The 1,312 game 2025-26 NHL season is around the corner (at least that’s what the local weather indicates). It’s this time of the year when previews, predictions, and season preparations are found throughout the hockey writing world, so here’s another one to chew on.
There are plenty of star players poised for breakout seasons. Some skaters will join elite clubs this season, like the 30-goal club or put up 80 points to lead their offense and their teams to great seasons. But what fun is it to think about the 30-goal scorers or the 80-point getters? Let’s look at the players who can enter truly elite territory.
Who can score 50 or more goals for the first time this season? Who can reach 100 points or more? Last season, there were only six players with 100 points and one with 50 goals (Leon Draisaitl). So, it’s rare air these days but a few players can hit those marks for the first time in their careers.
Jack Hughes: 100-Point Club in reach
Jack Hughes is a skater to watch for both goals and points. When he’s healthy and in the lineup for the New Jersey Devils, he’s one of the best in the game, certainly one of the most exciting. Better yet, he’s in a situation that can allow him to pile up the stats. Hughes centers the top line and often has Jesper Bratt or Timo Meier on his wing, two forwards who open things up and can find the back of the net. Additionally, Dougie Hamilton is a playmaker from the point, along with his brother, Luke Hughes.
He came close in the 2022-23 season with 43 goals and 99 points. Then the injuries sidelined him for each of the past two seasons. He enters this year poised for career-bests, and with his speed and skill on full display, it isn’t out of the ordinary to see him close in on both marks.
Jack Eichel: 100-point club candidate
Jack Eichel, surprisingly enough, has never had 100 points in his career. He’s one of the best in the NHL, a borderline Hart Trophy player, yet hasn’t hit that milestone. To be fair, he came close last season with 94 points as the leader of the top line for the Vegas Golden Knights.
The only question is whether he can reach that mark with Mitch Marner on his line. Initially, the answer to that is yes, since it’s another elite player for him to work with. However, Marner, like Eichel, is a playmaker but not a scorer. So, either one of them must take on the scoring role, or they’ll need to play on separate lines. Regardless, the skill from Eichel (plus this being a contract year) makes it easy to believe he’ll hit the 100-point mark.
Wyatt Johnston: 50 goals are doable but a stretch
Wyatt Johnston is quietly becoming one of the best young goal scorers in the NHL. He’s only 22 yet has 89 goals in his career. There’s a good chance Johnston will have 200 goals before turning 25, and suddenly, the conversation around him will be if he can catch Alexander Ovechkin.
What makes Johnston special is his ability to score and do so in multiple ways. His shot stands out but he also powers to the net and finishes scoring chances. He’ll also turn on the jets when needed and gash another team on the rush.
Johnston’s career best is 33 goals, so it’s quite the leap for him to score 50. That said, he’s just starting to enter his prime. With the Dallas Stars possessing plenty of elite talent to help Johnston out, and the young center hitting his stride, it’s not crazy to see him hit the 50-goal mark and stay there for multiple seasons.
Tage Thompson: a 50/100 candidate
In 2022-23, Tage Thompson was close to both marks, with 47 goals and 94 points. That was the season when nobody could stop him, and the Buffalo Sabres were a borderline playoff team. The Sabres have taken a step back since then but Thompson remains an elite talent who is in his prime.
Even if the Sabres are nowhere near the playoffs, this can be the season Thompson scores 50 goals. He’s one of the elite scorers in the NHL, and when he gets going, he becomes impossible to stop. It’s why he’s scored in bunches and why he can pile on the goals.
Mathew Barzal: a 25/100 candidate?
Mathew Barzal is always a trendy pick for the 100-point club. Yet, he’s never replicated that rookie season where he had 85 points and won the Calder Trophy. Some of that’s by design, as the New York Islanders have played a defense-first style, and some of it’s because of his health and supporting cast.
A full season on the same line with Bo Horvat should get him close. The skill is there, and it’s a matter of him leaning into it. It’s also a matter of the Islanders leaning into it and allowing him to take over games. Patrick Roy, as the head coach, has the Islanders playing a balanced game but he can let Barzal win with his speed and become a 100-point player.
Kyle Connor: Three more points needed
It might surprise the casual fan to find out that Kyle Connor has never had a 50-goal or 100-point season. The 50-goal part is the biggest surprise since he’s arguably the best shooter in the game.
Connor had 47 goals in 2021-22 and had 97 points last season, so he’s been close to both marks. This is the season for him to do it with the Winnipeg Jets, hoping to remain a top team in the Western Conference and the star player entering the final season of his contract. So, maybe a 50-goal season makes him the highest-paid winger in the NHL (or has him on the trade block halfway through the season).
Young Skaters Who Can Hit Either Milestone
There are a few second-year players who can enter the club. Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini lead the way as the two elite forwards who proved last season they can take over games at any point. For both of them, the thought it when, not if, they’ll reach these marks.
This also applies to the other young skaters in the NHL poised to break out. Connor Bedard had a rough sophomore season, yet ended it with 67 points, so with some help, he can find his footing as a generational talent. Adam Fantilli, meanwhile, made massive strides and scored 31 goals last season, making 50 within reach as he enters his third season. Then there’s Leo Carlsson, who is emerging as a star on an Anaheim Ducks team filled with elite young players.
The Montreal Canadiens also have a trio, or a foursome, of players who can hit either mark. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are in their primes, and Juraj Slafkovsky is entering his (plus Ivan Demidov, as a rookie, is projected to be one of the next great forwards in the NHL). With the Canadiens expected to become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, it wouldn’t be a shock if one of their forwards has a breakout season.
