Impact players in the 2025 NHL Playoffs
Photo courtesy of Jenn G / Wikimedia Commons
It is finally that time of the year again. The 2024-25 National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs are set to begin with 16 teams battling it out for the ultimate quest of lifting “Lord Stanley” or the Stanley Cup. The NHL playoffs are widely considered one of the best playoff tournaments in all sports. This is largely due to the intensity and animosity that increasingly rise as the stakes intensify. It is not that hockey does not have its fair share of bad blood during the regular season, but the playoffs are a whole other animal, as almost every player is willing to do whatever is necessary to win on this long, grueling road to the final.
This season, in particular, the first-round matchups are not without intriguing storylines, matchups, and potential impact players. We will look at the latter in this article as we delve deeper into the specific players with the best opportunity to etch their names in hockey lore with a tremendous playoff performance.
Minnesota Wild: Left winger Kirill Kaprizov
Minnesota’s dynamic winger Kirill Kaprizov looked poised for a Most Valuable Player (MVP)-like season during the initial first months of the campaign; however, a lower-body injury that required surgery in January put those hopes to a screeching halt. The Russian superstar eventually returned just in time to aid the Wild in securing one of the final wild-card spots in the Western Conference playoffs.
Now that the Wild are in the dance, this is Kaprizov's chance to prove himself as one of the brightest talents in the sport. The last time Minnesota made it out of the first round was in 2015. If Kaprizov is the man to break this drought, then Wild fans would be eternally grateful.
Ottawa Senators: Left winger Brady Tkachuk
Tkachuk is making his long-awaited playoff debut when the Senators face off against their provincial rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in a highly anticipated first-round matchup. Tkachuk wowed hockey fans all around the globe with his physical brawn and timely goal-scoring for Team USA during the 4-Nations Faceoff. Many hockey pundits and fans are convinced that Tkachuk’s ferocious style of play will translate perfectly to the brutality of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Tkachuk family recently celebrated Matthew’s Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers last season, and his brother Brady will now do everything in his power to immortalize himself alongside Matthew as a Stanley Cup champion.
Montreal Canadiens: Defenseman Lane Hutson
Montreal, one of the most storied sports franchises, has unfortunately endured its fair share of hardships in recent years, but it surprised the entire hockey world by finding a way into the postseason this season. A large component of their success was developing their youth movement, and defenseman Lane Hutson was at the forefront of this progress.
Hutson’s smooth skating and adept playmaking were noticeable from the season's onset. This culminated in the former Boston University Terrier tying the single-season record for assists by a rookie defenseman with 60 helpers. Hutson will likely take home the coveted Calder trophy for best rookie of the year, but he undoubtedly has his sights set on a deep playoff run. Hutson has the chance to turn his phenomenal rookie season into a legendary one if he can contribute to the Canadiens upsetting the heavily favored Washington Capitals in the first round.
Colorado Avalanche: Left Winger Gabriel Landeskog
Landeskog’s story is one of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. After winning the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022, Colorado’s captain was out for two consecutive seasons after multiple surgeries involving his right knee. Landeskog has never given up on his hopes to return to the Avalanche, however, as he played his first game in 1,020 days for the Colorado Eagles (the Avalanche’s American Hockey League affiliate) on Apr. 11.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar made it clear that Landeskog was an option to play in their opening-round bout versus the Dallas Stars. The Swedish winger was integral to Colorado’s playoff run in 2022, and he can unquestionably have a huge impact once again as the Avalanche hope to lift the cup once again.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Right winger Mitch Marner
This is a make-or-break year for Marner and the Maple Leafs, as the franchise has notoriously fallen short in the playoffs consistently over the last decade. Marner, who is an unrestricted free agent this season, may have a monumental performance in this year’s playoffs, or this will likely be his last postseason donning a Maple Leaf uniform.
He has had a remarkable season, recording over 100 points for the first time. But everybody knows that a star player’s performance in the playoffs, when the pressure is at its highest, is how they are ultimately judged. Marner will have to transfer this level of play to the postseason for the Leafs to win their first cup since 1967.
Now that we have broken down potential impact players in the NHL playoffs opening round, we can only wait for the puck to drop. A few things in sports are as captivating as the NHL playoffs with today’s players' combination of physicality, speed, and skill. You never know who will step up and make an unexpected impact on their teams' run in the playoffs. Whoever does will be remembered for years because once your name is on the Cup, it stands the test of time.