San Jose Sharks

Five NHL Breakout Candidates at Forward

A rundown of five potential breakout candidates heading into the 2025-26 NHL season.

Lucas Burrell

— 6 min read
Five NHL Breakout Candidates at Forward
Marco Kasper (Detroit Red Wings) attempts to steal the puck from Connor Brown (Edmonton Oilers).


The NHL is in a great place, boasting a multitude of young, talented players on the rise across various teams.

Before the salary cap expansion that will occur over the next few seasons, identifying players on entry-level deals who can contribute at a high level is a valuable strategy for roster construction. Still, we will see the forwards listed below be valuable contributors for their respective clubs for years to come.

There are plenty of guys who could fall under the category of potential breakout stars. However, I narrowed it down to a few selections that I believe could make a significant leap with their clubs this upcoming season.

Disclaimer: My criteria for this list aren't too strict, but they are designed to filter out some of the more well-known up-and-coming NHL forwards. The players listed below have all played fewer than 100 NHL games and didn't finish in the top 5 of the 2024-25 NHL Calder Trophy voting.

Honorable Mentions



Frank Nazar - Trusting a 21-year-old to play 2C on a rebuilding team is a tough ask. But Nazar had a good showing in his limited time with the Blackhawks, scoring 11 even-strength goals in 53 games. It will be an uphill battle, but Nazar's speedy skating ability, combined with his deceptively effective shot, will allow him to make things work in Chicago.

Maxim Shabanov - After a highly productive season and postseason playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, Shabanov inked a two-year deal with the New York Islanders. Shabanov is an undersized winger but possesses other qualities that can make him an effective NHLer. It's a mystery when it comes to what the 24-year-old can become, but his playmaking ability at even-strength should pique our interest.

Mackie Samoskevich - Even at a young age, Samoskevich embodies the attributes of Florida Panthers hockey. Despite not factoring much into the Panthers' second Stanley Cup run, Mackie will play an essential role on this team for years to come. His strong skating and tenacity on the fore-check are key factors for the Panthers' winning formula.

Marco Kasper

Kasper's emergence during the 2024 - 25 campaign was a bright spot in an otherwise up-and-down year for Detroit. The 21-year-old accumulated 37 total points, with 33 of them coming at even-strength.
Whether it's at center or wing, Kasper showed that his play was an invaluable part of the Red Wings' success during the second half.

As you can see, there is a ton of skill that seems to be overlooked by the NHL community at large. Kasper's play alongside Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat demonstrated that he has the skills to keep up with two elite-level NHL players. Patience appears to be wearing thin for the Yzer-plan, but players like Kasper developing into impact skaters should buy this front office some time.

A breakout season is definitely in the cards, especially with Todd McLellan given a full season as head coach. Once McLellan took over on December 16, 2024, Kasper's play began to gain momentum. During the team's final 49 games, the Austrian native placed 2nd on the team in both goals and total points at even strength. If given the opportunities and potential PP1 minutes, Kasper's point totals from last year can take a big leap.


Jiri Kulich

The Sabres' approach to Jiri Kulich's development can be categorized as a slow burn. After being drafted out of the Czech Republic, Kulich spent more than 100 games playing for Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Throughout those two seasons, he led the team in goal scoring. In addition to this, he played high-leverage minutes during two deep Calder Cup playoff runs.

The 21-year-old graduated to the big club in 2024-25 and played well, all things considered. He accumulated 24 total points but ranked 4th on the team in 5v5 goals with 14. While the overall point production doesn't jump off the stat sheet, Kulich's continued ability to score goals, regardless of which league he plays in, says a lot.

Towards the end of the season, Kulich forged good chemistry centering Tage Thompson and Zach Benson. If Kulich can continue the trend of being a high-proficiency shooter and potentially get some opportunities on the power play. If the Sabres are hoping to make the jump into the postseason next year, Kulich will need to play a significant factor.


Will Smith

This choice felt a little like cheating, considering Smith finished 6th in Calder voting last year. However, judging by Will Smith's strong finish during the final months of the 2024 - 25 campaign. He has the potential to have his production skyrocket during this upcoming season.

After the NHL regular season resumed following the Four Nations Face-off, Smith finished as one of the best young scorers in the league. In his final 25 games, he compiled 22 points, with 20 of them being primary. This brought his season-long stat line to 18 goals and 45 total points. Not too bad for a rookie who was taking developmental days off at the start of the season.

The most significant variable for Smith next year is whether the Sharks view him as a center or a wing in the long term. Much of his success last season came from riding shotgun alongside fellow rookie Macklin Celebrini. It appears that San Jose will give him another opportunity to center his own line. But at least if things don't go smoothly, they have a proven commodity in the Celebrini-Smith duo.


Ivan Demidov

We only got a glimpse of what Ivan Demidov can do on this Canadiens roster last season. After finishing up his time in the KHL, Demidov made the leap and joined Montreal in their unexpected playoff run. He showed flashes, but it ultimately didn't amount to much on the stat sheet. Still, there was enough there to generate some lofty expectations for what's to come for the young Russian forward.

The 19-year-old has the size and skill to mesh instantly on a team like Montreal's. His quick hands and deceptive shot make him a threat from everywhere in the offensive zone. Additionally, his hockey smarts and strength on his edges help him contribute on the rush and keep plays alive. It wouldn't surprise me if Demidov ranks among the top point producers on a talented Canadiens roster next season.

Demidov is the early favorite for the Calder Trophy heading into 2025 - 26 and rightly so. He's going to play top six minutes and get plenty of time on the power play on a talented young roster. It's still unclear who Ivan will play alongside next year. Many are speculating that he will be playing alongside Kirby Dach as he returns from injury. However, icing a top line containing Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Ivan Demidov is a scary proposition for the rest of the NHL.


Jackson Blake


Surprise, surprise, Carolina found another gem with one of their mid-round picks. Jackson Blake was drafted in the 4th round of the 2021 draft by the Canes. After a few seasons of NCAA hockey at North Dakota, Jackson signed his ELC and made an instant impact on this Canes roster.

Blake's style of play perfectly embodies the Canes' philosophy when it comes to the game of hockey. A relentless forechecker who makes up for his lack of speed with his hockey sense and strength on his edges to win puck battles. Not only does this skill set help him win puck battles, but it also translates into Blake being one of the most consistent goal scorers on the Canes' roster.

The 22-year-old ended the season with 34 total points and 17 goals. He was a big-time contributor for one of the league's top 10 scoring teams at 5v5. He'll have plenty of opportunities next year to contribute to an arguably even deeper Hurricanes squad. He inked a new 8-year deal that carries an AAV of $5,117,002 million. It shouldn't come as a shock to anyone to see Blake becoming one of the best value contracts in the league in the coming years.

BOLD PREDICTION

This is an extremely bias take but I bet that Will Smith takes the biggest overall jump in production next season. After a stellar end to his 2024-25 campaign, I foresee him overtaking the crown as the most productive skater out of the 2023 NHL draft class in the next few seasons. That includes overtaking players like Connor Bedard, Matvei Michov, and Adam Fantilli.

Like I said this is a bias take as a Sharks fan, but after watching a majority of their games it was obvious that his style of play translates well at the NHL level. I'm okay with being wrong but I won't be.

Read more