Nikolaj Ehlers is a great example of the "breakout player" life cycle in the NHL.
The Winnipeg Jets forward was heralded as a prospect, as the ninth overall pick in 2014. He made a leap in quality from his rookie season in 2015-16 to his second campaign in 2016-17, and then stayed around that level for the next few seasons. The analytics community excitedly backed his game, positioning Ehlers in the coveted "most underrated player" conversation.
In 2020-21, the breakout came as the production finally caught up with the potential: 46 points in 47 games, a stellar 3.