Top 20 Break-Out Performances of the 2008/2009 NHL Season

Witnessing a player develop is like watching a child ride their bike for the first time. Year after year, many NHLers turn a season of poor expectations into a stunning development.

Normally, I’d like to keep a list like this down to ten or 15 names. There were just so many terrific performances that I had to extend it to 20. A few elements had to be present to meet our criteria.