Five underrated breakout players in the 2025-26 NHL season

Mar 18, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 18, 2026, 12:40 EDT

Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan (91) celebrates with defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (23) after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.

Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Every season, some of the biggest stories are the players who break out into bigger roles or see upticks in their on-ice contributions. Seeing unexpected players live up to, or even exceed, their potential is always fun to watch.

But the breakouts who usually get the most attention are the ones who do so on the scoresheet. It is the easiest aspect of the sport to track, so often times, these players get more credit for their effort.

But they aren’t the only ones. Every season also comes with plenty of players who take massive steps in the fundamentals of their game and develop consistent levels of play. It earns them bigger roles with their teams and often allows the team to improve, even if those players aren’t always seen as the reasons why.

Today, we’ll dive into five players who have had breakout 2025-26 seasons but aren’t getting the attention they deserve for it. While some have seen their production grow this season, there are multiple ways in which players can improve.

Josh Doan, Buffalo Sabres

Many considered the trade which sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan an easy win for the Mammoth. They were acquiring a 25-30 goal scorer, and they didn’t even need to give up any major picks or prospects (although Doan was only 62 games into his NHL career at the time of the trade). Kesselring was even considered the centerpiece of the return for Buffalo, as he provided them with the right-shot top-four defensemen they needed. But not even nine months after the trade happened, Doan is slowly becoming the best player moved in the deal.

Doan doesn’t exactly fit on this list, as he’s recognized as one of the bigger breakouts of the 2025-26 season. But that’s largely for his offense, as his 22 goals and 45 points are third and tied for fifth on the Sabres and already have launched him into a steady top-six role with the team. But it’s that coupled with his strong defensive game which already existed prior to the move to Buffalo (-0.115 5v5 regularized adjusted plus-minus expected goals against per 60 minutes in his first two seasons) which makes his breakout all the more noticeable. The scoring isn’t a surprise either. He entered the season with a 1.8 5v5 points/60., so an elevated role and more power-play time meant this production was inevitable. Doan actually graded as elite in the player evaluation model for my 2024 and 2025 salary cap rankings as well. This guy is legit.

Luke Evangelista, Nashville Predators

Evangelista has been a massive bright spot for a Predators season filled with continued disappointment and mediocrity. Many expected a step back in his game after a contract standoff kept him out of training camp, and while he did have a sluggish start to the season (three assists in his first eight games), his game picked up after that. With 48 points in 66 games this season, he’s already surpassed his previous career highs and has not just avoided taking a step back, he’s taken the next step in his game.

It’s not just Evangelista scoring which has progressed this season, as his defensive game has taken leaps and bounds. Playing with Ryan O’Reilly will help, but even when you isolate Evangelista’s defensive impact with RAPM, he’s had one of the best defensive performances of the season, as his -0.189 5v5 RAPM xGA/60 is 11th among all forwards this season, and first on the Predators by a significant margin. It’s surprising Nashville was considering trading Evangelista amidst the contract standoff, but they’re certainly glad they didn’t now.

J.J. Moser, Tampa Bay Lightning

Anyone who’s followed my work this season knows how much I’ve loved Moser’s play this year. Darren Raddysh has gotten all the attention among Lightning breakouts on the blueline and deservedly so. Sitting in seventh in points among defensemen with 58 in 59 games after going undrafted, not making your NHL debut until 25 and not establishing yourself as a consistent NHLer until 27 is a feat in and of itself. But what Moser has done as Raddysh’s defense partner shouldn’t go unnoticed either. Both players can attribute their success to how well they complement each other, and it’s a game changer for Tampa Bay.

Moser is not only good defensively, he’s one of the best defensive defensemen in the game right now, as his -0.184 5v5 RAPM xGA/60 ranks 11th among blueliners this year. His defensive game already progressed in his first season with the Lightning, but it’s on a different level this year. He’s a significant contributor to Tampa’s success this season, as he’s allowed Raddysh to focus more on the offensive side of the game and create chances while Moser prevents them. Not only that, but their success as a pair means Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh, who are slower and well past their prime years, can play in lighter roles. There are many reasons the Lightning have seen their contention window reopen this year, but Moser’s success is one of the biggest.

Mattias Samuelsson, Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres as a whole are one of the biggest breakout stories of the 2025-26 season. It’s not just because of how much more success the team is having. It’s also because of how few changes were made for this turnaround to happen. While the additions of Doan and Kesselring have helped, Buffalo’s growth to get to where they are right now has come from within. Few players on this team have taken bigger strides than Samuelsson. The most notable explosion in Samuelsson’s game is his offense, as he’s far exceeded his usual production, almost doubling his career totals in one season (43 points through his first five seasons vs. 37 this year). But there is a bit of unsustainability in that performance, highlighted by a 12.6% shooting percentage.

The more notable improvement is his play in his own zone. His breakout isn’t on the same level as someone like Moser’s, but Samuelsson is a sturdy option on the Sabres blueline with a -0.065 5v5 RAPM xGA/60. His play alongside Rasmus Dahlin has allowed Buffalo to have a reliable top pair, one certainly worthy of a playoff team. But this defensive game isn’t new for Samuelsson. He had a -0.052 5v5 RAPM xGA/60 in his first two seasons, which earned him his seven-year extension. His play took a step back afterwards, and some considered him as a buyout candidate as recently as last summer. But he’s found his form again, and he’s proven the Sabres right for investing in him when they did.

Ryan Shea, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are another team who have surprised the hockey world this season. They were the only team considered to be truly tanking entering the 2025-26 season. And yet, they have never played as such throughout the season. A big reason for their sudden turnaround is the work of general manager Kyle Dubas and how he’s picked his spots well with reclamation projects like Egor Chinakhov, Anthony Mantha and Tommy Novak. But perhaps the most surprising breakout is one of his first signings with the Pens in Shea.

Admittedly, Shea has faced easier minutes than any other player on this list. His competition’s 0.008 RAPM xG plus-minus/60 is the lowest of the five by a decent margin. But outside of Brett Kulak’s 27-game stint with the Penguins, Shea has been thrust into a top-four role with the team and performed well. He’s far from an elite puck-mover, especially compared to Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. But he makes up for it with his smarts and knowing the right pass to make. Shea doesn’t drive the Penguins’ offense when he’s on the ice, but he doesn’t hold it back either. It’s a big reason why he’s got 28 points in 67 games this season after entering the year with six in 70 career games.

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