SEO Title: NHL 2026-27 Breakout Candidates: Smith, Wallstedt and More
SEO Description: A rink-side look at 10 NHL players positioned for bigger roles in 2026-27, from Will Smith and Jesper Wallstedt to emerging Carolina, Los Angeles and Chicago talent.
The next wave is already taking shifts. A young Sharks scorer has found a running mate, Minnesota has a goaltender ready for a heavier crease workload, and the Kings have new minutes available down the middle after Anze Kopitar’s retirement. Here is the 2026-27 breakout board, built around deployment, recent production and the kind of underlying work that tends to travel from one season to the next.
2026-27 NHL breakout candidates
Will Smith, F, San Jose Sharks
Average draft position: 65.0
Smith took a major step in his second NHL season, putting up 24 goals and 59 points in 69 games. His 35 assists, eight power-play goals, 17 power-play points, five game-winners and 166 shots were all personal bests. He also went from 15:51 per game as a rookie to 18:11 last season.
The key development was his connection with Macklin Celebrini. The two Sharks figured in 47 of the same goals, the sixth-highest total among NHL teammates. Smith’s tracking numbers backed up the production: 89 mid-range shots placed him in the 97th percentile among forwards, while his 90.26 mph top shot, nine mid-range goals and 33.09 miles skated on the power play also rated strongly. At 21, Smith is part of a San Jose group that has eight players in the top 100 of long-term fantasy rankings, tied with Montreal for the League lead.
Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild
Average draft position: 60.0
Wallstedt went from five NHL appearances over his first two seasons combined to a 35-game rookie campaign in 2025-26. The 23-year-old won 18 games, posted a 2.61 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, second in the NHL among goalies with at least 25 games played. His four shutouts were tied for third.
Minnesota gave him the net for 10 of its 11 playoff games, where he went 5-5 with a 2.77 GAA and .909 save percentage. He delivered a quality start in 69.7 percent of his regular-season starts, fourth in the NHL, and his 70.0 percent playoff rate ranked second. Wallstedt was tied for sixth in regular-season mid-range save percentage at .912, then led playoff goaltenders with an .865 high-danger save percentage among those who played at least five games. With Filip Gustavsson expected to be sidelined for the opening stretch because of injury, Wallstedt has a clear runway to a top-10 fantasy finish and sits first among goalie options in keeper and dynasty formats.
Jimmy Snuggerud, F, St. Louis Blues
Average draft position: 134.5
Snuggerud’s finish to last season is the part that jumps off the page. From Dec. 27 onward, he led all NHL rookies with 16 goals, 24 assists and 40 points in 44 games. He finished with 21 goals and 51 points in 70 contests, each fourth among rookies, while also supplying 169 shots and 71 hits.
He shared the Blues lead in power-play goals with Dalibor Dvorsky, scoring five, and finished with nine power-play points. The shot profile was equally promising: Snuggerud registered a 95.56 mph hardest shot, a 59.96 mph average shot speed and 43 attempts between 80 and 90 mph. He also had 74 mid-range shots and eight goals from that area. His regular shifts with Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway give St. Louis plenty of line-stack appeal.
Quinton Byfield, F, Los Angeles Kings
Average draft position: 136.2
Byfield is walking into the Kings’ first-line center job beside Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe. The opening came when Kopitar retired, and Byfield’s late-season work after Panarin arrived from the New York Rangers offered a preview of what that unit can become.
Byfield had 19 points in 24 games after the trade, with 13 goals and six assists. His shot rate rose from 2.09 per game across his first 55 outings to 2.7 from Feb. 4 through the end of the regular season. He closed the year with career highs of 24 goals, 180 shots and 20:01 per game, adding 49 points in 79 games.
The 24-year-old’s skating and chance generation were elite. He recorded 297 bursts above 20 mph and covered 267.99 miles, both in the 98th percentile among forwards. His nine mid-range goals, 13 high-danger goals, 65 mid-range shots and 63 high-danger shots point to a player capable of reaching 30 goals while still being selected well beyond the first 100 picks.
Logan Stankoven, F, Carolina Hurricanes
Average draft position: 135.2
Stankoven’s postseason put a bright light on a role that had already been growing. He led Carolina with 11 playoff goals during its 2026 championship run, one shy of the franchise’s single-postseason record held by coach Rod Brind’Amour, who scored 12 as a player in 2006.
Stankoven scored seven times over his final eight regular-season games and finished with 21 goals and 44 points in 81 games, both NHL highs. Centering Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake, he helped form a lethal second line that combined for 25 goals and 55 points over 19 playoff games. His 47.3 percent offensive-zone time ranked in the 97th percentile among forwards, and he produced 70 mid-range shots and 60 high-danger shots. With the No. 2 center spot now established, Stankoven is positioned to carry his playoff scoring into a full regular season.
Jackson Blake, F, Carolina Hurricanes
Average draft position: 140.4
Blake did not merely ride shotgun on Carolina’s playoff line. He led the entire 2026 postseason in even-strength scoring with 18 points and placed third overall with 20 points in 19 games.
His sophomore regular season also delivered new personal highs: 22 goals, 31 assists, 53 points, 12 power-play points, 174 shots and 16:30 per night. Blake ranked eighth among NHL forwards in even-strength offensive-zone time percentage at 46.3, while his 15 high-danger goals landed in the 90th percentile. Alongside Stankoven, he is one of the more attractive middle-round combinations on the board.
Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings
Average draft position: 105.3
Clarke filled every column for Los Angeles last season, setting career marks with eight goals, 32 assists, 40 points, 13 power-play points, 159 shots, 185 blocks, 63 penalty minutes and 19:48 of ice time over 82 games. Only Moritz Seider and Noah Dobson also reached 40 points, 150 shots and 180 blocks among NHL defensemen.
He generated chances from every shooting lane, posting 14 high-danger shots, 31 from the middle range and 76 from long range. Clarke also logged two high-danger goals and three from distance. His 45.5 percent offensive-zone time, 43.0 percent offensive-zone starts and 28.08 power-play skating miles each ranked in the 93rd percentile at his position.
The eighth pick of the 2021 draft is expected to quarterback the Kings’ top power-play unit after averaging 2:17 with the man advantage last year. That opportunity makes the 23-year-old a legitimate fringe top-25 defense option.
Mavrik Bourque, F, Nashville Predators
Average draft position: Not available
Bourque arrives in Nashville after setting NHL bests with Dallas in points, goals, assists, shots, hits and average ice time. He posted 20 goals, 21 assists and 41 points in all 82 games, adding 147 shots, 78 hits and 15:29 per outing.
The 24-year-old could begin on Nashville’s second line with Steven Stamkos, who scored 42 goals last season and tied for ninth in the NHL. Bourque also has a path to the first power-play group with Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. His 14 high-danger goals, 59 high-danger shots and 17 long-range shots all ranked well for his position. Going undrafted on average, he is a late target with particular value in long-term formats.
Bowen Byram, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Average draft position: 114.8
Byram heads to Chicago as the club’s undisputed No. 1 defenseman and a likely first-unit power-play option. After navigating injury trouble earlier in his career, he dressed for all 177 Buffalo games across the past two regular seasons and playoffs.
Last season brought personal highs of 11 goals, 42 points, seven power-play points and 109 shots. His skating profile was among the best for NHL defensemen: 107 bursts above 20 mph, a maximum speed of 22.87 mph and 263.93 total miles. He also ranked strongly in high-danger shots and goals, with 14 and three, respectively, while scoring six mid-range goals on 30 shots.
If he reaches the expected 25-plus minutes per night, Byram has a realistic shot at 15 goals and 50 points. That would push him toward the top-25 fantasy defense conversation.
Zach Benson, F, Buffalo Sabres
Average draft position: 145.9
Benson’s 2025-26 regular season ended with 13 goals, 30 assists and 43 points in 65 games. He added two short-handed points, four game-winning goals and a career-best average of 15:53 per night.
His playoff work showed another level of involvement. Benson scored five goals and added four assists in 13 games, firing 26 shots while averaging 17:06 of ice time. He was especially effective around the net, producing 62 high-danger regular-season shots, then adding 13 high-danger shots and three goals from that area in the playoffs. Alex Tuch’s departure should create more top-six opportunity for Benson, one of four Sabres included in keeper and dynasty rankings along with Josh Doan, Jack Quinn and Peyton Krebs.
Other names worth tracking
- Simon Nemec, D, Calgary Flames — ADP: 142.1
- Gabe Perreault, F, New York Rangers — ADP: 129.3
- Frank Nazar, F, Chicago Blackhawks — ADP: Not available
- Brett Howden, F, Vegas Golden Knights — ADP: Not available
- Michael Misa, F, San Jose Sharks — ADP: 131.1
- Fraser Minten, F, Boston Bruins — ADP: Not available
- Calum Ritchie, F, New York Islanders — ADP: Not available
- Mackie Samoskevich, F, Seattle Kraken — ADP: Not available
- Danila Yurov, F, Minnesota Wild — ADP: Not available
- Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim Ducks — ADP: Not available
- Linus Karlsson, F, Vancouver Canucks — ADP: Not available
Players already on the verge
A second tier has less sleeper appeal but may be ready to turn strong play into a true star-level season. Leo Carlsson of Anaheim leads that group at an ADP of 45.7, followed by Ottawa defenseman Jake Sanderson at 63.8 and Carolina goaltender Brandon Bussi at 76.5.
- Leo Carlsson, F, Anaheim Ducks — ADP: 45.7
- Jake Sanderson, D, Ottawa Senators — ADP: 63.8
- Brandon Bussi, G, Carolina Hurricanes — ADP: 76.5
- Jackson LaCombe, D, Anaheim Ducks — ADP: 79.5
- Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild — ADP: 81.8
- Jakub Dobes, G, Montreal Canadiens — ADP: 82.3
- Ivan Demidov, F, Montreal Canadiens — ADP: 86.1
- Logan Cooley, F, Utah — ADP: 120.2
- Luke Hughes, D, New Jersey Devils — ADP: 134.4
- William Eklund, F, Ottawa Senators — ADP: 138.0
