Jonathan Marchessault
Thinking of recent breakout players, none stood out as much as 26-year-old Jonathan Marchessault. He was signed on a cheap flier by the Florida Panthers last offseason. And he paid them back in dividends.
The right-handed center did two things he had never done before. For one, he finally stuck in the NHL for a full season, and the second is that he scored 30 goals. Yes, you read that right. The undrafted free agent who has only bounced around up until then scored more than most of the NHL.
While 30 goals is impressive, there are no signs pointing to a repeat next season. Marchessault now plays on a much weaker team in an arguably stronger division. However, he still has another season on a ridiculously team friendly contract, only $750k against the cap.
The Rangers are in need of centers after losing both Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg this offseason. Even if he doesn’t score 30 again, Marchessault could very well provide some depth to the forward corps.