Bold predictions for all 32 NHL teams: Dylan Larkin's destination, surprise award contenders, more
Greg WyshynskiSep 22, 2026, 07:00 AM ET
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN's senior NHL writer.
With the 2026-27 NHL season nearly here, it's time to make some bold predictions about what will and will not happen on the way to handing out the Stanley Cup.
Last season, I went 14-18 in these predictions and was quite close to breaking even. Let's see how many of these bold predictions for the NHL's 32 teams come to pass.
These educated guesses range from statistical achievements to awards predictions to coach firings to Stanley Cup playoffs prognostications. Enjoy, and welcome back, hockey!
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
Pavel Zacha regresses
Despite rampant trade rumors involving center-desperate teams taking a long look at a $4.75 million cap hit, the Bruins have held onto Zacha. Last season, that decision was rewarded with a 30-goal season, to go along with his usual defensive reliability.
Boston has several scoring forwards who could be primed for regression this season, but chief among them is Zacha. He had a 22.9% shooting percentage last season, which is higher than that of Morgan Geekie (21.5%), their 39-goal scoring winger. It's also the first time Zacha's shooting percentage was higher than 16.5% in his career.
As Geekie proved last season, just because a player's shooting percentage has an elephantine increase year-over-year doesn't guarantee regression -- Geekie shot 22% and scored 33 goals two years ago. But Zacha isn't playing with David Pastrnak. He played a bunch with Casey Mittelstadt last season, a player who might also be in line for a statistical decline.
Buffalo Sabres
Jarmo swings a deadline blockbuster
Jarmo Kekalainen was officially hired as the Sabres' GM on Dec. 15. They went 36-9-5 after that, breaking the NHL's longest postseason drought while winning a playoff round before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games.
What will Buffalo do for an encore? I wouldn't punch their ticket for a second straight trip to the playoffs just yet, if only because that 109-point season is going to be tough to replicate with a resurgent Panthers team, a healthier Lightning club and an improving group of Canadiens. But the Sabres have shown enough to earn Kekalainen's confidence that they're building something special in Buffalo -- and when a team earns Kekalainen's confidence, that's usually when he takes his biggest swings.
Recall that he made aggressive trades for Marian Gaborik, Seth Jones, Brandon Saad, Scott Hartnell, Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene while managing the Blue Jackets. I think he makes that kind of move to level up the Sabres this season. Maybe it's finding the right deal to pry Connor Hellebuyck from the Jets' stubborn hands, a player they've reportedly been pursuing. Maybe it's a center who is healthier than Josh Norris. Whatever the target, Kekalainen takes his shot before the deadline.
Detroit Red Wings
Dylan Larkin stays in Detroit
The Red Wings' now former captain wasn't exactly forthcoming in his first meeting with reporters since his trade request became public. In particular, Larkin didn't explain whether his ill feelings toward the organization stemmed from his dealings with general manager Steve Yzerman and whether Yzerman's departure from that role this summer might have mended any of those fences with the organization.
He also wouldn't go into details about his list of preferred destinations, and therein lies the rub for the Red Wings and Larkin: Unless either his list gets larger or their expected return for him grows smaller, he's going to be skating for Detroit. (Sorry, Minnesota Wild.)
So the prediction here is that both sides grit their teeth, honor his contract and have Larkin play the full season in Detroit. There will be boos from fans and uncomfortable questions from reporters, at least at the start. But as the games go on, one thing remains clear: The Red Wings are a better team with Larkin in the middle than without him, and they know that.
Florida Panthers
Win the Stanley Cup
What, did you think the Cats' dynasty had crumbled? Did you think this brief respite from their consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final -- a breather for the rest of the NHL, brought to you by the tendons in Aleksander Barkov's knee -- was proof that their contention window was closed?
If you're sick of the Panthers, both as champions and the sport's leading trolls, here's the unfortunate news:
They're going to win the Stanley Cup again, their third chalice in four seasons.
Some conditions have changed since the last time the Panthers were victorious, and those changes do give me pause:
Sergei Bobrovsky is in Toronto, and they're replaced him with the wildly inconsistent Jacob Markstrom.
Evan Rodrigues, an essential ingredient in their special sauce, was traded to the Devils for Markstrom.
Perhaps most importantly, the NHL and the NHLPA agreed to a postseason salary cap and long-term injured reserve rules that were instituted last season. We've already seen what that can do to Florida, which was unable to replace Barkov's salary when he went down in the preseason, lest the Panthers lose the chance to bring him back for the playoffs.
Of course, they didn't make the playoffs, which means they got extra recovery time after having played more hockey in the previous three seasons than any other team. The foundation of those Cup runs remains in intact: No one in the NHL can match their top three lines and top two defense pairings, especially with the addition of Brady Tkachuk.
(Scoff at Tkachuk's playoff pedigree if you want, but he's going to be in the same situation Mitch Marner was last season for Vegas, entering a ring-filled locker room as one of many instead of "the man." Look how that turned out.)
The only question is whether that talent up front can outkick its downgrade in goal, and I assume it will -- or that GM Bill Zito, one of the best in the business, will creatively upgrade that position if necessary.
Fans start lining up under the balcony at the Elbo Room now for beer showers from the Stanley Cup again.
Montreal Canadiens
Lane Hutson, Norris Finalist
Sometimes, offensive defensemen win the Norris Trophy because their offensive accomplishments are just that overwhelming. Think Quinn Hughes popping for 92 points when he won in 2024, or Erik Karlsson winning his first Norris in 2012 with 78 points in 81 games.
Hutson had that kind of season in 2025-26 with 78 points in 82 games, skating to a plus-36. Yet he finished sixth in voting for the Norris. Evan Bouchard of the Oilers had an even more bonkers offensive season, with 95 points in 82 games, but he finished fourth. Which brings us to another tenet of the Norris Trophy: Sometimes elite offensive defensemen need to convince the voters, rightly or wrongly, that they're not one-dimensional players.
I think Hutson did that during the Habs' run to the Eastern Conference finals last season. It was an eye-opening performance, with defensive defenseman royalty Jaccob Slavin comparing Hutson's game to that of Hughes during Carolina's series against Montreal. Those kinds of endorsements go a long way toward eventually making a Norris case for Hutson.
Assuming the Canadiens are a playoff team again, it might be "his turn" to make the Norris top three. (It being a player's "turn" is another hallmark of the Norris, as Zach Werenski and Rasmus Dahlin witnessed last season.)
Ottawa Senators
Miss the playoffs
The Senators aren't going to suddenly fall apart without Brady Tkachuk. In fact, there are some reasons to believe they're going to be better positioned to succeed this season, especially if they get goaltending worthy of their excellent even-strength defense (second overall in expected goals against per 60 minutes last season).
That said, Tkachuk was still a point-per-game player for the Senators. Due respect to William Eklund, a solid pickup from the Sharks in June, but he's not going to able to replicate that output.
Ottawa was a 99-point team last season. I think the Sens probably fall between five to eight points from that pace and miss the playoffs, before what could be a big bounce-back in 2027-28.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Nikita Kucherov signs a new deal for less than $20M AAV
Kucherov gave fans the quote of the preseason when he was asked how the game had changed during his career: "The game is faster, but very dumb. Low IQ." Incredible.
Also very dumb: Anyone concerned that Kucherov might not end up signing another contract with the Lightning, with unrestricted free agency looming after this season. The 33-year-old superstar winger has everything he needs in Tampa: lovely weather, talented teammates on an annually contending team, and the complete lack of pressure to be anything other than what he is when it comes to public or media relations responsibilities. He just gets to be Kuch and score 100-plus points. Why would he ever leave that?
It has been reported that Kucherov might be seeking a $20 million AAV on this contract. It's hard to imagine that not being reported for every star player whose deal is up in a post-Cale Makar contract landscape. Given the Lightning's incredible cap situation -- they have Brayden Point ($9.5 million), Jake Guentzel ($9 million) and Brandon Hagel ($6.5 million) all locked in under $10 million annually through 2030 -- Kucherov could ask for that AAV without annihilating their financial structure.
But I think, ultimately, Kucherov comes in under $20 million annually. He'll swap that for term, potentially for six seasons, and the security that he'll probably finish his career as a Bolt.
He'll make more than countryman Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million AAV) but less than the $20 million mark. Which no doubt will spark another round of "state income tax advantages" conjecture regarding a Florida team.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Miss the playoffs again
Some teams make changes. The Toronto Maple Leafs made, like, all the changes. New management, new coaches, almost a dozen new players on the roster, from the top UFA defenseman (Darren Raddysh) to the top pick in the NHL draft(Gavin McKenna).
While there was certainly a "let's throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" vibe to GM John Chayka's offseason spree, that doesn't mean it can't work. While building chemistry is paramount, the health of the roster will make or break the season. That starts with Auston Matthews, coming off knee surgery and having not played since March 12. It certainly includes Chris Tanev, the veteran defensive defenseman who was limited to just 11 games last season.
The Leafs would need somewhere around a 20-point improvement to make the Stanley Cup playoffs again, after missing for the first time in 10 seasons. It's not an unreasonable target, but I'm not convinced they hit it.
I'm worried about the fragility of some of the bodies on the roster, including that of Anthony Stolarz, who will be tasked with being the safety net for Sergei Bobrovsky's regular season decline. I'm concerned about how the pieces fit behind what should be two terrific forward lines with Matthews and John Tavares as center. While I'm interested in coach Jim Hiller getting a chance to flex his offensive acumen after he said he was forced to play a more defensive scheme with the Los Angeles Kings roster he was dealt, I'm not sold on him as a head coach.
They'll be better, but not good enough.
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Jordan Staal wins the Selke Trophy
This shouldn't be a bold prediction. Staal should be on his third Selke by now. Unfortunately, he has played in an era that saw the award dominated by Patrice Bergeron, Aleksander Barkov, Anze Kopitar and Pavel Datsyuk.
Staal just kept putting together masterful defensive seasons in Raleigh, never getting the recognition he deserved apart from a second-place finish for the Selke in 2024.
Well, he got recognition last postseason: Staal won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP as the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. He deserved it as a defensive force, but it was his six goals in the Final series against Vegas that clinched it -- an ironic accomplishment, given that his lack of offensive output in the regular season probably cost him Selke attention. (No, offensive achievement being essential for a defensive award never made sense to us, either.)
Assuming the Hurricanes are good and assuming Staal is just as good defensively as he has been season after season for them, here's predicting a "gold watch" Selke win for the captain, the byproduct of the national media lovefest he was showered with last playoffs.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Kirill Marchenko isn't traded
It's fairly obvious that Marchenko isn't long for Columbus. He was asked point blank if that's where he wanted to be, and the 26-year-old forward would only say "I like playing hockey" while refusing to add the caveat "here" to his answer.
The rest of the league is intrigued at the idea that Marchenko, who led the Jackets in goal for three straight seasons, could be available via trade. But unless this ordeal becomes a massive distraction for the team and the fans, the Blue Jackets have no compelling reason to fulfill his desire to leave now. He's a restricted free agent next offseason. They could easily just trade him then.
For now, he's the best offensive forward for a team that was right on the playoff bubble last season.
New Jersey Devils
This is Sheldon Keefe's last season
The Devils are, as always, a team that could be at the top of the conference or back in the lottery depending on the team's overall injury situation and specifically the health of star center Jack Hughes, who has played over 70 games in a season only once in his seven-year NHL career.
There's another X factor this season: goaltending. After Jacob Markstrom proved not to be the solution to their yearslong woes, they've move on with a trio of Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich as they wait for Boston University goalie Mikhail Yegorov to potentially become that solution.
This is Keefe's third season as coach with the Devils. He's under contract for one more season beyond this one. If New Jersey underachieves during the season, or fails to make the playoffs again, that's an easy dismissal for new GM Sunny Mehta to make, given Keefe wasn't his hire. But even if the Devils make the cut and fail to advance past the first round -- they have one playoff series win since 2012 -- one could see Keefe paying for that shortfall as well.
New York Islanders
Become deadline sellers
There's only so much magic Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin can weave with this roster. Multiple projections have the Islanders under 90 points this season after a 91-point campaign that ended with head coach Patrick Roy being replaced by Pete DeBoer.
That coaching change is a reason to believe the Islanders could sneak into a playoff seed, given how much immediate success DeBoer has had in his various NHL stops. But the Devils, Sharks, Golden Knights and Stars teams that all made the conference finals in his first seasons with them are much deeper than this current Islanders roster.
The best case for GM Mathieu Darche and Islanders fans: That he has a good sense of where they're going to finish at the trade deadline and starts shipping out some veterans. Getting this roster closer to Schaefer's age curve than, say, Jean-Gabriel Pageau's will eventually bring the Islanders to where they want to go.
New York Rangers
Gabe Perreault doubles his goal total
The best thing to happen for this prediction was GM Chris Drury not giving Perreault the eight-year extension many assumed would come before the new NHL CBA made that contract term verboten. Drury indicated that the forward needs to continue "to grow" and "earn responsibility."
Reading between the lines of his preseason comments, as Perreault probably did, the Rangers didn't believe the 21-year-old was worth the investment yet.
What a glorious carrot to dangle in front of a player entering his second full NHL season, and one that could be in a position to thrive offensively on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere. Most projections I've seen have him topping out at around 50 points, but with increased ice time and hopefully continued power-play success, I see him doubling his 12 goals from last season.
Philadelphia Flyers
Step back before a leap forward
There's a lot to love around the Flyers right now. They have a fantastic collection of young forwards ages 19-24 that will form the foundation of this budding contender. They have a coach in Rick Tocchet with whom they'll grow. The Flyers' goaltending, long an issue, appears solid with Dan Vladar having earned a new contract and Joseph Woll arriving from Toronto.
But when I attended Flyers camp this month, the vibe felt apprehensive. Like last season's playoff berth and elimination of the Penguins was too much, too soon, and there was a little concern about regression. I think those concerns are warranted, and Philly takes a slight step back this season while missing the playoffs. But one year of growing pains is offset by getting to watch Porter Martone lead the franchise for the next decade.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Sergei Murashov is the real deal
The Penguins made the playoffs last season thanks in part to new coach Dan Muse getting everything he could out of the cast supporting Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They finished second in the Metro despite having the 23rd best team save percentage in the NHL.
One thing that won't change this season is the Penguins making the playoffs, as I have them in again. One thing that will change: The effectiveness of their goaltending, thanks to Murashov. The 22-year-old rookie dominated Russian juniors, the ECHL and the AHL en route to earning a spot in the Pittsburgh crease with Arturs Silovs. He's one of the best goaltending prospects in the NHL, and there's already expectations he takes the starting job before the turn of the calendar.
Is this putting too much on a guy who was tending goal for Yaroslavl Loko Jr. two years ago? Probably. Has he earned that level of hype? He has and based on his play and his comportment, he might meet it this season.
Washington Capitals
Make the Eastern Conference finals
The Capitals might be the one team in the Eastern Conference that can take the Florida Panthers' bludgeoning and throw it back at them.
Washington is absolutely loaded with humungous players who can skate and score: Aliaksei Protas (6-6, 250), Ilya Protas (6-6, 225), Tom Wilson (6-4, 225), Pierre-Luc Dubois (6-4, 220), Alex Tuch (6-4, 219) and a plucky ingénue named Alex Ovechkin (6-3, 238). They're going to steamroll the rest of the conference.
I love the makeup of this team, from the goaltending to their coach to the plethora of scoring options to that wonderful alchemy between veteran players and the next wave of young Capitals stars, such as Cole Hutson on defense. What I don't totally love is their back end, which is talented but lacks those Brooks Orpik/Matt Niskanen types who provided the backbone of their Stanley Cup win in 2018. Perhaps GM Chris Patrick can add a little more before the playoffs begin.
I nearly picked the Capitals to win the Stanley Cup. They have that potential, even with Ovechkin staring at the last beams of sunset in his career. Ultimately, I don't think they can match the star power and depth of the Panthers in a seven-game playoff series. But goaltender Logan Thompson could be the great equalizer.
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Anton Frondell, top-three rookie scorer
This could be a good season for rookie forwards, with players such as Gavin McKenna (Maple Leafs), Porter Martone (Flyers) and Ivar Stenberg (Sharks) all looking to make an immediate impact.
Frondell, the No. 3 pick in 2025, could have the greatest impact of them all.
He had a tantalizing debut for the Blackhawks last season after coming over from Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League, with nine points in 12 games. He's going to be a force in Chicago's top six, but to really break through, he's going to need Connor Bedard back on the ice with him. Bedard is expected to sit out the first month of the season because of a shoulder injury. In the meantime, he'll have on his flank Tyler Bertuzzi, who worked well with him in their limited time together last season.
Colorado Avalanche
Win the Western Conference
The Vegas Golden Knights didn't sweep the Avalanche last season in the conference finals. They swept a broken-down shell of the Avalanche, like one of those brittle cicada exoskeletons you'd see attached to a tree trunk. Cale Makar missed two games and was limited in the other two. Nathan MacKinnon was injured. The Avs were bruised and out of sorts against a Vegas team peaking at the right time.
This is just more kindling for the fire raging inside of MacKinnon in his increasingly desperate pursuit of a second Stanley Cup win. That manifested in a career high 53-goal season as the Avalanche finished with the league's best record in 2025-26. But the business was left unfinished in the postseason.
That motivation is one reason I like Colorado to advance in the West. Another reason: GM Joe Sakic is back in the big chair. I love the fact that he's infusing this roster with some hungry young players that'll have the opportunity to play important roles. I love the fact that in his acquisition of pesky Zachary L'Heureux from Nashville, he identified a missing element on their roster: The physical, rink rat energy forward. I trust that Sakic isn't done refining this group.
The Avalanche haven't won a conference finals game since 2022. They'll win four of them this postseason.
Dallas Stars
Hit the John Tortorella panic button in-season
Peter DeBoer haunts the Dallas Stars. They made the conference finals in three straight seasons under DeBoer before firing him in 2025. Glen Gulutzan returned for a second stint as head coach, and the Stars lost in the first round of the playoffs to Minnesota, thanks to the current Stanley Cup Playoff format forcing the third and seventh best teams in the league to meet in the opening round.
The haunting continued in this preseason, when Gulutzan said the Stars might need "a little more 'Pete DeBoer' system in us," in reference to how the break out the puck. It was an innocent, illustrative reference ... and yet also a reminder that Gulutzan is not DeBoer in accomplishment or comportment.
The moment the Vegas Golden Knights didn't bring coach John Tortorella back after last season's run to the Stanley Cup Final, the hockey world started wondering into what coaching spot he could parachute into next. After all, Torts needed only eight regular-season games to "fix" the Knights before they won three playoff rounds.
I submit to you the Dallas Stars. They still have the players to contend for the Stanley Cup, including what might be one final season of Jason Robertson potting goals before unrestricted free agency. If the returns are diminishing under Gulutzan as the playoffs near, this could be an ideal spot for another quick-turn roster reinvigoration.
And, selfishly for content purposes, putting Tortorella on the proper side of the bracket to potentially meet the Golden Knights in the conference finals.
Minnesota Wild
Trade Jesper Wallstedt
It's hard to stuff the genie back in the bottle. Last season, Wallstedt's name was circulated as potential trade bait in Minnesota's search for the star center their lineup continues to lack. They ended up not moving him, and Wallstedt ended up having a terrific postseason as the Wild won a playoff round.
So, that's that, right? Not really. The Wild invested in goalie Filip Gustavsson with a contract that runs through 2031 and carries a $6.8 million annual cap hit. Wallstedt makes $2.2 million against the cap, but is a restricted free agent next summer and due for a considerable raise. Combine that with his value in the trade market, and the Wall might be relocated to another room at some point, as was rumored last season.
Nashville Predators
Matthew Wood breaks out
The continuing existence of one Tage Nathaniel Thompson means that Wood probably won't be considered the best UConn alum currently playing in the NHL. But that doesn't mean he can't craft his own legacy as Huskies hockey royalty (after a one-year stint at Minnesota as well).
Wood was the No. 15 pick in the 2023 draft by Nashville, and had a nice rookie season: 17 goals and 13 assists in 71 games. Solid, but not a breakout season.
No, the breakout season happens over the next several months. Wood will earn much more than the 12:19 per game in ice time he averaged last season. He's getting a PP1 look in the preseason with Steven Stamkos, Ryan O'Reilly, Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. He's also expected to be Forsberg's linemate at 5-on-5, having worked well with him last season.
The Predators have some offensive upside under coach Andrew Brunette, having finished 13th in expected goals scored last season at even strength. Wood is absolutely positioned to pop this season.
St. Louis Blues
Dylan Holloway goes 30/70
The Blues' offer sheet to Holloway in 2024 is already an unmitigated success. Edmonton would perform ritual sacrifice to find a 25-year-old physical winger who can pop for 26 goals on their current roster. They had one in Holloway.
He's just getting better now that he's on one of the NHL's best lines with Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud, a trio that averaged 5.7 goals per 60 minutes together last season. I think Holloway breaks the 30-goal mark and hits 70 points for the first time in his career -- although as I noted in my fantasy hockey "Plant My Flag" story this week, he's going to need an uptick in power-play production to do that.
The bold part of this prediction is that Holloway will be in the lineup enough to hit these marks, which has been a struggle in the past. But if he is, with that line cooking, it's going to be a career season.
Utah Mammoth
Trade for Connor Hellebuyck
It's no secret that Mammoth owner Ryan Smith has tried to aggressively improve his team, both in moves that the Mammoth have made and ones they've attempted to pull off. It's also no secret that Connor Hellebuyck is going to be traded somewhere by the Winnipeg Jets at some point. It's just a matter of the Jets finding the right offer to convince them to make the move.
Why Utah? Karel Vejmelka is good. Sometimes he's great. Sometimes he's not. He was 24th in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes last season (minimum 30 games), which was actually better than Hellebuyck (26th) during the multiple-Vezina Trophy winner's nightmarish season with Winnipeg. But this would be a significant upgrade in goal, and a foundation on which a young contender can be built.
The bummer here is that the Jets reportedly don't want a trade for futures, given Utah's deep pool of prospects. It also has been widely reported that the Jets want a center in return for Hellebuyck. The obvious choice is Nick Schmaltz, but he has a full no-trade clause. Barrett Hayton would have worked, but he's a UFA after this season.
Could the Jets do this for 19-year-old blue-chip prospect Caleb Desnoyers? Would Utah do that? I don't know. I think the biggest issue might be Winnipeg trading Hellebuyck within its own division. But the bold prediction is the bold prediction for a reason.
Winnipeg Jets
Scott Arniel is fired
While a 34-point decline in the standings was severe for the Jets last season, it should be noted that drop started from the 116 points they amassed in winning the President's Trophy in coach Scott Arniel's first season. But there were real causes for concern for Winnipeg last season beyond missing the playoffs, as they saw a small decline in expected goals scored and a steeper one in expected goals against at 5-on-5. As mediocre (by his standards) Connor Hellebuyck was last season, the defense front of him was 19th in the league in that metric.
GM Kevin Cheveldayoff danced around Arniel's status after last season, saying "we're not ready to turn the page on anything yet." But if Winnipeg gets off to another bum start -- and the Hellebuyck situation isn't helping -- dismissing a coach in the last year of his contract would seem like a typical desperation move.
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks
Take a step back
Leo Carlsson's offer sheet with the Flyers, and Cutter Gauthier's subsequent contract drama, overshadowed what was an underwhelming offseason for a burgeoning contender that won a playoff round last postseason.
With the departures of Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas and trade deadline pickup John Carlson, the defense corps doesn't have a player over the age of 25 on it to start the season. Giving players such as Ian Moore, Tristan Luneau and especially Pavel Mintyukov the keys to the blue line will help in the long run, but it might make an already porous group even more vulnerable in front of goalie Lukas Dostal.
Add in a bottom-six forward group that doesn't match the depth of other conference contenders, and GM Pat Verbeek has some work to do before the Ducks can actualize as championship-caliber club. Of course, given the ages and contract status of their best core players, they're on that path even after a stumble this season.
Calgary Flames
Matvei Gridin becomes "must watch"
As the Flames are mired in a rebuild, there aren't as many compelling reasons to make time for their games as there are for other Western Conference teams. Maybe watching Simon Nemec with a change in scenery? Possibly watching Dustin Wolf try to recapture the magic of his rookie season?
But if you're looking for a reason to tune into a Calgary game, perhaps Matvei Gridin is that reason. The 20-year-old winger, drafted 28th overall in 2024, burst onto the scene with six goals and 14 assists in 37 games with the Flames, having popped for 10 goals in 37 games for their AHL affiliate. He's got decent size and some fun offensive tricks up his sleeve.
On a team that doesn't have a plethora of offensive stars, he's got the potential to be one, giving hockey fans a reason to keep an eye on the Flames beyond their lottery odds.
Edmonton Oilers
Mike Babcock makes no statistical difference for McDavid, Draisaitl
It's still astonishing that Mike Babcock was given another head coaching job in the NHL, given what happened in Columbus and what we've come to learn about his time in Toronto and Detroit. But never underestimate the desire to win in this league, both from management and star players who buy into a coach's overstated legacy.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both lobbied for Babcock's hiring. Draisaitl said, "We're looking to be coached. We're looking to get better. Connor and I sometimes deserve [criticism] too, just like anyone else does."
I'm still a bit hazy on the whole "Edmonton would have won the Stanley Cup by now if someone could just get a little more out of McDavid and Draisaitl" line of thought. I'm quite skeptical that his taskmaster will do anything to make them more effective than they already are. So the prediction here is that McDavid (4.4 points per 60 minutes) and Draisaitl (4.2) don't do better than their averages last season under Kris Knoblauch, who coached the Oilers to two Stanley Cup Finals but apparently didn't coach Connor and Leon.
Los Angeles Kings
Miss the playoffs
Peter Laviolette is governed by the laws of diminishing returns. The Kings are his seventh NHL coaching gig. In his first full season coaching the Islanders, Hurricanes, Flyers, Predators, Capitals and Rangers, those teams all made the playoff cut. Four of them earned over 100 points in the standings in those seasons. The 61-year-old isn't shaking the "retread" label as the new coach in Los Angeles, but his track record is better than most.
Picking against a Laviolette team to make the playoffs is, in fact, a bold prediction. Since 2010, his teams only missed the playoffs three times when he's been behind the bench for the whole season. But as I keep looking at this offensively challenged team -- which was 29th in goals per game last season and subtracted Anze Kopitar -- I keep wondering how many goals Lavy can squeeze from a roster that might be a one-line team. (Albeit one line with Artemi Panarin, Quentin Byfield and Adrian Kempe on it.)
The relative weakness of the Pacific Division makes me a little concerned they can eke out a sixth straight playoff berth. But why go through those motions for another first-round exit? Take the lottery ticket instead.
San Jose Sharks
Make the playoffs
The new Battle of California is over the third seed in the Pacific Division. Assuming the Oilers and Golden Knights remain the two best teams in the division -- and the Kraken, Flames and Canucks remain closer to the basement -- that leaves the Ducks, Kings and Sharks to vie for that last divisional playoff berth.
I think the Sharks earn it; or, failing that, one of the wild-card spots. In the process, playoff hockey comes back to the Shark Tank for the first time since 2019.
It all starts with Macklin Celebrini, whose 115-point season (!) willed the Sharks to a 34-point improvement in the standings from his rookie season. He has an incredibly young, talented group around him (Will Smith, Ivar Stenberg, Michael Misa), but one that suffers defensively as young groups do.
So GM Mike Grier added Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba and Michael Kesselring to improve the back end in the offseason, and veteran forward Mason Marchment to a group that already includes hard-working Kiefer Sherwood and Alexander Wennberg. They'll need Yaroslav Askarov to cover up some of their defensive deficiencies in goal this season in ways he couldn't last season. Admittedly, that's asking a lot, but hopefully an improved team in front of him makes a difference.
But who are we kidding: It's Celebrini or bust. He dragged a worse version of this team to within four points of the last wild-card spot in 2025-26, finishing fourth in the MVP race in the process. He started earning Sidney Crosby comparisons en masse last season. Please recall that Crosby had the Penguins playing for the Stanley Cup in Year 3. No pressure, Mack.
Seattle Kraken
Win the draft lottery
There might not be another franchise in the NHL right now that needs first overall pick more than the Kraken. It's not as if they're an abject disaster. They're just stuck in a hockey purgatory between contention and the basement. Worse yet, they're a team without a discernible draw. What comes to mind when I say "Seattle Kraken?" Exactly.
A first overall pick changes that. It's a shot of adrenaline to the heart. Look at what Matthew Schaefer did for the moribund Islanders. Granted, not everyone has his blessing of charisma, but every first overall pick is blessed with something else: Hope. That feeling of forward momentum that comes when your team lands the a potential future star in the lottery.
And hey, like Schaefer, the prize of next year's draft is also a dynamic young defenseman in Landon DuPont of Michigan. And he even played his junior hockey in Everett, to boot.
Vancouver Canucks
Marco Rossi becomes a No. 1 center
Rossi was acquired from the Wild in the Quinn Hughes trade last season. He spent parts of five seasons in Minnesota, which drafted him No. 9 in 2020. The expectation was that he could become the No. 1 center that they so desperately needed over the past few seasons. He didn't meet those expectations in the eyes of GM Bill Guerin, so off he went to Vancouver in exchange for their star defenseman.
Can he become that guy in Vancouver? The Canucks certainly hope so, either with them or to maximize his trade value ahead of needing a contract extension in 2029. Rossi showed flashes of that potential last season while playing with Brock Boeser, Vancouver's most accomplished scoring winger, especially when forward Liam Ohgren joined them to make an effective trio.
Here's how I would define "No. 1 center" in terms of this prediction: Rossi leads all Vancouver centers in ice time and points, and his lines are used in the most key situations for coach Manny Malhotra. I think he gets there. If not, then maybe Guerin was right.
Vegas Golden Knights
Mitch Marner scores 100 points
The Golden Knights have seen their share of accomplishments in the franchise's nine seasons. (Aw, they grow up so fast, don't they?) But there's one jackpot no Vegas player has yet to claim: Scoring 100 points in a season.
Jack Eichel has come the closest. He tallied 94 points in 77 games in 2024-25 and 90 points in 74 games last season. The common thread there: Not playing a full 82 games. If he did, Eichel would likely pass the century mark. But he's played more than 80 games just once in his career, as a Buffalo Sabres rookie in 2015-16.
Mitch Marner has played over 80 games in three of the last four seasons. He's also scored 100 points in a season, notching 102 in his walk year with the Maple Leafs in 2024-25. Last season, he had 80 points in 81 games for Vegas, which is a heck of an accomplishment given how much upheaval there was in his world that offseason.
While many projections have him topping out around 90 points, I think Marner has another 100-pointer in him. One thing to watch is on the power play, where he had 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) and can improve on those numbers. If he does, he could be the first Vegas player to roll 100 in the regular season.
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