The 2025-26 season featured several players who broke out, emerging as either faces of the NHL or stars for contending teams. The question those players now face is whether they can repeat their success and prove it wasn't a fluke.
There were several breakout seasons during the 2025-26 NHL season. Legitimate stars became obvious, and in one case, the next face of the league might have presented itself.
The question in 2026-27 is whether these seasons were one-offs or flukes, and whether these same breakout names can repeat their success.
Can these players elevate their game even further? Or, is there going to be a regression back toward the mean?
Here are five players from 2025-26 whose breakouts shouldn’t be considered the best they’ll offer.
Macklin Celebrini, C, San Jose Sharks
It might be difficult for Macklin Celebrini to put up another 115-point season, but the San Jose Sharks front office just put their money where their mouth is. $18.8 million per season over five years shows that the organization believes last season’s production is the start, not the finish line.
No one had a breakout like Celebrini did. He not only scored 45 goals and 115 points, but he made the Olympic roster for Team Canada and was a standout player.
It’s not if he has another 100-plus-point season; it’s how many.
Matthew Savoie, C, Edmonton Oilers
Matt Savoie played all 82 games in 2025-26 and really came on strong after the Olympic break for the Edmonton Oilers. His final stretch of games last season showed he’s got the makings of a regular 20-goal scorer. From there, his 18-goal breakout was a positive, but it’s not his ceiling.
The fact that Edmonton hasn't rushed to extend him to a new contract shouldn’t be taken as an indication that they doubt his ability. If anything, they want to see him do it again in 2027-28 so they can comfortably offer him a long-term extension at a higher cap hit.
He’s the type of player a GM would take a calculated gamble on so that the deal they sign him to soon looks like a bargain later.
Leo Carlsson, C, Anaheim Ducks
Leo Carlsson had a solid 2024-25 season, but his 2025-26 campaign put him on the radar of other teams, which explained the offer sheet drama that unfolded this summer. The Philadelphia Flyers changed the market by offering him $18 million over five years, which he accepted. The Anaheim Ducks matched it, and now he’s technically the highest-paid player in the NHL.
This is coming off a 29-goal and 67-point season that almost everyone thinks is barely going to scratch the surface of what he’ll do. The Ducks are banking on this being a player who scores at a minimum of a point per game. His contract suggests the Ducks think he has 100 points in him.
A season where he plays more than 70 games and a contract that shines a spotlight on him, expect Carlsson to respond.
Zach Benson, LW, Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres clearly think Zach Benson has more than 43 points in him. He had 13 goals in 65 games, and his “breakout” 2025-26 season was not the kind of production that might warrant a seven-year, $7.5 million AAV extension. He’s a pain to play against, but even that’s not enough.
The Sabres must believe that his goal totals over the last two seasons are on the low end of what he’ll produce. Benson was noticed for several reasons beyond his offensive touch, but it’s clear he’s got the talent, and his hockey sense is worthy of assuming that 2026-27 could be a big season for him.
He scored 15 more points in 10 fewer games than the season prior. If that trend continues, he’s a 55-point player in an 84-game season.
Mavrik Bourque, C, Nashville Predators
After a breakout season with the Dallas Stars, Mavrik Bourque was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Nashville’s own second-round pick in 2027 and Vegas’ third-round pick in 2028.
They’re banking on the jump from 25 to 41 points being just the first of many jumps in the future.
He played a full season and scored 20 goals for the first time in his NHL career. Can he do that in Nashville with a less talented team but a bigger role? The Stars certainly didn’t want to move him. But because they had to keep money available for Jason Robertson, Bourque became collateral damage. This is a talented player who is likely fairly motivated.
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