NHL 2025-26: Team Analysis, Strengths, Weaknesses, and Predictions

The 2025-26 NHL season kicks off on Tuesday with a tripleheader on ESPN: Chicago Blackhawks versus Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET (including the Stanley Cup banner raising ceremony), Pittsburgh Penguins versus New York Rangers at 8 p.m., and Colorado Avalanche versus Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m. Before the start of the matches, here’s key information on the 32 teams, including strengths, weaknesses, X-factors, potential award winners, fantasy tips, and a bold prediction. This season preview also features the first edition of our Power Rankings, which establish the order in which the teams are presented. The weekly rankings are based on votes from ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, and reporters. Note: Salary and contract data courtesy of PuckPedia. Advanced statistics come from Hockey Reference, Natural Stat Trick, and Evolving Hockey. Kristen Shilton profiled the Eastern Conference teams, while Ryan S. Clark handled the Western Conference clubs. The fantasy outlook for each team was written by Victoria Matiash and Sean Allen, and the bold predictions are the work of Greg Wyshynski. Stanley Cup odds are courtesy of ESPN BET as of October 6, and projected points are from Stathletes.

How to watch the 2025-26 NHL season on ESPN networks, including 100 exclusive games and the out-of-market package (over 1,050 games).

1. Edmonton Oilers

Last season: 48-29-5 (101 points), lost in the Stanley Cup Final Stanley Cup Odds: +800 Projected Points: 103.1 Mayor strength: A support team that seems threatening. Every team in a championship window faces the annual problem of building a strong support team with limited salary space. The Oilers got rid of quite a few players in the offseason to do just that, intending to reach a third consecutive Cup final, hoping for a different result. Oilers general manager Stan Bowman used his team’s tight space to add Andrew Mangiapane and negotiate for Isaac Howard, knowing that the current Hobey Baker Award winner, along with Matt Savoie, gives the club a couple of promising top-nine forwards at a favorable price for the team. Major concern: Do the Oilers have the defensive consistency to win the Stanley Cup? Their two previous playoff campaigns have shown a familiar pattern. It starts with a combination of failures in their defensive structure, along with inconsistent play from goaltender Stuart Skinner. That leads to changes, whether in their personnel or the Oilers’ system, before finding cohesion. That’s what happened in the past postseason, when they shut down two of the most prolific teams in the Golden Knights and the Stars before facing challenges in quite a few areas against the Panthers. This season depends on… If they can win the Stanley Cup. Getting a two-year extension with superstar Connor McDavid clears a massive hurdle, while answering one of the two main questions facing the Oilers. The other is: How does winning a title, or falling short for a third consecutive year, alter their thought process before the next offseason? Especially when the Oilers have several pending UFAs including three of their top six defensemen and their two goalies. Possible award winner: Connor McDavid, Hart Fantasy outlook: After the elite pairing of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl up front, Evan Bouchard and Jake Walman are shaping up as top-10 to top-20 fantasy defensemen, respectively. As someone who could earn some playing time with McDavid, new forward Trent Frederic has sleeper value in leagues that reward physical play like hits and blocks. Bold prediction: Connor McDavid signs a team-friendly three-year extension.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Last season: 47-30-5 (99 points), lost in the conference finals Stanley Cup Odds: +800 Projected Points: 107.6

Greatest strength: Carolina has the luxury of excellent depth both up front and on defense, general manager Eric Tulsky made sure of it. He signed Nikolaj Ehlers, one of the most coveted free agents of the offseason, to give the Hurricanes a bona fide top-line winger, and he traded for K’Andre Miller to make Carolina’s blue line more robust. Those newcomers join a stable of established performers that the Hurricanes can count on to perform; Seth Jarvis is coming off a 32-goal campaign, Sebastian Aho was a nearly point-per-game contributor, and a well-established defense is led by the complete player Jaccob Slavin.

Coach Rod Brind’Amour has a good feel for his group and how to get the best out of them. That’s how the Hurricanes finished in the top 10 in the league in both offense and defense a season ago. Yes, the Hurricanes need to figure out who will handle the job at the center of the second line in the long term. But if Ehlers and Miller now provide an expected boost to the lineup, Carolina’s depth will be brighter than ever. Major concern: It’s fair to wonder if the Hurricanes have the right tandem in net. They’re running it back with Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov, a pair of goalies who posted sub-.900 save percentages last season and placed Carolina 24th in that category league-wide (the lowest among clubs that made the playoffs). Veteran Andersen has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career (and made just 38 appearances in his last two seasons), so Kochetkov has seen more action lately than his counterpart. But the 26-year-old hasn’t exactly separated himself enough to be anointed Carolina’s No. 1. It’s a matter of consistency and, frankly, trust. Who can Brind’Amour turn to with confidence every night? Carolina is fortunate to have a high-level defensive unit to cover for some deficiencies elsewhere. However, the Hurricanes cannot hope to reach their full potential without goaltending to, no pun intended, back them up. This season hinges on… Carolina discovering its internal playoff interpreter. The Hurricanes seemingly have all the pieces in place to be not just a postseason contender, but a championship one. However, the Hurricanes fall short year after year when it matters most (i.e., the Eastern Conference Finals) with a suddenly anemic offense and a disjointed defense. How does that happen, repeatedly? And will Carolina’s inability to mirror its regular season success deep into the postseason derail them again? There’s a mentality that winning Cup teams have to carry them through the difficult stretches of a long season, and Carolina has to find that resilience within itself. It won’t satisfy anyone to have another excellent 82-game showing and then disappoint in the spring. What Carolina bottles up in November has to be there in June. Possible award winner: Jaccob Slavin, Lady Byng Fantasy outlook: Ehlers has been one of the best fantasy forwards per minute and could have a bigger role. Miller and Alexander Nikishin have the potential to be fantasy cornerstones if they get the right deployment on the blue line. Bold prediction: The Hurricanes will win the Eastern Conference.

3. Vegas Golden Knights

Last season: 50-22-10 (110 points), lost in the second round Stanley Cup odds: +900 Projected Points: 112.8 Mayor fortaleza: No deberían tener problemas para marcar goles. No es que esto fuera un problema la temporada regular pasada, con los Golden Knights terminando entre los cinco primeros en goles por partido y segundos en el juego de poder. Agregar a Mitch Marner conlleva beneficios. Entre ellos: emparejar a Marner con Jack Eichel y potencialmente Ivan Barbashev para crear lo que tiene la oportunidad de ser una de las líneas número 1 más fuertes de la NHL. Another is what it could mean for the Golden Knights’ power play. It could give them a first unit of Tomas Hertl, Shea Theodore, Mark Stone, Eichel, and Marner. Major concern: How do they fill the void left by Alex Pietrangelo? The two-time Stanley Cup winner said in the preseason that he doesn’t rule out trying to return this season. But there’s also the reality that he could miss the entire season and maybe never play again while recovering from femur reconstruction. The absence of Pietrangelo leaves the Golden Knights without a top-line defenseman who can lead a team in average ice time because he can be relied upon in all situations and still provide 30 to 50 points per season. This season depends on… Succeeding whenever they need to switch to Plan B or Plan C. Look back at how they were eliminated from the playoffs. Their second-round exit at the hands of the Oilers was facilitated by the inability to make successful adjustments. Vegas allowed nine goals in the first two games before winning Game 3. Only to be shut out for the rest of the series, which included a one-goal overtime loss to end their season. Possible award winner: Mitch Marner, Art Ross Fantasy outlook: Top-line minutes with Eichel and Marner should result in Barbashev registering around 30 goals and 35 assists in 2025-26. Unlike the other two, he will be available in later rounds. Following Akira Schmid’s promotion to backup, the No. 1 spot with a very good Vegas team belongs to Adin Hill. Bold prediction: The Golden Knights lose in the Western Conference Finals.

4. Florida Panthers

Last season: 47-31-4 (98 points), won the Stanley Cup Stanley Cup Odds: +900 Projected Points: 108.0

Greatest strength: Florida has a system, and it has led the Panthers to become back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Yes, the Panthers have enviable depth in their lineup, and that has been a fundamental piece of their success. But it’s how Florida manages to get the most out of itself with (apparently) minimal effort because everyone pulls together.

The Panthers pack a strong press that pressures opponents into making mistakes and puts Florida on the offensive. The team is relentlessly opportunistic. And their details in the neutral zone change the game given how the team can stop even some of the league’s most elite scorers there. The Panthers’ way of doing business simply works, and that’s why seemingly every player who comes to the organization finds a role and a way to excel. Everyone is important. Major concern: The absence of Aleksander Barkov is imminent. The Florida captain suffered a torn ACL and MCL during practice last month and will be out for seven to nine months. That’s bad enough. But the Panthers are also without Matthew Tkachuk for at least several weeks in the regular season as he continues to recover from offseason surgery on a torn adductor muscle. That’s two of their top three scorers from last season gone early. The way Florida reacts to those losses will determine if it has the opportunity to compete in a third race for the Stanley Cup in the spring. Anton Lundell will have a tremendous opportunity to raise his profile with Barkov out, and more responsibility will fall on Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, and Carter Verhaeghe, not to mention goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, to be at their best in all aspects. This season depends on… The strength of the Panthers. It’s been a few long summers for Florida, with three consecutive appearances in the Cup final. This year ahead will present new challenges given the missing superstars mentioned above. How will the Panthers avoid the perhaps inevitable fatigue that comes from another shortened offseason that turns into a campaign that already starts with a difficult start? Florida has shown its mettle in this regard before. It is more imperative than ever that it find ways to move forward and adapt to what will be the new normal: trying to win games without two franchise stars. Possible award winner: Sam Reinhart, Hart Fantasy outlook: Don’t let Matthew Tkachuk slide too far, as you can weather his early absence in your IR spot. Seth Jones could increase his value as the power-play anchor. Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Brad Marchand’s line that dominated the playoffs is worth monitoring to see if the magic holds. Bold prediction: Bobrovsky gets a “Marchand deal” to take him beyond this season.

5. Dallas Stars

Last season: 50-26-6 (106 points), lost in the conference finals Stanley Cup Odds: +900 Projected Points: 94.0 Major strength: Having one of the most complete teams in the NHL. The Stars have two 100-point wingers, Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson, who can play together on the first line or be split between the top two lines. Their centers are led by one of the league’s most important two-way anchors in Roope Hintz, while they have a trio of top-six options who can play center or wing. The Stars have three defensemen who can play on a first pairing, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley, in addition to another young defenseman in Lian Bichsel who could use this season to prove he’s in that same conversation.

And if that’s not enough? They have one of the best goalies in the league, Jake Oettinger.

Major concern: Do they have enough depth to continue competing for home-ice advantage if injuries become an issue? Evgenii Dadonov, Mason Marchment, and their combined 42 goals from last season are gone. So are the trade deadline acquisitions, Cody Ceci and Mikael Granlund. Losing three top-nine forwards and a top-four defenseman would be a problem for any team, but the Stars still possess what appears to be one of the strongest rosters in the NHL. But, what happens if one of their best players suffers a long-term injury? Especially when it comes with the reality that the salary space that helped the team for years no longer exists as it did before? This season depends on… If their star players can return from the Olympics without injuries. If there is a disadvantage to having talent in an Olympic year, it is the fact that the team that goes to the Games could be different from the one that returns after the break. There is a possibility that the Stars will have at least nine players in the Olympics in February. It’s a group that includes their entire projected top line of Hintz, Rantanen, and Robertson, their top defensive pairing of Heiskanen and Lindell, along with starting goaltender Oettinger. Possible award winner: Mikko Rantanen, Hart Fantasy outlook: While Rantanen might not reach 100 points while playing away from Nathan MacKinnon, around 90 alongside Wyatt Johnston and Hintz isn’t too much to ask. If Mavrik Bourque opens up a spot in the Stars’ top six, he’ll deserve to be included in deeper fantasy leagues. Bold prediction: Prepare for Matt Duchene’s regression.

6. Colorado Avalanche

Last season: 49-29-4 (102 points), lost in the first round Stanley Cup Odds: +800 Projected Points: 111.3 Major strength: Having Gabriel Landeskog in the lineup on opening night. A conversation can be had about what it means for any team to lose its captain and the player who has been on the team the longest for an extended period. Landeskog missed almost three seasons, which created the challenge of trying to find someone who could help the team’s top six during his absence, with the persistent question of when he might return. Back in the lineup, provides the Avalanche with a proven top-six winger who can be relied upon in numerous situations, while strengthening a second line that has sought stability since the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Major concern: Is the support staff sufficient as it is, or could it use more help? Avs coach Jared Bednar said during media day in mid-September that the team’s third-line center situation is the only hole in the lineup. There are internal options that could provide a solution, with the idea that it could be the most effective plan for the Avs. Well, for now at least. The Avs entered training camp with $1.325 million in cap space. They may be able to use that money now, or wait until forward Logan O’Connor returns to get a true sense of their bottom six before making a decision on their third-line center concerns and potentially negotiating the solution. This season depends on… Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood being as good or better than they were last season. Just look at what happened to them last October. The Avs opened last season with a four-game losing streak during which they allowed 25 goals. They ended October and started November with three different goalies in consecutive games, on their way to losing all three. Winning three games would have given the Avs six points, and two more than the Stars, which could have given them home-ice advantage in a first-round series that saw them lose Game 7 in Dallas. Possible award winner: Cale Makar, Norris Fantasy outlook: Although Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are ranked No. 1 in their respective positions, Colorado’s second scoring line carries the most fantasy intrigue. If Landeskog returns close to form, Valeri Nichushkin manages to stay healthy, and center Brock Nelson gels with both, watch out. Bold prediction: The Avalanche win the Western Conference.

7. Winnipeg Jets

Last season: 56-22-4 (116 points), lost in the second round Stanley Cup Odds: +2500 Projected Points: 94.7 Major strength: Offensive options. Their depth was already going to be somewhat tested to start the season with captain Adam Lowry recovering from a hip injury, only for Cole Perfetti to suffer a sprained ankle that will keep him out of the lineup week after week. But even with those absences, the Jets can still deploy veterans Gustav Nyquist and Jonathan Toews on the second line alongside promising rookie Nikita Chibrikov. Knowing that Lowry and Perfetti could be in the lineup in November provides the Jets with different lineup possibilities for a team expected to contend in the West. Major concern: If something happens to Connor Hellebuyck. The eighth goaltender in NHL history to win the Hart as league MVP, and one of the few to win three Vezinas as the best goaltender, has made Hellebuyck one of the best players on the planet and one of the best of his generation. Hellebuyck is among that select group of goaltenders in the current tandem landscape who can consistently play more than 60 games per season, which further emphasizes his importance to the Jets. A major injury to Hellebuyck, and the Jets would be left struggling. This season depends on… Going beyond the second round. The Jets find themselves in a unique space where they aren’t quite in that collection of teams in a proven championship window like the Avs, Golden Knights, Oilers, and Stars. But they also don’t seem to be one of those teams that need until the last two weeks to make the playoffs or miss them altogether. What they do this postseason could be crucial in discovering exactly where the Jets stand in the Western Conference landscape. Possible award winner: Connor Hellebuyck, Vezina Fantasy outlook: Perfetti is poised to join the Jets’ strong group of competitors as Ehlers’ replacement on the top power play. After regaining his legs, new second-line center Jonathan Toews has sleeper potential in extra-deep leagues. Bold prediction: Kyle Connor re-signs and makes Mitch Marner money.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Last season: 52-26-4 (108 points), lost in the second round Stanley Cup Odds: +1600 Projected Points: 99.6 Major strength: The Maple Leafs still have a “Core Four”, it just no longer includes Mitch Marner. Joining Auston Matthews, William Nylander