Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the players who are turning their development curves into real fantasy relevance. The WHL has several breakout performances this season, and several draft plus one and draft plus two prospects are posting great numbers while showing meaningful growth in their underlying profiles. This league is often a proving ground for power forwards, high tempo play drivers, and mobile defenders, and many of these players are trending toward substantial fantasy value if their development continues. Below are 10 of the most impressive early season risers, each carving out a promising path toward NHL impact.

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Nathan Behm, LW/RW, Chicago Blackhawks

Behm has taken a major step forward in his draft plus one season, establishing himself as one of the most consistent offensive threats in the WHL. His pace, touch, and ability to finish plays in tight make him a nightmare to defend. Behm excels at attacking off the rush, manipulating defenders with quick changes in speed, and getting into high danger areas. The confidence in his game is evident. He looks far more assertive than he did in his draft year and has become a reliable driver for his line.

What stands out most is how well Behm blends skill and competitiveness. His board work is better, his decision making has sharpened, and his scoring touch has remained steady even as teams game plan around him. At 1.6 points per game, he is firmly outperforming his draft position. He now sits 20th in star probability in Hockey Prospecting, which is impressive for someone taken 66th overall, raising his star potential from eight to 21% with his strong start. Bo Horvat appears as a reasonable comparable in the model, and if Behm continues on this trajectory, he could follow a similar path as a reliable player with real long-term upside.

Bryce Pickford, D, Montreal Canadiens

Pickford was a sleeper candidate last season after showing well in the Memorial Cup, and his stock has surged now that he is earning heavier minutes. Drafted 81st overall by Montreal in 2025, he has quickly become one of the WHL's most intriguing risers. His poise from the back end and ability to exit the zone cleanly have stood out all year. Pickford reads pressure well and moves the puck with confidence, whether he is stretching the ice with long outlets or walking the offensive blue line to create shooting lanes. His mobility keeps plays alive, and his improved timing has generated far more dangerous touches. His scoring pace is now well over the point-per-game, a mark he narrowly missed in his draft season.

Defensively, Pickford has taken a meaningful step forward. His physical engagement has improved, his gap control is much tighter, and he has become more selective and effective with his risk taking. His Fantasy Hockey Life skater card reinforces the breakout, showing excellent transition work, strong play driving, and elite block, shot, and hit (BASH) numbers that give him a sturdy peripheral floor even if the offense does not fully translate. With the combination of rising usage, strong underlying metrics, and continued production, Pickford looks like one of the better long term breakout bets among WHL blueliners.

Lynden Lakovic, LW/RW, Washington Capitals

Lakovic has emerged as a creative and efficient playmaker who elevates the pace of any line he joins. His ability to delay, draw defenders, and thread cross seam passes has been a major driver of his offensive explosion. He plays with relentless motion, thriving in scramble situations where he can out read opponents and funnel pucks into dangerous areas. His production spike is no fluke, as his control of the middle of the ice has tightened considerably and his touches have become more purposeful. His pNHLe rose sharply from his predraft years into his draft season, and although it has regressed slightly in his draft plus one campaign, it remains very solid.

Equally encouraging is how Lakovic has rounded out the details of his game. His defensive reads are more consistent, his off-puck pressure has improved, and he is attacking the slot with much greater regularity, which has boosted both his primary scoring and shot quality. He sustains plays through persistence and smart positioning, giving him multiple avenues to drive value beyond pure points. If he continues to add strength and refine his two-way game, his fantasy profile becomes even more compelling, with the potential to outperform his draft slot in the long term.

Julius Miettinen, C/W, Seattle Kraken

Miettinen's breakout continues as he cements himself as one of the WHL's most dominant power forwards. Drafted 40th overall by the Kraken in 2024, the big, rangy winger has taken a major step this season with Everett. His combination of size, handling, and touch in tight areas makes him a constant threat around the crease, and he is winning battles with ease against younger competition. His three-zone reliability has caught up to his production, and his improved skating has unlocked more transition involvement and cleaner entries. Miettinen has also embraced a more consistent North-South game, which has made him far more predictable for linemates and far more difficult for opponents to contain.

Offensively, he is thriving because he has simplified his approach. He drives the interior, supports plays quickly, and uses his heavy shot to generate rebounds and chaos. At more than 1.5 points-per-game, he has become one of the safer late blooming fantasy bets from his draft class. His Fantasy Hockey Life player card backs up the breakout, showing excellent transition metrics, strong play driving, and above average physical engagement that pushes his overall BASH profile toward eighty percent. If he continues to blend physicality with scoring touch, Miettinen has the tools to become a highly valuable multi category contributor at the NHL level.

Shea Busch, LW/RW, Florida Panthers

Busch is one of the sharpest upward movers in pNHLe among WHL forwards this season. Drafted in the fourth round by Florida in 2025, he is looking more like an NHLer by the day. His offensive instincts were already promising in his draft year, but his ability to finish plays and extend possessions has taken a meaningful leap. Busch excels at finding quiet ice in the offensive zone, arriving at the perfect moment to receive passes and convert them into scoring chances. His hands in tight areas have improved as well, giving him more versatility as both a creator and a finisher. Hockey Prospecting reflects the surge, with his NHLer probability rising to 40% and his star potential jumping from two to seven percent.

Busch's work rate is another major driver of his rising value. He pressures effectively on the forecheck, supports his defensemen well, and frequently turns retrievals into extended offensive zone time. His transition carries are smoother and more decisive, and his play driving numbers are trending sharply upward. The comparable of Andrew Brunette may be a touch lofty, but seeing impactful NHLers in his model profile underscores the legitimacy of the breakout. If this production holds, Busch has a real chance to evolve into a fantasy sleeper with meaningful long-term value.

Jacob Kvasnicka, RW, New York Islanders

Kvasnicka, the former USNTDP forward who slipped all the way to pick 202 in the 2025 draft, already looks like one of its early steals. His blend of skill, anticipation, and adaptability has translated beautifully to the WHL, where increased puck touches and offensive freedom have allowed his game to flourish. His skating remains smooth and powerful, giving him the ability to drive entries and sustain in-zone sequences. Kvasnicka's decision making is advanced for his age, and his ability to attack off movement creates constant pressure. His hands and vision are both trending upward, and he has been highly effective at one-touching plays into dangerous ice. At 1.2 points-per-game, he is producing at a level that strongly suggests the Islanders found meaningful late-round value.

Equally encouraging is how well he adjusts to different linemates. Kvasnicka does not need to dominate the puck to impact a game, and his defensive involvement has taken noticeable steps forward. His drive through the slot and willingness to play inside give him multiple pathways to meaningful NHL upside. His pNHLe has jumped dramatically in his draft plus one season, and the Tyler Bertuzzi comparable in his Hockey Prospecting profile is an appealing reminder of how productive late bloomers can become. Fantasy managers should not wait too long to buy into this breakout, as Kvasnicka is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing risers from his draft class.

Tarin Smith, D, Anaheim Ducks

Smith has quietly become one of the better breakout candidates from the blue line in the WHL this season. His footwork is clean and efficient, allowing him to evade pressure and move the puck crisply through the neutral zone. He reads developing plays well and shows excellent timing when walking the blue line to open lanes or slip pucks into seams. His intelligence with the puck stands out, as he rarely forces low percentage decisions and consistently funnels possession into dangerous areas. As his confidence has grown, his offensive involvement has followed, and he is beginning to look like a legitimate riser in his draft plus two season.

Defensively, Smith has taken meaningful steps forward. He maintains tight gaps, contests entries confidently, and has added noticeable strength along the boards. His Fantasy Hockey Life skater card reinforces the eye test, showing excellent transition metrics, strong play driving, and an impressive eighty three percent BASH that gives him a sturdy peripheral baseline. If the scoring continues to climb alongside his growing assertiveness, Smith has the toolkit to develop into a meaningful fantasy asset and one of the more intriguing long term bets from the WHL.

Kale Dach, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

Dach has finally put the pieces together in a way scouts have been waiting for. His skill level and competitive drive have always been evident, and this season he is starting to dominate shifts with far more consistency. His puck protection has taken a meaningful leap, allowing him to extend plays and distribute under pressure with increased composure. He is driving the interior more frequently and looks much harder to knock off the puck, which has boosted both his shot quality and scoring efficiency. Drafted as an overager in the seventh round, he has made a solid transition to the WHL, and his growing confidence is showing up in every zone. And in case you are wondering, he has no relation to Kirby or Colton Dach, who are both now NHL players.

His two-way game has also taken notable strides. Dach is reading breakouts more effectively, supporting the puck quickly, and engaging physically in more meaningful ways. The underlying indicators are beginning to align with the flashes he has shown for years. While his Hockey Prospecting star potential has dipped slightly from 11% to nine percent, his production and improving habits suggest a late blooming trajectory remains possible. If he maintains this pace and continues adding layers to his physical game, Dach could evolve into a deeper league fantasy asset with a multi category edge.

Tommy Lafreniere, C, Edmonton Oilers

Lafreniere has emerged as one of the most creative playmakers in the WHL this season. His ability to manipulate defenders with head fakes, delays, and lateral movement gives him multiple passing options on every shift. His vision is high end and he often sees plays develop before defenders can react, allowing him to rack up primary assists and elevate linemates with ease. His skating has taken a step forward and his added agility makes him more elusive in tight areas, giving him more time and space to operate. He has also pushed his pNHLe above sixty this year, a strong indicator that his offensive toolkit is translating against tougher competition.

Off the puck, Lafreniere competes well and keeps plays alive through quick touches and more urgent retrieval work. His defensive details still have room to develop, but the consistency of his effort is trending in the right direction. Even if his NHL Rank King comparables do not jump off the page, the blend of intelligence, deception, and emerging pace gives him a plausible path toward a middle-six role at the NHL level. For fantasy managers, he profiles as an assist-driven playmaker whose value could rise steadily if the scoring continues to build.

Ryan Miller, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

Miller has steadily climbed the WHL scoring leaderboard by pairing strong North–South pace with more skill than he is often credited for. He gets up ice quickly, pressures defenders, and generates chances through a mix of straight-line speed and better than advertised puckhandling. His shot has taken a notable step forward, particularly off the rush where he can release quickly off his inside leg. As the captain in Portland, his confidence is growing with each game and he is taking on more responsibility offensively. His Fantasy Hockey Life player card reflects this, showing solid transition numbers and clear growth in how he drives play through speed and directness.

The biggest development for Miller has been how reliable he looks shift to shift. He is winning more puck battles, extending possessions, and making cleaner reads in transition. His play driving can be hit and miss, but his competitiveness and battle win rates are elite, and his BASH profile sits above average, giving him a stable peripheral floor. His athletic toolkit provides a strong foundation for continued growth, and the improvements in detail are making his scoring more sustainable. If this trajectory holds, Miller could become a sneaky fantasy riser with a real chance to push his way into long term NHL consideration.

Final Thoughts

The WHL is producing another wave of breakout talent this season, with several draft plus one and draft plus two skaters forcing a re-evaluation of their long-term ceilings. Behm and Lakovic look like legitimate offensive risers, Pickford and Smith are establishing themselves as real blue line breakout candidates, while Miettinen and Busch are emerging as players with strong statistical profiles and meaningful fantasy upside. Even the deeper cuts like Kvasnicka are showing indicators that suggest real potential value shifts. As always, dynasty success comes from staying ahead of these breakouts, buying before the market adjusts, and tracking which improvements are sustainable. The WHL continues to be a fertile ground for those future gains.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more fantasy hockey analysis, or if there's a prospect, topic, or theme you'd like me to cover, follow and message me on X: https://x.com/VictorNuno12