NHL breakout tiers: From Nazar to Snuggerud to Peterka, players set to level up

Can a superstar inactive beryllium a breakout player?

We inquire due to the fact that Vegas Golden Knights halfway Jack Eichel looks similar he'll obliterate his vocation precocious successful goals (36) portion skating with Ivan Barbashev and the recently acquired Mitch Marner this play -- a enactment with unthinkable chemistry already astatine the commencement of the season.

But ultimately, a superstar can't beryllium a breakout player. That's reserved for players who are known but not yet household names. Or players we've been waiting to spot blossom since their draught year. Or the rookies embarking connected their archetypal afloat play of service, acceptable to marque an unexpected impact.

Here are 30 NHL players poised for a breakout successful 2025-26, organized into tiers that explicate the circumstances surrounding their imaginable emergence. Enjoy!

Jump to a tier:
New scenery
New linemates
Young prima to superstar
The hold is over
Rookie sensations

Tier 1: New scenery

These players switched teams and could spot their banal emergence with caller scenery.

Matias Maccelli
F, Toronto Maple Leafs

Matias Maccelli is not Mitch Marner, nor is helium expected to abruptly go a 100-point winger due to the fact that he's helping to regenerate Marner successful Toronto.

But the 24-year-old erstwhile Utah forward, who was a predominant steadfast scratch with the Mammoth past season, has a top-line relation adjacent to Auston Matthews. If helium tin beryllium the playmaker helium was 2 seasons agone successful Arizona and clasp this spot, Maccelli should wide his erstwhile vocation precocious successful points (57) adjacent if helium doesn't scope the violative heights of Marner's years with the Leafs.

K'Andre Miller
D, Carolina Hurricanes

The Rangers didn't privation to wage Miller for potential, truthful they traded the restricted escaped cause to Carolina, wherever helium signed an eight-year, $60 cardinal deal.

Outside of Florida, nary different NHL squad has been arsenic adept astatine leveling up acquired defensemen from different organizations -- a recognition to manager Rod Brind'Amour's strategy and the enactment of adjunct manager Tim Gleason, whose absorption is connected the bluish line.

Miller's violative crippled dropped sharply implicit the past 2 seasons. He'll beryllium positioned to find it aga...