A big year can change the conversation fast in the NHL, but it can also set up the next-season pullback. That’s the danger zone for a handful of players coming off career peaks in 2025-26, where the numbers were sparkling enough to raise the bar - and maybe a little too high to sustain.
Dan Vladar is the clearest example. The Philadelphia Flyers goalie put together a career season with a .906 save percentage and 13.8 goals saved above expected, production that helped him land a five-year extension at $5.5 million per year.
That was a huge leap from his 2024-25 work with the Calgary Flames, when he posted an .898 SV% and saved 0.9 goals above expected in 30 games. Goalies are hard to pin down year to year, and the Flyers’ low-event, conservative style should help him, but his numbers could easily drift back toward his career .898 save percentage.
Pavel Zacha also looks like a strong candidate to come back down a notch. The Boston Bruins forward has been a steady producer since arriving from the New Jersey Devils, averaging 22 goals and 58 points per 82 games with Boston.
Last season, though, he hit a new level: 30 goals and 65 points in 78 games. The warning signs are obvious.
He shot 22.9 percent, far above his 13.1 percent career mark, and finished nearly eight goals above his individual expected goals. A repeat of 30 goals feels unlikely, even if he remains the kind of reliable top-six forward who can live around 20 goals and 50 points.
Parker Kelly’s breakout with the Colorado Avalanche was one of those depth-player seasons that helps drive a team to the top. He finished with 21 goals and 35 points, both career highs, but the finish rate was doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
Kelly shot 20.2 percent, well above his 11.6 percent career average, and scored 21 goals on 12.61 individual expected goals. His shot volume didn’t really change, which is why a return closer to his career rate of 11 goals per 82 games makes sense.
Tyler Bertuzzi quietly stacked up a 30-goal season for the Chicago Blackhawks, putting up 32 goals and 58 points in 79 games. It was his first 30-goal year since 2021-22 with the Detroit Red Wings, and while he shot 19.6 percent, that number is less outrageous when you remember he’s been a 15.2 percent shooter over his career. Still, he’s generally been more of a 20- to 22-goal player, and Connor Bedard missing the start of the season after an offseason training injury could matter because the two spent 267 minutes together as linemates last year.
Cody Glass was another bright spot in an otherwise rough year for the Devils. He scored 19 goals and added 26 points in 70 games, a pace that pointed toward 23 goals over 84 games.
But his 18.1 percent shooting rate sits well above his 10.9 percent career average, and his 19 goals came on 13.46 individual expected goals. He does create quality looks, but a dip toward the 11- to 13-goal range would not be a shock.
Anthony Mantha is the tricky one in the group. He just posted a career season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, finishing with 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games, and the raw goal total says plenty.
The underlying numbers still suggest a step back, though: he shot 21.7 percent, well above his 13.9 percent career mark, and outperformed 19.57 individual expected goals. At the same time, he has done that in each of the last three seasons, and he’s topped 20 percent shooting over that stretch.
With Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt feeding him chances, he should still score, even if 30-plus goals is a tall ask. A range around 20 to 25 goals feels more realistic, though he has made a habit of beating the expected numbers.
Scott Wedgewood’s 2025-26 season was the kind that gets remembered. He finished with a .921 save percentage, a 31-6-6 record, and 28.73 goals saved above expected at all strengths.
He also posted a .921 five-on-five save percentage and placed fifth in Vezina voting. The Colorado Avalanche should be strong again, but that kind of season is a monster outlier.
Wedgewood’s career save percentage is .909, and he had never come close to a goals-saved number like that before. He may still be a solid starter, but repeating a top-five Vezina finish looks like a stretch.
Mark Scheifele rounds out the list after a 103-point season with the Winnipeg Jets, the first 100-point campaign of his career. He has had plenty of high-end production before, but never quite to that level.
His five-on-five shooting percentage jumped to 23.15 percent, a career high, and he scored 25 goals on 16.14 individual expected goals. Scheifele has long been a dangerous finisher, but he usually sits closer to the 15-17 percent range at five-on-five.
Even with some regression, he still profiles as an 80- to 85-point player.
The common thread here is simple: last season’s numbers were excellent, but a lot of them ran hot. Whether it’s shooting percentage, finishing luck, or a goalie season that bordered on absurd, these players may have set a standard that’s tough to match again.
In Other News...
Devils Just Got Linked To A Goalie Upgrade Fans Will Debate
Connor Hellebuycks public trade request has instantly turned one of the NHLs biggest goalie questions into a fresh round of speculation, and the Devils are already getting pulled into the conversation. Any time a proven No. 1 becomes available, New Jersey is bound to be mentioned, especially with a roster built to push for more and a fan base that knows how much elite goaltending can matter when the games get tight.
A hypothetical framework has already surfaced that would send Hellebuyck to New Jersey in exchange for several players and a first-round pick, which is enough to spark debate even before anything real develops. For now, though, there is no sign the Devils and Jets have actually talked, and no indication a deal is close, so this remains the kind of rumor that says as much about the market for top goalies as it does about New Jerseys intentions. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Face A Dawson Mercer Decision That Could Get Complicated
The Devils have some contract math to sort through over the next year, and Dawson Mercer sits near the center of it. Under the NHLs new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams can hand out eight-year deals only until Sept. 16, 2026, which means the window for locking in certain core players is narrower than it used to be. New Jersey also has nine players on track to hit free agency in 2027, so the front office has a real incentive to identify who belongs in the long-term group before the deadline arrives.
Mercer is an obvious name to watch because he has been part of the Devils since 2021-22 and has shown enough talent to stay in the conversation, even if his production has not always been steady. The upcoming season could matter as much for evaluation as it does for results, with New Jersey likely wanting a clearer read on whether he is the kind of player worth committing to on a long deal. If Mercer takes a step, the Devils choice gets simpler, but if the inconsistency lingers, the decision could become a lot more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Suddenly Linked To A Goalie Move Fans Can't Ignore
The conversation around Connor Hellebuyck has widened beyond Winnipeg and now includes several contenders that would feel the ripple effects if the Jets ever decided to move their star goalie. Among the clubs mentioned are Buffalo, Carolina and New Jersey, with the discussion centered on what kind of return could justify dealing a player of that caliber, including prospects and draft capital. It is the sort of offseason chatter that starts as speculation and quickly becomes a leaguewide talking point once a name that big is in play.
For the Devils, the interest is obvious because goaltending is one of the few areas that can reshape a season in a hurry, and any plausible path to upgrading there will draw attention. The broader analysis from Murat Ates and Anthony Di Marco does not point to a deal as imminent, but it does put New Jersey in the same conversation as some of the other teams that would be watching closely if Winnipeg ever seriously entertained offers. For now, it is more a map of possibilities than a deal on the horizon, which is enough to keep Devils fans reading every twist. [Read more 🡒]