Sabres Winger Leads Eastern Conference Offensive Breakout Candidates

The Buffalo Sabres are hoping this is finally the season that ends their miserable postseason drought. The shook up the roster again with the hopes of rising in the loaded Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs have their own ambitions to improve. What all three share, aside from a division rivalry, is a candidate to be the breakout player of the Eastern Conference during the 2025-2026 campaign.

Zach Benson - Buffalo Sabres

Entering year three in the NHL, Zach Benson is reaching a crossroads with the Sabres. The 2023 first-round pick has been a solid but not elite player with Buffalo. He posted 30 points as a rookie and regressed slightly to 28 points last year.

The Sabres still have a strong belief in Benson, and that's for good reason. Benson's two-way game is a menacing presence when he's on the ice. A combination of speed and intelligence, the one thing that hasn't emerged is the finishing touch he displayed in junior hockey.

Time might be the salve for this wound, however. With 146 games of NHL experience already, the 2025-2026 campaign is setting up to be the breakout one for Benson. Expect him to hit 20 goals and eclipse 50 points as a top-six forward in Buffalo.

Ivan Demidov - Montreal Canadiens

There's no forward I am more excited to see in the 2025-2026 season than Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens. He made his highly anticipated debut last season, scoring a goal and an assist in two regular-season games and adding two assists in their five-game series loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Demidov is explosive, decisive with the puck, and assertive in all three zones. He has the potential to become the best offensive player in Montreal very soon, and that will start with a rookie season that resembles a seasoned veteran's production.

Nicolas Roy - Toronto Maple Leafs

Someone has to score for the Maple Leafs next year, right? Replacing 100 points lost with Mitch Marner's departure is a gigantic task, but Nicolas Roy has the chance to hit new scoring heights in his first season with Toronto. His career best is 41 points in 70 games, but could he hit the 50-point plateau?

There's hope for Roy to hit the mark. The Leafs haven't had a player of Roy's size who could contribute offensively. If they find a way to utilize his 6'4" frame on special teams, or maybe he finds chemistry on Auston Matthews' or John Tavares' wing. If that occurs, Roy will be putting up new career-high numbers.