1 Word For Every Team's 2025-26 NHL Season
The Carolina Hurricanes have lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2006 as they beat the Golden Knights in six games, and the 2025-26 NHL season is officially done and dusted.
As we await the parade in Raleighwood, we're starting to think about what went wrong for everyone else, what went right as new teams emerge, and what's on deck as the draft and free agency approach.
Before we move on and start carving out the Rod Brind'Amour statue outside of the Lenovo Center, let's put a bow on this entire year with one word for every team's 2025-26 NHL season.
Anaheim Ducks: Encouraging
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After an up-and-down season, the young Anaheim Ducks not only made it to the playoffs -- they beat the Oilers in the first round.
As much as the series was an indictment of the Oilers, it was also a celebration of what the Ducks are turning into. They've now got some playoff experience under their belt. If they clean up the defense, continue to grow, and add a few more pieces to round out the roster, they'll be a legit playoff team for years to come.
Boston Bruins: Overperforming
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The Bruins certainly overperformed last season, making it to the first round when most expected them to continue selling and retooling.
Players like Morgan Geekie had career years, new head coach Marco Sturm looks like a great fit, and Jeremy Swayman bounced back. Maybe this retool will wrap up quicker than we think. GM Don Sweeney still has to be strategic, though, or the Bruins will suffer the same "perennial playoffs but lack of Cup contention" vibe they're becoming notorious for.
Good thing they've turned it around in the prospects and assets department, and this should be a productive draft.
Buffalo Sabres: Special
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The Sabres returned to the playoffs after their league-record 14-season playoff drought. That in itself is a success, but they pushed it even further, falling one game short of the ECF.
We'll have to see how they handle Alex Tuch's free-agent situation in a few weeks, but for now (and forever), the Sabres will always have the 2025-26 season. Hopefully for the passionate Sabres fans, it's the start of newfound confidence in this core.
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Calgary Flames: Crucial
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The Flames finally went all in on their rebuild, trading away the last of the big-name stragglers like Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson.
Now, they can fully focus on building back up around goaltender Dustin Wolf, Connor Zary, and Matt Coronato. It's about time.
Carolina Hurricanes: Victorious
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They did it, folks. After eight straight seasons of making the playoffs and roster tweaks, the Carolina Hurricanes are your 2026 Stanley Cup Champions.
While the haters assumed their "window" was up, GM Eric Tulsky kept adding more scoring depth and defensive strength to the fringes of the roster. Suddenly, a line full of (relative to the core) newcomers -- Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake, and Taylor Hall -- made the offensive impact to push the sturdy core over the edge.
The 37-year-old captain with six goals in the Stanley Cup Final and a Conn Smythe trophy didn't hurt. Neither did the back up goalie who didn't sniff a game in the playoffs until the Cup Final, then proceeded to win three straight including the Cup-clincher.
Chicago Blackhawks: Intriguing
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Things were great in Chicagoland at the beginning of the season. Connor Bedard was off to the best season of his career, and the team around him is clearly shaping up into a fun, fast group with potential a few years down the line.
Bedard's injury completely derailed the team, and it was a reminder that there is still work to be done with this roster. But man, it'll be fun when they get there.
Colorado Avalanche: Gulp
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Another team that excelled in the regular season had a disappointing and confusing fall in the playoffs. Granted, the two best players on the roster (and two of the best players in the entire league), Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, got injured.
Still, you thought the best goalie tandem of the regular season, the center depth, and the confidence accrued would be enough for at least one WCF win. Alas, the Golden Knights swept them on the way to their Cup Final appearance.
I'm still not quite sure what to make of such a dominant team falling apart in a matter of one game with its two stars out. I guess you look at the Hurricanes and Panthers rosters and see how important full-team depth is in winning a Cup these days.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Hmm
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After a decent playoff push, the Blue Jackets eventually ran out of juice in the wild East. As well-structured as this roster is, as deserving as Zach Werenski was of his Norris this year, and as promising as Jet Greaves is in net, there's some work to do on this roster.
The Blue Jackets need a few more pieces all around to make this click.
Dallas Stars: Unfortunate
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The Stars got a nightmare first-round draw against the Wild. Despite being one of the best teams in the league in the regular season, Minnesota eliminated them in six games in the first round.
Where does Dallas go from here? You can't fully blame them for the difficult schedule, but we've been making plenty of excuses for this team in this window. Scoring depth -- even strength, in particular -- was a problem this time around.
Detroit Red Wings: Catastrophic
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The Detroit Red Wings once again collapsed in March after another round of not-good-enough trade deadline deals Steve Yzerman was banking on to move the needle.
The team has failed to make the playoffs year after year, and it has finally gotten to hometown hero and captain Dylan Larkin. Larkin has requested a trade, which, on one hand, is obviously brutal. On the other hand, it could finally force Red Wings ownership to make some hard decisions to get the franchise back on track.
Edmonton Oilers: Disappointing
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What do you do when your best-hockey-player-on-Earth captain signs a bridge deal, putting pressure on the franchise to make better moves and lift the Cup after so many close calls? You trade one flawed goaltender for another and lose to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round.
Then, I guess, you try to hire Mike Babcock and trigger an investigation.
Florida Panthers: Injured
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Half of the Panthers' roster was injured after successful back-to-back Cup runs, including many of the most important players. No one blames them for missing the playoffs this year, especially when essentially their entire roster is intact to run it back next year.
We'll see if this core truly has some juice left next season.
Los Angeles Kings: Typical
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It's starting to feel like no matter what this team does, the Kings are fated to a scheduled first-round exit.
That's what you get, I suppose, when you are the team with the second-fewest regulation wins in the league, and you somehow squeak your way into the playoffs. Even Artemi Panarin couldn't help the Kings win a game against the Avalanche and avoid a first-round sweep.
Minnesota Wild: Ouch
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Minnesota's reward for beating Dallas? A then-healthy Colorado team. It was some bad luck for the franchise, but hey, no one should deny the Wild have made strides with the addition of Quinn Hughes and the emergence of Matt Boldy.
Can they keep Hughes on for the longterm? You can see this franchise really figuring it out in the next few years if so.
Montreal Canadiens: Enthralling
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Who didn't love watching the Canadiens these playoffs? This is an electric, confident, sparky young team with a real leader in Nick Suzuki.
We wondered how they would follow up their ahead-of-schedule trip to the playoffs last season, and they made it to the ECF before eventually falling to the Cup Champions. This team, coached by Marty St. Louis, will give us entertainment for years to come.
Nashville Predators: Unserious
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You'd think describing the Nashville Predators would get easier at some point, but after a few years of confusion and nonsense, the only word that comes to mind is "unserious."
Can Chris McFarland turn it around as he takes over as GM? That's a great hire, and I'm relieved that the Predators have done something we can all get behind.
New Jersey Devils: Inadequate
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The Devils seemed like they were on the right path and making all the right moves a few years ago, but after disappointing playoff runs -- and this season, no playoff run at all -- we're forced to examine a little harder.
They fumbled the in-season Quinn Hughes trade that clearly would've moved the needle. Jack Hughes' injuries keep derailing the team, and although he's a huge part of the team's success, they clearly indicate the team needs a stronger support system.
This is a big offseason for the Devils.
New York Islanders: Visionary
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The Islanders fell short of a playoff bid in crunch time, but Matthew Schaefer's first year in the league was nothing short of a huge success. He had immediate impact jumping into a first pairing role, leading all Islanders skaters in time on ice.
If the Islanders can build up a bit more -- which they seem willing and able to do under GM Mathieu Darche -- the future is bright.
New York Rangers: Rock-Bottom
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We're all running out of words to describe the New York Rangers at this point, and that's good timing, as they're running out of franchise-altering moves to make.
Don't worry, still got a Mika Zibanejad to think about, though. He had a solid bounce-back season as the world around him was crumbling. Will the team build around that or ship off one last star?
Ottawa Senators: Promising
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Despite the eventual Cup-winners sweeping them in the first round, the Senators played the Hurricanes arguably better than any team up until the Golden Knights.
The games were tight, Ottawa's structure was sound, and the goaltending was up to snuff. Can the team snag a few more goal-scorers and make some playoff noise next season?
Philadelphia Flyers: Fun
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What fun the Philadelphia Flyers were, sneaking past their rival Penguins and making it to the second round this season.
There's a lot to like about this team, and Trevor Zegras' resurgence is at the top of the list. A Matvei Michkov breakout next season would turn the fun into a real blast.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Confusing
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Are Penguins fans happy that they had a respectable season, as Sidney Crosby is still fully playing his game? Are they excited for up-and-coming head coach Dan Muse and how he squeezed everything out of this roster?
Or are Penguins fans disappointed that the tank for Gavin McKenna didn't happen?
I would guess the former, as wasting even a season of Crosby's twilight feels wrong. Regardless, I'm excited to see what they get up to this offseason, as they're at a crossroads.
San Jose Sharks: Happening
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Michael Scott voice: OK, Everyone stay calm, it's happening!
Macklin Celebrini is emerging as one of the top players and centers in the league and had an outstanding performance at the Olympics with Team Canada. The rest of the team is shaping up around him. These guys even made a playoff push around the late middle of the season.
It wasn't their time yet, but they made a few solid moves, like the addition of Kiefer Sherwood, to prepare for that time, and that time seems like it's really coming up now.
Seattle Kraken: Mid
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What else comes to your mind when you think about the Seattle Kraken, if you even think about them at all?
It's high time for Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, or someone, anyone, to break out and bring this franchise back to relevancy.
They're never the worst team in the league, and we're not asking them to be the best. We just want to see some moves towards relevancy next season.
St. Louis Blues: Frustrating
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Why do the Blues go on these incredible runs only to fall short of their goals? This season, it was a 19-3-4 run from January to March that still ended with them missing the playoffs.
I'm not sure where they go from here, but maybe it needs to get worse before it gets better. It could be time to let go of some franchise favorites.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Resilient
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The Lightning-Canadiens first-round series was arguably the most entertaining series of the entire postseason. While the Lightning dropped it in seven games, they did it all without captain Victor Hedman.
They rose above injuries and adversity all season; Andrei Vasilevskiy was awesome in net, and they gave us a show in the playoffs. Sometimes that's all you can ask out of a team.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Salty
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The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't make it to the playoffs this season. In fact, they fell off so hard that at least they get the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft -- and a crack at Gavin McKenna.
Somehow, fans are still mad at Mitch Marner, who led the playoffs in scoring, broke records, and still lost to the Hurricanes in the Cup Final.
The Marner discourse is beyond exhausting. But wait, what's that? It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Jim Hiller, hired as the Leafs' head coach to come save us from the discourse!
New Leafs GM John Chayka hired Hiller on Wednesday after he served as head coach of the Kings from 2023 through 2026. Hiller compiled a combined 93-58-24 record and a .600 win percentage in 175 games with the Kings, which is decent enough considering the questionable moves management made during that time period.
Chayka is a numbers guy, as is Hiller. Could the approach work for the Leafs after the tough guy thing didn't? It's worth a shot.
Utah Mammoth: Historic
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Good on the Mammoth for breaking through and making the playoffs in the franchise's second season in existence. This is a promising young core with a high ceiling. You have to think they come back even stronger with a healthy Logan Cooley.
Vancouver Canucks: Historic (derogatory)
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The Canucks won fewer than 10 games on home ice, fewer games this season than in any other season in the franchise's history, traded their best defenseman in the league for a homegrown captain, and still didn't end up with the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Guess where the first overall favorite is from? Western Canada.
The good news? The rebuild is in full force, and we can all admit it and move forward.
Vegas Golden Knights: Pliable
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The Golden Knights were never the consistent, sturdy "best team in the league" this season. Ultimately, the sturdier, more established defensive team beat them in the Cup Final.
But they had a certain come-from-behind magic about them. They had one of the worst records of the second half; they often settled for stealing a point in overtime to stay atop the Pacific, but they didn't really seem to give a hoot the entire time.
The confidence in veterans and stars, and the John Tortorella bump, were enough to push them to the Cup Final after an up-and-down season.
Washington Capitals: Anticlimactic
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The Capitals started out great and ended up with nothing to show for it. The East was a gauntlet, but it was surprising and disappointing to see the Capitals go from strong foundations and goaltending to missing the playoffs altogether. It was also disappointing to see Alex Ovechkin flame out at the end of one of his final NHL seasons.
It seems like Ovechkin will be back for another season, so maybe next season will be what we thought last season would be for him and the Capitals.
Winnipeg Jets: Pathetic
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The Jets simply don't take enough heat for the lack of moves they make, based on the amount of evidence they have about the moves they should make.
They were supposed to compete for the Stanley Cup this season. Instead, they lost Nikolaj Ehlers (who was great in the Hurricanes' Cup run) and missed the playoffs entirely.
There were injuries, but this roster simply isn't good enough, and it's shocking that management doesn't do enough to mitigate that year after year. Connor Hellebuyck's injury completely exposed the team this season, and they've got to fix that in the offseason.
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