Having players during breakout seasons is always a good thing for your fantasy team. Others usually pass up on certain players when it comes to drafting due to the fact that they don’t have household names and later regret it when they see these players tearing it up.

We at eDraft are here to help you identify these players and not make the same mistakes you have been making for the past however many years.

When it comes to hockey, one thing to keep an eye on is young players making names for themselves in the playoffs. We have seen it year in and year out: a lot of these players that come into the league excelling in high-pressure situations normally carry over their success to the rest of their careers.

Sometimes, it just matters who the player is developing around. If a youngster with a lot of stock is put on a line with two proven veterans, he can learn many things very quickly and improve his game to a high level.

Whatever the case, there are certain to be several breakout players in 2013-14. Keep an eye on these guys and consider giving them a shot on your fantasy team.
 

Slava Voynov - Los Angeles Kings

Voynov had been a second or third pairing defenseman for the Kings for most of last season and was not really a big part of their 2012 Stanley Cup championship team. He made his presence known in the 2013 playoffs, scoring clutch goals and being a huge reason why the Kings made another deep run.

Los Angeles is a team with a good amount of talented defensemen, and Voynov may soon end up making a case to be considered the team’s top blueliner. If he gets placed on a pairing with Drew Doughty on the powerplay or even at even strength, he could develop into one of the league’s top defensemen.

Gustav Nyquist - Detroit Red Wings

The young an known as “Goose” in Hockeytown was a big part of Detroit’s impressive underdog run in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played left wing alongside young center Joakim Andersson and current free agent Damien Brunner as part of one of the fastest and most frustrating third lines to face in all of hockey.

Nyquist’s potential has been talked about in Detroit for a couple of years as he has a very high ceiling. Some compare him to the speedy Darren Helm, who has been injured for the better part of the past two years for the Wings.

Detroit is one of the deepest teams in hockey, and Nyquist will keep getting better and better as his role becomes greater.

Emerson Etem - Anaheim Ducks

Etem was a first round pick several years ago that fell much lower than expected. He was nabbed by a talented Anaheim team and has shown some real promise already in his young career.

The Ducks are one of the deeper teams in hockey when it comes to offense, and while Etem may not yet be a top-six forward on Anaheim’s roster, expect this to be a breakout season for him.

Etem and linemate Nick Bonino gave the Detroit Red Wings all sorts of nightmares in their first round series last spring, showing that he is the kind of player that can perform well in any kind of situation.

He may be on a lower line when the season starts, but Anaheim’s depth ensures that Etem will have one heck of a supporting cast around him. He will continue to develop and take his game to another level.

Justin Schultz - Edmonton Oilers

Schultz was a very highly-coveted free agent out of the University of Wisconsin in the summer of 2012, and was expected to make an immediate impact on a young Edmonton Oilers team. With the lockout in effect, Schultz played in the AHL and posted an incredible 48 points (18 goals) in only 34 games...as a defenseman.

He played in all 48 of Edmonton’s regular season games last season, scoring eight goals and adding 19 assists. While these numbers are not overly incredible, they are very impressive for a 23-year-old rookie.

With a year of NHL experience under his belt and an Edmonton team that should be improved from last season, Schultz is the perfect candidate to break out into one of the league’s better defensemen in 2014.

Dougie Hamilton - Boston Bruins

The young defenseman who was a top ten pick just two years ago played his first “full” (thanks lockout) season in 2013. He had a decent year with five goals and eleven assists, but had limited playing time due to Boston’s extreme wealth of defensemen.

Hamilton has a tremendous upside and this is the season that he may break out into a top-four d-man. He has all sorts of talent around him to learn from as well as an opportunity to step into a bigger role after the loss of Andrew Ference in free agency.

If you need a defenseman in the late rounds of your draft and are looking for someone that your competition may foolishly wait a year or two to draft, grab Hamilton and watch him be a productive blueliner for your team in 2014.