Way-Too-Early Bold Predictions for Every NHL Team During the 2026-27 Season
The NHL's 32 teams still have a chance to add to their rosters and do something to adjust expectations for the 2026-27 NHL season, but most teams are starting to get pretty set for what they will look like on opening night.
So let's take what we have so far and offer a way-too-early bold prediction for what teams (and players) might be capable of this season.
Anaheim Ducks
1 of 32
Bold prediction: 90 points for Leo Carlsson
There might not be anything that Leo Carlsson can ever do to justify the $18 million per year salary cap number, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is going to be a bad deal for the Ducks.
They had to match the offer. They could not lose him for draft picks, especially picks that would have likely been in the middle or even back-end of the first-round. Even if it would have been four of them. And just because it is an overpay does not necessarily mean it is going to be a problem. Or that he will not be a good player.
He not only will be a good player, he already is an outstanding player and only getting better. He took a huge leap in his development from year one to year two in 2025-26, has improved every year he has been in the league and should be in a position to take another one in 2026-27. Not only because he has another year of experience in the NHL under his belt, but also because he is a wildly talented player that is going to be playing on a talented team, full of offense, that is probably going to need to outscore its defensive problems.
His point pace per 82 games by year has gone from 52 in year one, to 49 year in year two, to 78 in year three.
Let's predict that progression continues and pencil him in for at least 90 points and a true breakout year offensively.
Boston Bruins
2 of 32
Bold prediction: They miss the playoffs
The 2025-26 season was a huge bounce-back year in Boston, as they improved by 24 points in the standings and played their way back into the playoffs. But for as promising as that was, and for as good as some of the top-end players here still are, there is not much margin for error in an extremely tight Eastern Conference and a fiercely competitive Atlantic Division.
While the Bruins improved and put together a strong season, there was an element of smoke-and-mirrors to it that should pose some red flags for this season. While they are still lacking a true No. 1 center, they also had major issues on defense that saw them rank near the bottom of the league in pretty much every defensive metric during 5-on-5 play, including expected goals against and high-danger scoring chances against.
Their solution this offseason was to add Connor Clifton and Will Borgen to that unit.
Jeremy Swayman masked a lot of flaws and bailed them out in a big way in 2025-26, and he is going to have to be superman again.
The Bruins are not going to be one of the worst teams in the league, but they might have to scratch and claw their way just to stay in playoff contention. Enough borderline teams around them also got a lot better (New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers) that it's going to make the playoff fight a very real challenge.
Buffalo Sabres
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Bold Prediction: Rasmus Dahlin wins his first Norris Trophy
The Sabres are back on the map, and while the roster has been slightly weakened in the short-term this offseason, there is still enough talent here that they should be able to play their way back into playoff contention for a second year in a row.
The top talent on the roster is defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, and he has been creeping his way up the Norris Trophy rankings as he gets further into his prime years.
A better team around him is only going to result in more production and more attention.
He was a finalist for the Norris Trophy in 2025-26 (after two top-10 finishes over the previous three years) and should be entering what might be his peak year for offense in his age 26 season. The potential for more points (which always gets attention in award voting), a better team, and more team success could be enough to get him enough votes to win it.
Calgary Flames
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Bold Prediction: They are the lowest-scoring team in the NHL ... again
The Flames are clearly rebuilding, and they have put themselves into a solid position with a lot of draft pick assets in recent years, a lot of salary cap flexibility and an influx of young talent coming into the organization. It's going to take some time, but there at least seems to be some sort of long-term outlook.
In the short-term, however, this team just does not have any sort of juice offensively.
They were 29th in goals scored two years ago, 32nd this past season, and over the two years combined are again 32nd with only 428 total goals.
Jonathan Huberdeau has simply never worked out as hoped, and that has been a devastating development given his contract. Beyond him, there's just not enough big-time talent here to make a difference. Matt Coronato is a nice player that still has some upside, but he was the team's leading scorer this past season ... with 45 points.
Carolina Hurricanes
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Bold prediction: Seth Jarvis scores 40 goals
For most of the past decade the Hurricanes have always been a team where the whole has been greater than the sum of the parts. Always a lot of good players. Always great depth. Always well coached and structured. But not always a lot of superstars, and never really any big individual numbers.
But this latest wave of young talent, led by players like Seth Jarvis and Jackson Blake, have the potential to really emerge as big-time talents capable of putting up big numbers.
That is especially true for Jarvis with three consecutive 32-goal seasons.
The prediction here is that he reaches 40 goals this season.
Only two different Hurricanes have eclipsed that mark since the start of the 2000-01 season, with Jeff O'Neil doing it once and Eric Staal doing it twice, most recently during the 2008-09 season.
Given the way his shot volume has consistently increased, and the rising talent level in Carolina, it should not be a stretch to think that he can make the jump to 40 goals. It would honestly only take a little spike in shooting percentage luck.
Chicago Blackhawks
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Bold Prediction: Bowen Byram causes chaos and makes everybody think they are right
There has not been a more controversial player move this offseason than the Chicago Blackhawks decision to trade the No. 4 and 45 picks (plus a prospect) to the Buffalo Sabres for Bowen Byram, and then sign him to a contract extension that comes with a $12 million per year salary cap number.
Byram is a good player.
He is not that good of a player.
The most likely outcome here is that Byram puts up a lot of points that stand out on the stat sheet, convincing supporters of the trade that it was worth the price and the salary cap hit. But while he makes a big impact offensively, his all-around game, possession-driving game and defensive game will remain a tier below the players in his price range, convincing critics of the trade that it was a bad investment and bad risk, all while the Blackhawks lose a lot of games (again).
Colorado Avalanche
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Bold Prediction: Goaltending becomes a question mark
The Scott Wedgewood and MacKenzie Blackwood duo was a massive success for the Avalanche in 2025-26, with Wedgewood leading the league in save percentage and Blackwood continuing to turn his career around after joining the Avalanche.
But how much do you trust that level of performance for another season?
Wedgewood is 33 years old and has mostly been a backup throughout his career.
Blackwood has had his moments, but has also been wildly inconsistent.
I just don't know that I expect Wedgewood to lead the league in save percentage again and save 23 goals above expected. Neither goalie has this sort of career resume and track record, and non-elite goalies can be the most volatile position in the league.
Columbus Blue Jackets
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Bold Prediction: Jet Greaves becomes a top goalie
A "top goalie" is admittedly a very subjective and open-ended prediction, and I am not even sure what, exactly, that looks like.
Columbus probably isn't going to win enough games to get him Vezina Trophy love.
And he might not lead the league in any major categories because the team around him is still very flawed and could make him have to do too much.
But over the past two years his goals saved above expected numbers have been 14.5 and 16.5 for the Blue Jackets. The net is now his, and he keeps getting better. Just now entering his age 25 season his best days could still be coming.
Get used to his name, because he is about to be a major player.
Dallas Stars
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Bold Prediction: This is Jason Robertson's last ride with the Stars
The good news for the Stars: They did not trade Robertson, their best player, this offseason, while also avoiding a potentially messy salary arbitration hearing.
The bad news for the Stars: They only managed to get him signed for one-year, walking him right into unrestricted free agency with no chance to sign a new contract extension until after January 1.
Robertson's talent, production, and almost certain desire to put together a monster year going into free agency could pay off in the short-term for the Stars. A monster season could be on the horizon for him, and it is exactly what the Stars will need as they try to break through and win a Stanley Cup.
But the vibes for him staying in Dallas long-term are not great.
If it were going to happen, they would have done it by now.
The Stars pretty clearly do not want to go above a certain dollar amount with him, and Robertson has to know that entering the UFA market at 26, with his resume, and a rising salary cap, is going to result in him getting an absolutely massive contract.
Detroit Red Wings
10 of 32
Bold Prediction: The playoff drought rolls on
Is that really a bold prediction when the playoff drought has been going on for 10 years? Maybe not. But it is also hard to see it ending anytime soon, especially after the way the offseason has gone so far.
The Dylan Larkin situation is still hanging over everything, they still have a ton of salary cap space to spend with few options to spend it on, and the roster is still incredibly top-heavy with not enough depth beyond the top-four or five players on the roster.
Steve Yzerman is out as general manager (or in the process of being out) and it is probably overdue given where this organization still is.
Edmonton Oilers
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Bold Prediction: Mike Babcock hire flops
And why wouldn't it?
Along with bringing an excessive amount of baggage, while also showing almost no remorse or taking any accountability, Babcock's past teams simply have not won. Anything.
He has not coached in the second round since the 2012-13 season, and only once since the 2010-11 season. There are 40 different head coaches that have won a playoff series since he did, including nearly 20 that have won at least one with multiple franchises. He has not finished higher than third place in his own division since the 2010-11 season, while pretty much all of his Toronto teams underachieved. Just because he won a Stanley Cup nearly 20 years ago does not mean he is still effective now. Especially given how badly flawed the Oilers roster still is.
This is not going to fix the problems. It simply might create more of them, no matter how much the Oilers best players pushed for it.
Florida Panthers
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Bold Prediction: The Panthers reach at least the Eastern Conference Final
It is pretty easy to explain away how the Panthers went from back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions and back-to-back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances to out of the playoffs entirely.
It was the injuries.
Not only did they lose Aleksander Barkov for the entire season, and not only did they lose Matthew Tkachuk for half of the season, but by the time February and March rolled around they were playing with a fraction of an NHL roster and simply did not have the players to compete.
Not only are Barkov and Tkachuk back and ready to go, they also added Brady Tkachuk into the mix to give them another top-line scorer. This might be the perfect time for Tkachuk, not only in terms of style of play, but also because he no longer has to be the prime play-driver and franchise focal point. He can play in the shadows of Barkov and his brother, play without as much pressure, and slot into a role he is better suited for. He's not the player you build the team around. He's the top-line player that complements the player you build the team around. It's a perfect match for both team and player.
Los Angeles Kings
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Bold Prediction: Quinton Byfield breaks out
It's time.
It's time for Byfield to take a big step in his development and go from "good young player" to "star player the Kings need."
Especially now that Anze Kopitar has retired and Byfield is going to have to take on a bigger role within the lineup and the offense.
At this point Byfield has been a steady 25-goal, 50-point type player while driving possession and displaying high-level talent with the puck. He's been really good. But there's another level here, and the Kings need him to find it. Even though it seems like he has been around forever, he is still only entering his age 24 season which is typically around the time players start to reach their peak offensive numbers.
What would that look like for Byfield in a big breakout year? Let's think about 30 goals and pushing 70 points. That would be a big development for the Kings (and Byfield) and also make his contract one of the bigger steals in the NHL against the salary cap.
Minnesota Wild
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Bold Prediction: Kirill Kaprizov with the first 50-goal season in Wild history
Kirill Kaprizov is arguably the greatest player in Wild history, and already owns the top-three goal-scoring seasons in franchise history and four of the top-10. His career-high entering the season: 48 goals during the 2021-22 season in 81 games. The best per-game season came in 2023-24 when he scored 46 in 75 games, narrowly edging out his 45 goals in 78 games this past season.
With a full-season of defenseman Quinn Hughes feeding him pucks, especially on the power play, do not be surprised if he re-writes the Wild record book again and becomes the first player in franchise history to top the 50-goal mark.
Montreal Canadiens
15 of 32
Bold Prediction: Cole Caufield leads the league in goals
Caufield's goal totals have gradually increased every year he has been in the NHL, and reached a high point (for now) in 2025-26 when he topped the 50-goal mark, finishing second in the NHL with 51 goals scored.
He is one of the most electrifying goal-scorers in the league and right in the middle of the prime of his career.
Why not take the next step this season, top 50 goals again, and lead the league for the first time in his career?
Nashville Predators
16 of 32
Bold Prediction: Ryan O'Reilly gets moved by the trade deadline
Even though the Predators have spent most of the offseason adding somewhat proven NHL talent to its roster, this is not likely to be a contending team, and probably not a playoff team. O'Reilly is in the final year of his contract, and given the lack of centers that figure to be available at the trade deadline he might bring back a significant return if he can repeat his 2025-26 performance and continue to be a strong two-way center.
A team like Minnesota (assuming it does not get Dylan Larkin) could really use a player like him down the middle.
The offers might be too tempting for Nashville to pass up, especially with the possibility of him leaving for nothing at the end of the season.
New Jersey Devils
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Bold Prediction: Jack Hughes plays a full season without any major injuries
This is type of thing that is impossible to predict, but with Hughes it would certainly be a bold prediction to pencil him in for a full season.
But it has to happen at some point, right?
Hughes has missed at least 20 games in four of his past five seasons, including each of the past three. That is how a player gets the "injury prone" label, but a lot of Hughes' injuries have been more of the flukey than the type of thing that will be nagging or recurring. At some point he is going to be able to avoid that bad luck and play a full season again. Even if it is not all 84 games, the prediction here is he plays at least 78-80 games.
If he is able to do that, it will help keep the Devils in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
New York Islanders
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Bold Prediction: Matthew Schaefer scores 30
A defenseman scoring 30 goals is nearly unheard of.
A 19-year-old defenseman scoring 30 goals in just his second NHL season would be even more unheard of, and unprecedented.
But everything we have seen from Schaefer has been unheard of and unprecedented, and after scoring 23 goals as an 18-year-old defenseman it's fair to ask what he is capable of next. He looks like an emerging superstar on the Island and will not only be one of the main players driving their offense, he might even end up leading the team in goals scored.
New York Rangers
19 of 32
Bold Prediction: Pavel Dorofeyev scores 40 goals
It might not result in a playoff appearance, but general manager Chris Drury has had a really strong offseason for the Rangers. Along with adding some much-needed (and long overdue) mobility to his team's defense, he also landed a top-line finisher in Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights, while also getting him locked in to a long-term contract extension.
Dorofeyev might not be the player that drives a line or carries a team, but he has elite finishing ability and should get plenty of opportunities to show that in New York as a top-line player and power play contributor.
He's scored over 35 goals in each of the past two seasons, and is going to make a big New York debut by going one step further this season and topping the 40-goal mark.
Ottawa Senators
20 of 32
Bold Prediction: Linus Ullmark bounces back in a big way
The 2025-26 season was a difficult one for Linus Ullmark, as he not only struggled with one of his worst seasons in years, he also missed time for personal reasons.
He's too good of a goalie, with too much of a track record, to play the way he did this past season. With a fresh start coming this season he seems like a very likely bounce-back candidate, especially playing behind what is still a rock-solid defensive team.
The Senators will have a different look without Brady Tkachuk, and they will definitely be losing some star power, but they still have a good structure that should keep them in games. A big year from Ullmark will help even more.
Philadelphia Flyers
21 of 32
Bold Prediction: Dan Vladar regresses
The play of starting goalie Dan Vladar was one of the biggest factors in the Flyers push to the second-round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, finishing the regular season with 13.8 goals above expected and following that up by saving 8.5 above expected in the playoffs.
He was consistently impressive all season, and earned himself a five-year contract extension this offseason.
Here's the problem: That season was a major outlier for his career, and especially his recent career.
His goals saved above expected numbers prior to 2025-26 were 0.9, -12.5, -8.4, -3.8, and -1.9.
Those are some tough numbers.
Did he finally figure everything out in 2025-26? Or was it just the unpredictable nature of goalies and a random big year? The guess here it was more of the latter.
Pittsburgh Penguins
22 of 32
Bold Prediction: Erik Karlsson gets an extension
With the Penguins going through a rebuild, the expectation for some time now has been that Karlsson will be an obvious potential trade chip, especially now that he is entering the final year of his contract.
But the Penguins' rebuild is not a full-scale, tear-it-all down, tank-job and seems to be taking a path more closely associated with the Washington Capitals have attempted. Especially as long as Sidney Crosby is playing, and playing well. And there is no sign that is going to stop happening anytime soon.
The Penguins have a lack of depth on the defense, and while the right side of their lineup is full now, there is not a lot of long-term depth there beyond 20-year-old Harrison Brunicke.
Karlsson rediscovered his game in 2025-26 under first-year head coach Dan Muse, and the prediction here is all of that results in him getting a contract extension rather than a trade.
San Jose Sharks
23 of 32
Bold Prediction: Macklin Celebrini wins the Art Ross Trophy
It is a big prediction for a third-year player, especially one that is playing in the same league as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov. But Celebrini isn't just the best young player in hockey, he is one of the best players in hockey regardless of age or experience level.
He finished fourth with 115 points this past season.
He might top 125 this season. And he might end up pacing the entire league.
Seattle Kraken
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Bold Prediction: 30 goals for Matty Beniers
This might be more of wishful thinking based on vibes for Seattle than an actual prediction, but the Kraken really need somebody to step up in a big way offensively.
The Kraken have been one of the dullest teams in the league since entering the NHL, and are badly lacking offense and game-changers. Beniers is one of the players on the roster that at least has the talent-level and upside to post some decent numbers.
He's reached the 20-goal mark two years in a row, but there is another level Seattle needs him to reach. He is capable of it. And this feels like might be the year he reaches it.
St. Louis Blues
25 of 32
Bold Prediction: The Blues take a step backward, not forward
Keeping Robert Thomas was a smart move, and he does help them build a solid core along with young forwards Jimmy Snuggerud, Jake Neighbours and Dylan Holloway.
The problem the Blues are going to run into is they may have mis-evaluated everything else they did this offseason.
Mason McTavish comes with top-5 draft pedigree, but there's a major question as to what his upside currently is and how impactful he can be after not progressing in Anaheim.
Connor McMichael is a nice player, but he is likely to be a step back from what Jordan Kyrou was for them as a player, even with Kyrou coming off a down year.
The defense still has some big question marks, while the biggest issue and question mark of them all (starting goalie Jordan Binnington) remains on the roster with an unquestioned lock on a starting spot. They missed the playoffs in 2025-26, and they seem more likely to slide a little further away from them this season than they are to get back into them.
Tampa Bay Lightning
26 of 32
Bold Prediction: They win a playoff round
The Lightning were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference a year ago, with serious high-end talent all over the roster, but still ended up losing in the first-round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
They may not have the overall depth that they did when they were winning Stanley Cups and consistently reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. But Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, Andrei Vasilevskiy and the return of Victor Hedman is too good of a core to keep losing in the first-round.
The absence of Hedman in the playoffs was a big issue in the most recent postseason, and they still probably played well enough to advance.
Will they win the Stanley Cup this season? Not ready to go that far. But they will be playing in at least the second round.
Toronto Maple Leafs
27 of 32
Bold Prediction: Gavin McKenna has a monster rookie season
It seemed that McKenna lost some of his pre-draft hype this season, even creating some doubt as to whether or not he would still be the No. 1 overall pick.
A lot of that was due to the fact he chose to go the NCAA route and play against significantly tougher competition. Had he played in the CHL, dominated a bunch of 16, 17, and 18 year-olds and put up 180 points or something similar, he likely would have had the same hype that he did coming into the season. But the NCAA is a higher level of play, and he still had an outstanding season. That is only going to make him more NHL ready. Add in the fact he is joining a team that has Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Matthew Knies on it and he is also going to be in a nice situation with high-level players around him.
He is not only going to be the Calder Trophy favorite, he might run away with it.
Utah Mammoth
28 of 32
Bold Prediction: Logan Cooley breaks out in a big way
The Vincent Trochek addition is going to be big for Utah in a lot of ways. Not only because he is still a good NHL center that gives them a much-needed No. 2 pivot, but also because he can take some big matchups, play tough minutes, and open up other players to shine offensively.
One of those players is going to be fourth-year forward Logan Cooley.
Cooley was in the middle of a potential breakout season in 2025-26 before an injury knocked him out of the lineup for 28 games. But he is the most talented and highest upside player on what is an already good young roster, and he is going to take the big leap toward stardom this season.
Vancouver Canucks
29 of 32
Bold Prediction: Elias Pettersson scores at least 25 goals
This is largely dependent on Pettersson still being on the Canucks roster, but even if he is not the prediction will remain the same.
Pettersson has had two consecutive disappointing and down seasons, leading to him now having what is considered one of the worst contracts in the NHL. It's not a great situation for the Canucks whether they are rebuilding or trying to compete.
But Pettersson is still a big-time talent, and has still shown the ability to be a top-line scorer in the NHL. He has to get back to actually showing it (or at least some of it) at some point, doesn't he?
Vegas Golden Knights
30 of 32
Bold Prediction: Jack Eichel tops 100 points for the first time
He keeps getting close, reaching 94 and 90 points respectively over the past two seasons despite missing a handful of games along the way.
With Pavel Dorofeyev no longer in Vegas, there is going to be more pressure on Eichel to carry an even larger load with the offense. He is more than capable of it. He's an elite two-way player whose offense keeps reaching higher levels. It is going to result in his first 100-point season.
Washington Capitals
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Bold Prediction: They reach at least the Eastern Conference Finals
There is every reason to be bullish on this Capitals team despite having missed the playoffs a year ago.
For one, they were significantly better than their record indicated. They won 42 games, finished with 96 points and in most seasons would have done enough to get in. The 2025-26 Eastern Conference was an outlier year where the playoff cutline was just a little bit higher than it normally is.
The Capitals have followed that up by having one of the best offseasons in the NHL, adding Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch and Boone Jenner to a lineup that is also going to be getting a healthy Pierre-Luc Dubois back after he missed almost all of the 2025-26 season.
Add in an elite offensive defenseman in Jakob Chychrun, some high-end young talents like Cole Hutson and Ryan Leonard, and the presence of one of the NHL's best goalies in Logan Thompson and this team has a chance to make some serious noise. Their biggest competition in the Metropolitan Division bracket is going to be Carolina. But Thompson could end up being the difference in a best-of-seven series, even with Carolina being as good as it is.
Winnipeg Jets
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Bold Prediction: Connor Hellebuyck gets traded
General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff does not do anything bold or major unless he gets forced into it by a player. He might be getting forced into it here.
Hellebuyck might get traded before the season.
He might get traded before the trade deadline.
It might be to Buffalo. It might be to Carolina. It might be to a mystery team we have not talked about yet. But it just seems like this is headed toward a trade and the start of some major changes with a Winnipeg core that has simply reached its ceiling.
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