Matt Larkin’s 2026-27 Fantasy Hockey Breakout Candidates
Every fantasy hockey season brings a new crop of players ready to take their game to the next level. Whether it’s a young player stepping into a larger role, a talented player finally putting it all together, or someone poised to smash their career highs, identifying breakouts before draft day can provide a significant advantage.
The DFO Fantasy team has identified their top breakout candidates for the 2026-27 season. Below, each of our four analysts shares their picks and explains why they believe these players are ready to take a significant step forward.
All Breakout Candidates:
- Brock Seguin’s Fantasy Hockey Breakout Candidates
- Beebs Bondy’s Fantasy Hockey Breakout Candidates
- Nick Szeman’s Fantasy Hockey Breakout Candidates
Jesper Wallstedt – MIN – G
Wallstedt was on the shortlist of decade’s highest-regarded goaltending prospects and, after he struggled to get his career off the ground, languishing on bad AHL Iowa teams, his moment finally arrived last season after Marc-Andre Fleury’s retirement vacated Minnesota’s No. 2 job behind Filip Gustavsson. Wallstedt flourished, posting the NHL’s second-best save percentage at .915. He was tremendously helpful in fantasy formats favoring rate stats, but the volume wasn’t high enough for him to be elite, as he started just 33 games. This season, however, we can expect him to push for 45-50 starts. Not only did he get the nod over Gustavsson to open the 2025-26 playoffs and start all but one of the Wild’s games, but Gustavsson is recovering from offseason hip surgery and isn’t a lock to be ready for the start of the regular season, leaving Wallstedt as Minnesota’s undisputed No. 1 to open 2026-27. Wallstedt has the size, talent and technical proficiency to become an elite fantasy goalie for years to come, and it will happen beginning this season. He could crash the top five at his position. You thought last year was the breakout? Nope, the even bigger breakout comes this year.
Porter Martone – PHI – RW
The bad news: Martone is no sleeper. The market understands what he is, and you’ll have to pay a pretty high draft-day cost to nab him. The good news: he’s worth it. He immediately established himself as a difference maker upon leaving the college ranks for the pros late last season. Between the regular season and playoffs, he put up 15 points in 19 games, with 49 hits to boot. You could make a case he’s already the Flyers’ most important offensive player at 19 years old. With his vision and physicality, he’s mature for his age and ready to become a premier power forward right away. Expect 70 points and, at worst, a top-two finish in the Calder Trophy vote.
Matt Savoie – EDM – C/RW
Savoie has made himself indispensable to the Oilers because he’s such a multi-dimensional player; he has the speed and filthy hands to be a dynamic scorer, but he’s also a brainy player entrusted on the penalty kill. The latter trait gives Savoie a sneaky-big TOI ceiling. He could add several minutes to the 14:47 he averaged as a rookie. That would be a boon for someone who was already breaking out in limited ice time. Popping off when he got a look as a top-sixer, Savoie put up nine goals and 19 points in 24 games after the Olympic break. Sure, there’s a slight fear that new coach Mike Babcock will lean more on veterans and mothball his kids, but the Oilers aren’t deep enough to allow that. They need Savoie no matter what, and his breakout season is upon us. Don’t fret too much over the injury that will cost him training camp; remember, camps are shorter this year, and an injury could lower Savoie’s ADP, making him an even better pick.
Jimmy Snuggerud – STL – RW
All the signs scream breakout for Snuggerud. He carries a first-round draft pedigree and is already entrusted as first-liner, fresh off amassing 51 points in 70 games as a rookie. Better yet, he might get overlooked in favor of flashier rookies because he played his best hockey late last season when more casual fantasy players might have stopped paying attention. Snuggerud went bananas for 11 goals and 27 points in 25 games after the Olympic break, production that extrapolates to a 37-goal, 90-point pace in an 84-game season. He’s an integral part of the Blues’ future, and he can be a league-winning pick in fantasy this season with such a sneaky-high ceiling.
Anton Frondell – CHI – C
I was already bullish on a Frondell breakout when last season ended. He plays such an intelligent, grown-man game that he’s built for immediate NHL success. In his brief late-season taste of the world’s top league, Frondell put up nine points in 12 games and ripped 36 shots on goal. He was poised to immediately become an important member of Chicago’s top nine – and that was before the Connor Bedard injury. For at least the first month of 2026-27, Frondell will be tasked with centering one of Chicago’s top two lines. I genuinely believe he’s already a better, more talented player than Frank Nazar and will quickly pass him on the depth chart. That would mean Frondell opens the season as a first-line center and stays on a scoring line even after Bedard returns. I can envision Frondell having a rookie year to rival Martone’s, yet you can draft Frondell several rounds later. Giddyup.