Analyzing the Playoff Breakouts of Alexis Lafreniere, Anton Lundell & Wyatt Johnston

These three 22-and-under forwards have reached the next level in their game.

Three 22-and-under forwards have made their names known during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Alexis Lafreniere of the New York Rangers, Anton Lundell of the Florida Panthers, and Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars. This might just be the start of something special for each of them.

2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Breakout Stars (The Hockey Writers)

Let’s take a look at each of those three players, seeing what makes each of them so interesting. What might our standout stars become in the near and long-term future?

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Lafreniere Poised for Stardom

Drafted with the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Lafreniere had a lot of hype entering the league. Seen as one of the best prospects in recent memory, there was a lot of pressure on him early on. Unfortunately, he didn’t really live up to that.

In what should have been a favorable situation with a young and competitive Rangers team, Lafreniere didn’t get rolling right away and didn’t get the opportunities to make a difference.

Even as recently as the 2023-24 regular season, while productive at even strength, he played only 104 minutes on the power play and scored six points on the man advantage as a result. However, his playoff run was magnificent for his progression. He had eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 16 games, helping lead the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final.

To put his numbers in perspective, the top 10 points per 60 (P/60) leaders in their age-22 playoff seasons are as follows, with a minimum of 10 games played during the salary cap era (post-2005 lockout):

• Jason Spezza (4.67 — 2005-06)

• Evgeni Malkin (4.30 — 2008-09)

• Sidney Crosby (3.73 — 2009-10)

• Jakub Voracek (3.42 — 2011-12)

• Nikita Kucherov (3.33 — 2015-16)

• Mikko Rantanen (3.23 — 2018-19)

• Lafreniere (3.15 — 2023-24)

• Chris Kreider (3.10 — 2013-14)

• Derek Roy (2.93 — 2005-06)

• Claude Giroux (2.92 — 2009-10)

Spezza, Malkin, Crosby, and Rantanen had already recorded 1.00 points per game (P/G) in a regular season prior to their postseason runs, so they had already broken out in a sense. As for the others, their P/G progression from their age-20 regular-season campaigns through age-25 is included below: