4 NHL Sophomores Who Could Break Out in 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Season Previews

As summer winds down, most NHL rosters are now in place, with some teams trying to make some final tweaks to go from contender to champion while others are assessing their place in the landscape. Plenty of players have something to prove, but a quartet of sophomores are poised to take a big leap forward.

There are a few honorable mentions (Ryan Leonard of the Washington Capitals and Matvei Gridin of the Calgary Flames, for example), but these four NHL sophomores should make the biggest jump in their development in 2026-27.

Danila Yurov, C, Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild are one piece away from being a true Stanley Cup threat. They have long been tied to No. 2 centers, but they may have one in-house: Danila Yurov.

Yurov spent a lot of time playing next to Kirill Kaprizov in 2025-26, picking up 12 goals and 27 points in 73 games. He has the skill and high-end hands to play with guys like Kaprizov and Matt Boldy.

Consistency is the biggest issue for Yurov – he went long stretches without a point as a rookie – but opportunity shouldn’t be. If he can establish himself this season, he will have every chance to claim a role as one of the top centers on a potential Cup contender.

Gabe Perreault, W, New York Rangers

The Rangers are in a weird spot. They don’t look anything like a contender, but they aren’t ready to go through a full-on rebuild, either. One important step in their rise up the standings will be the development of Gabe Perreault, the 23^rd overall pick in 2023.

Perreault really started to come on in the latter half of 2025-26, especially when Artemi Panarin was sent packing to the Los Angeles Kings. Perreault scored 12 goals and 27 points through 49 games, finishing with 19 points in 23 games across March and April.

Seeing time alongside Alexis Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad, Perreault showed the high-end skill that made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2023 Draft. The 21-year-old is on the precipice of being one of the Rangers’ core pieces as they figure out what direction to move in.

Michael Misa, C, San Jose Sharks

Igor Chernyshov could easily land in this slot, but we’ll focus on the second overall pick from 2025. Misa has the size and skill to be a dominant player in the NHL and should slot in as the No. 2 center on one of the most stacked young teams in the league.

Like others on this list, Misa had a slow start to last season before finding his confidence as the campaign progressed. Even better, he has a bevy of young, talented players around him that will take some of the attention off him.

The Sharks have built an impressive pool of young talent, and Misa figures to be one of their cornerstones. Playing behind Macklin Celebrini, he will have more comfortable matchups, a plethora of top-notch offensive linemates, and more opportunity than ever before.

Zayne Parekh, D, Calgary Flames

The Flames have a lot to figure out, but they have one clear foundational piece in the 2024 first-round pick. In 37 games last season, Parekh produced four goals and nine points but flashed the kind of potential that shows he can be a top-pair producer.

The good news is that Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar are out. Unfortunately, the Flames gave up a haul to get Simon Nemec, putting Parekh’s path to top power-play minutes in question.

Parekh showed his abilities late last season by playing big minutes and scoring a few highlight-reel goals. He’s also 20 years old, so even if he doesn’t have a massive breakout in 2026-27, a positive developmental step would be huge for him and the team.

Slow Development or Franchise Cornerstones?

Each of these teams is putting a lot of stock into these young potential stars. For the Flames and Sharks, their future success hinges heavily on the development of these players. For a competitive team like the Wild, Yurov’s ability to ascend can mean the difference between contender and pretender.

The NHL is in a great place with young, offensive-minded talent. These four have a chance to join the game’s premier young talents while elevating their teams in the process.