NHL 2025-26 Shockers: Game-Changing Trades and Unexpected Stars Set to Rewrite the Season

The whispers are getting louder: Could Quinn Hughes, the stalwart Canucks captain, find a new home with the Flyers? And with Aleksander Barkov sidelined, will the Panthers shake the NHL landscape with a blockbuster trade? Meanwhile, eyes are keenly watching fresh faces like Zach Benson, Brandt Clarke, and Shane Wright—are they on the edge of a breakout season? These burning questions sparked a flood of bold predictions when The Athletic pulled together insights from its NHL insiders for the 2025-26 campaign. As the season’s early chapters unfold, we dig into one audacious forecast per franchise—setting the stage for a thrilling hockey year ahead. LEARN MORE

Will Canucks captain Quinn Hughes be traded to the Flyers? Will the Panthers make their own blockbuster deal after Aleksander Barkov’s injury? Will players such as Zach Benson, Brandt Clarke and Shane Wright break out this season?

Those were among the responses The Athletic got this week when it asked its NHL staff for their bold predictions for the 2025-26 season.

Here’s one prediction for each team as the early regular season continues.

Anaheim Ducks

They will make the playoffs

Yes, it’s the first one on the page and while many may skip right to their team, I might as well kick things off by going bold. They’re going to end their seven-year, franchise-long playoff drought. Sure, they probably need another 21-point jump after going from 59 to 80 last year. But there is a decent cast of veterans supporting the young core of Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe and Cutter Gauthier, and a new coach in Joel Quenneville. If they support Lukas Dostal with better defense, they can grab the final wild-card spot. — Eric Stephens

Boston Bruins

Jeremy Swayman will enter the Olympic conversation

Swayman rebounds after a career-worst year. He proves 2024-25 was an aberration by being what he’s always been: square to pucks, good at tracking shots, unpredictable with his save selection and competitive on everything. — Fluto Shinzawa

Buffalo Sabres

Zach Benson will break out with 60 points

Benson was second on the Sabres in individual high-danger chances last season at all strengths and yet he finished the season with 10 goals. He’s still only 20 years old, but in his third season in the NHL and now getting a chance to play on a line with Tage Thompson and Josh Norris. He generates so many chances due to his forechecking and playmaking that it’s easy to see the breakout season coming. Sixty points might seem ambitious, but he has the talent and situation to hit that number. — Matthew Fairburn

Matthew Coronato signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract extension with the Flames in May 2025 with an AAV of $6.5 million. (Sergei Belski / Imagn Images)

Calgary Flames

Matthew Coronato will lead the team in goals

Nazem Kadri held down the fort with a career-best 35 goals last year. Kadri will motivate himself to try to replicate the feat. But what about Coronato, who just signed a big-money extension this offseason? Coronato proved last season that he’s a full-time NHLer while scoring 24 goals. The winger’s shot is arguably the best on the team. There’s a world where he paces the team in goals if he continues his upward trajectory. — Julian McKenzie

Carolina Hurricanes

Alexander Nikishin will win the Calder Trophy

The Hurricanes have high hopes for their top prospect, and it looks like he’ll be given every opportunity to thrive. Nikishin has practiced in all situations during training camp, and although he might not start on the power play, it shouldn’t be long until he’s a fixture on the PP and PK. He should see favorable matchups early in the season and, as he grows more comfortable, get more minutes. Double-digit goals and 40-plus points seem like a possibility, and if he’s also part of a top penalty kill on a contender, he should be in position to be the NHL’s top rookie. — Cory Lavalette

Chicago Blackhawks

Sam Rinzel will win the Calder Trophy

There’s a real possibility Rinzel is this season’s Lane Hutson. Whether Rinzel gets to 60-plus points might depend on the team around him. Rinzel enters the season as the Blackhawks’ No. 1 defenseman. He’s going to play 25-plus minutes a night. He’s going to be on the top power play. He’s going to spend a lot of time playing with Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. He’s going to get every opportunity to have a Hutson-like season. — Scott Powers

Colorado Avalanche

Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood will win the William M. Jennings Trophy

Wedgewood has looked tremendous in his first two outings. He plays a simple game, and his reads have looked razor sharp. Blackwood is still recovering from an offseason lower-body injury but should be back soon. When he does, I expect big things. Blackwood has all of the physical tools to be one of the best goalies in the NHL, and now has a strong team in front of him for things to fall into place. The two are one of the better tandems, and I’ll say they allow the fewest goals in the league. — Jesse Granger

Columbus Blue Jackets

Jet Greaves will take off

Greaves first joined the Blue Jackets as an undrafted tryout player at their rookie tournament in 2021. Since then, he’s met every challenge put before him, becoming one of the AHL’s best goaltenders over the past two years. Now he’s a full-time NHL player. Not only will he challenge Elvis Merzlikins for playing time, but he’ll win the No. 1 job and be one of the best stories in the NHL this season. — Aaron Portzline

Dallas Stars

Thomas Harley will be a Norris Trophy finalist

Miro Heiskanen is one of the best defensemen on the planet, but Harley’s blend of offensive skill and defensive savvy makes him a more likely Norris candidate. He’s only 24 years old, and he proved in the second half of last season — when Heiskanen was hurt — that he is every bit a No. 1 defenseman in this league, even if he’s not the No. 1 defenseman on his own team. The only thing standing in his way is that Heiskanen tends to get the PP1 duties. If Harley can wrest that job away, he can make a run at not just a top-three spot, but the trophy itself. — Mark Lazerus

Detroit Red Wings

Lucas Raymond will hit 90 points

Only 12 players reached this lofty mark last season, but Raymond was on pace for it as of late February, before a March slump cooled him off. He still finished with 80, though, and at 23, he’s at the age where he still certainly has another step in him. The big question: Will he and Dylan Larkin have a consistent LW to play off of? — Max Bultman

Edmonton Oilers

Evan Bouchard will be a Norris Trophy finalist

The way Bouchard has played over the last few playoffs, perhaps this should have happened already. He’s certainly one of the top offensive blueliners in the league, armed with a bomb of a shot and an ability to make a stretch pass like few others. Cutting down on defensive gaffes that surely stick out in voters’ minds will vault him into a group with the best rearguards in the sport. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman

Florida Panthers

They will make a blockbuster trade to replace Aleksander Barkov

After injuries to Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, there are real doubts about the Panthers’ ability to three-peat right now. But Barkov’s absence could open up as much as $10 million in cap room if he misses the whole year, more than enough for Bill Zito to get creative and land a big fish before the deadline. How about Artemi Panarin, if the Rangers’ season goes sideways? Or even Sidney Crosby, should he decide to leave Pittsburgh? Whatever big name is available, expect Florida to be at the front of the line. — James Mirtle

Los Angeles Kings

Brandt Clarke will break out with 50 points

The Kings have a bit of “same old, same old” to them, but what shouldn’t be the same is the 22-year-old Clarke starting to take off as a dynamic player from the blue line. His goal Wednesday against Vegas showed why he can give L.A. a component that’s nonexistent on defense. Third-year coach Jim Hiller raved about Clarke’s improvement in his end during camp, but he’s also got to back it up with ice time. We’re betting he will, or someone else if there’s a change behind the bench. Clarke might need to squeeze his way onto the power-play’s first unit. But it’s time to take off the reins. — Eric Stephens

BRANDT CLARKE TIES THE GAME AT FIVE! 👑 #NHLFaceOff

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T pic.twitter.com/1MAdYadVmu

— NHL (@NHL) October 9, 2025

Minnesota Wild

Matt Boldy will rack up 50 goals and 50 assists

Wild president of hockey operations and GM Bill Guerin has said that Boldy has the potential to hit 50 and 50. And after Boldy’s terrific playoff series against Vegas, he looks locked in to start the season. He’s on a dynamic top line with Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi that will get plenty of opportunities. This is obviously bold for a player whose career high is 31 goals, but Boldy has the capability. — Joe Smith

Montreal Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovský will score 30 goals

Slafkovský is focused and better prepared for the season than he has ever been. All the tools are there, he just needs to apply them properly. And in his fourth NHL season, he will do just that. — Arpon Basu

Nashville Predators

Andrew Brunette will still be the team’s coach at the end of the season

Brunette is the obvious coach on the hot seat as the season begins — he’s probably elsewhere already if anyone but Barry Trotz is his GM — but the guess here is that the Preds start better and show some fight this season, at least staying relevant and in the hunt for most of it. That, paired with Trotz’s patience, gives Brunette the whole season. And gives Trotz another tough offseason decision. — Joe Rexrode

New Jersey Devils

Arseny Gritsyuk will finish top-five in Calder Trophy voting

Gritsyuk is starting his NHL career on the fourth line, but he could move up as the season goes along. He’s 24 and showed an ability to score in the KHL last season with 44 points in 49 games. He also had a nice preseason, which is an encouraging sign for New Jersey. Cutter Gauthier finished fifth last year and had 20 goals and 44 points, which would be a big ask for Gritsyuk. But I’m guessing this year’s rookie class isn’t quite as strong and Gritsyuk plays his way into the top five. — Peter Baugh

New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal will put up 90 points

Barzal’s 2024-25 season was condensed to only 30 games, and he didn’t even score at a point-per-game pace. It’s a feat he has managed only twice in his career. But he was a lot better than the scoresheet showed last year; he was slick in transition, earned a 61 percent expected goal rate, and the Islanders outscored opponents 24-11 in his five-on-five minutes. With a new voice leading the power play, plus Matthew Schaefer taking over the first unit, expect Barzal to thrive offensively back at center. — Shayna Goldman

New York Rangers

Their lineup will have six players who are 23 or younger by February

For the last few years, the Rangers have leaned on veterans over youth while chasing a championship. But last season’s disappointment is forcing them to recalibrate their priorities. They’re entering 2025-26 with three 23-and-under players — Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe and rookie Noah Laba — but others are knocking on the door. Speedy winger Brett Berard was the final cut out of camp and should be back soon, while skilled defenseman Scott Morrow appears to be next in line on D. I’m also figuring that one of two first-round wingers, Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault, will break through this season. — Vincent Z. Mercogliano

Ottawa Senators

Jake Sanderson will win the Norris Trophy

Sanderson started cropping up on most people’s radars last season, thanks to his performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He’s a No. 1 defenseman who is capable at both ends of the ice. But what if this is the year he makes an astronomical jump forward? If the Sens make the playoffs, emerge as a top-three team in their division and Sanderson improves on a 57-point season last year, he has a real chance to be the league’s best at his position. — Julian McKenzie

Philadelphia Flyers

They will trade for Quinn Hughes

Considering all of the top potential free agents in 2026 have re-signed, the Flyers probably know already they’re going to have to go the trade route for top talent. If the Canucks get off to a rough start this season, speculation around Hughes is going to be deafening. The Flyers will put together a package to get him out of Vancouver sometime around late January, while hoping that a reunion with some of his good friends such as Trevor Zegras and a coach he already loves (Rick Tocchet) results in a long-term extension in the offseason. — Kevin Kurz

Pittsburgh Penguins

Bryan Rust will not be traded

There will be enormous amounts of trade speculation around the Penguins this season. Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell may well be traded by the deadline. Despite the good start, this is a rebuilding team. I have a feeling, though, that Rust will remain for a multitude of reasons. He’s a popular man in the organization, to say the least. — Josh Yohe

San Jose Sharks

They will re-sign John Klingberg

Everything about Klingberg’s acquisition screams flipping him at the 2026 deadline if he’s a useful blue-line piece. The Sharks probably have one more sell-off in them, and there’s a bunch of impending UFAs. But they can’t trade every pickup, right? If the 33-year-old’s health is sound and he’s putting up points, why not have the right side of the defense covered for a couple of more years? Unless you want Rasmus Andersson. — Eric Stephens

Shane Wright was selected with the No. 4 pick by the Kraken in the 2022 NHL Draft. (Rio Giancarlo / Getty Images)

Seattle Kraken

Shane Wright will break out

This is going to be the year a few players from the 2022 draft class pop off. Logan Cooley and Lane Hutson have already established themselves as rising stars, while Frank Nazar and Marco Kasper are generating some hype. Look out for Wright to join that group. It’s easy to get impatient with players who don’t live up to their top-five draft pedigree early in their careers, especially when their teams crave star power. But development isn’t a straight line; Lane Lambert is going to help unlock his game more and get him back on track. — Shayna Goldman

St. Louis Blues

They will give up the fewest six-on-five goals in the NHL

I keep saying that I won’t remind Blues fans about the way the postseason ended in 2024-25, and here I go again. The Blues gave up two six-on-five goals to the Winnipeg Jets, including one with 2.2 seconds left in regulation, and fell 4-3 in double overtime. But I promise, I’m bringing it up this time for a good reason! It’s because my bold prediction is that the Blues, after much work on their six-on-five defense in the preseason, will give up the fewest six-on-five goals in the league in 2025-26. — Jeremy Rutherford

Tampa Bay Lightning

They will go to the Stanley Cup Final

The Lightning will go on one last deep run before their window closes — all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Tampa Bay’s elite core fired on all cylinders last regular season, and this year, they will build on it with more support around them. Having a full season of Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand, plus an incoming breakout from Gage Goncalves, will give management a better snapshot of how to improve this team at the deadline and to solidify this group before the postseason. — Shayna Goldman

Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthew Knies will lead the NHL in short-handed goals

Here’s the thing: Knies has never scored even one short-handed goal in his NHL career. But he’s about to see his opportunity on the Leafs’ penalty kill jump in Mitch Marner’s absence. He’ll kill penalties with Auston Matthews this season. Knies has a way of getting himself behind opposing defenses, and he’s a pretty good finisher in those spots, too. It took six goals to lead in this department last season. I think Knies has a shot. — Jonas Siegel

Utah Mammoth

Dylan Guenther will finish top-five in the league for goals

Guenther is coming off a strong 27-goal season. He’s widely recognized as a top up-and-coming talent, but I believe this is the year that both he and Logan Cooley establish themselves as elite stars. Guenther will hit 40-plus goals, further evolve his two-way play and perhaps even emerge as a dark horse for one of the final roster spots for Team Canada at the Olympics. — Harman Dayal

Vancouver Canucks

Filip Chytil will be the team’s second most valuable forward this season

All summer, the offseason discussion in Vancouver was about the club’s pursuit of a second-line center behind Elias Pettersson. The Canucks weren’t able to land an upgrade, leaving Chytil to be their de facto 2C. I’m predicting that Chytil, between the breakout potential he has with his offensive production, his secondary value as a play driver and positional premium as a center, will be Vancouver’s second-most-valuable forward this season, provided he can stay healthy. If anything, the conversation could shift to the Canucks targeting a 3C behind Chytil rather than a 2C ahead of him. — Harman Dayal

Vegas Golden Knights

Jack Eichel will score the most goals in franchise history

Eichel has always been more of a pass-first player, but playing alongside a playmaker such as Mitch Marner, I expect him to shoot more than ever. He has one of the best releases in the NHL, and if he shoots enough, he should pass William Karlsson’s 43-goal mark from 2017-18. He does have some catching up to do, with Pavel Dorofeyev taking the early NHL lead with four goals. — Jesse Granger

CHEMISTRY pic.twitter.com/92dQeecgij

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 9, 2025

Washington Capitals

Tom Wilson will lead the team in goals

In 2016-17, Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie each scored 33 goals. Other than that, the last non-Ovechkin to lead the Capitals in that category was Robert Lang in 2003-04. To close last season’s 11-goal gap between him and second place, we’re anticipating two things: a bit of understandable regression from the old fella and even stronger chemistry between Wilson and Pierre Luc-Dubois. — Sean Gentille

Winnipeg Jets

Jonathan Toews will play exactly 57 regular-season games

Even at his Conn Smythe Trophy-winning peak, Toews was not invulnerable. He’s played 82 games in only two of his 15 seasons. It’s also important to remember that a 37-year-old hockey player can be hurt for reasons that have nothing to do with his medical history. We’ve landed on exactly 57 games as a total by going week by week in the Jets’ calendar, estimating load management, guessing at injuries and then going by feel. The truth will probably be a lot more dramatic, with a not-so-bold prediction being that we’ll all overreact to every bump, bruise or “day-to-day” designation. — Murat Ates