2026-27 NHL Season Preview

The 2026-27 NHL season gets underway with all four division races offering plenty of intrigue. Some divisions have clear favorites at the top, while others feature several teams capable of making a legitimate run at first place. As always, injuries, goaltending and offseason additions will play a major role over a newly-expanded 84-game schedule.

Here’s a division-by-division look at the upcoming eason, including a value pick to win each division.

Atlantic Division

The Atlantic could be the deepest division in the NHL. Florida returns Aleksander Barkov after he missed most of last season, Tampa Bay remains loaded, Montreal is coming off an Eastern Conference Final appearance and Buffalo won the division last season. Toronto and Ottawa are also capable of making noise. The market has Florida and Tampa at the top, but there are several teams with realistic paths to the division title.

Florida Panthers

Florida's disappointing 40-38-4 season was largely driven by injuries, and the Panthers should look much different with Barkov healthy. Adding Brady Tkachuk gives them another physical, high-end scoring presence, while the biggest question comes in goal after Sergei Bobrovsky left for Toronto. Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid will have plenty to prove. If Florida stays healthy, the talent is still there to pace the Atlantic.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay continues to follow the same formula that has made them one of the NHL's most consistent teams. Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Andrei Vasilevskiy remain the foundation, while John Carlson replaces Darren Raddysh (Toronto) on defense. The Lightning won 50 games last season and should again be among the league's best regular-season teams. Their biggest question is whether the aging defense can stay healthy.

Montreal Canadiens

Odds to win division: +500

Montreal is no longer a rebuilding team. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky headline a young group that reached the Eastern Conference Final last season, while Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson give them even more upside. Goaltending will be important and Jakub Dobes emerged as the starter during last year's playoff run. The Canadiens have enough young talent to take another major step forward.

Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo finally broke its long playoff drought and delivered a second-round appearance. The problem is replacing Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch, who combined for 108 points last season. Olen Zellweger should help on defense, while the Sabres will need Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon to provide consistent goaltending. There's still plenty of talent here, but repeating last year's 50-win season won't be easy.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Odds to win division: +950

Toronto enters a completely different era. Sergei Bobrovsky, Gavin McKenna, Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic and several other newcomers have joined a team that finished eighth in the Atlantic last season. Auston Matthews remains the centerpiece, but building chemistry quickly will be the biggest challenge. There is plenty of upside, but this is one of the hardest teams to project entering the season.

Ottawa Senators

Odds to win division: +1200

Ottawa made the playoffs for the second straight season but traded captain Brady Tkachuk (Florida) during the offseason. Replacing his scoring, physical presence and leadership won't be easy. Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson and Drake Batherson still give the Senators a strong core, but they need their supporting cast to step up. Ottawa looks more like a playoff contender than an obvious division favorite.

Boston Bruins

Odds to win division: +3500

Boston won 45 games last season and finished fourth in the Atlantic, but much of its offensive production came from career years and bounce-back seasons. James Hagens and newcomer JJ Peterka provide additional upside, but the Bruins need more secondary scoring to compete with the Atlantic's top teams.

Detroit Red Wings

Odds to win division: +4000

Detroit continues to wait for its young core to take the next step. There is enough talent to compete for a wild-card spot, but the Red Wings remain behind the Atlantic's top group. Their margin for error will be small, particularly in a division where several teams have significantly more high-end scoring.

Value Pick: Montreal Canadiens +500

Montreal is the team I would have the most interest in at the current number. The Canadiens already proved they can make a deep playoff run, and their young core should be better with another year of experience. At +500 compared with Florida at +160 and Tampa at +295, the upside is much more appealing.

Metropolitan Division

Carolina enters as the clear favorite after winning the Stanley Cup, but Washington and New Jersey remain legitimate challengers. Philadelphia is particularly interesting after making the playoffs last season, while Columbus continues to improve. The biggest question is whether anyone can keep pace with Carolina over 84 games.

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina has very little reason to change its approach after winning the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes return most of the roster that produced 113 points last season, while Nikolaj Ehlers and K'Andre Miller remain important pieces. The biggest concern is replacing Frederik Andersen with Pyotr Kochetkov and Dustin Bussi in goal. A championship hangover is always possible, but Carolina remains extremely deep and well coached.

Washington Capitals

Odds to win division: +330

Washington continues to defy expectations with Alexander Ovechkin still leading the way. The Capitals added Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou during the offseason, giving them more scoring depth around their veteran core. Goaltending and age remain the concerns, but Washington has enough experience and offensive balance to challenge Carolina again.

New Jersey Devils

Odds to win division: +750

New Jersey has one of the most talented young cores in the NHL with Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes. The Devils also added Luke Evangelista from Nashville, giving them another young offensive piece. The problem remains consistency and health. If Hughes stays healthy and the goaltending holds up, New Jersey has enough talent to make a serious push.

Philadelphia Flyers

Odds to win division: +1200

Philadelphia is one of the more intriguing teams in the division after making the playoffs last season. The Flyers went 18-7-1 over their final 26 games and return most of that roster. Matvei Michkov and Tyson Foerster provide offensive upside, while Michael Misa and Porter Martone add even more young talent. The biggest challenge will be avoiding the long stretches of inconsistency that hurt them early last season.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus continues to build around Zach Werenski, Adam Fantilli and a young group that showed improvement last season. The Blue Jackets missed the playoffs after losing nine of their final 11 games, so consistency remains the biggest concern. Adding Valeri Nichushkin should help the special teams, but Columbus still has to prove it can sustain its level of play for an entire season.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby continues to lead a veteran Pittsburgh group that refuses to go quietly. The problem is that the Penguins have less depth and speed than most of their Metro competition. They can still win games behind Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but maintaining that level across an entire season is becoming increasingly difficult.

New York Rangers

The Rangers remain difficult to handicap. Igor Shesterkin gives them a potential advantage in goal, while the roster still has plenty of offensive talent. The problem is consistency, particularly at five-on-five. New York has enough talent to outperform its number, but there are too many question marks to consider them a contender in a crowded division.

New York Islanders

The Islanders could be one of the more interesting wild-card candidates in the conference. Ilya Sorokin gives them stability in goal, while young players such as Matthew Schaefer provide additional upside. They still need significantly more scoring to compete with Carolina, Washington and New Jersey over a full season.

Value Pick: Philadelphia Flyers +1200

Philadelphia offers an interesting combination of returning talent and young upside. They already finished third in the division last season and went 18-7-1 down the stretch. If they can avoid the extended slumps that hurt them early last season, +1200 gives them plenty of room to outperform the market.

Central Division

Colorado enters as the favorite, but this could be one of the most competitive divisions in the Western Conference. Minnesota and Dallas are both legitimate challengers, while Utah continues to build an increasingly talented roster. Colorado has the highest ceiling, but Dallas and Minnesota aren't far behind.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado remains loaded with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen, while the Avalanche continue to have one of the league's best defensive groups. They were the Presidents' Trophy winners last season and enter with one of the deepest rosters in hockey. The price is short, but there's a reason Colorado is at the top of the market.

Minnesota Wild

Odds to win division: +300

Minnesota continues to develop into a legitimate contender around oft-overlooked superstar Kirill Kaprizov, while the Wild have added enough depth to support their star players. Their defense and goaltending give them a strong foundation, and they don't have the same age concerns as some of the other contenders. The question is whether they can generate enough offense to overtake Colorado and Dallas.

Dallas Stars

Odds to win division: +350

Dallas may be the most interesting team in this division from a value perspective. The Stars have a balanced roster, elite goaltending from Jake Oettinger and a group that has been through several deep playoff runs. They don't need to reinvent themselves; they simply need to stay healthy and get enough production from their secondary scoring.

Utah Mammoth

Odds to win division: +800

Utah is no longer a team simply building for the future. Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther give the Mammoth a young offensive core, while offseason additions have increased expectations. They could make a playoff push for a second straight year, but winning the Central would require a significant jump.

St. Louis Blues

St. Louis added offensive help with Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael and should be more competitive. The Blues have enough experience to cause problems, but the gap between them and the Central's top three remains significant. Joel Hofer should push Jordan Binnington for the starting job in the crease once again.

Winnipeg Jets

Odds to win division: +3500

Connor Hellebuyck gave Winnipeg a chance on almost any given night but he's on his way out the door. The Jets have lost some of the depth that helped them win the Central previously. They remain dangerous if their top-line talent plays at an elite level, but there are more complete teams in the division.

Nashville Predators

Odds to win division: +4000

Nashville is trying to rebound after a disappointing season. There is still veteran talent throughout the lineup, but the Predators need much more production from their younger players. Goaltending and defense could keep them competitive, but the offense has to improve considerably and their talent is aging.

Chicago Blackhawks

Odds to win division: +6600

Chicago continues to build around Connor Bedard and a young core. Patrick Kane's return adds experience and scoring, while Bowen Byram strengthens the defense. The Blackhawks should be much more competitive, but this season is still more about development than winning the division.

Value Pick: Dallas Stars +350

Colorado deserves to be the favorite, but Dallas at +350 is a much more attractive number. The Stars have an established core, elite goaltending and plenty of playoff experience. In a division where the top three teams could be separated by only a handful of points, the extra price on Dallas is worth considering.

Pacific Division

While it was a down year for the division as a whole, the Western Conference winner did come out of the Pacific in 2025-26 (Vegas). Edmonton and Vegas are the clear favorites, but Anaheim and San Jose are young teams moving quickly in the right direction. Los Angeles remains competitive, while Seattle, Calgary and Vancouver are facing longer odds. Edmonton's biggest question once again comes in goal.

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton remains one of the league's most dangerous offensive teams with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way. The big concern is goaltending. Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi are expected to handle the crease while Frederik Andersen recovers from an offseason injury. Edmonton also has a controversial new coach in Mike Babcock, making this an important season after another disappointing playoff exit.

Vegas Golden Knights

Odds to win division: +175

Vegas continues to reload around veterans Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Mitch Marner. The Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final last season and have proven they can consistently compete despite roster turnover. The coaching change adds some uncertainty, but the talent and organizational depth remain obvious.

Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim is one of the most intriguing young teams in the Western Conference. Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and the rest of the Ducks' young core are entering another important development season. They also added veteran help to support the younger players. If the goaltending and defense take another step forward, Anaheim could push both Edmonton and Vegas.

San Jose Sharks

San Jose could be the NHL's most exciting young team. Macklin Celebrini exploded for 115 points last season, but the Sharks need significantly more production from everyone around him. The bigger issue was goaltending, with San Jose ranking near the bottom of the league in save percentage and goals against. Adding veterans such as Jacob Trouba and Darnell Nurse should help the young group.

Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles remains a difficult team to play against thanks to its defensive structure and experienced core. The Kings don't have the offensive ceiling of Edmonton, but they have enough depth to stay in the race. The question is whether they can generate enough scoring to move from playoff contender to legitimate division threat.

Seattle Kraken

Seattle needs its young players to take another step. Shane Wright struggled last season after showing promise the year before, while former Panther Mackie Samoskevich was brought in to provide more offense. The Kraken have enough talent to improve, but they need a major jump from their younger players and a lot of breaks to go their way to become a division contender.

Calgary Flames

Calgary finished as the lowest-scoring team in the NHL last season, averaging just 2.54 goals per game. The Flames hope Dustin Wolf, a healthy Jonathan Huberdeau and the addition of Simon Nemec can help turn things around, but there are still major questions offensively. They'll be looking ahead to a long-awaited new arena opening ahead of next season.

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver is in the early stages of a rebuild and will need major contributions from its young players. The additions of Brendan Gallagher and Luke Schenn bring veteran leadership, but the Canucks don't currently have enough depth to match the top teams in the division and remain a number of years of from contending again.

Value Pick: Anaheim Ducks +650

Anaheim is the team that stands out to me at the current number. The Ducks have a young core that should continue improving, and the gap between them and the top two teams isn't as large as the odds suggest. Edmonton and Vegas have more proven rosters, but +650 gives Anaheim enough upside to make this an interesting futures play.