Can a superstar be a breakout player?
The question arises when analyzing the performance of Jack Eichel, center for the Vegas Golden Knights, who could shatter his personal goal record (36) playing alongside Ivan Barbashev and the newly acquired Mitch Marner this season. This line of play already shows impressive chemistry from the start. However, it’s clear that a superstar can’t be a breakout player. This term is reserved for those players who, although known, are not yet household names, or for those we expect to flourish from their draft year, as well as for rookies who are starting their first full season and promise an unexpected impact. Here are 30 NHL players with the potential to excel in the 2025-26 season, organized into categories that explain the circumstances surrounding their possible rise.New Scenario
These players changed teams and could see their performance boosted by a new environment.Matias Maccelli
Forward, Toronto Maple Leafs Matias Maccelli is not Mitch Marner, and he is not expected to suddenly become a 100-point winger just by replacing Marner in Toronto. But the 24-year-old former Utah forward, who was a substitute in many games last season, has a role on the first line alongside Auston Matthews. If he manages to be the playmaker he was two seasons ago in Arizona and keeps his place, Maccelli could surpass his personal points record (57), even without reaching Marner’s offensive achievements with the Leafs.K’Andre Miller
Defense, Carolina Hurricanes The Rangers didn’t want to pay Miller for his potential, so they traded him to Carolina, where he signed an eight-year, $60 million contract. Outside of Florida, no other NHL team has been as effective at improving defensemen acquired from other organizations, a credit to coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system and the work of assistant coach Tim Gleason, who focuses on the blue line. Miller’s offensive game diminished drastically in the last two seasons. He will be in a position to recover it in Carolina and fulfill the rest of his potential.JJ Peterka
Forward, Utah Mammoth Peterka caught the attention of fans in the NHL trade deadline rumors, as his name circulated last season. Now, fans know him as one of the most important acquisitions of the nascent Utah Mammoth, who traded Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring to Buffalo for 23-year-old Peterka, before signing him to a five-year, $38 million contract this offseason. Peterka already had a privileged position in Buffalo, playing alongside star center Tage Thompson. How much more can Peterka’s numbers increase on a line with the explosive Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther on Utah’s top line?Daniil Tarasov
Goaltender, Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito has been a big admirer of Tarasov’s potential since he was an assistant general manager with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Tarasov was Elvis Merzlikins’ primary backup for the last two seasons before his rights were traded to the Panthers in June. The Stanley Cup champions lost Vítek Vanecek in free agency and traded Spencer Knight to Chicago last season, creating the need to find a backup and a possible successor to Sergei Bobrovsky. Enter Tarasov, who goes from the 24th team in five-on-five defense to the fourth-best team in the NHL. If it’s ever going to happen for Tarasov, it will happen in Florida behind that system and with Roberto Luongo’s goaltending department to rely on.Trevor Zegras
Center, Philadelphia Flyers When asked what he wanted people to say about him after the first year in Philadelphia, Zegras said: “I want them to go from saying ‘he’s good at hockey’ to ‘he’s a hockey player’.” Having the support and structure of coach Rick Tocchet should help. But Zegras said that to regain the magic he had when he started his career in Anaheim, he needs to have fun again. Playing as a center on a line with Matvei Michkov would help him find his joy of living in hockey.New Teammates
These players could thrive with new linemates.Zach Benson
Left wing, Buffalo Sabres Benson played a bit with Tage Thompson last season in Buffalo, but is expected to start the season with the Sabres’ star offensive player and Josh Norris, the center they acquired from the Ottawa Senators for Dylan Cozens last season. The results from last season were promising for 20-year-old Benson, who is entering his third season in the NHL. If he earns the right to replace Peterka with Thompson, Benson could really stand out offensively this season.Leo Carlsson
Center, Anaheim Ducks Carlsson appeared in this category last season, but is back here thanks to Chris Kreider, who was acquired from the New York Rangers in June, waiving his trade protection to join the Ducks. He had 326 goals and 256 points in 883 career games with the Blueshirts, but that production plummeted last season due to injuries: only 22 goals and 8 assists in 68 games. A relatively healthy Kreider, 34, could have an impact at both ends of the ice for Carsson, a 6-3 center who had 20 goals and 25 assists in 76 games for Anaheim last season, his second after being selected second overall in 2023.Will Cuylle
Left wing, New York Rangers Chris Kreider’s loss is Will Cuylle’s gain. Cuylle, 23, moved up to the Rangers’ top line this season with new captain J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, Kreider’s long-time linemate. Cuylle had 20 goals and 25 assists in 82 games last season, playing the type of hard-nosed, physical style that immediately endeared him to fans in his first two NHL seasons. That would seem to mesh well with Miller’s production as a top-line center.Gage Goncalves
Forward, Tampa Bay Lightning Not many players finished stronger than rookie Goncalves last season. The rookie had 18 points in his last 33 games in 2024-25, and then added four more points in five playoff games for Tampa Bay. He has earned the right to see a lot of time with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel on the team’s second line this season. In the few minutes they played together last season, that trio generated an expected goals rate of 63%.Mackie Samoskevich
Forward, Florida Panthers With Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov out for considerable periods of time, the Panthers will look for some offensive solutions from within. One of them will be Samoskevich, the 22-year-old winger selected at the 24th position in 2021. He had 15 goals and 16 assists in 72 games last season for the Stanley Cup champions, skating 13:19 per game. He already had two assists on opening night for Florida. Seeing him have a more important role, and more famous line partners, is not out of the question with the Panthers having few players.Young Star to Superstar
These are names you might already know. Get ready to hear them a lot more.Pavel Dorofeyev
Left Wing, Vegas Golden Knights Dorofeyev was already slated for this category before his hat trick on opening night against the Los Angeles Kings. But that effort underscored what the 24-year-old can bring to the Golden Knights this season after breaking out with 35 goals in 82 games during 2025-26. He is one of the purest shooters on the team, with a shooting percentage of 13.8% on 254 shots last season.Cutter Gauthier
Left wing, Anaheim Ducks Gauthier goes from the rookie category to approaching stardom with the Ducks this season. He had 20 goals and 24 assists in 82 games last season, almost all on par. With more power-play time and a more effective man advantage, Anaheim was the league’s worst at 11.8% on the power play last season, those numbers could increase dramatically.Jackson LaCombe
Defense, Anaheim Ducks “Who is Jackson LaCombe?” was one of the most frequent questions from casual NHL fans in recent months, following his surprise invitation to the U.S. Olympic Hockey Orientation Camp and his signing of an eight-year, $72 million contract extension earlier this month. After this season, everyone might know his name: The 24-year-old defenseman had 12 goals and 29 assists in 75 games last season. Although he spent most of his time with veteran Radko Gudas, it would be fun to see him get more time alongside young teammate Olen Zellweger this season.Cole Perfetti
Center, Winnipeg Jets Perfetti is the only survivor from the third category of last season. His season was impressive, with 18 goals and 32 assists in 82 games for the best team of the NHL regular season. But he had not yet reached the ubiquity of a true revelation. His season has gotten off to a bumpy start, as Perfetti opens the campaign on the reserve list due to an ankle injury. But when he returns, he should be on the Jets’ second scoring line.Logan Stankoven
Center, Carolina Hurricanes Stankoven was the key player who returned to Carolina from Dallas in the Mikko Rantanen trade. Stankoven had proven to be a tenacious forward, albeit small in stature, for the Stars after scoring 12 goals during his rookie season. The Hurricanes hope he can fill a critical hole in their lineup at the center of the second line. The addition of Nikolaj Ehlers on the Hurricanes’ first line means Andrei Svechnikov will move to the second line, likely opposite promising winger Jackson Blake. If Stankoven fits with them, it’s good news for Carolina and for those hoping for the true revelation of the 22-year-old forward.The Wait Is Over
Players we’ve been waiting for to break out and finally will.Brandt Clarke
Defense, Los Angeles Kings At some point, Clarke will force the Kings to take off his training wheels. The 6-2 defenseman, selected eighth overall in 2021, had 33 points in 78 games last season in an average of 16:17 ice time. He was on the positive side of shot attempts, created shots, and expected goal percentage relative to his teammates last season. He has always been the future of their blue line. Increasingly, that future is now.Jet Greaves
Goalie, Columbus Blue Jackets The Jackets faithful have anticipated the moment when Jet Greaves takes off and takes over the Columbus net from starter Elvis Merzlikins. He was brilliant in 11 games last season, with a 7-2-2 record with a .938 save percentage and 14.5 (!) goals saved above expected. He had the opening faceoff for Columbus this week. It could be the first of many this season for the 24-year-old, who signed with the Jackets in 2022 as an undrafted free agent.Marco Kasper
Center, Detroit Red Wings Kasper was poised for success in his rookie season, spending a good portion of his season (273 minutes) with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the team’s top line. For an encore, Kasper will be asked to lead his own line this season, potentially between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. That line actually produced strong defensive results (1.2 goals against per 60 minutes) last season, along with its offensive pop.Frank Nazar
Center, Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks fans likely exhaled a bit, as did a certain Chicago center selected first overall in 2023, when Nazar scored nine points in his last eight games and then 12 points in the U.S. team’s historic victory at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Connor Bedard needs all the help he can get. Nazar enters the 2025-26 season as the team’s number 2 center, leading a line that can help alleviate the pressure on the phenom in the Windy City.Matt Savoie
Forward, Edmonton Oilers Savoie was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in July 2024 in the Ryan McLeod trade, and remained with the Bakersfield Condors last season. As the Oilers look for low-cost, high-talent players to populate around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Savoie fits into the roster after a solid playmaking game in the AHL. He was drafted in 2022. This is finally the moment for the rookie to make his mark after only playing five NHL games before this season.Will Smith
Center, San Jose Sharks Overlooked due to the Calder Trophy-nominated season of top overall pick Macklin Celebrini, it was a standout rookie campaign for linemate Smith. The fourth overall pick in 2023, Smith had 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 74 games for the Sharks, skating to a minus-15. They should be paired up again on the Sharks’ first line. Given the expectations around Celebrini taking another leap in point production, Smith should jump with him.Newbie Feelings
First-year players who are not awaiting their reveal.Yaroslav Askarov
Goaltender, San Jose SharksOnce the goalie of the future in Nashville, the Sharks acquired Askarov in August 2024 as their new hope between the pipes. Most of his action was with the AHL Barracuda last season, but the 13 games he played in San Jose were telling: Askarov was the only Sharks goalie who finished on the positive side of goals saved above expected outside of Mackenzie Blackwood.
The 23-year-old rookie is expected to get most of the starts for coach Ryan Warsofsky’s team this season.Ivan Demidov
Right wing, Montreal Canadiens The preseason favorite to win the Calder Trophy, Demidov arrived in the NHL late last season after being a highlight reel in the KHL. A creative puck handler and an explosive offensive talent, the Canadiens are counting on him to provide goal-scoring spark to a team that was 17th in goals per game last season.Alexander Nikishin
Defense, Carolina Hurricanes The 24-year-old player made his NHL debut last season, appearing in four playoff games for the Hurricanes. At 6-3 and around 220 pounds, he’s a ferocious hitter who could become one of the league’s top young defensemen if his offensive game blossoms.Zeev Buium
Defense, Minnesota Wild An excellent defenseman who moves the puck with great hockey intelligence. The anticipation is that 19-year-old Buium could become the quarterback of the Wild’s power play in no time. The Wild have paired him with veteran Jared Spurgeon to start.Zayne Parekh
Defense, Calgary Flames If he stays instead of being sent back to the OHL, Parekh has what it takes to be one of the best young offensive defensemen in the NHL. And one hopes he stays, because what more does a defender who had 107 points in 61 games last season have to prove?Jimmy Snuggerud
Right wing, St. Louis Blues Snuggerud gave the Blues a good preview at the end of last season with four points in seven games after his career at the University of Minnesota ended. The son of former NHL player Dave Snuggerud, the playmaking winger, should bolster the Blues’ secondary scoring.Sam Rinzel
Defense, Chicago Blackhawks The 6-4 defenseman is going to have a big role this season in Chicago, playing minutes in the first pairing and having the opportunity to run the Blackhawks’ first power play.Matthew Schaefer
Defense, New York Islanders The first overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft, Schaefer is an elite defenseman who drives the offense with his passing and skating. The fact that he’s also going to bring some charisma to the Islanders is the icing on the cake.Arturs Silovs
Goaltender, Pittsburgh Penguins The 24-year-old earned a spot here not just for a few tantalizing moments as a Canuck, but for his shutout on opening night at Madison Square Garden. Silovs was named one of the first six Latvian players for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
