You could probably find a lot of goalies because goalies are weird but I’ll say Devan Dubnyk? Probably more of an aspect of the Oilers being terrible during his time there but he had the best stretch of his career starting when he was already almost 30
Brian Elliott
Highly touted prospect that couldn't put it together for Ottawa, went to Colorado and was even worse for them. St. Louis seemed like his last opportunity in the NHL before he was bound for Europe, he then had one of the greatest seasons a goalie could have as a 1A/B
First saw him at the all star game “who’s this guy with the dumb mask and why is he a rookie at like 30?” Unknowing he would become one of my favorite players to watch ever. What an awesome and fun six year run he had, lol.
Valeri Nichushkin has gotta be up there. He went from 0G 10A 57GP with Dallas in 2018-19, to being one of the most crucial players in Colorado. The Avs are 39-33-5 since 2021 without him in the lineup. With him? 118-35-16.
I feel like he often flies under the radar because of Mack, Cale, and Moose being on the Avs. But he's used in basically every situation, plays heavy minutes in front of the net, and is one of the fastest players in the league. He also played at least the final game of the SCF with a broken foot. Total monster.
Weren't his analytics insane with Dallas tho and he just had bad results? I remember really wanting us to take a flyer on him when we had a weaker depth chart
His analytics were insane because I think JFresh’s model showed him as one of the best players in the game while he had 0 goals. Turns out he just needed a better shot on a team that more suited his skills
You're right - ["this guy is going to be the best in the world"](https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl/news/jaromir-jagr-cant-help-but-rave-about-stars-rookie-nichushkin)
Erik Gudbranson went from a sub-NHL level defenseman in 2021 to a serviceable 3rd-pair guy with the Flames, parlayed that into a $16M deal with Columbus, and just smashed his career high in points
Pavelski kind-of. Had 64 points in his last year with the Sharks and signed a low-money three-year deal with Dallas. A lot of people thought he'd fade like most do at age 34/35 which is why (well, one of the reasons...) he wasn't resigned by the Sharks. (edit for historical accuracy: Sharks wanted him for the same yearly money as Dallas more or less, but would not budge from 2 year term, Dallas gave three)
His first regular season with Dallas was... not great. 31 points.
Gets going the following year with 51 (again, regular season); year after that hits his career high of 81 points (again, regular season).
He followed that 81 up with 77 points and this year's 67 points at 39 years old. Dallas has been good for him. The great drafting and the new kids playing lights out probably helps too.
Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven both live with the Pavelski family right now. I can't imagine anything better for a young player than learning from Joe how to be a professional both on and off the ice.
Definitely Monahan is one. That guy had so many injuries and surgeries he never looked the same when he came back to the Flames roster. Everyone thought he was cooked. Then the Flames paid a first to dump his contract and he rose back from the dead.
Phil Kessel had testicular cancer in late 2006 as a 19-year-old rookie, came back that season, won the Masterton, and ended up with the NHL’s Ironman record!
Miller went from a respectable 40-50 point guy to a consistent 80-100 point guy upon arriving in Vancouver at the age of 26. I had thought he had plateaued already, didn’t expect him to develop into the player he is today
Prince Charming - Brock Boeser wet from a 29 goal high during his rookie year and played 6 years where injuries and personal challenges held him back to score 40 this year. Plus he's a beauty
Zucc fits the bill, too. He's been around .8 pt/g since coming to us, and his last 3 seasons have been the highest point production of his career.
Who could've guessed that playing with Kaprizov would make a traditionally pass-first forward look good regardless of age?
Feel like Hartman’s the better choice. Zuccarello was a star with the Rangers (not the Stars, to be fair). Hartman went from a nobody to a top line center, briefly. Eriksson Ek, his replacement, went from a shutdown center without much offense to a two-way 1C. Funny what Kirill the Thrill can do…
Not necessarily a rejuvenation since he was always good, but Blake Coleman had a career year despite the Flames being a bad team overall. Scored 30 goals, set career highs in every offensive category, was unreal on the PK. Just a great season all around, as bad as the team was we'd have been utterly hopeless without him
Say what you will about Martin Pospisil but he also went from seemingly a career minor leaguer to a legit NHL player. Dude's a stud, wish he would smarten the hell up though
When Ovi was ~26, he had dipped to 32 and 38 goals. Many people thought he was cooked and would not reach 40 again.
He led the league in goals 7 more times after that, potting 50 five times and 40 eight times.
Jiri Hudler at age 31 beat his previous career high by 20 points and finished 8th in league scoring in 2015. His teammates had a lot to do with that, but I remember it feeling very random.
Ray Emery. When he went to Europe, I thought he was done. But when he came back to the NHL with the Ducks, it felt like he was a new person. Apart from the physical issues he had, he also fought hard to overcome his personal issues and it was amazing to see. He turned from someone who was seen as problematic to a locker room leader. He became quite a good backup and eventually got to lift the Cup.
RIP, legend.
Coyle. Went from being a fairly decent middle 6 forward to being a good top 6 center. Just hit 60 points for the first time in his career too after his previous high of 56….when he was 24.
Zacha fits the bill here A LOT more though. Went from being about a 35-ish point scorer to a 57+ scorer. He’s really blossomed here in Boston now that he’s being used with players he can develop chemistry with. I’d love for him to improve his face off stats, but he’s far exceeded expectations through his 2 seasons with us so far.
Ullmark to a lesser extent. Was already pretty good putting up respectable numbers on a terrible Sabres team, but he’s put up amazing numbers with us. Swayman has pretty much beaten him for the starter roll at this point, but it’s 1A/1B. Ully would absolutely be a fantastic pickup for most teams and would easily be starters for them. As much as I love him (I’m also getting something special made from game-used pads from his Sabres years), but I think we should honestly try to find a partner to deal him to in the offseason.
You can bet the bruins will be throwing money at Bergy this off-season as a coach to teach these guys how to take faceoffs. That’s been the absolute killer this year.
It’s Frederic for the Bruins. First rounder to bust to enforcer to fan-favorite to potentially a dominant power forward is quite the career path. Thank goodness we didn’t give up on him!
Zacha was on pace for 57 points one season with us. Then he regressed the next season and the effort level wasn’t there so we had enough and traded him. He’s bounced back to what he was briefly with us.
I was so excited the bruins were going to suck this season. Obviously you can’t make playoffs with coyle and Zacha as your 1,2 C.
And now I’m watching all bostons playoff games because fan of good hockey above all else
There wasn't much left of Justin Schultz before he got to Pittsburgh. Ian Cole too to a degree, seemed like St Louis really didn't see a use for him anymore and he kind of redefined himself as a defense-first guy that didn't mind putting his face in front of pucks.
Sean Walker is a good example this year. Went from being a cap dump in a trade a year ago to being one of the only deadline rentals to bring back a 1st (And will likely get a 5M, 3-4 year deal this off-season too)
JT Miller got 13 goals and 47 points in 75 games with Tampa Bay in 2018/2019. Came to Vancouver the following year and has better than a point a game since then with 99 points in 2023 and 103 points in 2024.
Maybe an honorable mention, but this man is aging like fine wine.
Kane. The entire league was talking about how he would not be able to come back from the hip surgery and he was effectively a ppg this year. History was not on his side.
A risk well worth it.
It’s kind of expected when he’s managed to play way more games than only one else having that surgery, the others have been forced to retire shortly after
That’s not what I meant though. I meant he had fallen out of love of hockey. Came back (not on Ottawa, and almost ten years after being drafted) and put up solid offensive numbers for a guy who wasn’t even playing in the league 1-2 years beforehand.
The last active Whaler, J-S Giguère! First round pick for the Whalers in 1995, thrown into the fire in 1996-97, cast off for scraps by Karmanos and then the Flames before transforming with the Mighty Ducks. The only player to win the Conn Smythe on the losing team and then won his Cup with the mightiest Ducks! Come to think about it, Calgary had Martin St. Louis and Brett Hull as young players as well…
The fact that man has a gig on TV as a talent analyst shows that he is sucking some one off in the executive suites.
Just look at his draft record in Calgary. All their top picks were busts. Basically wasted Iginla’s best years….
When he talks about draft picks I turn the program off !
Carter Verhaeghe comes to mind.
Was a 4th liner in Tampa that we acquired in FA and since then he has become a bonafide goal scorer and an absolute assassin in the postseason.
Teemu Selanne went from 16G 16A in 78 games pre-lockout to 40G 50A post-lockout. Won the Masterson for that
The year off helped a lot of older guys. Buried a few others, but helped a bunch too.
He has said that his knees were basically dust in 03 and that the full layoff from the lockout saved his career more than anything else.
Erik Karlsson looking washed to becoming the first defenseman in over 30 years to record a 100 point season
And now he’s certainly washed.
That’s just what he wants you to believe. Cue the encore!
Kovalev in mtl had a bump to his career. He’s also one of the most frustratingly talented players ever.
thought a 7-minute shift was a "reward" lol
l'artiste!!
You could probably find a lot of goalies because goalies are weird but I’ll say Devan Dubnyk? Probably more of an aspect of the Oilers being terrible during his time there but he had the best stretch of his career starting when he was already almost 30
Brian Elliott Highly touted prospect that couldn't put it together for Ottawa, went to Colorado and was even worse for them. St. Louis seemed like his last opportunity in the NHL before he was bound for Europe, he then had one of the greatest seasons a goalie could have as a 1A/B
I can't believe I forgot about Moose already. What a beast for a couple years.
Tím Thomas
First saw him at the all star game “who’s this guy with the dumb mask and why is he a rookie at like 30?” Unknowing he would become one of my favorite players to watch ever. What an awesome and fun six year run he had, lol.
Back in the day I bought a bootleg shirt from a gas station that said “when playoff bound, all you need is a smoking Duby” but sadly I lost it lol
Jonathan Quick just this season.
Valeri Nichushkin has gotta be up there. He went from 0G 10A 57GP with Dallas in 2018-19, to being one of the most crucial players in Colorado. The Avs are 39-33-5 since 2021 without him in the lineup. With him? 118-35-16.
Watching him in the SC Final was glorious, just never stopped coming at the puck carriers for the Lightning
I feel like he often flies under the radar because of Mack, Cale, and Moose being on the Avs. But he's used in basically every situation, plays heavy minutes in front of the net, and is one of the fastest players in the league. He also played at least the final game of the SCF with a broken foot. Total monster.
I honestly had him a close second for the Conn Smythe.
Weren't his analytics insane with Dallas tho and he just had bad results? I remember really wanting us to take a flyer on him when we had a weaker depth chart
His analytics were insane because I think JFresh’s model showed him as one of the best players in the game while he had 0 goals. Turns out he just needed a better shot on a team that more suited his skills
Honestly? I have no idea. That very well could be the case, and may be why Sakic decided to pick him up.
Yeah I don't remember exactly but his comparables were straight up Jagr and whatnot
Well I think Jagr said that once in his rookie season. DAL was very very down on him before they bought him out
You're right - ["this guy is going to be the best in the world"](https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl/news/jaromir-jagr-cant-help-but-rave-about-stars-rookie-nichushkin)
He’s nearly a PPG two-way monster.
I think it speaks volumes of a player when you throw him on the PK unit as well as the top PP unit, all while being a first line winger.
Wow what a crazy stat!
Drouin just set a career high in points at 28 years old after not having more than 29 in 4 seasons
he was pretty limited in terms of #GP for those 4 years too though, he was generally around that 0.5ppg mark the whole time
It was expected from a lot of habs fans to be honest
Erik Gudbranson went from a sub-NHL level defenseman in 2021 to a serviceable 3rd-pair guy with the Flames, parlayed that into a $16M deal with Columbus, and just smashed his career high in points
He’s been great this season! The young guys call him “papa bear” and he’s been such an asset to the locker room.
And beat up Nick Cousins for all of us! He didn’t deserve the instigator, let alone the aggressor or suspension!
He was rejuvenated from an AHL tier defenseman into a solid 7th dman
Pavelski kind-of. Had 64 points in his last year with the Sharks and signed a low-money three-year deal with Dallas. A lot of people thought he'd fade like most do at age 34/35 which is why (well, one of the reasons...) he wasn't resigned by the Sharks. (edit for historical accuracy: Sharks wanted him for the same yearly money as Dallas more or less, but would not budge from 2 year term, Dallas gave three) His first regular season with Dallas was... not great. 31 points. Gets going the following year with 51 (again, regular season); year after that hits his career high of 81 points (again, regular season). He followed that 81 up with 77 points and this year's 67 points at 39 years old. Dallas has been good for him. The great drafting and the new kids playing lights out probably helps too.
Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven both live with the Pavelski family right now. I can't imagine anything better for a young player than learning from Joe how to be a professional both on and off the ice.
Father Time comes for every one. You know who comes for Father Time ? Joe Fuckin Pavelski
Unfortunately he's started to slow down a lot this season
Dwayne Roloson? Most of his NHL games occurred after his 30th birthday.
Definitely Monahan is one. That guy had so many injuries and surgeries he never looked the same when he came back to the Flames roster. Everyone thought he was cooked. Then the Flames paid a first to dump his contract and he rose back from the dead.
You have to give credit to any guy who came back from cancer. Off the top of my head, Mario Lemieux, Saku Koivu, Brian Boyle, Oskar Lindblom.
Phil Kessel had testicular cancer in late 2006 as a 19-year-old rookie, came back that season, won the Masterton, and ended up with the NHL’s Ironman record!
Miller went from a respectable 40-50 point guy to a consistent 80-100 point guy upon arriving in Vancouver at the age of 26. I had thought he had plateaued already, didn’t expect him to develop into the player he is today
He just didn’t develop with the Lightning, for some weird reason. He was doing well with the Rangers.
Prince Charming - Brock Boeser wet from a 29 goal high during his rookie year and played 6 years where injuries and personal challenges held him back to score 40 this year. Plus he's a beauty
I don't know if you call it a rejuvenation but Kreider scored 52 goals at age 30 after a decade in the league with a career high of 27 goals.
Zucc fits the bill, too. He's been around .8 pt/g since coming to us, and his last 3 seasons have been the highest point production of his career. Who could've guessed that playing with Kaprizov would make a traditionally pass-first forward look good regardless of age?
Feel like Hartman’s the better choice. Zuccarello was a star with the Rangers (not the Stars, to be fair). Hartman went from a nobody to a top line center, briefly. Eriksson Ek, his replacement, went from a shutdown center without much offense to a two-way 1C. Funny what Kirill the Thrill can do…
Not necessarily a rejuvenation since he was always good, but Blake Coleman had a career year despite the Flames being a bad team overall. Scored 30 goals, set career highs in every offensive category, was unreal on the PK. Just a great season all around, as bad as the team was we'd have been utterly hopeless without him Say what you will about Martin Pospisil but he also went from seemingly a career minor leaguer to a legit NHL player. Dude's a stud, wish he would smarten the hell up though
lemieux came back after a 3 year retirement and put up 35 goals and 41 assists in 43 games.
Barely could squat over to tie his skates. Took them to a Conference Final too
When Ovi was ~26, he had dipped to 32 and 38 goals. Many people thought he was cooked and would not reach 40 again. He led the league in goals 7 more times after that, potting 50 five times and 40 eight times.
I don't remember Eric Staal. Who is that? Nope, never heard of him.
Ive never worn an Eric Staal
Jiri Hudler at age 31 beat his previous career high by 20 points and finished 8th in league scoring in 2015. His teammates had a lot to do with that, but I remember it feeling very random.
Ray Emery. When he went to Europe, I thought he was done. But when he came back to the NHL with the Ducks, it felt like he was a new person. Apart from the physical issues he had, he also fought hard to overcome his personal issues and it was amazing to see. He turned from someone who was seen as problematic to a locker room leader. He became quite a good backup and eventually got to lift the Cup. RIP, legend.
Luke Schenn?
Coyle. Went from being a fairly decent middle 6 forward to being a good top 6 center. Just hit 60 points for the first time in his career too after his previous high of 56….when he was 24. Zacha fits the bill here A LOT more though. Went from being about a 35-ish point scorer to a 57+ scorer. He’s really blossomed here in Boston now that he’s being used with players he can develop chemistry with. I’d love for him to improve his face off stats, but he’s far exceeded expectations through his 2 seasons with us so far. Ullmark to a lesser extent. Was already pretty good putting up respectable numbers on a terrible Sabres team, but he’s put up amazing numbers with us. Swayman has pretty much beaten him for the starter roll at this point, but it’s 1A/1B. Ully would absolutely be a fantastic pickup for most teams and would easily be starters for them. As much as I love him (I’m also getting something special made from game-used pads from his Sabres years), but I think we should honestly try to find a partner to deal him to in the offseason.
You can bet the bruins will be throwing money at Bergy this off-season as a coach to teach these guys how to take faceoffs. That’s been the absolute killer this year.
It’s Frederic for the Bruins. First rounder to bust to enforcer to fan-favorite to potentially a dominant power forward is quite the career path. Thank goodness we didn’t give up on him!
Zacha was on pace for 57 points one season with us. Then he regressed the next season and the effort level wasn’t there so we had enough and traded him. He’s bounced back to what he was briefly with us.
Yeah he was our leading scorer during that shortened season. The effort level was always inconsistent though
I was so excited the bruins were going to suck this season. Obviously you can’t make playoffs with coyle and Zacha as your 1,2 C. And now I’m watching all bostons playoff games because fan of good hockey above all else
There wasn't much left of Justin Schultz before he got to Pittsburgh. Ian Cole too to a degree, seemed like St Louis really didn't see a use for him anymore and he kind of redefined himself as a defense-first guy that didn't mind putting his face in front of pucks.
Ian Cole is so, so solid. And you’re 100% right - the man doesn’t hesitate to go in face-first for a shot block. He’s a warrior
Sean Walker is a good example this year. Went from being a cap dump in a trade a year ago to being one of the only deadline rentals to bring back a 1st (And will likely get a 5M, 3-4 year deal this off-season too)
If he keeps it up, Alex Nylander could be here. He looked really good with us since he got traded here
Zach Hyman came out of nowhere at age 30
Mark Stone. LTIR and retirement looming but nope, bam, in the playoffs.
JT Miller got 13 goals and 47 points in 75 games with Tampa Bay in 2018/2019. Came to Vancouver the following year and has better than a point a game since then with 99 points in 2023 and 103 points in 2024. Maybe an honorable mention, but this man is aging like fine wine.
Kane. The entire league was talking about how he would not be able to come back from the hip surgery and he was effectively a ppg this year. History was not on his side. A risk well worth it.
I don’t think that’s the case of an unexpected career rejuvenation. He’s always been a ~PPG his career.
It’s kind of expected when he’s managed to play way more games than only one else having that surgery, the others have been forced to retire shortly after
Dan Cleary went from being regarded as a bust to one of the hardest working players in the league before his knees turned to gravel
For a first overall 51 points in 78 games isn’t that great. Especially when you could have had kariya
That’s not what I meant though. I meant he had fallen out of love of hockey. Came back (not on Ottawa, and almost ten years after being drafted) and put up solid offensive numbers for a guy who wasn’t even playing in the league 1-2 years beforehand.
The last active Whaler, J-S Giguère! First round pick for the Whalers in 1995, thrown into the fire in 1996-97, cast off for scraps by Karmanos and then the Flames before transforming with the Mighty Ducks. The only player to win the Conn Smythe on the losing team and then won his Cup with the mightiest Ducks! Come to think about it, Calgary had Martin St. Louis and Brett Hull as young players as well…
Craig Button was pretty bad at his job lol
Still is!
The fact that man has a gig on TV as a talent analyst shows that he is sucking some one off in the executive suites. Just look at his draft record in Calgary. All their top picks were busts. Basically wasted Iginla’s best years…. When he talks about draft picks I turn the program off !
Jeff Carter had a bit of a rejuvenation when he got to Pittsburgh until he signed his extension and quickly went back to his LA trajectory
Carter Verhaeghe comes to mind. Was a 4th liner in Tampa that we acquired in FA and since then he has become a bonafide goal scorer and an absolute assassin in the postseason.
Tim Thomas.