How are Kerfoot & Andrighetto capable of putting up 45-55 points when neither have done it yet? Now I know the answer on Kerfoot is going to be along the lines of "because he had 43 points as a rookie!", but development isn't linear and the manner in which he got those points has been broken down and he's the prime candidate for a point regression this upcoming season.
Andrighetto's best NHL season was actually last year--8 goals, 14 assists, 22 points in 50 games. Pace that point total out over 82 games that's .44 PPG and a total of....36.08 points.
So we have 1 player who is primed to show offensive output regression this upcoming season and another who hasn't ever cracked 25 points in an NHL season, yet both are capable of putting up 45-55 points?
Absolutely.
Kerfoot has been with the team (that was injury riddled) for one solitary season, and he's 23. Andrighetto has been with us for a whole 1.25 seasons, and is 25.
Due to the injuries that have plagued us, improvement / regression in form, they've been shuffled up and down the lines, and have been swapped from position to position (especially Kerfoot).
Given an additional off-season, more time to build chemistry, develop combinations and synergies, I absolutely believe there is productive upside to these players. Another important factor in their improvement will be consistency. Ice time, injury free, playing in the same position.
A lot of it may come down to Tyson Jost's development and improvement as well, but I also have very high hopes for him, because they'll likely be sitting / playing on his wing (or there abouts).
We'll see when you say Kerfoot is the prime candidate for a point regression. Even with a second year syndrome effect, I believe he'll produce. People forget how much better / stronger / balanced our defense & goalie tandem are, and it's from the back quite often that the forwards produce.
I mean, jeez, full strength, we have one of Barberio, Girard or Nemeth riding the pine (assuming Zadorov, EJ, Barrie and Cole are the locks).
Top to bottom, we are going to see improvement in us next season. Why? The playoff series against The Preds + the roster is relatively the same, meaning chemistry, combination & consistency. We are culturally different.
For that reason, let's all think positively. How you can say ANY player is a prime candidate for regression, is just super pessimistic mate. I was also told that people didn't want us to make the playoffs last year, because they wanted Dahlin. But those playoff games our team experienced were like finding platinum in the ground.