2025-2026 NHL Season Preview

Cue the music, it’s hockey season again. The puck dropped Oct. 7, so here are my predictions for the 2025-26 NHL season, division by division, followed by some way too early awards.

PACIFIC DIVISION

8. Seattle Kraken
Since the Kraken’s playoff splash in 2023, there’s been no spark, no leader, and no clear direction. Veteran goaltender Philip Grubauer’s $5.9 million anchor contract blocks any real moves, and no one on this team can turn a game on their own. On paper, they shouldn’t be awful, but with no reason for them to get better, I think they’ll slide to last in the Pacific.

7. San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks have been one of the worst teams in the NHL for the last three years. They lose most of their games and haven’t made the playoffs in eons, but by God, the young guys on this team are electric to watch. 2024 first overall pick Macklin Celebrini, formerly of Boston University, is better than Connor Bedard (first overall before him in 2023), with fellow young stars Will Smith (Boston College) and William Eklund as phenomenal complements to his game. I think 2025 second overall pick Michael Misa is going to be a stud when he makes his NHL debut this year. There’s reason to hope that goaltender Yaroslav Askarov can be a true starting talent. That said, NHL teams are made of 23 players, not five. San Jose’s defense is cataclysmic, and they still lack depth scoring, particularly on the wings in the bottom six. It’s going to be another tough year for the Sharks, but the future is teal!

6. Calgary Flames

The Flames are currently facing an identity crisis. I am excited about their young players, particularly Conor Zary and Matt Coronato ’23. 2024 9th overall pick Zayne Parekh will be making his debut on Calgary’s defense this year, and all signs point to him being a stud. Dustin Wolf was a dark horse contender for the Calder Trophy (best rookie) last year, and I think he is the best goaltender in the NHL under the age of 27. The rest of the team is either old and staying or in their prime and leaving. Barring a miracle, the best course of action for this team is to sell before the trade deadline and rapidly rebuild. 

5. Vancouver Canucks

Quinn Hughes is beyond elite, Elias Pettersson used to be, and goaltender Thatcher Demko might be again, barring injury. Beyond that? Shrugs all around. Their top lines and power play have been unusually quiet, a recipe for disaster given they have lackluster scoring depth. This is as “meh” a team as it gets, although I will be ecstatic to hopefully see goaltender Aku Koskenvuo ’27 make his debut.

4. Anaheim Ducks
Finally, signs of life. Anaheim’s rebuild is ending, their youth movement (Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and former Harvard captain Ian Moore ’25) is thriving, and the vets bring steady leadership. I’m partial to any team that functions as a retirement home for the New York Rangers (four former Blueshirts on Anaheim’s roster). Still a year shy of playoffs, but trending up fast.

3. Los Angeles Kings – x
The Kings are fine, good even, but perpetually doomed to lose to Edmonton. “One last ride” for legendary captain Anze Kopitar gives them purpose, but offseason moves were more than questionable. They remain playoff-bound, but nothing new.

2. Edmonton Oilers – x
The Oilers don’t care about the regular season. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will obliterate the stat sheet, coast into the playoffs, and chase redemption after two Cup Final losses. With McDavid’s contract extension done, the focus shifts to finally finishing the job and ultimately giving him whatever tools he wants to finally hoist the Stanley Cup. 

1. Vegas Golden Knights – x
Three years post-Cup, Vegas reloaded with Mitch Marner. Losing Pietrangelo hurts, but Eichel and Marner are going to light up the league. Vegas feels hungry again, and they will take the Pacific crown.

CENTRAL DIVISION

8. Chicago Blackhawks
The second-worst team in professional sports (looking at you, Buffalo). They are starting to build a young core around Connor Bedard with Lukas Reichel, Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar, and Colton Dach, but beyond that the 2023 first overall pick is stuck dragging corpses. Their best course of action: tank again, get Gavin McKenna in the draft, and start to get some legs under this rebuild.

7. Nashville Predators
They spent big last year (signing Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault) and played like trash. This season? Probably more of the same. They made zero exciting moves in the offseason and I don’t see why we should expect a different result.

6. Utah Mammoth
The hype here is premature. Cooley and Peterka are soon-to-be stars, but this team is still a piece or two short. Until they make serious trades, they’re a mid-tier curiosity.

5. St. Louis Blues – x
People forget that for at least a third of last season, the St. Louis Blues were one of the best hockey teams in the world. I love the way this team looks. Like the Mammoth, they are still one or two pieces away from being a team with Cup aspirations, but their foundation is rock-solid.

4. Winnipeg Jets – x
Dropping from first to fourth might sting, but regression was coming. Losing Ehlers hurts, and Hellebuyck can’t mask every flaw forever. They are still a playoff team, just not a dominant one.

3. Dallas Stars – x
It’s Cup or bust. Their window’s closing, and they know it. They should be focused on staying healthy for another deep run, before probably losing to Edmonton again in the Conference Finals. Goaltender Jake Oettinger will go nuclear fighting for an Olympic spot.

2. Colorado Avalanche – x

They fumbled trading Mikko Rantanen, but they’re still elite. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, a breakout year from Ross Colton, and hopefully a Martin Necas extension should make them a Cup contender again.

1. Minnesota Wild – x
Superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov re-signed for $17 million across 8 years and now has to carry them to glory. The Wild are tight on cap space, but the young guns look ready. Last year, Kaprizov played for half the season, and the Wild topped the league in that period. If Kaprizov stays healthy all year, there’s no reason that shouldn’t happen again.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

8. Buffalo Sabres
It’s been 14 years with zero playoff appearances. Thus far, they have two goals in three games this season. The players are miserable, and the fanbase is in pain. It’s time to blow it up again.

7. Boston Bruins
The Bruins have gone from record-breaking to rock-bottom in three years. Their top prospect, James Hagens, is staying at Boston College another year; this is smart for him, bad for them, and bad for Harvard come Beanpot.

6. Detroit Red Wings
This is a team that desperately needs to make the playoffs, and it feels like they’re always one step away from breaking in. Maybe these new (and gorgeous) Centennial Jerseys will be the final piece of the puzzle? Probably not, but I hope so.

5. Ottawa Senators – x
The Sens jumped ahead of schedule last year and actually look legitimate. Adding Jordan Spence was smart, and Olympic-year motivation for Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson should give them an edge. 

4. Montreal Canadiens – x
The Habs are pure joy. Lane Hutson’s contract is a steal, Demidov is a Calder sleeper, and the rebuild is ending faster than expected. Expect another playoff trip, this time hopefully with better results.

3. Florida Panthers – x
After two Cups, they are now aiming to be the first team since 1983 to three-peat. Injuries to Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov will knock them down a peg, but that might help long-term if they return fresh. The regular season doesn’t matter for Florida; April through June is all that counts.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning – x
The Lightning have the same story as Dallas: elite core nearing twilight. They only have one or two more serious runs before the decline sets in. Expect a playoff showdown with Florida that might kill everyone involved.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs – x
No team needs a win more. Marner’s loss was a deep cut, but maybe it forces Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies to level up. They’ll dominate the regular season and maybe make a deep run. Lord knows that after 58 cupless years, they’re bound for something.

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

8. Pittsburgh Penguins
It’s over. Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are done. Trade them all, and build their statues fast. What an unbelievable era it has been. 

7. Philadelphia Flyers
Philly is quietly building something. Zegras and Drysdale, dynamic duo traded from Anaheim, with the addition of Michkov form a fun young trio, but they’re still a couple of years out. Keep an eye on them.

6. New York Islanders
Winning the lottery for Schaefer sped things up, but they’re still rebuilding. Trade the vets, keep the kids, and wait for 2027.

5. Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals were miraculous last season. Alexander Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record was astonishing; watching The Great Eight surpass The Great One was an all-time moment in sports. Ovi has already announced that he will retire after this season, and without the monumental energy of last year, I don’t think the Capitals will be even close to making the playoffs. Who knows what the future holds for this team, but for now, we can all watch the greatest goal scorer of all time skate off into the sunset.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus began last season with the tragic and horrific killing of star player Johnny Gaudreau in a drunk driving accident. Despite their monumental loss, the Blue Jackets rallied together and fell just two wins shy of the playoffs. I expect a similar outcome this season, as the Blue Jackets struggle to find a way to replace the irreplaceable Gaudreau. They are a rapidly developing young team, with some absolute superstars in the making, and they will be a championship contender within the next few years, if not sooner.

3. New York Rangers – x
I have no idea what to make of the New York Rangers. It seems like every other day, the mood on this team flips from “we’re winning the Cup” to “sell the franchise” and back again. I think this is going to be a bounce-back year, carried by a Vezina Trophy-caliber performance from Igor Shesterkin and a Norris Trophy-winning year from Adam Fox ’19. The Rangers could be good *if* nearly everyone on the team takes a step forward, and that is a massive “if.” 

2. New Jersey Devils – x
If Jack Hughes stays healthy, this team’s a juggernaut. If not, they collapse. Add one scoring winger at the deadline and they’re Cup contenders. 

1. Carolina Hurricanes – x
They finally added the missing piece in Nikolaj Ehlers. Combined with Svechnikov, Jarvis, and newcomer K’Andre Miller, this is a complete roster. Carolina’s in win-now mode, and they may be the only team in the Metro that can do it.

WAY-TOO-EARLY AWARDS

Hart (MVP): Connor McDavid. Obviously. He is the best player in the world and just signed arguably the most team-friendly contract in NHL history. He only cares about winning a cup, and I think he’s going to play like it.
Rocket (Most Goals): Auston Matthews needs to prove he doesn’t need Mitch Marner to score. I think he’s going nuclear with 70 goals.
Norris (Best Defenseman): Adam Fox has been a disrespectfully underrated defenseman for three years now. He’s getting his revenge this year.

Vezina (Best Goalie): Igor Shesterkin. See above.
Calder (Best Rookie): Ivan Demidov. I know the obvious pick would be 2025 1st overall Matthew Schaefer, but I think we’re in for a repeat of 2016 with then-rookie Artemi Panarin winning the Calder over Connor McDavid. Demidov is an electric player on a much better team than Schaefer, and I think that’s going to boost him over the edge.

Stanley Cup + Conn Smythe: Edmonton beats Florida in six. McDavid wins Conn Smythe #2. Dynasty over. Finally.

Jordan Wasserberger ’27 (jwasserberger@college.harvard.edu) would give his kidney for the Rangers to be good this year.