10 NHL breakout candidates playing in Western Canada

Cole Perfetti has featured on breakout lists for the last three seasons; this is his last shot. After regressing in goal totals in 2024/25, Perfetti will get another shot to prove the goal-scoring ability that made him one of the top prospects in the league. 

Perfetti managed a career-high in games played (82) and points (50), but his goal totals fell from the year prior. 

This is the last season of his 2x$3.5 million deal. He signed a two-year bridge contract for a reason – the 2025/26 NHL season will be a career-defining year for Cole Perfetti. 

The Jets will look to Perfetti to be the offensive identity of a second line, most likely centred by Jonathon Toews, one of the best two-way centremen of this generation. 

The Jets expect a 30-goal season from Perfetti, and that’s what it will take for fans to consider it a successful year. 

Matt Coronato is another true breakout candidate in my eyes. The 13th overall pick in 2021 played his first full season in the NHL in 2024/25, managing 24 goals and 47 points in 77 games.

The performance earned him a 7x$6.5 million deal this offseason, which makes him a perfect candidate for a breakout season in 2025/26. 

The Flames will be looking for 30 goals from Coronato this year. It’s a toss-up whether he will play on the second or first line. Still, he’ll see the ice on the power play. If he ends up on the second line, Calgary will look to him to be the offensive catalyst for Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund. 

Isaac Howard is an intriguing player to consider when evaluating breakout candidates. Drafted 31st overall in 2022, the 21-year-old has yet to play an NHL shift, but he’s a top breakout candidate nonetheless. 

After winning the Hobey Baker with Michigan in 2024/25, Howard was dealt by the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Sam O’Reilly. With 52 points in 37 NCAA games last season, Howard is an opportunity for Edmonton to bolster their top six.

In an ideal world, Edmonton will be able to slot Howard into the top six right away (Oilers fans already have him on McDavid’s right), but with a team like Edmonton, he’ll have to earn his role. 

Howard could end up as a Calder trophy candidate, or he could end up on the third line in a supporting role. Either way, Edmonton will look to Howard to transform its offensive identity in the coming years. 

Matthew Savoie is a player entering a situation remarkably similar to Isaac Howard. Both of these players are looking to become staples in Edmonton’s top-six this season, with Savoie bringing with him the allure of a former top-ten draft pick (#9 in 2022). 

Savoie finished second in scoring with the Bakersfield Condors last season, amassing 54 points in 66 games. 

Much like Howard, Savoie makes his living by utilizing his mobility and skating skills. An unbridled offensive force when confident, Savoie could easily slot into the Oilers’ second line, offering an opportunity to stretch depth down the lineup. 

Neither Savoie nor Howard projects to be physical bottom-six players, and in an ideal world, Edmonton will be able to use both in its top-six this season instead of forcing them to play a role different from what they’re accustomed to. 

Connor Zary is probably the largest question mark on this list and it’s not because of his on-ice play. Much to the chagrin of Flames fans, Zary remains an unsigned RFA as of late July. 

Drafted 24th overall in 2020, Zary has scored 61 points in 117 NHL games, but injuries have marred his two seasons in the league. 

The Flames still hope that Zary can be a go-to top-six forward this season, but question marks remain; the largest being the reports that Calgary and Zary are more than a million dollars apart in contract negotiations.

Connor Zary could end up being the biggest breakout on this list, or he could end up wearing another team’s sweater by the time the puck drops for 2025/26. 

A lot of authors would place Parekh higher on this list, not me. Even though he may be one of the top defensive prospects in the league, he will likely get significantly less of an opportunity to prove himself than the players sitting above him on this list. 

Drafted 9th overall in 2024, Parekh impressed in his single game at the end of the 2024/25 season. Along with his domination of the OHL, that performance helped him lock in his spot with the Flames this year.

Even though his spot may be guaranteed, I’m a firm believer that Calgary will heavily shelter his minutes on the third pairing, at least to start the year.

Though his minutes may be sheltered, Parekh will likely quarterback Calgary’s second power play unit this season, which will give him offensive opportunities.

Further in the year, he could end up getting bumped up defensively to take Joel Hanley’s spot on the second pairing, but the Flames should look to shelter Parekh in his first NHL season. 

Another player that has featured on like-minded lists over the last two seasons, I don’t believe Vilardi is a true breakout candidate. That being said, it’s impossible not to acknowledge that it seems that Vilardi has been poised to become an elite point-producing forward over the last two seasons. 

Vilardi set career-highs in almost every statistical category in 2024/25, and Winnipeg is hoping the trend will continue in 25/26.

If Vilardi takes another step this season, he will become a legitimate top-line forward; if not, we’ve already seen his ceiling: a high-end second-line winger.

At 25 years old, he’s the oldest player on this list, and I believe that no matter what happens, this will be the final year we consider Vilardi to be a “breakout candidate”.

The third Oiler featured on this list, expectations for Vasily Podkolzin aren’t quite as high as they are for Howard or Savoie, but Podkolzin represents yet another example of the youth wave sweeping through Edmonton.

The 10th overall pick in 2019 completed his first full NHL season with the Oilers last year, collecting 24 points while playing exclusively bottom-six minutes. 

An attractive mix of skating and physicality, Podkolzin should be a high-energy feature in the Oilers’ middle-six. 

Between Howard, Savoie, and Podkolzin, Edmonton is hoping the future of its forward core will be on display this season as the Oilers strive for their third-straight Finals appearance. 

The first Canuck to appear on this list, Raty also gets the distinction of being one of two players on the list drafted outside of the first round (52nd overall in 2021). 

Raty has played parts of three NHL seasons with the Islanders and the Canucks. His 33 games and 11 points in 2024/25 were both career highs.

Raty was limited to the fourth line last season. I think he is almost guaranteed to centre the Canucks third line this year. 

Vancouver will look to him to provide much-needed offence from the middle of the lineup. I could see Raty ending up with 40 points this year, playing on the third line and second-unit power play. Canucks fans are hoping for a top-six forward by the season’s end. 

The second Canuck and the final player on the ranking, Elias Pettersson, gets the honour of being the lowest-drafted player on the list, having been selected 80th overall in 2022. 

Pettersson certainly isn’t the flashiest player on this list (heck he isn’t even the flashiest Elias Pettersson in Vancouver) but at 6’3, 210lbs; he’s an opportunity for the Canucks who have been lacking a true shutdown defenceman for years. 

I’m a huge fan of defensive defensemen and Pettersson represents everything I look for. A fluid skater, and competent puck-mover; Pettersson is extremely confortable in his own zone and is already showcasing pro-level instincs.

I expect him to bounce around in Vancouvers bottom-four and to see the ice on every penalty kill. It’s always tougher to judge a “breakout” for a defensive-focused player but in my opinion, Pettersson has the toolkit to stand out for his defensive prowess at a young age (à la Kaiden Guhle and Brock Faber).

Dustin Wolf is atop most of the lists ranking breakout candidates. In my opinion, he’s already broken out. 

Wolf started 53 games for the Flames last season, sporting 29 wins and a .910 save percentage. He was top-15 amongst starters in wins, save percentage, and goals against average. His .910 save percentage ranked sixth among starters. 

For Wolf to have a breakout season, he would need to drastically improve those numbers; I don’t think he does. Wolf cemented himself as a top-15 goaltender in the NHL last year. To consider this season a “breakout”, he’d need to finish in the top five.

Another player who will feature in the top ten of most breakout lists, I don’t believe Höglander has much more offensive ceiling than his 24-goal campaign in 2023/24.

His severe drop in goals last season sets him up for a bounce-back year, but even if he cracks 30 goals, it would be more of a return to expectations instead of an impressive breakout.