Robertson, Michkov Among 6 Players to Turn Heads in Preseason

On October 4th, the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres launched their seasons in the opening game of the NHL Global Series, held this year in Prague, Czechia. The Devils claimed a solid 4-1 victory over the Sabres. However, the rest of the NHL won’t commence its season until October 8th. With only one preseason game remaining on the schedule, which players have made an impact and caught attention this summer? Names like Nick Robertson, Matvei Michkov, and Jesse Puljujarvi are among the several names catching attention.

This particular preseason was filled with surprises, especially with gut-wrenching injuries. NHL stars Drew Doughty and Patrik Laine have both suffered lower-body injuries, leaving them months away from their respective season debuts. On the brighter side, this training camp has highlighted the skillset and the NHL readiness of certain players.

Here are five players currently turning heads in the preseason.

Nick Robertson: Toronto Maple Leafs

Nick Robertson is a skilled winger with a high hockey IQ. His goal-scoring ability and two-way game make him a good top-nine forward candidate for most NHL teams. Unfortunately for Robertson, the Toronto Maple Leafs roster isn’t the easiest one to make. He is also competing with Steven Lorentz and Max Pacioretty, who are both on professional tryout contracts, for a full-time spot.

In February of 2023, Robertson had made a trade request to Toronto, because of his lack of playing time. Over 18 months later, he remains in Toronto, where he feels he can prove to management his spot is deserved.

In four preseason games, he scored five goals while being great at both ends of the ice. All of these goals were scored while most of his teammates were regulars on Toronto’s farm system. He also had the game-winning goal in every game he scored in.

Robertson has made the Toronto Maple Leafs opening night roster and it’s well deserved.

Carter Yakemchuk: Ottawa Senators

This year’s seventh overall pick of the NHL Entry Draft belonged to the Ottawa Senators. They selected Carter Yakemchuk, a 6’3” offensive-minded defenseman with top-pairing potential. Yakemchuk wasn’t the most popular name in mock drafts or predictions, but his preseason play so far is nothing but exciting for Senators fans.

He has demonstrated his size and skating ability, but mostly his clutch offensive skills were on display. Yakemchuk has a very hard shot and is a powerplay specialist. The former first-round pick has racked up seven points in four preseason contests. In all of those games, he either scored the game-winning goal or assisted it. This includes an overtime goal against Toronto where he goes coast to coast before deking both the defenseman at the Leafs blue line and the goalie.

Yakemchuk also set up an overtime goal against the Detroit Red Wings finishing the game in 19 seconds. The Alberta native has a distinct ability to slice through defenders. Combined with his shot and vision he is a highly offensive threat. It might take a year until we see Yakemchuk as a full-time NHLer, but it will be a treat when we do.

Matvei Michkov: Philadelphia Flyers

The time has finally come for hockey fans in Philadelphia. Matvei Michkov has made his way to North America earlier than expected and is set to make his NHL debut this season. The young Russian phenom has made quite the first impression since joining the Philadelphia Flyers.

In four preseason games, Michkov recorded seven points, including scoring the overtime game-winner on home ice. Since 2019, he has been compared with Canadian star Connor Bedard, being in the same draft year. Shockingly to most, Michkov fell to the seventh overall position in the 2023 NHL Draft. His contract with the KHL and the risk of taking a chance on Russian players at the time, allowed the Flyers to pick him a lot later than expected.

Be that as it may, his talent was never lost. It is hard to predict how many points Michkov will put up in his rookie season. Nevertheless, the Flyers have been hungry for talent for many years, and few players in the world have the hockey IQ and skill that Matvei Michkov possesses. He dazzled in preseason and he’s going to be a player to watch this season.

Kevin Labanc: Columbus Blue Jackets

Kevin Labanc has had ups and downs in his NHL career. The former sixth-round pick had success with the San Jose Sharks, finding himself in and out of the top six, as well as being a useful powerplay option. This was back when the Sharks were still competitive in the Western Conference. Since then, it seems like the speed of the game has caught up to Labanc, as he struggled to produce on the rebuilding Sharks. This offseason, he signed a professional tryout with the New Jersey Devils, in hopes of finding a regular roster spot in the NHL.

Labanc scored six goals in four preseason games with New Jersey. In all of those games, he played with little to no NHL players on his team. To be fair, this was also the case for most of the opposing teams he scored against. New Jersey’s top nine is one of the best in the league, but they tried to offer him a contract. Because of waivers and salary cap concerns, it didn’t pan out. However, his great preseason play allowed him to sign a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Their roster has lost key players this offseason and could use some depth and veteran presence. The cap hit for Labanc’s contract is $775K. If Labanc can get anywhere near the former 40 to 50-point scorer he once was, both parties win.

Jesse Puljujarvi: Pittsburgh Penguins

Jesse Puljujarvi has yet to live up to expectations. The former fourth overall pick is on his third NHL team, poised to finally break out this season. The 26-year-old-winger signed a two-year $1.6 million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year and only had four points in 22 games. This preseason, Puljujarvi seems to have found the side of his game he showed back in the 2016 World Junior Championships.

The Finnish winger posted eight points in four preseason games, including a hat trick. He seems to be displaying a better usage of his speed, hands, and size than years prior. If Puljujarvi can hit even half of his potential, this could be a great bet for the Penguins, as they are desperate for forward depth.

The NHL preseason is not an indicator of how the regular season will play out. It is nonetheless a good sample to evaluate rookies, and new players or to generally prepare for the season.

Next: Good, Bad & Ugly: Maple Leafs Preseason 3-2 Win Over Red Wings