ATLANTIC DIVISION
Boston Bruins
Head coach: Marco Sturm (second season)
Last season: 45-27-10, fourth place in Atlantic Division
This season: The Bruins will be hard-pressed to duplicate last season’s success. Scoring beyond the top line, especially after newly named captain David Pastrnak, is a concern.
What’s New: The key arrival is forward J.J. Peterka, who floundered during his only season with Utah before being flipped. He is pegged to skate on the top line with Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm.
Players to watch: Goaltender Jeremy Swayman was outstanding last season and must replicate that success to prevent the Bruins from missing the players they lost. Rookie James Hagens, the seventh overall pick in the 2025 draft, will be given the chance to provide scoring depth.
Buffalo Sabres
Head coach: Lindy Ruff (third season)
Last season: 50-23-9, first place in Atlantic Division
This season: Duplicating last season’s breakout, which included a trip to the second round of the playoffs, will be a tall order. This is a younger squad and should make the playoffs, but it will require a slew of players to elevate their game again.
What’s New: Rookie forward Konsta Helenius and Jiri Kulich – back after missing most of last season due to blood clot issues – will give a splash of scoring. Defenseman Olen Zellweger will be pegged to step up after Bowen Byram was dealt to Chicago, a deal that also brought hulking blueliner Louis Crevier to Buffalo.
Players to watch: The big gun remains Tage Thompson, but Buffalo’s key to success last season was the likes of Ryan McLeod, Josh Doan, Josh Norris and Zach Benson having very strong seasons.
Detroit Red Wings
Head coach: Todd McLellan (third season)
Last season: 41-31-10, sixth place in Atlantic Division
This season: Dylan Larkin requested a trade at the start of summer but his wish has not been granted. The Red Wings are already in a tough spot to make the playoffs with all cylinders firing, and this uncertainty hurts.
What’s New: The big one will come when (if?) Larkin is dealt. Notable offseason additions were forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Keegan Kolesar, who do not move the needle.
Players to watch: With the lack of stability — the club is still without a full-time general manager — it will take an all-world performance by goaltender John Gibson to snap Detroit’s playoff drought, which is now at 10 seasons.
Florida Panthers
Head coach: Paul Maurice (fifth season)
Last season: 40-38-4, seventh place in Atlantic Division
This season: Expect a massive bounce-back campaign after the two-time Stanley Cup champions missed the playoffs largely due to an absurd string of injuries to key players.
What’s New: Plenty, so we will talk only about the key ones. Brady Tkachuk was acquired from Ottawa and joins his brother, Matthew, while the Panthers have a new goaltending tandem in Jacob Markstrom and backup Akira Schmid.
Players to watch: Captain Aleksander Barkov missed all of last season due to a knee injury. How he returns will be a big part of the team’s success. Markstrom will need a bounce-back campaign at age 36.
Montreal Canadiens
Head coach: Martin St. Louis (sixth season)
Last season: 48-24-10, third place in Atlantic Division
This season: After reaching the conference finals, hopes are high the Canadiens will move forward. That would be a big accomplishment for the young squad, but a playoff berth seems like a sure thing.
What’s New: Forward Chris Kreider signed on the eve of training camp and should provide more scoring punch.
Ottawa Senators
Head coach: Travis Green (third season)
Last season: 44-27-11, fifth place in Atlantic Division
This season: This is no longer Brady Tkachuk’s team after his trade request was granted. Ottawa has a strong collection of young talent that will push for a third consecutive playoff spot but it is no sure thing.
What’s New: William Eklund was acquired from San Jose to help fill the scoring void left behind by Tkachuk’s departure, with Andre Burakovsky also a key addition. Defenseman Carter Yakemchuk, the seventh overall pick in 2024, appears ready to start the season in the NHL.
Players to watch: The Senators have a nice collection of talent, and the future is up to the likes of Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, Ridly Greig, Jake Sanderson and goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Head coach: Jon Cooper (15th season)
Last season: 50-26-6, second place in Atlantic Division
This season: The Lightning continue to soldier on as a top-tier club, but that championship window is on the verge of closing. They have the ability to still be a contender but must have plenty of elements go the right way.
What’s New: After a fourth consecutive first-round elimination, Tampa Bay acquired John Carlson to provide offensive flair from the defense, added forward Ilya Mikheyev, who should provide 20-plus goals, and back-up goalie Dennis Hildeby.
Players to watch: The forward group led by Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Jake Guentzel could use more help but they provide plenty of firepower for a team that has one of the best goalies in the business in Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Head coach: Jim Hiller (first season)
Last season: 32-36-14, eighth place in Atlantic Division
This season: On top of a new management team led by GM John Chayka and new coach in Jim Hiller, the Maple Leafs are hoping a flurry of changes will make last year’s fall a one-off.
What’s New: Where to begin? Toronto won the draft lottery and selected phenom Gavin McKenna first overall, added goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, offensive defenseman Darren Raddysh and a handful of forwards, notably Nick Paul and Jack Roslovic.
Players to watch: How well the newcomers integrate will be a fascinating study, but the Maple Leafs will still go as far as captain Auston Matthews and William Nylander take them, with the need for Bobrovsky, who turned 38 earlier this month, to turn back time after last year’s disappointing season in Florida.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
Carolina Hurricanes
Head coach: Rod Brind’Amour (ninth season)
Last season: 53-22-7, first place in Metropolitan Division; won Stanley Cup
This season: It will be hard to top claiming the Stanley Cup, but the Hurricanes will certainly give it a solid effort. Their speedy and skilled team has minimal changes and must be considered the team to beat.
What’s New: The departure of goalie Frederik Andersen means the duties will be shared by Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov. Shoulder surgery will keep Seth Jarvis on the shelf for much of the first half. The most notable newcomer is depth defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
Players to watch: A huge reason for the Cup title was the playoff performance of the second line, consisting of Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall. The test will be to carry that into this season. Also key will be the goaltending, without the veteran Andersen to settle things.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Head coach: Rick Bowness (second season)
Last season: 40-30-12, fifth place in Metropolitan Division
This season: After losing nine of 11 games down the stretch and missing the playoffs, the Blue Jackets did not make any sweeping moves but did add players with past Cup success. It will be a tall order to snap the franchise’s six-year playoff drought, but this team has potential.
What’s New: Forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Ryan Lomberg were added to try creating more of a winning attitude.
Players to watch: Despite their struggles, the Blue Jackets have an intriguing squad. Zach Werenski, who requested a trade and then rescinded it, is a standout defenseman, and the team boasts a litany of skilled forwards in Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson. The time is at hand for them to elevate their game to the next level. Much will also depend on whether goalie Jet Greaves can build on his solid previous season.
New Jersey Devils
Head coach: Sheldon Keefe (third season)
Last season: 42-37-3, seventh place in Metropolitan Division
This season: After missing the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, the Devils must show signs of reaching their potential. Injuries have been a factor, but the time is at hand to take a big step forward.
What’s New: With a dire need to improve scoring from the wingers, the Devils added Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha and Evan Rodrigues. Trading away goalie Jacob Markstrom, even after a sub-par season, makes for a big question mark in net with a tandem of Jake Allen and Nico Daws.
Players to watch: The top two centers of Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier make for a formidable duo when they are healthy. Hughes has especially been beset by injuries, and that has derailed plans in New Jersey.
New York Islanders
Head coach: Peter DeBoer (second season)
Last season: 43-34-5, sixth place in Metropolitan Division
This season: The Islanders are a longshot to make the playoffs, understandably. They are much the same as last year’s club that failed to reach that goal, although a full season with Peter DeBoer at the helm should improve their defensive game.
What’s New: Surprisingly, not much for a team that fell short of expectations. Speedy forward Matias Maccelli will provide some depth, and veteran defenseman Logan Stanley was added on the eve of the season. The most skilled newcomer is rookie forward Victor Eklund, the 16th overall pick of the 2025 Draft.
Players to watch: Goal scoring is a team-wide issue, even with Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal and dynamic defenseman Matthew Schaefer. How much they remain in the fight will depend on goalie Ilya Sorokin, who was outstanding last season.
New York Rangers
Head coach: Mike Sullivan (second season)
Last season: 34-39-9, eighth place in Metropolitan Division
This season: Despite two dismal seasons, the Rangers refuse to tear down their roster and hope a bevy of changes will put them back in the playoff mix. It is a curious rolling of the dice.
What’s New: With the departure of standouts Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, it is a new era on Broadway. New York added forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen and Joe Veleno, as well as defensemen Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi and — at least for now — 2026 first-round draft choice Alberts Smits.
Players to watch: Can Smits be this year’s rookie defenseman to make a huge mark right away? More likely is that goalie Igor Shesterkin and defenseman Adam Fox bounce back to elite status, and they must for the Rangers to have any playoff hopes.
Philadelphia Flyers
Head coach: Rick Tocchet (second season)
Last season: 43-27-12, third place in Metropolitan Division
This season: The Flyers had a fantastic finish to the regular season to reach the playoffs and knocked out the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. Can they do it again? So many things went right but this is a team with young talent capable of reaching the next level.
What’s New: Offseason additions were minimal — the biggest being backup goalie Joseph Woll — but that may not be a bad thing. The Flyers have an opportunity to improve simply from full seasons with Porter Martone and Tyson Foerster and highly rated Matvei Michkov arriving in far better shape after a step back in his sophomore season.
Players to watch: Philadelphia has a well-rounded collection of players and offensively can do plenty with the likes of Martone, Trevor Zegras, Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett. A huge question will be whether goalie Dan Vladar builds off last season’s success or regresses.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Head coach: Dan Muse (second season)
Last season: 41-25-16, second place in Metropolitan Division
This season: A surprising playoff berth last season has the Penguins once again on a tightrope between rebuilding and pushing for playoff success. It will be a big accomplishment for the Penguins to again reach the second season, but do not bet against Sidney Crosby.
What’s New: Forwards Andrei Kuzmenko and Nick Robertson have golden chances to produce, the defensive corps was revamped with newcomers Trevor van Riemsdyk, Kaedan Korczak and Declan Carlile, and the goaltending will fall to unproven puck-stoppers Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov.
Players to watch: Besides Crosby and Evgeni Malkin? Naturally, defenseman Erik Karlsson remains an offensive force, but much of last season’s success relied on the likes of Ben Kindel and Egor Chinakhov becoming difference-makers.
Washington Capitals
Head coach: Spencer Carbery (fourth season)
Last season: 43-30-9, fourth place in Metropolitan Division
This season: After missing the playoffs last season, the Capitals were very aggressive in their push to get back to being a top team. A Stanley Cup crown will be a tall order, but a return to the postseason appears very realistic.
What’s New: Washington pushed to add scoring and forward depth by acquiring Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch and Boone Jenner, plus adding defense depth with Vincent Desharnais. The Capitals also expect full seasons from rookies Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas.
Players to watch: Washington’s biggest star remains Alex Ovechkin, but his career is winding down. That said, this is a deep roster that may not boast massive name recognition but has very strong players.
