NHL Leap-Forward and Regression Candidates to Watch This Season

As the NHL season approaches, analysts have identified a group of players who could see meaningful shifts in their statistical output this year, whether through a breakout leap or a step back from previous form.

Candidates for a Leap Forward

Young, high-upside players such as Matvei Michkov and rookie Michael Misa headline the group expected to take a step forward. Both players enter the season with high expectations after strong underlying performances, and analysts see room for continued growth as they gain more experience and ice time at the NHL level.

Regression Candidates

On the other side, veterans like Anthony Mantha are flagged as potential regression candidates, where prior statistical output may have been buoyed by factors such as favorable shooting percentages or health that are less likely to repeat.

These types of projections rely on underlying performance indicators rather than raw counting stats alone, looking at metrics like shot quality, ice time trends and possession numbers to identify players whose surface-level production may not match their true talent level.

As always with season-long projections, health, coaching changes and team context can significantly affect how these players' seasons actually unfold, making early-season performance an important checkpoint for revisiting these forecasts.