5 Spicy Hot Takes Heading Into the 2026-27 NHL Season
We're just four days away from a brand new NHL season, and the newly shortened preseason is flying by as intended.
With just one more weekend of exhibition games ahead of us until the real thing, it's time to shift gears and really think about the season to be. There are plenty of questions to ask ourselves while we wait.
Will 2026 No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna bring the Leafs back into relevancy? Will the Senators make the playoffs for the third straight season, or will the loss of Brady Tkachuk prove too much to handle? Speaking of Tkachuk, will he be enough to bring the Panthers back to excellence?
As much as we love thinking practically, we know the season rarely ends up exactly how we expected. With that in mind, here are six spicy takes that just might pan out this season.
Two in One: The Hurricanes Will go Back-to-Back with Connor Hellebuyck in net
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It's not the spiciest assertion in the world that the Canes will go back-to-back. They're the betting favorites, the only major change to their roster was Freddie Andersen's departure, and they've got the deepest team in the league.
Still, they've got stiff competition. In the East, the Panthers are charged up and healthy after some much-needed r&r. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are just getting started with their threatening and young roster. It's going to be harder than it was to even make it out of the conference this season.
If they earn that trip back to the Cup Final, they'll probably face a tougher opponent than last year's Golden Knights. Who's to say what the Avalanche would've been able to accomplish last postseason had Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar stayed healthy.
Luckily for the Hurricanes, they could improve the most important position on their roster. The best goaltender in the world just so happens to be available. Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade from the Jets, he's got a no-movement clause, and he's got the perfect opportunity to go for his first Stanley Cup with the Canes. The Canes also have the cap space and roster space to make this work in a way other contenders don't.
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is adamant that he's going to be as patient as it takes to make sure the Jets get the most out of this deal that they can, but again, they've only got so much leverage.
Matthew Schaefer Will Hit the 30-goal Mark
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The Islanders are coming into the 2026-27 season with some work to do on their roster before a meaningful playoff run is on the horizon. Despite entering the playoff race a few times last season, their power play was unwatchable (ranked 30th leaguewide), and it reflected a need for more effective scoring overall.
They're also struggling with center depth, and the floor of the defensive core could use an upgrade.
All that being said, they've got one of the most exciting players in the league entering his sophomore season at just 19. Schaefer was a revelation from the moment he made his rookie debut, speeding up the pace of the team and jumping right into a No. 1 defenseman role. He averaged 24:41 minutes per game, and put up 23 goals and 59 points in 82 games.
On the way to the first unanimous Calder Trophy in 33 years, he tied the single-season rookie record for defensemen set by Brian Leetch. The expectations for the kid are high, and sophomore seasons are full of inevitable growing pains, but he's got what it takes to become the tenth defenseman in NHL history to reach the 30-goal mark next season. This is especially true on a Islanders team still yearning for offense.
The Sharks Will Win the Pacific Division
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Playoffs, schmayoffs. If the Sharks keep going on the trajectory that saw them improve by 34 points last season, they're coming for the entire Pacific Division.
Let's take a look at the competition. The Canucks, Kraken, and Flames? Not much to worry about on this front, folks. Meanwhile the Kings aren't getting any younger, and the Ducks could probably stand to get a bit older.
The top competition for the Sharks in the Pacific will the the Golden Knights and the Oilers, two teams that are perpetually at the top of the division due to its overall weakness. The Oilers are going to be hit-or-miss with the desperation moves they've made ahead of the last year on Connor McDavid's bridge deal, and the Golden Knights had to let their top goal scorer walk in the off-season with no replacement.
If there's any year for the Sharks to not just make the playoffs, but thrive in the division, it's this one. And if there's anyone to lead them there, it's Macklin Celebrini after a huge breakout year and a matching contract.
Penguins and Caps Face off in the Playoffs for the Last Time in the Crosby/Ovechkin Era
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Look, you came here for some spicy takes. The likelihood of the Penguins and the Caps both making the playoffs in the packed East, let alone drawing each other in a match up, isn't massive.
But we're saying there's a chance, and there's a real possibility we'll get to see Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby face off in one last postseason.
The Capitals just narrowly missed the playoffs last year, and now they're back with serious additions like Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou. On the Penguins side, Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson each have just one season left on their contracts -- you know they're giving it all they've got one last time.
Both teams have done a solid job at keeping their legends in the playoff race while keeping an eye on the future, and it's only right if we're rewarded with one last playoff series between Crosby and Ovechkin.
The Panthers' Big Anticipated Comeback Ends in More of a Meow Than a Roar
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The Panthers had a rough 2025-26, but it was completely understandable: Aleksander Barkov was pronounced out for the entire season before it even started, Matthew Tkachuk was out for half of it, and a laundry list of the rest of their top players were out throughout the season.
The players that weren't injured? They were exhausted from three appearances in the Cup Final in three years, including two back-to-back wins that took two Game 7s.
They're coming back this season with much of the same core, save for a big departure in Sergei Bobrovsky. That menacing core is finally all healthy, and now Brady Tkachuk is in the fold to make it even scarier.
Still, it's going to be harder than it seems to jump back into the playoff race in the East. The competition is the better than it had been two seasons ago, with plenty of young, hungry talent as the Panthers get older. The key players who have missed significant time are going to need to get into playoff form fast if they want this season to end in a roar, not a meow.
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