Age: 21
Contract: $925,000, RFA this summer
Introduction: Rasmus Ristolainen was drafted with this season in mind, that he would be the top pair defenseman on a young team, bringing a blend of skill and power to the position. With the 'tank' happening over the last couple of seasons, he ended up playing a lot more minutes way earlier in his career than we had expected, but he looks like he has learned from the experience.
The 2015-16 season saw him cement his position in the defensive depth chart playing all 82 games, and he hit new highs in all scoring metrics.