Over the past week, TheHockeyNews.com has examined prospect goaltenders and defensemen who look ready to make the jump to being full-time NHLers.

Now, it’s time to see the wingers who look to join that group, and they’re an exciting bunch.

As for the criteria, it’s the same as the defensemen list, so these players must have been either AHL or NCAA regulars last season, still eligible for the Calder Trophy and are at least 20 years old. 

Without further ado, here are five breakthrough wingers for the 2025-26 NHL season.

Matt Savoie, Edmonton Oilers

Everywhere Edmonton Oilers prospect Matt Savoie has played, he’s found success. He averaged more than a point per game in the United States League and WHL in juniors. By the end of his first full AHL season in Bakersfield, the 2021 ninth overall pick from the Buffalo Sabres has blossomed into a player ready to make that jump to the NHL.

There are still questions about Savoie’s game at the next level. 

Will his diminutive 5-foot-9 stature hinder his ability to remain an offensive threat? Can he create consistently at the NHL level rather than rely on being an off-the-puck finisher? 

These questions are valid, but they’re so far overblown by all accounts. 

Savoie has the skating, the smarts, the deception and the skill to be a capable offensive second-line-caliber guy. 

Even if Savoie tops out as more of a supplementary offensive player, we’ve seen players in that mold succeed on first lines next to genuine stars, such as Capitals playmaker Dylan Strome next to Alex Ovechkin last season or previously, Mike Hoffman with Mark Stone on the Ottawa Senators. 

With Zach Hyman potentially missing time next season recovering from wrist surgery, Savoie could have opportunities to play with the best of the best, such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Savoie is listed as the third-best right winger on the Oilers' depth chart in The Hockey News’ 2025 Yearbook & Fantasy Guide. 

Gabe Perreault, New York Rangers

In Gabe Perreault’s draft year, he netted the most points in USA Hockey National Team Development Program history with 132 over 63 games. He beat out a plethora of NHL stars, such as Auston Matthews (117 in 60), Jack Eichel (87 in 53) and NHL 26 cover star Matthew Tkachuk (95 in 65), to name a few. 

Unlike those mentioned above who were selected well within the top 10 of the NHL draft, Perreault fell to the New York Rangers at 23rd overall.

Draft concerns included his skating, a lack of bulk and how he’d do without his NTDP linemates, Washington Capitals pick Ryan Leonard and the San Jose Sharks’ Will Smith. 

While his skating has marginally improved, and he’s become more physically engaged and mature with time, the concerns surrounding Perreault’s reliance on his linemates are worth amplifying. Since Smith’s arrival in San Jose, Perreault’s stat line from his first to second seasons in the NCAA fell by 12 points. Given this, Perreault’s lack of significant skating improvements may hinder his truly elite upside. He should be more well-rounded to fit lower in the lineup.

With the Rangers’ youth movement in full swing, The Hockey News projects Perreault as the No. 2 right winger on the team. Given this opportunity, Perreault should succeed despite his skating, as he has the tools and hockey sense to become a high-end cerebral playmaker at the NHL level.

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Ville Koivunen, Pittsburgh Penguins

Ville Koivunen’s stock has skyrocketed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

He was overlooked when the Carolina Hurricanes included him in the trade to Pittsburgh for beloved star forward Jake Guentzel at the 2024 trade deadline. While the 2021 second-round pick averaged close to a point per game in Finland in 2023-24, he struggled to produce in an AHL stint the season before. However, from the moment he joined the Baby Pens in the AHL, things took off.

In his first full-time AHL season, Koivunen led the Penguins' affiliate in points with 56. This led to an eight-game NHL call-up where he put up seven assists thanks to his exceptional vision and deception. 

Koivunen is ranked as the No. 1 left winger on the Penguins, and one would have to imagine what a full season next to Sidney Crosby could do to fast-track his development. 

Bradly Nadeau, Carolina Hurricanes

Drafted late in the QMJHL, USHL and even his home province’s Maritime Junior Hockey League, Nadeau quickly rose to prominence in the BCHL, scoring 45 goals and 68 assists for 113 points over 54 games in his draft year. 

The impressive play led to him being drafted 30th overall in 2023 by the Hurricanes. He was considered a project player at the time.

Just one year later, Nadeau made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes after a seismic 46-point rookie campaign in the NCAA with the University of Maine. 

Needing some more seasoning, Nadeau played his age-19 season in the AHL with Chicago and very quickly adapted to the pro game, adding more physicality and playmaking to his game alongside his dangerous shot. 

Given this, it wouldn’t be surprising if Nadeau sneaks onto the Hurricanes roster out of camp despite being ranked as the No. 5 right winger on the team in the 2025 Yearbook.

Five Goalies Poised To Break Into The NHL Full-Time In 2025-26Anticipate a wave of newer faces looking to prove themselves in net this NHL season.

Liam Ohgren, Minnesota Wild

When Liam Ohgren got the call-up to the Minnesota Wild after a string of injuries last season, the 2022 19th overall pick made them count. 

The six-foot left winger showed off his speed, willingness to engage physically and a deceptive, NHL-level shot. By season’s end, the 21-year-old amassed 24 more games of experience in the big league, scoring two goals and three assists. 

Ohgren’s work rate has seemingly transitioned off the ice as well as the youngster looks swole in off-season training photos. The additional bulk and conditioning might be just enough of what Ohgren needs to make the Wild’s bottom six full-time next season. He’s currently positioned as the No. 5 left winger in THN’s Yearbook.

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As training camp nears, the Detroit Red Wings face a crucial decision of who will fill in as the first-line left wing.

The Detroit Red Wings are a little under a month away from in-game action as they prepare for training camp and pre-season. One of the few remaining question marks left in the Detroit lineup is the top line left wing spot. It's unclear as of right now who will occupy the left wing of Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin with fewer solutions becoming available. 

The team reportedly hopes to keep their second line of Marco Kasper, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat intact, as the trio showed strong chemistry and offensive potential last season. With that line likely staying together, the coaching staff will need to look elsewhere to fill the top-line left wing role. Whether that means promoting from within, giving a young prospect a shot, or making a late offseason move. There are still several names in the mix, and each brings a different set of strengths and risks to consider. 

Red Wings' Larkin Cracks NHL Network’s Top 20 Centres List for 2025Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin named to NHL Network's top 20 centres list for 2025

Veteran Netfront Presence in van Riemsdyk

The early lineup reports have recent Red Wings' add James van Riemsdyk on the top line left wing spot and this does make a bit of sense. During last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, van Riemsdyk occasionally played top line minutes at times with Sean Monahan and it worked out quite well for them. JVR posted 16 goals, his highest total in three seasons, and finished with 36 points, marking the eighth time he was able to do so in his last nine seasons. 

It's not an elite option like they were hoping for but a big body in front to screen the goaltender could help boost the production of the other forwards getting better openings same for defenceman like Moritz Seider or Simon Edvinsson from the point. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Rookie Opportunity

One potential option that some contending teams have been rumored to be exploring is giving a big chance to an up-and-coming prospect for top line minutes with two elite linemates. This can hopefully fast track their development and work as a low-cost option on an entry-level deal compared to a player with millions coming in against the cap. The back-to-back Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers are rumored to be experimenting with this as they would like to give high-end prospect Isaac Howard a chance to carve out a meaningful role. 

This is expected to be a role on the top line with one of the best players in the league in Connor McDavid with the elite Zach Hyman on his opposite wing. The Red Wings have several options they could use for this method like former first round pick Nate Danielson or former third round pick Carter Mazur, who are both expected to contend for NHL roster spots this September. 

Yzerman, Red Wings Parts Ways with In-State Standout, Signs with Sabres AffiliateThe Detroit Red Wings lose rights to former draft pick and Michigan State captain Red Savage as he signs with Sabres AHL affiliate.

Sign Fabbri? Offer Sheet McTavish? Max Pacioretty?

There are still several options on the market worth exploring for the position. Veterans like Max Pacioretty or Tomas Tatar, both possibly nearing unofficial retirement, remain available. There are also younger reclamation projects such as former first-round pick Jakub Vrana who could offer some upside. 

Another intriguing possibility is bringing back former Red Wing Robby Fabbri. Despite being limited to just 44 games last season due to an upper-body injury, he could be an option if healthy as he had his most productive years in Detroit. From 2020 to 2024, Fabbri recorded 127 points with 61 goals in 234 games. His 61 goals rank third and his points rank sixth on the team during that span, all while averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time per game. His 0.54 points per game average suggests he could potentially reach the 45 to 50 point range in a larger role. Fabbri could be a low-cost, short-term experiment who could easily be moved down the lineup if it does not work out. 

Lastly, the most unlikely option is trying to put in an offer sheet for Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. The young, growing talent is a restricted free agent with the Red Wings having been involved in trade talks with for some time. Not much news has come out about the situation since but as we draw very close to the season it seems unlikely he will be moved.

“My Heart Beat Faster”: Sergei Fedorov Recaps Finding Out Of Jersey Retirement NewsThe iconic No. 91 jersey of former Detroit Red Wings forward Sergei Fedorov will soon be taking its rightful place in the rafters of Little Caesars Arena, and will be displayed alongside the eight previously retired numbers that include his teammates Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom.

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Not long after the graduation of Matvei Michkov, the Philadelphia Flyers once again have a top five NHL prospect in their system.

Prospect savants EliteProspects recently released their latest list of the top 100 NHL-drafted prospects, featuring Flyers picks ranging from Jett Luchanko to Alex Bump.

But, to find the first Flyers prospect on the list, you won't have to read very long at all.

Forward Porter Martone, drafted sixth overall by the Flyers in the 2025 NHL Draft in June, placed fourth overall on EliteProspects's ranking.

The only players ahead of the 18-year-old future Flyers star are 2024 first-round pick Ivan Demidov and 2025 draft classmates Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa. Not too shabby, huh?

Notably, Martone ranked ahead of players like Ryan Leonard, Zeev Buium, Beckett Sennecke, James Hagens, Michigan State University teammate Cayden Lindstrom, and Tij Iginla.

Flyers Reportedly Rejected Islanders Trade to Secure Porter MartoneThe Philadelphia Flyers were open to lots of things ahead of the NHL Draft, but, ultimately, a bold New York Islanders trade offer wasn't enough to pull them away from selecting Porter Martone with the sixth overall pick.

Players like Brady Martin and Anton Frondell didn't even crack the top 20 in this ranking.

"Porter Martone understands hockey at a deeper level than most. He knows where to be, how to move, and where to pass to break the opposition’s coverage and score," EliteProspects director of North American scouting Mitch Brown wrote.

"Not only does he have all the necessary tools to play in the NHL, but his hockey sense grades as elite. If he can become more physical and add pace to his game, he should become a top-line play-driver."

Should Martone take that next step as Brown suggests, he'll provide with the Flyers with yet another elite player on the wings alongside Matvei Michkov.

Martone, of course, would be the second star prospect at the position in the last two years for the Flyers, succeeding Michkov.

The Flyers would love to add more high-end talent down the middle to get the puck to those guys, but it's not as if they don't have it all.

Flyers' Porter Martone Badly Snubbed in Ranking of Top NCAA ProspectsTop Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting young prospects playing in the NCAA this season, but, strangely, some would disagree.

Plus, Brown predicted Luchanko would eventually take over as a second-line center for the Flyers in the near future, particularly due to his unobstructed path to the role.

A new addition like Trevor Zegras might have something to say about that, but there are no guarantees the former Anaheim Duck is a long-term solution with only one year remaining on his contract.

So long as Martone continues to progress in the NCAA, as widely expected, the Flyers will be in a good position to contend for a Stanley Cup for a long time.

Expect the No. 6 overall pick to see NHL ice as soon as this upcoming spring after his freshman season in the NCAA.

It seems Emil Bemström’s time in North America has come to an end.

It was reported last week by Henrik Sjöberg of HockeyNews.se that Bemström will return to Europe. But he won't be playing in his home country of Sweden as many people would expect him to do.

Instead, Bemström will take his talents to Switzerland and play for SC Bern of the Swiss National League per Sjöberg. Bern has been playing since 1931 and is widely considered the most successful franchise in the NL. The team has yet to make it official, and he's not listed on their roster.

After being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in February of 2024, he played a total of 38 games, scoring 3 goals and totaling 6 points. He was not tendered a contract by Pittsburgh this summer. 

In Columbus he played in 242 games. He scored 34 goals and had 75 points. Unfortunately for Bemström, he could never get it to click in the NHL. 

In the AHL is where he really excelled. For the Cleveland Monsters, he played in 33 games and had a total of 47 points. For the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season, he had 48 points in 48 games. 

It seems young Bemström was just good enough for the AHL, but just not quite good enough to make it work in the NHL. 

He's still young at 26, so I wouldn't write off Emil Bemström making an NHL return just yet. 

Let us know what you think below.

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The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

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#22 - Simon-Pier Brunet - D (Drummondville - QMJHL)

Brunet was the Sabres fourth-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. A teammate of Buffalo blueline prospect Vsevolod Komarov, the 6’2” 196 lb. defenseman had not shown much of an offensive side in the first two years of his junior career, posting just 17 points in 99 games before being drafted, but last season the 19-year-old posted 32 points (8 goals, 24 assists) in 60 games with Drummondville of the QMJHL. 

Brunet does have the size and skating ability that could have develop into a matchup shutdown defender down the line. In June, the 6’2”, 196 blueliner was dealt by the Voltigeurs to Victoriaville, where he will play next season, but reports indicate that after next season he will head to the NCAA to play at Merrimack College.  

The Sabres obviously recognize the organizational need for right-handed blueliners with their top four defenders in Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Bowen Byram, and Owen Power all left-handed, that is why they have drafted predominantly righties (Radim Mrtka, David Bedkowski, Adam Kleber, Brunet, Maxim Strbak, Gavin McCarthy, and Komarov) in the last four drafts.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

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The retooling of the London Knights roster has been in full throttle throughout August. GM Mark Hunter has been actively signing free agents with valuable junior-level experience. Additionally, through the import draft, the team has acquired a large right-shot defenseman who was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in this past June's draft.

On Monday, the Knights organization announced the signing of Swedish blueliner Linus Funck to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. London used their first-round selection (58th overall) in the 2025 CHL Import Draft to take Funck. He is the 13th player from the first round of the draft to sign in the OHL for the upcoming season. 

We've signed @Avalanche prospect Linus Funck to an OHL Scholarship & Development Agreement.

DETAILS: https://t.co/2gTiBb6xevpic.twitter.com/J5FZup0BJu

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) August 18, 2025

Funck, 18, was taken 118th overall in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Avalanche. He played in Sweden’s top junior league (J20 Nationell) for the Lulea HF organization. Funck led his team in scoring amongst defensemen with 28 points (5 goals, 23 assists) in 48 games. Also, he wasn’t afraid to mix it up from time to time, a trait the Hunter brothers will adore, recording 59 penalty minutes. 

London Knights Bolster Lineup With Latest Two SigningsThere’s one thing that the London Knights don’t do: rebuild. Fresh off back-to-back OHL Championships, and several of their star players leaving the team due to graduating to the professional level or aging out of the league, don’t expect the Hunter brothers to stay quiet.

“Defensively, Funck shows good awareness and positioning within his own end. He’s quick on puck retrievals and shows great intensity when battling for the puck in the corners and down low. He anticipates and kills plays very well and does a great job of quickly transitioning to offense. While he has some bite, if he adds a little more strength to his game, he could become even more of a threat on the backend.” 

Peter Baracchini, a writer for The Hockey Writers, wrote a draft profile for Funck. The above quote is just a snippet describing Funck’s value on the defensive side of the puck. In his article, he mentions that the Swede is a pass-first kind of player, but does a good job at walking the blueline to find open shooting lanes. 

The Hunter brothers love size on their blueline. Funck stands at 6-foot-3 and 183 pounds. Pair that with his fluid mobility and you have a right-shot defenseman who can shut down attacks swiftly with his feet and reach. 

London has had one of the best bluelines in the OHL for a few years now. Their depth was unmatched. However, Oliver Bonk, Cam Allen, and most likely Sam Dickinson, won’t be back. The opportunity for Colorado’s fourth-rounder to play top-four minutes is there, as the Knights arguably only have one right-shot defenseman — Henry Brzustewicz — capable of handling those minutes. 

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Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby may be entering his 21st NHL season, but he is still a legitimate superstar. He had another fantastic season in 2024-25 for the Penguins, as he recorded 33 goals, 58 assists, and 91 points in 80 games. This was the 20th season in a row that Crosby produced at an over a point per game pace, which is an NHL record.

With Crosby once again being one of the NHL's most dominant players in 2024-25, he has rightfully made the NHL Network's latest Top 20 Centers Right Now list.

Crosby earned the No. 5 spot on the NHL Network's list, ranking ahead of other star centers like Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and Brayden Point. Crosby also moved up, as he was No. 6 on the NHL Network's list last year. 

Our Top 20 Centers Right Now list has a total of:
• 12 Stanley Cups
• 5 Conn Smythe Trophies
• 10 Ted Lindsay Awards
• 8 Hart Trophies
• 8 Art Ross Trophies
• 7 Maurice Richard Trophies
• 3 Selke Trophies

What do you think of our list?@NHL | #NHLTopPlayerspic.twitter.com/7xSsx0hpuh

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 20, 2025

While Crosby is now 38 years old, he has not shown any signs of slowing down. He is easily still one of the NHL's best players, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of year he can have with the Penguins in 2025-26 from here. 

Report: Former Penguins Defender Heading OverseasFormer Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta has reportedly found his new home and will be taking his talents overseas.