That could be because of Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, who led the NHL with 64 goals, or Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak, who scored 61, but Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe made it clear that Point has not gone unnoticed as his team prepares for the Eastern Conference First Round.
Game 1 will be at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS, BSSUN, ESPN+, SN NOW).
"Why it didn't get as much attention, I'm not quite sure, but it certainly did inside these walls, in particular in the last month as we've been preparing for this series and really looking at his game very closely," Keefe said after Toronto's optional practice Saturday.
RELATED: [Complete Maple Leafs vs. Lightning series coverage]
Point, who played all 82 games after rehabbing from a significant tear in his right quadriceps last offseason, scored 17 more goals than Steven Stamkos, who was second on the Lightning. He also proved to be a significant threat at even strength and on the power play, where he scored 20 of his 51 goals this season.
"You can see why he's having a ton of success," Keefe said. "He's skating probably better than ever, which is where a lot of his offense is coming from, generated from inside his own blue line and even the speed he brings up the ice. It's a lot to contend with there for sure, and we'll be prepared for it. You can only manage it so much.
"The power play is a significant piece of it as well, so we have to manage that, and staying out of the penalty box will be important. But at the same time, we've got good players they are going to be thinking about as well."
Forward Ryan O'Reilly, acquired by the Maple Leafs from the St. Louis Blues in a three-team trade on Feb. 17, said Point's ability to control the puck is part of what makes him so dangerous.
"Obviously, he's got speed, but his puck control at full speed is unbelievable. He's up there with the best in the League," O'Reilly said. "He gets a step on a guy, having those quick, tight hands, he's going to have an elite scoring chance. As a group, we're going to have to defend him very well. He's part of their engine over there that makes them go. It's going to be a tough challenge for us."
Alex Kerfoot agreed.
"You've got to be aware of him and stay above him at all times," he said. "He's a load to handle, especially when he gets going with speed, so you have to be above him before he gets his speed going.
"His speed through the middle of the ice is the big thing. Our team was mentioning a stat he's like No. 1 in the League in controlled entries this year or something like that. So he carries the puck through the neutral zone a lot and he comes with a lot of speed. He's got some guys on his line (Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov) who can get him the puck in good areas, and he's relentless with his work ethic, relentless on the puck, and then he finishes when he gets chances."
