Can a Superstar Become a Breakthrough Player?
The question arises, especially when we observe the performance of Jack Eichel, center for the Vegas Golden Knights, who seems on track to surpass his personal goal record (36) playing alongside Ivan Barbashev and the newly acquired Mitch Marner. This line, with a notable chemistry from the start of the season, raises the question. However, the title of “breakout player” is usually reserved for those who, although known, are not yet household names, or for players who have been waiting for their moment since their draft year. It also includes rookies preparing for their first full season and looking to make 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 of their possible rise.New Environments
These players changed teams and could see an increase in their performance thanks to a new environment.Matias Maccelli, F, Toronto Maple LeafsAlthough he’s not Mitch Marner, Maccelli isn’t expected to suddenly become a 100-point winger. However, the 24-year-old former Utah player, who was often a substitute 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 maintains his position, Maccelli should surpass his personal points record (57), even if he doesn’t reach Marner’s offensive achievements with the Leafs.
K’Andre Miller, D, 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. The Hurricanes are experts at improving defensemen acquired from other organizations, thanks to coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system and the work of assistant coach Tim Gleason. Miller, whose offensive game declined in the last two seasons, will have the opportunity to recover it in Carolina and fulfill his potential.JJ Peterka, F, Utah Mammoth Peterka caught the attention of fans in the NHL trade market. Now, he is known as one of the most important acquisitions of the nascent Utah Mammoth, who traded Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring with Buffalo for Peterka, 23, before signing him to a five-year, $38 million contract. He already had a prominent position in Buffalo playing alongside star center Tage Thompson. How far can Peterka’s numbers rise on a line with Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther on Utah’s top line?Daniil Tarasov, G, Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito has been an admirer of Tarasov’s potential since his time as assistant general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Tarasov was the primary backup to Elvis Merzlikins 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, which created the need to find a backup and a possible successor to Sergei Bobrovsky. Tarasov, who moves from the 24th team in five-on-five defense to the fourth-best team in the NHL. If Tarasov is ever going to succeed, it will be in Florida, with that system and with Roberto Luongo’s goaltending department.Trevor Zegras, C, Philadelphia Flyers When asked what he wanted people to say about him after his first year in Philadelphia, Zegras responded: “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. Zegras said that to regain the magic he had when he started his career in Anaheim, he needs to have fun again. Playing center on a line with Matvei Michkov would help him find his joy for hockey.New Teammates
These players could thrive with new linemates.Zach Benson, LW, Buffalo Sabres Benson played a bit with Tage Thompson last season in Buffalo, but he 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. Last season’s results were promising for Benson, 20, who is entering his third season in the NHL. If he earns the right to replace Peterka with Thompson, Benson could really stand out on offense this season.Leo Carlsson, C, Anaheim DucksCarlsson appeared in this category last season, but he’s here again 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 fell apart 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 rink for Carsson, a 6-3 center who had 20 goals and 25 assists in 76 games with Anaheim last season, his second after being selected second overall in 2023.
Will Cuylle, LW, 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 kind of hard-nosed, physical style that immediately endeared him to fans in his first two NHL seasons. That seems to fit well with Miller’s production as a top-line center.Gage Goncalves, F, Tampa Bay Lightning Not many players finished with more strength 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 spend 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 goal rate of 63%.Mackie Samoskevich, F, 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, drafted 24th overall 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 take on a more important role, and more famous linemates, is not out of the question with the shorthanded Panthers.From Young Star to Superstar
You may already know these names. Get ready to hear them a lot more.Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, 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 roster, with a shooting percentage of 13.8% on 254 shots last season.Cutter Gauthier, LW, Anaheim Ducks
Gauthier goes from the rookie category to being close to 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 worst in the league with 11.8% on the power play last season – those numbers could increase dramatically.Jackson LaCombe, D, Anaheim Ducks “Who is Jackson LaCombe?” was one of the most frequent questions from casual NHL fans in recent months, after 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 Olen Zellweger this season.Cole Perfetti, C, 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 had a bumpy start, as Perfetti opens the campaign on the injured list due to an ankle injury. But when he returns, he should be on the second scoring line for the Jets.Logan Stankoven, C, 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 of small 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 Canes’ first line means that Andrei Svechnikov will move to the second line, likely opposite promising winger Jackson Blake. If Stankoven fits in 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, D, Los Angeles Kings At some point, Clarke is going to force the Kings to take off the 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 of playing time. He was on the positive side of shot attempts, shots created, 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, G, Columbus Blue Jackets The Jackets’ fans have anticipated the moment when Jet Greaves takes off and takes over Columbus’s goal 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 got the start 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, C, Detroit Red Wings Kasper was prepared for success in his rookie season, spending a good part of his season (273 minutes) with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the team’s first line. For the second part, Kasper will be asked to lead his own line this season, possibly in the middle of Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. That line produced solid defensive results (1.2 goals against per 60 minutes) last season, along with its offensive explosion.Frank Nazar, C, Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks fans likely exhaled a bit – as did a certain Chicago center drafted number one overall in 2023 – when Nazar notched nine points in his last eight games and then 12 points in Team USA’s historic IIHF World Championship victory. 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 pressure on the phenom in the Windy City.Matt Savoie, F, Edmonton Oilers Savoie was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in July 2024 in the trade for Ryan McLeod, and stayed with the Bakersfield Condors last season. As the Oilers look for high-talent players with low-cost contracts to populate around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Savoie fits the model 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 playing only five NHL games before this season.Will Smith, C, San Jose Sharks Overshadowed by the Calder Trophy-nominated season of No. 1 draft pick Macklin Celebrini, it was a standout rookie campaign for linemate Smith. The No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, Smith had 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 74 games with the Sharks, skating to a minus-15. They should be paired again on the Sharks’ top line. Given the expectations surrounding Celebrini making another jump in point production, Smith should jump with him.Newbie Feelings
First-year players who aren’t waiting for their explosion.Yaroslav Askarov, G, San Jose SharksOnce the future goalie in Nashville, the Sharks acquired Askarov in August 2024 as their new hope between the pipes. Most of his action was with the Barracuda of the AHL last season, but the 13 games he played in San Jose were solid: 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 the majority of the starts for coach Ryan Warsofsky’s team this season.
Ivan Demidov, RW, 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 explosive offensive talent, the Canadiens are counting on him to provide the scoring spark for a team that was 17th in goals per game last season.Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes The 24-year-old player debuted in the NHL last season, appearing in four playoff games for the Hurricanes. At 6-3 and around 220 pounds, he’s a fierce hitter who could become one of the league’s top young defensemen if his offensive game flourishes.Zeev Buium, D, Minnesota Wild A defenseman with great puck movement and high hockey IQ. The anticipation is that 19-year-old Buium could become the quarterback of the Wild’s power play in short order. The Wild have paired him with veteran Jared Spurgeon to start.Zayne Parekh, D, 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 is there to prove for a defenseman who had 107 points in 61 games last season?Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, 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, D, Chicago Blackhawks The 6-4 defenseman is going to have a big role this season in Chicago, playing minutes on the first line and having the opportunity to direct the Blackhawks’ power play.Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders The first pick of 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, G, Pittsburgh Penguins The 24-year-old player earned a spot here not only for some tantalizing moments like Canuck, but for his shutout on opening night at Madison Square Garden. Silovs was named one of the top six Latvian players for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
