Take a look at the top five assists leaders in the NHL, and the first four won't raise many eyebrows - Connor McDavid, Nicklas Backstrom, Erik Karlsson, and Patrick Kane.

It's the fifth name on that list that will likely cause a few double takes, as 22-year-old Alexander Wennberg rounds out that elite group.

Through 50 games this season, the Columbus Blue Jackets' pivot has amassed 34 assists, stating his case as one of the game's most dangerous distributors while emerging as one of the Jackets' top weapons.

The 2016-17 campaign has been a dominant one for Columbus. After finishing eighth in their division last season, the Jackets have righted the ship in a big way - putting together a historic win streak and climbing all the way into a tie for second-most points in the NHL.

While the club has a slew of rising stars flourishing this season, Wennberg has been at the center of it all, seeing the most minutes of any Blue Jackets forward (18:25 per game) and doing his part to bolster his teammate's goal totals on a nightly basis.

With 10 goals and 44 points, Wennberg has already crushed his previous career-high campaign. He upped his stat line from four goals and 20 points as a rookie to eight goals and 40 points last season.

Now in the midst of a career year, he's on pace to reach 16 goals and 72 points by the season's end, with his elite total of 34 assists projected to climb as high as 56 by the 82-game mark.

In 2015-16, no Blue Jackets player reached 56 points in total.

One key aspect of Wennberg's rise has been his proficiency on the power play. The third-year standout has ranked as one of the NHL's best on the man-advantage all season long.

As Columbus heads into the final third of their schedule, Wennberg sits tied with Backstrom for the fourth-most points on the powerplay (20), just three off of the league lead.

Time to take notice, as Wennberg clearly isn't going away any time soon. The young gun's quick start hasn't faded, and with Columbus on the cusp of reaching the postseason for just the third time in franchise history, the Jackets will be relying heavily on their star centerman down the stretch.

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