksson-Ek will be back to full health, as Boldy was above a point-per-game pace alongside JEE, until he was tethered to Marco Rossi at even strength after JEE got hurt.

Cole Caufield

The good news is Caufield's scoring rate has yet to not increase season to season, but the gains have been smallish. Also, he continues to struggle on the PP, which is something he'll have to figure out to have a chance at point-per-game numbers. Also, let's not forget he is undersized and his 400-game breakout threshold mark won't be until next season, which could mean yet another campaign below point per game numbers.

Macklin Celebrini

Whenever I mention Celebrini, I make it a point to drive home that only two 18-year-old centers in the history of the NHL had both a higher scoring rate and higher SOG rate than Celebrini did in his rookie campaign, namely Dale Hawerchuk and some guy named Wayne Gretzky. Needless to say, they both had multiple 100+ point seasons and were firing on all cylinders by age 19. When all is said and done, it may be Celebrini who is the generational talent instead of Bedard, and a point-per-game sophomore campaign seems readily achievable.

Logan Cooley 

By season's end he was a top line fixture; yet he was on and off PP1 despite a healthy PPPt total. Could the arrival of J.J. Peterka push Cooley onto PP2? Seemingly no; however, if it does then a path to point-per-game production might not be viable, at least for now.

Rasmus Dahlin

After a dip in 2023-24, Dahlin was back to his elite ways in 2024-25 to the tune of a 75-point scoring pace. That marks the second time he was knocking on the point per game door; and from what you saw above, each of the last two seasons have had a defenseman among the first timers. Perhaps this will be Dahlin's year, especially since his TOI was well under a minute less than the last time he did this well, suggesting he has realistic room to produce more.

Nikolaj Ehlers

After ten seasons playing for the Jets, and leaving many poolies wondering what he could do if only given better deployment, Ehlers inked a deal to go to the Canes, where he figures to be far more of a featured player. But here's a fun fact – no Carolina winger has produced at a point per game rate since 2006-07! Given the way Carolina spreads around its offense, it's not clear Ehlers will join the point-per-game club this season, if ever while on Carolina.

Morgan Geekie

Shocked to see his name here? Don't be. He had 37 points in his final 38 games, and, just as importantly, developed superb chemistry with David Pastrnak, who went supernova in the second half. The tandem should remain tethered, in which case despite the Bruins projecting to be a weaker team, someone has to score, and Geekie will be positioned well to do just that.

Dylan Guenther

Not only did Guenther see his scoring, SOG and TOI rates rise, but he'll be hitting his 200-game breakout threshold during the coming season. He's a PP force, tallying nearly half his points with the man advantage; and the addition of J.J. Peterka figures to make Utah's already potent top PP unit even more successful. Add to that Guenther having room for quite a bit more overall TOI, and it is quite possible he hits the point per game mark in 2025-26.

Tomas Hertl

What surprises you more, that Hertl is on this list or that he's never had a point per game season in his nearly 800-game career? Yes, it is quite possible that Mitch Marner is put on a line with Jack Eichel at ES. If that happens, teams will have to key on them, letting Hertl's second unit thrive. Also, Vegas' PP1, on which Hertl is a staple, figures to be vastly improved. This definitely is more plausible than you might first think.

Nico Hischier

With scoring rates between 75 and 81 in the past three seasons, Hischier has come about as close to point per game scoring as one can without actually achieving it. Hischier also ended the 2024-25 campaign with 22 points in 20 Q4 contests, although in 2023-24 he had 45 points in 42 second half games and could not carry that momentum into 2024-25. Still, this one feels like it's inevitable; but will it be this season, or one still to come?

Lane Hutson

It used to be d-men would endure a sophomore slump, regain their footing, then, around game 400, break out. That was before the likes of Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox. Huston seemingly has offensive flair riveling them, plus is the PP1 QB for a Habs teams where not only has Caufield always improved, but so has Nick Suzuki. As I said above, the trend has been for a d-man to graduate to point-per-game status each season, so perhaps for 2025-26 it'll be Hutson?

Seth Jarvis

Like Hischier, Jarvis saved his best for last, with 21 Q4 points in 18 games. He also cemented himself as the top LW for a Canes team with a lot of RWs. Jarvis also is a PP1 staple, plus he even hits the scoresheet while shorthanded. Perhaps with all the attention being paid to new arrival Ehlers, it'll end up being Jarvis who becomes the first Cane winger in two decades to be a point-per-gamer?

Wyatt Johnston

The big jump that many felt was coming from Wyatt in 2024-25 didn't happen; but he did have a second consecutive 32+ goal season. With a new coach in Dallas, perhaps top tier talent like Johnston will no longer be throttled, in which case could see Johnston truly unleashed and point-per-game scoring would seem very realistic.

Adrian Kempe

Well – it had to end a some point, and in 2024-25 it indeed did, with the "it" being Kempe's streak of scoring rate increases from season to season. He still managed to score at a 74-point rate though, and is the unquestioned top winger for LA at ES and on the PP. Speaking of the PP, had he only equaled his PPPts rate from 2024-25 he'd have been a point-per-gamer, perhaps making this even easier to envision for 2025-26?

Matthew Knies 

Like Huston, Knies not only didn't fold under the huge pressure cooker of being a young talent with huge expectations in a hockey hotbed market, he thrived. Although the exodus of Mitch Marner might result in fewer goals for the Leafs overall, Knies figures to graduate to PP1 staple and a likely top line role, such that if everything aligns, including his 200 game breakout threshold, he could rise to point-per-game scoring.

Kirill Marchenko

Speaking of the 200-game breakout threshold, Marchenko flourished in the season he hit his. Still though, after a very impressive 47 points in his first 43 games, he slowed. That could just be him adjusting to the rigors of an added two minutes of TOI per game. With room still to see more TOI both at ES and on the PP, plus to shoot more, he could rise to the point-per-game level in the normal course.

Matvei Michkov

Tallying 63 points despite being in a John Tortorella system is almost like Michkov was a point-per-gamer already. By the time Q4 rolled around, Michkov's minutes and SOG rate were both up quite a bit, a preview of things to come. Also, in the nine games Michkov logged after Torts was shown the exit, he had four multipoint games and 12 points in total. This one looks like close to a sure thing.

Lucas Raymond

Coming about as close to point-per-game scoring as one can without achieving it. the big change for Raymond was on the PP, where he finally had a cemented PP1 role and responded with more PPPts than in his two prior seasons combined. Yes, he was above a point per game rate in the first half ala Marchenko, only to also slow; but like him Raymond was adjusting to more TOI, and with that under his belt he should be primed for point-per-game production in 2025-26.

Gabe Vilardi

Since coming to Winnipeg, Vilardi has fared quite well, and perhaps even more importantly he's seemingly become entrenched on a line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, plus on PP1. The issue is he's not shooting as much now as he did, and his IPPs are not very good. He might be in a great spot but unable to fully capitalize on it. Or he could improve and, in doing so, flirt with point-per-game scoring.

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Are there any first time point per gamers for 2025-26 among this list? If you think so, vote for them. The link to cast your votes is here.

Questions for Mailbag Column

I've had a good number of questions submitted for my mailbag, and in fact will likely run two in a row.  But that means there's room for even 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.