So far, the 2025-26 NHL season has been a tale of superstars getting their paychecks and young guns like Connor Bedard and veterans like John Tavares hitting their stride.

However, while some players have found their game or remain the stars we know, others have had less-than-ideal starts to their 2026 campaign.

Here is one NHL player at each position in need of a spark.

Center: J.T. Miller

Although J. T. Miller wasn't particularly remarkable during his first stint in New York or his short time in Tampa Bay, he cemented himself as a point-per-game player following his trade to Vancouver, including a 103-point effort in 2023-24.

Miller recorded 35 points in 32 games following his trade back to Broadway in 2024-25 and was even named captain in the off-season. But his scoring fell as the Rangers struggled to score overall, especially at home.

Miller has 13 points in his first 23 games this season. Despite this, Miller has not shied away from being blunt with the media about his struggles, telling them after their 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights that he expects a “hell of a lot more” production than what he has.

A three-game point streak, with two goals and two assists, is an encouraging sign that the center is already stepping up his game.

Left Wing: Dylan Holloway

After turning his back on Edmonton and signing an offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues, Dylan Holloway surprised everyone in the 2024-25 campaign with 63 points. He even received votes for the Lady Byng Trophy and Selke Trophy in the process, although he would miss their first-round series against Winnipeg with an injury.

Though Holloway has since returned, it seems as if he’s struggled to maintain that form early in 2025-26. So far, Holloway has 11 points and a minus-9 rating through his first 24 games on a struggling Blues squad. With that said, Holloway is only 24, so in comparison to some others on this list, there is not much reason to panic just yet.

Right Wing: Mitch Marner

Mitch Marner headlined the off-season leading up to and following his divorce from the Toronto Maple Leafs, getting a much-needed fresh start with the hotter Vegas Golden Knights.

Although Marner has had hot stretches earlier this season, he has three points in his last eight games. He hasn’t finished a season averaging fewer than a point per game since his sophomore year in 2018, but he currently only has 22 points in 23 contests.

Considering his infamous playoff underperformances in Toronto, Marner could be working with a shorter leash than expected if he can’t recapture that regular-season consistency that was his bread and butter in Toronto.

Defense: MacKenzie Weegar

Arguably Calgary’s top defenseman the past few seasons, MacKenzie Weegar has had perhaps a more drastic fall than anyone else on this list. The once-dependable two-way defenseman has a mere four points in 25 games, all assists, and a rating deep in the minuses at minus-20.

Weegar is on pace for the lowest production of his career since he was a rookie in Florida. Although the Flames’ issues run deeper than any one player, losing Weegar’s production has certainly hurt the team, which currently finds itself hanging around the bottom of the Western Conference.

With Jonathan Huberdeau’s struggles also continuing, the Matthew Tkachuk trade looks worse than ever before for the Flames.

Goalie: Dustin Wolf

Staying on the topic of underperforming Flames, Dustin Wolf is also on the list.

Last season, Wolf nearly willed the Flames into the playoffs on his own. But since signing his seven-year contract extension, Wolf's stats fell. His .890 save percentage and 3.17 goals-against average both mark significant regressions from that campaign, and it’s no surprise the Flames have struggled the way they have partly because of it.

The silver lining is Wolf is still young and locked up long-term, with plenty of runway to turn it around.

Benjamin Kirshenblatt is an intern at The Hockey News.

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