The All-Nobody Team: 6 NHLers quickly becoming somebodies

Welcome to the fifth edition of the All-Nobody Team!

This exercise scans all 32 NHL teams for previously obscure players who've begun to make meaningful names for themselves. With the midway point of the season near, which relative nobodies can we now call somebodies?

As in years past, the player pool is limited to those who 1) were drafted after the second round or not at all, and 2) entered the season with fewer than 500 five-on-five minutes played in the regular season. (The workload threshold expands to 1,500 minutes for goalies.)

Below are the three forwards, two defensemen, and one goalie of the 2024-25 All-Nobody Team. The next Carter Verhaeghe (2020-21), Michael Bunting ('21-22), Logan Thompson ('22-23), or Michael Kesselring ('23-24) is in here.

Jackson Blake, Hurricanes, F

One way to decipher how serious a team is about winning is to peruse its list of rookies. How many have appeared in at least one game? Any full-timers?

Edmonton is the only team without a single rookie on the books this season. Four other clubs, including Carolina, have dressed just one. The Hurricanes are firmly in contention mode and look every bit like a legitimate Stanley Cup threat in 2024-25. Blake, a 21-year-old all-around winger, is their lone youngster, essentially the kid brother in a dressing room filled with veterans.

It's a fitting dynamic for someone who frequented players-only spaces as a boy (his dad, Jason Blake, played in the NHL from 1998 to 2012). The younger Blake has suited up for all 38 Canes games, pitching in eight goals and four assists despite logging only 11:38 a night. Carolina has outscored the opposition 13-10 in his 360 five-on-five minutes - no small feat for an unheralded rookie.

Star forward Marty Necas leads the team with five game-winning goals; Blake is second with four. Here's a clip of the University of North Dakota product unleashing a lethal wrist shot for the eventual winner back on Nov. 27:

Blake possesses silky hands. However, what's really endeared him to head coach Rod Brind'Amour is his non-stop motor and 200-foot sensibilities. This tenacious brand of hockey has blended well with the Hurricanes' patented style and led to a ton of penalties - 13 drawn and 10 taken, which rank first and fifth, respectively, among NHL rookies. Surely, Brind'Amour would love it if those numbers were more lopsided in the direction of "drawn."

Blake made his NHL debut last year in the Canes' final regular-season game. It allowed the Hobey Baker Award finalist to get a feel for the pros and also burn a year off his entry-level contract. He's a restricted free agent in 2026.

Nikolai Kovalenko, Sharks, F

Goalies Alexandar Georgiev and Mackenzie Blackwood were at the center of the Dec. 9 blockbuster between Colorado and San Jose. The trade included five other pieces, with Kovalenko counting as the fascinating side character.

In fact, the 25-year-old Russian winger was essential to completing the deal. San Jose, the team trading the better goalie, needed a sweetener, and Kovalenko has upside. He's not a big man at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, but he's proven over 304 KHL games, six AHL games, and 40 NHL games to be incredibly sturdy on his skates. He leverages a low center of gravity in battles in the corners and along the walls to either break the puck out of the defensive zone or generate high-quality looks offensively.

Wall play is an overlooked yet integral part of the winger job description. It's especially important for guys like Kovalenko, who are expected to handle the dirty work for their highly skilled linemates. So far, so good in San Jose, where the 2018 sixth-rounder has contributed five points in 10 games (versus eight in 28 Avs games) alongside Macklin Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, and Alex Wennberg.

If Kovalenko can continue to provide value as the third wheel of an offensive line, he'll enjoy a long career. Maybe even beside a star like Celebrini.

A fun fact, as recently uncovered by The Hockey News' Max Miller: Kovalenko, who's the son of former NHL winger Andrei Kovalenko, was born with different colored eyes. His left eye is blue, while his right is hazel/green.

Maxim Tsyplakov, Islanders, F

The Islanders sit 28th in both points percentage (.449) and goal differential (minus-21), and fans are rightfully starting to turn on general manager Lou Lamoriello. That said, acquiring Tsyplakov is one move safe from criticism.

Now, Tsyplakov is far from a perfect player. He takes too many penalties and turns the puck over too often. But, on the whole, the undrafted left winger signed out of Russia in May has been a rare bright spot on Long Island, recording 19 points in 39 games mainly with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri.

Seven goals and 12 assists in almost half a season may seem unremarkable. A few bits of context help clarify. One, Tsyplakov doesn't have much help; the Isles are a bottom-five offensive team. Two, his 16 five-on-five points lead all rookies - yes, he's been more productive than Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and Logan Stankoven. Three, the Isles have outscored opponents 27-20 during Tsyplakov's five-on-five minutes and tilted the ice to the tune of a 55.6% expected-goals rate (fifth among Isles, according to Evolving-Hockey).

Lamoriello plucked Tsyplakov out of Spartak Moscow after the 26-year-old bagged 31 goals in 65 games in his sixth KHL season. The physical 6-foot-3, 210-pounder (team-high 92 hits) is a pending RFA with arbitration rights.

Declan Chisholm, Wild, D

The Wild, like most teams, have a player-of-the-game tradition. The reigning MVP presents the quirky trophy - in this case, an oversized chain-link necklace carrying a sign inscribed with the word "HARD" - to the new MVP.

"Warrior Chizzy!" forward Mats Zuccarello yelled to a room of hollering players Dec. 14. Chisholm accepted the trophy before delivering a brief speech.

At that moment, Chisholm was still catching his breath from a star performance. He posted one assist, three shots, two hits, four blocked shots, and two takeaways in 18:59 as Minnesota took down Philadelphia 4-1.

The Wild claimed Chisholm, a fifth-round pick of the Jets, off waivers last January. He was an AHL-NHL tweener then. Chisholm is a full-time NHLer after tapping further into the offensive toolkit that helped him knock on the door (instincts, shooting, skating) while polishing his off-puck game. He's averaging 17:16 a night this season, including eight games of 20-plus minutes.

The heavier workload is, in part, out of necessity, with blue-line leaders Jonas Brodin, Jake Middleton, and Jared Spurgeon all missing time due to injury.

"He's growing as a player, and we're counting on him more and more, and he's done a good job," Wild bench boss John Hynes told reporters this week.

Isaiah George, Islanders, D

George, who doesn't turn 21 until February, is the youngest player on our All-Nobody Team and fifth-youngest defenseman to appear in a game this year.

He's an excellent skater with good gap control and a decent frame (6-foot-1, 196 pounds). Unsurprisingly, George is also still fairly raw, with his early-season promotion to the Islanders a reaction to injury woes. The plan for his first year of pro has been turned upside down: instead of playing 25 AHL games and four NHL games by this point of the season, he's at four AHL and 25 NHL.

Regardless, the smiley blue-liner quickly earned the trust of head coach Patrick Roy and a spot in the top four on Noah Dobson's left side. Games against the Oakville, Ontario, native's hometown team have provided extreme highs and lows. On Dec. 21, George scored his first goal at Scotiabank Arena - a game-winner, no less - but then on Thursday, Maple Leafs forward Max Domi rocked George with a reverse hit. He's now in concussion protocol.

Following that Dec. 21 game, George told CBC that this season's been a "dream come true." The 2022 fourth-rounded added: "I'm soaking it all in. Coming each day to the rink to learn, get better, and just help the team win."

Here's hoping he makes a speedy recovery.

Dustin Wolf, Flames, G

Including Wolf in this exercise feels almost like cheating. On one hand, to the casual fan, he was indeed a relative nobody coming into the season. On the other, he was a top prospect with AHL hardware and some NHL experience.

At any rate, Wolf met the qualifications for inclusion (he was the fourth-last pick in the 2019 draft!), and he's blossomed into something close to a household name thanks to a tremendous first half. Wolf is undersized for a modern goalie at 6-foot and 166 pounds, but he's rocking a .914 save percentage. He and veteran partner Dan Vladar have played 19 games each for Calgary, though Wolf's numbers are far superior.

Wolf, 23, is one of, if not the biggest, reason why the Flames haven't fallen out of the Western Conference playoff race. He's earned a quality start in 63% of his outings (12 of 19) and holds a positive goals above expected rate on the season (plus-5.4 goals saved total or 0.28 saved per 60 minutes).

Put another way, Wolf has been as advertised. He deserves Calder Trophy love.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).