The NHL season starts in less than two weeks. That means we’re about six weeks away from seeing which players will take major steps forward.
Who’s ready to break out? Who will become this year’s Jackson LaCombe or Nick Suzuki?
We’re predicting two types of breakout candidates: players who will jump from “OK” to “good” and players who will jump from “good” to “great.”
Zack Bolduc, Canadiens
Type of breakout: OK to good
Bolduc put together one of the best late-season runs in the NHL. He scored 13 goals in 26 games after the 4 Nations Face-Off to finish a strong rookie year.
The Canadiens took notice. They acquired Bolduc from the Blues in July for fellow 2022 first-round pick Logan Mailloux.
Bolduc brings a physical element to Montreal’s forward group. He’s a speedy winger who loves forechecking and can play anywhere in the lineup at even strength.
He can also work the bumper role on the power play. Bolduc has a powerful shot and was a prolific scorer in junior hockey.
He’s been efficient in the NHL too, scoring on 15.2% of his shots through 97 games.
Here’s the most telling stat: St. Louis outscored opponents 38-20 when Bolduc was on the ice at even strength last season.
Dylan Guenther, Utah
Type of breakout: Good to great
Guenther is a pure sniper. His release is quick and deceptive. He gets “lost” in coverage and is always the first to backcheck when things go wrong.
He’s a playmaker’s dream because he lives to score goals.
The right-shot winger missed 12 games last year due to injury. That slowed his momentum, but he still led Utah in game-winning goals (nine) and power-play goals (12).
He finished second in total goals (27) and shots on goal (204).
Guenther, 22, has chemistry with center Logan Cooley. JJ Peterka, acquired in the offseason, could become the third member of an explosive young line.
Utah fans and hardcore NHL followers know about Guenther’s skill set and high ceiling. The 2025-26 season could be his mainstream coming-out party.
Forty goals isn’t out of the question.
Lian Bichsel, Stars
Type of breakout: OK to good
Bichsel stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 231 pounds. He loves delivering hits and will absorb contact to make a play.
Among 221 defensemen who played 500-plus minutes last season, he finished first in hits delivered per 60 minutes. He was second in hits received per 60.
The Swiss defenseman won’t post huge point totals during his career. He’s a shutdown defender, period.
But Bichsel is mobile for his size and can move the puck well enough to handle key situations.
Dallas has clear tiers on defense right now. Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley are in Tier 1. Esa Lindell is in Tier 2. Ilya Lyubushkin, Nils Lundkvist, and Bichsel are in Tier 3.
It would be surprising if Bichsel doesn’t move up to Tier 2 by season’s end. He’s impressed the club through 56 NHL games.
Jake Sanderson, Senators
Type of breakout: Good to great
Pick any advanced metric for defensemen, and there’s a good chance Sanderson finished last season in the top 25 league-wide. Often in the top 10.
The 23-year-old controls games with his skating ability, hockey IQ, and active stick work.
Sanderson is approaching Jaccob Slavin-level defensive dominance but has better offensive tools. He tied for 10th in total points among defensemen and had the second-most power-play points in 2024-25.
Sanderson turned heads with strong play in two games at the 4 Nations tournament. Despite tough competition, he’ll challenge for a spot on Team USA’s Olympic squad.
Trip to Milan or not, expect him in the Norris Trophy conversation for years to come.
Will Cuylle, Rangers
Type of breakout: OK to good
Cuylle broke out to some extent last season. The 23-year-old compiled 45 points in 82 games as a sophomore.
He was the only NHLer to score 20 goals and deliver 300 hits. He has at least one more gear to reach.
Chris Kreider is no longer a Ranger after a June trade to Anaheim. That means Cuylle will be in the spotlight moving forward.
He now occupies a top winger spot at even strength and is the main net-front presence on the power play.
Cuylle can be New York’s version of Toronto’s Matthew Knies. Both have linebacker size and strength, excel along the boards in all three zones, and can retrieve pucks and finish scoring chances.
Macklin Celebrini, Sharks
Type of breakout: Good to great
Celebrini finished third in Calder Trophy voting last season. The surface narrative wasn’t compelling because he missed time due to injury.
The Sharks missed the playoffs by 44 points. His production – 63 points in 70 games – was solid but not spectacular.
But shift to shift, Celebrini looked phenomenal. He won the third-most puck battles in the NHL and generated scoring chances at an exceptionally high rate.
He consistently moved the puck safely from zone to zone.
Celebrini, now 19, looked like both a 10-year All-Star and a rookie just getting started. He’s on the cusp of superstardom.
“He’s really hungry. You could see last year. As the season went on, he got better and better.”
That’s Sidney Crosby talking about Celebrini in early September. Crosby got to know him at the 2025 world championships and Olympic orientation camp.
Crosby then invited Celebrini and teammate Will Smith to Nova Scotia for private training.
“He’s even better than he was at worlds, (improving greatly) even over a couple of months.”
Jake Neighbours, Blues
Type of breakout: OK to good
Neighbours scored 49 goals combined over the past two regular seasons. The shoot-first winger put up six points in his first seven playoff games as the Blues lost to the Jets.
His name surfaced in offseason trade rumors. Sabres fans got excited about him potentially being part of a deal that would send Bowen Byram to St. Louis.
Is the first 30-goal season of Neighbours’ career coming?
Like Cuylle, Neighbours has an enviable mix of size, strength, and skill. Coaches love it and star players crave it in a linemate.
He’s good at using his frame (6-foot, 201 pounds) to get quality puck touches around the opposing net. No. 1 center Robert Thomas should appreciate having him on his wing.
Lukas Dostal, Ducks
Type of breakout: Good to great
Dostal is just 25, but he’s already proven he can be a reliable No. 1 goalie. His league-wide stock would be much higher if he played in a Canadian market.
Dostal had an underrated 2024-25 season. He ranked ninth in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes among goalies with 40 or more appearances.
The Czech native’s 0.40 GSAE/60 rate was right behind Dustin Wolf, Igor Shesterkin, and Linus Ullmark.
No goalie “stole” more games than Dostal last season. He and Filip Gustavsson each recorded nine steals, according to Sportlogiq.
Veteran John Gibson‘s departure is another reason to watch Dostal closely. The Ducks believe in their guy and are on the upswing.
Dostal is entering the first season of a five-year extension worth $32.5 million.
Mackie Samoskevich, Panthers
Type of breakout: OK to good
Samoskevich checks key boxes of a breakout player.
Coming off a quietly productive season? Check. The sharp-shooting winger posted 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points in his first full season.
He had five game-winners while averaging just 13:19 per night over 72 games. Samoskevich’s 0.94 goals per 60 minutes ranked fourth among all Panthers.
Starting the season in an elevated role? Check. Matthew Tkachuk is expected to be out until December, so the Panthers need Samoskevich to fill a top-six spot.
He’ll also get a look on the power play.
Playing for a raise? Check. Samoskevich, 22, signed a one-year, $775,000 extension in July to help keep the band together in Florida.
His next deal won’t be so team-friendly if his play continues trending upward.
Dylan Samberg, Jets
Type of breakout: Good to great
Samberg is the oldest player on this list and plays the least flashy style of hockey. But the late bloomer developed into a difference-making shutdown defender last season.
He surely has more to give in Winnipeg.
Samberg, 26, masters the finer details – controlling gaps, blocking shots, angling at the blue lines, killing plays with his stick. That leads to strong results in rush and net-front defense.
He logged the fourth-most minutes among Jets defensemen in 2024-25. He skated alongside childhood friend Neal Pionk on the second pair.
He signed a three-year contract extension in July.
Can Samberg develop a meaningful offensive game? Can he close the gap between him and top defenseman Josh Morrissey in terms of role and overall impact?
John Matisz is theScore’s senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).
