Top NHL 2026-27 bounce-back candidates after suffering sophomore slumps
There’s something to be said about rookies coming in and thriving.
Sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know. And when you’re a fresh face trying to prove yourself, nothing can get in your way. But other times it’s hard to build upon high expectations from a strong first season. The sophomore slump might not be a real thing for some observers, but when you’ve got players who started off strong and then fell flat suddenly, it’s hard to ignore.
Today, we’re taking a look at four prime candidates for bounce-back seasons after difficult sophomore campaigns. There’s varying levels of hype and various levels of disappointment coming from this group, depending on how you look at their careers to date. Some were meant to be high-impact players, while others were meant more for depth roles.
Either way, these four are going to want to step it up big this year, especially with some new contracts on the horizon:
Maxim Tsyplakov, RW (Calgary Flames)
European scouting departments absolutely loved Tsyplakov in 2023-24. He had 31 goals in 65 games with Spartak in the KHL after registering just 10 the year prior. Did the New York Islanders find a hidden gem? He had a 10-goal, 35-point rookie season, but most expected some growing pains after the move to North America. But with just two goals and four points in 49 games between the Islanders and New Jersey Devils last year, it looked like Tsyplakov’s NHL career was on thin ice.
Given he’s a pending UFA, this could be Tysplakov’s last chance at building a long-term NHL future. Now in Calgary following the Simon Nemec trade, Tsyplakov will have his work cut out for him. Tsyplakov can still shoot, but when he’s not scoring, he’s not contributing in a meaningful way. He’s far from a lock to make the opening night lineup and could find him and his $2.25-million cap hit on waivers before too long. No pressure or anything.
Marco Kasper, C (Detroit Red Wings)
Kasper was never known for his high-flying offense back in junior or in Europe. Instead, it was more about being a complete player who could still get a ton of shots on net and play a hard-nosed game. The Austrian center started off strong with 19 goals and 37 points in 77 games, mostly playing in a middle-six role. But inconsistency plagued Kasper throughout the 2025-26 season, resulting in an 18-point drop to just 19 through 81 games. Kasper’s ice time fell, and many wondered if he had what it took to be a long-term helper.
Kasper is a pending RFA, and with contracts continuing to rise like they have in recent months, the 22-year-old will need to do a complete 180 to make the most of it. He wasn’t good enough to warrant significant minutes alongside or Dylan Larkin, Patrick Kane or Alex DeBrincat. Honestly, Kasper felt like a true fourth-liner all season long. It looks like he’ll likely play on the third line to start the season, but it’s up to him to bounce back to the level that made him a top-10 pick in 2022.
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Matvei Michkov, RW (Philadelphia Flyers)
Expectations were high for Michkov heading into last year. He was one of the top threats for the Calder Trophy the year prior, and most expected him to take a big step forward. Instead, questions about his fitness and his relationship with coach Rick Tocchet plagued the early part of the season, and Michkov was never able to find his offensive dominance. Michkov has been open saying he needed to be in better shape, and it’s something that he has worked on over the summer. There’s a real opportunity for Michkov to bounce back and become the star player many expect him to. He’s one of the most talented young wingers in the league.
It’s difficult trying to get used to a new culture halfway across the world as a young player, and the Russian winger has been through all the ups and downs. Michkov still managed to put up 20 goals and 51 points last year; if that’s the floor, he’ll be totally fine. The ceiling is something Michkov is still chasing after, with many scouts projecting him to be an 80-plus point-getter before he ever set foot in Philly. For now, getting back into the 60-point area will be a good start.
Elias Pettersson, LHD (Vancouver Canucks)
It was a terrible season to be named Elias Pettersson in Vancouver. The better-known forward variant had a disappointing 51-point season – a far cry from the 89 two years before that, or the 102 points from 2022-23. The defenseman, meanwhile, had seven points in 70 games. As Daily Faceoff Vancouver’s Stephan Roget wrote back in April, there were obvious surface-level improvements last year, such as average ice time, blocks-per-60 and hits-per-60. But his even-strength Corsi (43.28), expected goals (40.53) and control of high-danger scoring chances (40.11) were all much lower than they were in his partial rookie campaign the year prior.
The Canucks were a terrible team last year – breaking news, I know. Asking a young defender to take on bigger minutes in a situation like that can be difficult. Many in Canucks land aren’t too worried about his development, which is positive. Now that it’s clear the Canucks are going to be bad for a few more years, it’ll give EP25 more time to figure out his game. With Jamie Oleksiak giving the Canucks some help on the left side, Pettersson will likely play around 14-15 minutes a night on Vancouver’s third pair, which feels like the perfect long-term placement for him. The key now is boosting those advanced analytics and proving himself worthy of more responsibility as the season wears on. Fortunately, the bar isn’t too high right now, and with low expectations across the board, EP25 should be able to find his comfort zone.
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