Highlights

NHL 2025-26 Season Forecast: Which Team Will Shock the League and Which Will Crash?

Alright, buckle up—because here’s the lowdown on what we’re serving up for the 2025-26 NHL season. I’m talking about the full throttle, no-holds-barred previews brought to you by Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, and Dom Luszczyszyn over at The Athletic. They’ve gone deep—like, submarine deep—diving into every nook and cranny of all 32 teams, dissecting what we can expect this upcoming season, ranked straight from Dom’s uncanny projection model. Between September 22nd and October 3rd, you’ll find everything from point predictions to playoff odds—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a wildcard player ready to flip the script, a thorough roster analysis, the burning question each squad faces, plus a peek at their best and worst possible outcomes. If you’re craving a roadmap for the NHL’s twists and turns this season, this is where you start. Trust me, it ain’t just stats—there’s strategy, surprises, and suspense stuffed in here. Want the full scoop? LEARN MORE

Welcome to The Athletic’s 2025-26 edition of the team season previews, a deep dive into what to expect from each team for the upcoming season by Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, and Dom Luszczyszyn.

Between Sept. 22 and Oct. 3, we’re previewing all 32 NHL teams in order of predicted regular-season finish, according to Dom’s model.

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Beyond the projected point total and playoff finish, you’ll find a wildcard player that might have an unexpected impact on the forecast, a roster breakdown, one big question facing each team, and a best and worst-case scenario for each team.

• How these projections work
• Understanding projection uncertainty

(Photo: Leila Devlin / Getty Images)

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