9 NHLers Poised to Bounce Back in 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Season Previews

It’s September, which means NHL hockey is right around the corner. With that, let’s identify some NHLers who struggled during the 2025-26 season but are poised to bounce back.

Jordan Kyrou

Jordan Kyrou is the ideal change-of-scenery candidate. He struggled with the St. Louis Blues last season, totaling just 18 goals and 46 points in 72 games, but his underlying metrics were terrific. He totaled an expected goals share (xG%) of 59.74 percent, one of the top xG shares among all forwards in the NHL.

Kyrou also shot 9.02 percent at five-on-five, the lowest he’s shot since he appeared in 16 games for the Blues in 2018-19. That number was around 11-13 percent over the previous three seasons, so he should be due for some positive regression.

His numbers are good indicators that he may rebound, and he should be in a better environment to succeed with the Washington Capitals. Kyrou will likely get a chance to play alongside players like Alex Tuch and Dylan Strome, and the Capitals should be one of the best teams in the Metropolitan Division. I’d expect around 30 goals and 60 points from him, which is right around his career averages.

Connor McMichael

Acquired in the trade that sent Kyrou to the Capitals, Connor McMichael could be in line to rebound himself. He wasn’t awful last season, recording 14 goals and 46 points in 78 games, but his shooting percentage did dip from his previous two seasons.

McMichael shot just 9.9 percent, below the 14.1 percent he shot across his previous two seasons. He’s not the play driver Kyrou is, but as a complement to someone like Robert Thomas, I could see him eclipsing 20 goals, and even nearing 25, while totaling around 55 points.

Michael Kesselring

Michael Kesselring had a rough season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2025-26, but he’s only 26. You don’t suddenly forget how to play hockey overnight at that age. He just wasn’t a fit for the Sabres and fell out of favor with head coach Lindy Ruff.

Before joining the Sabres, Kesselring was a player on the rise with the Utah Mammoth. He finished the 2024-25 season with seven goals and 29 points in 82 games. He showed offensive ability and was a sound defender as a No. 4 or 5 defenseman.

Furthermore, Kesselring had an individual point percentage of just 11.76 last season. The league average IPP for defensemen is around 30-35 percent, so he should bounce back, and there’s opportunity for him with the San Jose Sharks this season. Even with the acquisitions of Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba, there should be second-pairing minutes for him, plus some PP2 time.

Brayden Point

Brayden Point finished with 18 goals and 50 points in 63 games last season. He was far from terrible, but it was a notable drop in production from his previous three seasons when he finished with 80+ and even 90+ points.

Point’s underlying metrics were still solid last season. He finished with an xG% of 52.89 and a +22 goal differential at five-on-five. He’s still one of the NHL’s best skaters, and he excels in transition. All signs point to him bouncing back, but what does that look like?

Point shot above 20 percent in each of his three previous seasons, but shot just 14 percent last season. He might not touch 40 goals again, but 30 or more goals and 70+ points could be within reach. He also dealt with injuries last season, and while he says they didn’t slow him down, better health could go a long way, too.

Thomas Harley

Thomas Harley wasn’t himself last season. He totaled just six goals and 36 points, and his underlying metrics were not great. He finished with an xG% of 49.87, well below his xG share in 2024-25. Injuries were a factor as well, as he broke his foot in November and wasn’t the same afterward.

There’s good reason to believe Harley can bounce back, though. One) He shot just 3.26 percent at five-on-five last season. He shot a bit above eight percent in each of his previous two seasons, so that should revert to the mean.

Two) Harley should be healthy entering camp. The Stars are still one of the top teams in the Western Conference, so he should be in a position to succeed with better health. There’s pressure on him to perform, but it’d be a surprise if he doesn’t bounce back.

Kent Johnson

Kent Johnson is an interesting player. There have been plenty of peaks and valleys in his production, with last season being one of his valleys. He finished with just seven goals and 22 points in 76 games and was a healthy scratch on a few occasions.

His underlying metrics were a mixed bag, too. Johnson finished with an xG% of 49.99 and a -5 goal differential at five-on-five. Still, there’s reason to be optimistic that better days are ahead.

Johnson shot just 6.1 percent last season, below his career average of 12.3 percent. There have been some wild fluctuations in his shooting percentage throughout his career (that partly explains the rollercoaster in his point totals), but it’s still a good indicator that he could bounce back.

The question is, what does a bounce-back look like for Johnson? He was a 24-goal, 57-point player in 2024-25, but he also shot 19 percent. He’s probably not that player, but a 40- 45-point scorer who nets 20 goals may be a reasonable expectation.

Timo Meier

New Jersey Devils fans have been wanting more from Timo Meier since they acquired him ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. He finished last season with 24 goals and 44 points in 77 games, more or less in line with his production since the Devils acquired him.

That’s not enough for someone making $8.8 million per year. He’s the Devils’ highest-paid forward, so they need more from him, but perhaps 2026-27 is the season where he lives up to expectations.

Meier shot just 6.74 percent at five-on-five last season, the lowest of his career. His five-on-five shooting percentage was between eight and nine percent in each of his previous three seasons, so there should be some positive regression.

The Devils also shot just 6.57 percent when Meier was on the ice at five-on-five. That number has generally been around eight to ten percent for his career, so that could rebound, too. He’s not a 40-goal scorer, but perhaps he cracks 30 and 55-60 points with a bit more shooting luck.

Connor Hellebuyck

Among the biggest stories heading into the 2026-27 season is Connor Hellebuyck. He recently went public with a trade request, so he’ll likely be playing elsewhere in a few weeks. A change of scenery could do him well, as he’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.

Hellebuyck finished with an .895 save percentage last season, the lowest SV% he’s ever recorded during the regular season. His previous low was .907, which he set in 2016-17. But even though his counting totals weren’t great, his underlying metrics were still solid.

Hellebuyck saved 14.22 goals above expected. That is less than what we’ve come to expect from him, but it’s still quite good. He also totaled a five-on-five save percentage of .907. Again, that’s not what we’re used to seeing from him, but it’s far from poor.

Furthermore, the Jets struggled defensively, and Hellebuyck missed some time after having knee surgery before the Olympics. We’ll see where he begins the 2026-27 season, but he’s as good a bounce-back candidate as anyone heading into the new year.

Jacob Markström

I’m not as bullish on Jacob Markström bouncing back as I am with Hellebuyck, but there’s some potential. He struggled with the Devils last season, totaling a SV% of .883 and allowing 10.84 goals above expected. But he’ll be in a new environment with the Florida Panthers.

There are some teams that, when they make a signing/trade, you take notice. The Panthers must see something they like in Markström, because they opted to acquire him rather than re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky. With the roster they’ll have in front of him, I could see him finding his game again.

Sure, Markström’s struggles date back to the second half of the 2024-25 season, but the Panthers don’t need him to be elite. The league average SV% last season was .896. If he can provide an .895 to .900 SV% while saving what’s expected of him, the Panthers should be a legit contender again. I don’t think that’s an unreasonable ask.

Some of these players may not bounce back, but whether it’s due to luck, a change in environment, or something else, they’re the best bets to rebound in 2026-27.

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