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Breakout picks for the 2019 NHL playoffs |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
In this edition of the hotstove, we share our breakout picks for the 2019 playoffs.
Todd Cordell
In the East, I really like Anthony Cirelli. He scored 19 goals this season and was quietly one of the better defensive players in the league. He's one of those guys coaches fully trust in important moments of big games. I think he'll really open some eyes over what should be a lengthy run with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In the West, I'm all about Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. He can move the puck up ice, he has a cannon of a shot, he's reliable defensively, and he has proven capable of handling himself on the top pairing whenever the coaching staff loses trust in T.J. Brodie, which has happened more often of late. If the Flames are able to go deep Andersson,
who was a massive favorite of mine in his draft year, is a name you'll probably hear a lot about.
Trevor Shackles
I'm going to say that Andrei Svechnikov has a very good playoffs as he had a good season (20 goals) despite being pretty unlucky. I predicted that the Hurricanes would upset the Capitals, so I'll stick with that and say that Svechnikov has some big goals in both round one and two. It's hard to pick someone for this just because I feel like most other players on the best teams are already established, but Svechnikov isn't quite in that category yet.
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