On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. This week, we look at four players we're looking forward to watching in the playoffs.
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Craig Hagerman: The Washington Capitals will enter the playoffs with the best record in the NHL, and while eyes will mostly be on Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, let's not forget the team's leading scorer.
Kuznetsov is having a breakout season with the Capitals, leading the team with 53 assists and 73 points, and was named a NHL All-Star. His rookie campaign last year was rather unimpressive, seeing him manufacture just 37 points. But then the playoffs happened.
The 23-year-old shared the team lead with five goals in 14 games during the postseason while giving a sneak peak of his pure offensive skill with an incredible solo-effort goal that would hold up as the game-winner in the first round against the New York Islanders.
One year later such pretty goals have become the norm for Kuznetsov, and who can forget that deadly no-look pass he seems to have mastered.
The Capitals will be a fun team to watch this spring, and you can thank the new kid on the block for that.
Robby Fabbri
Josh Gold-Smith: It's going to be very interesting to see how St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock uses Fabbri in the playoffs.
The 20-year-old rookie has really started to produce like a pro with 11 points in his last 12 games. He's shown he belongs at the NHL level, scoring 18 goals and chipping in 19 assists, while earning his minutes on the second line and the second power-play unit.
The playoffs are a different beast, though, and the pressure is squarely on Hitchcock and the Blues, who've been ousted in the first round in each of the last three seasons.
Alex Steen should be back for the playoffs, but St. Louis' additional forward depth should continue to allow Fabbri to succeed in a supporting role. While much will be expected of the Blues, Fabbri won't be held to the same standard as his veteran teammates in his first postseason experience, and that lack of pressure could help him extend his recent success into the playoffs.
Andrew Ladd
Ben Whyte: After being traded by the Winnipeg Jets in late February, Ladd started his second stint with the Chicago Blackhawks at an impressive pace with points in four of his first five games, but his play - and the team's - has since gone sour.
Prior to his three-point night Saturday, the forward had just one point in six games, which came in the Blackhawks lone win over that stretch.
The reigning Cup champions remain at risk to drop into a wild-card position if their struggles continue. If the Blackhawks hope to defend their title, and the 30-year-old hopes to take a second drink out of Lord Stanley's Mug in the Windy City, he will need to be a key contributor come playoff time.
Phil Kessel
Ian McLaren: Kessel certainly hasn't blown up during his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Yet, at least.
While many expected him to push for 40 goals while playing wingman to either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, he's sitting on a modest 22 through 74 games, and is on pace for his lowest point total since his first year in Toronto back in 2009-10.
The potent winger leads the Penguins in total shots (242), but his shooting percentage sits below his career average and is well down from the success rate posted during his two 37-goal seasons with the Maple Leafs.
The 28-year-old has scored an impressive 13 goals in the 22 playoff games on his NHL resume, and he will be called upon to step things up in the first round especially, to make up for the absence of the injured Evgeni Malkin.
Kessel, who carries a hefty $8-million cap hit (part of which is still being paid by Toronto), broke out in a big way with a five-point game Saturday against Detroit, and can write a new story about his first year with the suddenly rolling Penguins by making an impact when it matters most.
