Brett Howden

Sometimes, a good story one year is a cautionary tale for the next. Howden is very likely to fall into that category in 2025-26. Prior to 2024-25, he had never reached the 10-goal mark, but he scored 23 times on 125 shots -- good for an 18.4 shooting percentage -- over 80 games last year. He also had a career-high 40 points, as well as 121 hits, 56 blocked shots, 46 PIM and a plus-17 rating. There's no doubt that the Golden Knights often get the best out of their depth players, and Howden earned a five-year contract extension for his efforts. Still, he spends the majority of his time in a bottom-six role and only moves up when there are injuries, so the chances of him repeating this effort seem pretty slim. Read Past Outlooks