3 Wild Players With Breakout Potential in 2026-27

The NHL regular season is under a month away, and the anticipation of a new season continues to rise as fans realize hockey is almost here. Outside of where their games will be broadcast this season, there hasn’t been much news regarding the Minnesota Wild. However, as the season draws closer, it’s time to take a closer look at their roster. 

Everyone knows Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Quinn Hughes will be standout players; they have been all of their respective careers. However, they aren’t the only ones who make up the team, and in this article we’ll be taking a look at the players who are more behind the scenes but could become breakout stars. We’ll start with the player with the most expectations on his shoulders to make the roster: Hunter Haight. 

Haight Has Opportunity

Kirill Kaprizov, Danila Yurov, and Jesper Wallstedt’s arrivals to the NHL were met with a lot of anticipation from fans hoping for big things. Hunter Haight also had expectations on his shoulders when he was drafted, but not quite as high as those of his teammates. Regardless, it’s taken him a bit of time to find his way, and now he has the best chance to make the roster.

He’s still very young at 22 years old, with time to show his true potential, and that could happen this season. He played in nine games last season and scored a goal plus assisted on another for two points. Nothing too crazy, but enough to prove he could handle the game at that level. While he still has a lot to learn, he’s adapted to the league quickly now that he’s had some ice time. 

It’s hard to say if he’ll make the opening night roster or not, but if he does, he could easily be a player who has a breakout season. He has speed, plays with his head up, and has proven he can score and set up goals even if he hasn’t provided a lot of points just yet. He’s one fans will want to keep an eye on as he has a strong game that just needs trust and ice time. 

McCarron Could Surprise

Michael McCarron is nearly 10 years older than Haight and has a lot of NHL experience, but he has yet to really have that breakout year. Some may say he never will; he’s already 31, and they may believe he’s past his peak, but he found a spark when he joined the Wild last season. He scored a goal and assisted on another in his first game wearing a Wild jersey after being traded.

He’s known for using his size in the form of physicality, but he’s shown he’s capable of scoring goals as well. He showed a lot of chemistry when he was in the bottom six and worked well with whoever he was paired with. Now that he’ll have a full season with the Wild and knows his future is secure, it’ll be interesting to see how well he can do. 

He’s a player who won’t be at the top of the scoresheet, but he could produce more than most expect and be more of a breakout player this season. He’s also been crucial on the penalty kill, and hopefully he’ll be even more successful since he’ll already be adjusted to the team. 

Shabanov Will Be Noticed

The Wild added Maxim Shabanov to the roster during the offseason, and it’s safe to say a lot of eyes will be on him. All of the Russian players who’ve been brought in since Kaprizov have been expected to do great things. They’ve all contributed to the team in their own way, and Shabanov will be expected to do the same and even more. 

Many will likely expect him to be on the same line as Kaprizov, but they’ll first have to see where he fits best. Regardless, he’s a player who will want to prove himself and could be another breakout player. He had a decent showing in his first NHL season, which was the 2025-26 season with the New York Islanders, where he had 18 points in 44 games played. 

He’ll need a little bit more time to adjust to his new team, but now that he knows what it takes to be in the NHL, hopefully the adapting time will be a little shorter. It would be great if he can fit in somewhere in the top six, and having those players as teammates can only help him have a chance to become a breakout player as well. 

All three of these players have the ability to become breakout players in their own ways, and having the right linemates can help as well. If the Wild hope to make a long playoff run, they’re going to need more than their star players to make that happen. Hopefully, at least one, if not all three, of these players can have a breakout season and help the team find that success.