Jeff Blay

Evander Kane is breaking out, and he’s carrying his Winnipeg Jets with him. The team’s leading goal-scorer is on pace to break 30 goals this season, and as a result, Winnipeg may make the playoffs in a season which the fans were just happy to have a team back. Are they still playing with house money, or is Kane raising the stakes in 2011-12?

The NHL’s youngest players are having an impact on the league like never before. With the way today’s game is evolving, it’s these rookie and sophomore players who will shape the future of hockey with strong, all-around play and dynamic highlight-reel scoring on a nightly basis.

It has been a forgettable season for the forgettable Columbus Blue Jackets. But with the turmoil among the players, coaches and fans, a story is emerging in that of winger Vinny Prospal, who has returned from an injury last season to be among his new team’s top scorers.

John Tavares was the first-overall selection of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Since his arrival, he’s largely gone unnoticed by anybody not adorning NY Islanders gear. Why has Tavares been so overlooked compared to the likes of other first-overalls like Crosby, Ovechkin, Stamkos and even Nugent-Hopkins?

The New Jersey Devils haven’t had the year they’ve wanted, primarily due to team scoring stars like Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise failing to find the net with regularity. Meanwhile, rookies Adam Henrique and Adam Larsson are proving to be the next wave of New Jersey elite.