NHL Teams Identify Top Breakout Candidates for 2025-26 Season

Several NHL teams are poised for potential breakout seasons in 2025-26 as they seek to build on recent progress and contend more seriously in the playoffs. The St. Louis Blues, under new head coach Jim Montgomery, aim to leverage top offensive talent like Jimmy Snuggerud and enhance defensive depth with Logan Mailloux to continue their upward trajectory after a strong playoff run. The New York Rangers, having shuffled their roster with trades including Chris Kreider and K'Andre Miller, rely on young players like Scott Morrow to strengthen their defense amid an aging veteran core. Minnesota Wild look for breakout performances from players like Zeev Buium to complement consistent contributors such as Filip Gustavsson and Kirill Kaprizov, aiming to advance beyond their usual first-round playoff exits. The Columbus Blue Jackets face the challenge of overcoming the tragic loss of Johnny Gaudreau while banking on emerging stars like Zach Werenski and Jet Greaves to push for a postseason spot. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars expect young defenseman Thomas Harley to step up alongside established stars to help the team take the next step toward Stanley Cup contention.