The NHL’s Central Division’s Next Five Breakout Stars

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Jun 30, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; Seth Jones poses for a photo with team officials after being introduced as the number four overall pick to the Nashville Predators during the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

#5: Seth Jones

Roller-coaster would not do it justice. Seth Jones’ season has had the ups and the downs, and it all brought him to the Central Division. Jones was scouted as the best draft-eligible player heading into the NHL Draft after the World Junior Hockey Championships, but was soon overtaken by Nathan MacKinnon. Going into the Draft, Jones was expected to go second overall, to the Florida Panthers. He ended up seeing MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, and Aleksander Barkov go before him, and he was picked up by the Nashville Predators fourth overall.

Jones has something to prove. There are three teams out there that he wants to make regret their choice, and he is going to be primed and ready for the NHL. Jones may very well be on the same level as future teammate Shea Weber, and is expected to fill in Ryan Suter‘s role in the future. For now, he is on the rise, and this off-season sees him work harder than he ever has to prove his worth to the NHL crowd.