Wyatt

It’s the offseason in the NHL (in case anyone other than myself cares), and that means it’s the offseason in the hockey hobby as well.

So, not only does this mean I switch my gaze to baseball cards, but it also means I start meditating on a handful of players in the league that might be skating under the radar heading into the 2025-26 season in October.

And….. drumroll, please… for me that guy is Dallas Stars young stud, Wyatt Johnston.

Okay, maybe this isn’t the most obscure name out there, but I do believe strongly he’s a guy that has room to grow, despite playing for a team that doesn’t get a ton of hobby love anymore.

What’s my reasoning for this pick?

He’s had 30 goals in each of his last two seasons. His point production rose to 71 last year from 65 the year prior.

He’s a career +22 player, and the 22-year old first-rounder has seen his ice time rise each year — I would expect that to continue this season.

He’s easily in the top tier of potential superstars in the league, and believing he could be a 40 goal/100 point guy is not that outlandish.

In the hobby, however, he takes a back seat to many others who come in with more hype (I’m looking at you, Connor Bedard) and less results this far.

His PSA 10 Young Guns RC (22-23 Upper Deck) can be had for between $100-$150, while his SP Authentic Future Watch Auto (raw) last sold for $140.

Crazy-low considering a Bedard Young Guns PSA 10 last sold for $495 and, if you just look at the numbers, Johnston has outperformed the Chicago star over the past two seasons. True, the teams are certainly in different places right now in terms of performance, and this is taking nothing away from Bedard’s potential, and that is a factor.

Knowing that, I still think Johnston presents collectors with a very worthy choice to collect this offseason.