The Cats came back the very next year.
After repeating as Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers missed the playoffs last season. That won’t happen again, not with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk now healthy and hungry again. With Brady Tkachuk joining the fold, Florida is back to being among the betting favourites to win the Cup in 2027.
Mike Babcock has been tasked with getting the Oilers over the top in another “Cup or bust” campaign for Connor McDavid and company. Edmonton has made some controversial moves, including that coaching hire, but it’s all about winning in that former City of Champions. They came close twice, falling in those finals to Florida, but there hasn’t been a parade in the Alberta capital since 1990.
Mattias Ekholm, the oldest current Oiler, was born on the day Mark Messier hoisted that Cup — May 24, 1990. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were still babies, still in diapers, the last time Canada celebrated an NHL championship, when Montreal won in 1993.
Chris Kreider, the newest and oldest player on the current Canadiens, was only two then and Phillip Danault was born that winter. They are the Habs’ elder statesmen, helping lead one of the league’s youngest but most promising teams toward contention again. Some believe Montreal is now the best bet to bring the Cup back to Canada, but Edmonton and Toronto fans are hoping their window to win remains open for 2027.
Most fan bases are optimistic at this time of year, on the eve of a new season, but time will tell and many will be disappointed by American Thanksgiving — when we reach the quarter pole in late November.
Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin could have these predictions spiralling sooner than later.
Those blockbuster trades are anticipated any day now, with the NHL’s regular season starting on Tuesday.
Kevin Cheveldayoff and Shawn Horcoff have been patient in waiting for the right return, but regardless of what those stars fetch for Winnipeg and Detroit, their landing spots are likely to be risers in the power rankings.
Former Jets Evander Kane, Patrik Laine and Logan Stanley are among the other players in limbo, along with Vladimir Tarasenko. Those free agents could bolster several rosters but not enough to impact these predictions. Not like Larkin and Hellebuyck.
As it stands today, let’s take a look at my projected standings — from division to conference to overall — and then get into the playoff picture before crowning a champion!
Atlantic Division
1) Tampa Bay Lightning
2) Florida Panthers
3) Montreal Canadiens
4) Toronto Maple Leafs
5) Buffalo Sabres
6) Boston Bruins
7) Ottawa Senators
8) Detroit Red Wings
This division is five deep and should be ultra-competitive in determining that pecking order for the playoffs. The Battle of Florida will play out at the top, with the Lightning still a powerhouse and the Panthers sure to claw back in a healthier state. Montreal is very much in the mix, emerging as a more serious contender that won’t be underestimated, while Toronto enjoys a resurgence following a successful offseason and a little lottery luck to land Gavin McKenna. Buffalo lost Alex Tuch and wasn’t able to land Hellebuyck (or not yet), but the Sabres should stay in the playoff picture thanks to internal growth from their young guns.
Boston and Ottawa take a step back in this daunting division, while Detroit plummets to lottery status regardless of how the Larkin saga shakes out. The Red Wings are reeling but Landon DuPont is developing in Michigan and this franchise has thrived with Russian forwards in previous eras (Pavel Datysuk and Sergei Fedorov), so bottoming out for the draft wouldn’t be a bad way to reset.
Metropolitan Division
1) Washington Capitals
2) Carolina Hurricanes
3) New Jersey Devils
4) New York Islanders
5) Pittsburgh Penguins
6) Philadelphia Flyers
7) New York Rangers
8) Columbus Blue Jackets
Washington’s retool for Alex Ovechkin’s finale has the Capitals looking like the class of the East again. Carolina, of course, is the reigning champ and returning their core for a potential repeat. The rest of this division is up in the air, but the Devils and Islanders appear slightly better than the Pennsylvania teams for that third seed. Can a fourth team claim a wild card or will the Atlantic take both those berths?
The Rangers and Blue Jackets look like also-rans but could prove me wrong. I can’t see either club in the playoffs but they could be closer to a wild card than a lottery pick.
Pacific Division
1) Edmonton Oilers
2) Vegas Golden Knights
3) San Jose Sharks
4) Anaheim Ducks
5) Los Angeles Kings
6) Seattle Kraken
7) Vancouver Canucks
8) Calgary Flames
The Oilers are rested and healthier to open this season, and the new coaching staff will have them more motivated for a strong start and a consistent campaign. The Golden Knights have a rookie head coach but should be formidable again. The California teams will be competing for that third seed, with San Jose edging out Anaheim, while Los Angeles begins to fade away.
Seattle, Vancouver and Calgary will be well back again, treating this season as a learning experience for their youth movements. With another Top 10 pick in 2027, they should start trending up next season.
Central Division
1) Colorado Avalanche
2) Dallas Stars
3) Utah Mammoth
4) St. Louis Blues
5) Minnesota Wild
6) Nashville Predators
7) Chicago Blackhawks
8) Winnipeg Jets
Colorado made some interesting moves to get younger but their studs will continue to carry the Avs atop the Western Conference. Dallas isn’t getting any younger but if the old boys can keep contributing, the Stars should rank right up there again. Utah and St. Louis had impressive offseasons to make this division more intriguing beyond the top two. Minnesota and Nashville still have the makings of playoff teams on paper too, so sweeping the West wild cards wouldn’t be a surprise for the Central clubs.
Even Chicago, if Connor Bedard is back sooner than later, and Winnipeg, with the right return for Hellebuyck, could make some noise. But the Blackhawks are probably a year away from playoff contention and the Jets are likely retooling again, which could have them bringing up the rear just two years removed from winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
Eastern Conference
1) Washington Capitals
2) Carolina Hurricanes
3) Tampa Bay Lightning
4) Florida Panthers
5) Montreal Canadiens
6) Toronto Maple Leafs
7) Buffalo Sabres
8) New Jersey Devils
9) New York Islanders
10) Pittsburgh Penguins
11) Philadelphia Flyers
12) Boston Bruins
13) New York Rangers
14) Ottawa Senators
15) Columbus Blue Jackets
16) Detroit Red Wings
Washington is built to win and Carolina just won, so the Metro’s top two look like the teams to beat in the East. But Tampa and Florida are proven winners too, both capable of topping the standings and hoisting the Cup in 2027.
Montreal, Toronto and Buffalo should battle it out in the middle of the pack, with more upside than the Devils and Islanders. The Penguins and Flyers won’t be far behind but will be hard pressed to make the playoffs again.
The bottom five won’t be in the playoff race, but only Detroit is destined for lottery territory.
Western Conference
1) Colorado Avalanche
2) Edmonton Oilers
3) Dallas Stars
4) Vegas Golden Knights
5) Utah Mammoth
6) San Jose Sharks
7) St. Louis Blues
8) Minnesota Wild
9) Nashville Predators
10) Anaheim Ducks
11) Los Angeles Kings
12) Seattle Kraken
13) Vancouver Canucks
14) Chicago Blackhawks
15) Winnipeg Jets
16) Calgary Flames
Colorado has to go all-in before Cale Makar’s cap hit doubles next season, so expect a rejuvenated Joe Sakic to make the necessary moves to ensure another deep run.
Edmonton is eager to contend again, with Babcock and DJ Smith pushing this roster to another level providing their goaltending pans out with Freddie Andersen and Devon Levi as newcomers between the pipes. There is no doubting the determination of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Dallas and Vegas could stand in their way again as perennial contenders in the present. Utah and San Jose will be trying to contend with those Big 4 in the West, while St. Louis, Minnesota, Nashville and Anaheim will make for an intense wild-card race.
Los Angeles could stay relevant but this bottom five is similar to the East in the sense that they won’t be playing meaningful games in March, let alone April. They should be sellers at the trade deadline and looking forward to the lottery.
Overall Standings
1) Washington Capitals
2) Colorado Avalanche
3) Edmonton Oilers
4) Carolina Hurricanes
5) Tampa Bay Lightning
6) Florida Panthers
7) Dallas Stars
8) Vegas Golden Knights
9) Montreal Canadiens
10) Toronto Maple Leafs
11) Utah Mammoth
12) Buffalo Sabres
13) New Jersey Devils
14) New York Islanders
15) San Jose Sharks
16) St. Louis Blues
17) Minnesota Wild
18) Nashville Predators
19) Pittsburgh Penguins
20) Philadelphia Flyers
21) Anaheim Ducks
22) Boston Bruins
23) New York Rangers
24) Los Angeles Kings
25) Ottawa Senators
26) Columbus Blue Jackets
27) Seattle Kraken
28) Vancouver Canucks
29) Chicago Blackhawks
30) Winnipeg Jets
31) Detroit Red Wings
32) Calgary Flames
Parity is prevalent across both conferences and all four divisions this season, with Washington as my pick for the Presidents’ Trophy.
The Pacific presumably has the most “easy” points to earn, but that division will be more competitive as early as next year when Calgary and Vancouver insert more top prospects into their respective lineups.
The Atlantic and Central divisions appear to be the most competitive, or the most difficult to predict. The Metropolitan could be chaotic too, when it comes to the playoff races.
Playoff Picture
First Round
Eastern Conference
M1) Washington Capitals vs. WC2) Buffalo Sabres
M2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3) New Jersey Devils
A1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC1) Toronto Maple Leafs
A2) Florida Panthers vs. A3) Montreal Canadiens
Western Conference
C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2) Minnesota Wild
C2) Dallas Stars vs. C3) Utah Mammoth
P1) Edmonton Oilers vs. WC1) St. Louis Blues
P2) Vegas Golden Knights vs. P3) San Jose Sharks
Second Round
Eastern Conference
M1) Washington Capitals vs. M2) Carolina Hurricanes
A1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A2) Florida Panthers
Western Conference
C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. C2) Dallas Stars
P1) Edmonton Oilers vs. P2) Vegas Golden Knights
Third Round
Eastern Conference
M1) Washington Capitals vs. A2) Florida Panthers
Western Conference
C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. P1) Edmonton Oilers
Fourth Round
Stanley Cup Final
P1) Edmonton Oilers vs. A2) Florida Panthers
Beating both Tkachuk brothers would be the ultimate revenge for McDavid, avenging those aforementioned losses to Florida and also to the United States in the Olympic final.
McDavid proves unstoppable in this trilogy, lighting up Jacob Markstrom after getting stymied by Sergei Bobrovsky in years past. Freddie Andersen stands tall to capture his second straight Cup. Babcock also gets his second Cup, spurring on the Oilers and silencing his critics in the process.
Draisaitl and Hyman do their part with clutch goals throughout the playoff run, and McDavid gladly accepts the Conn Smythe Trophy this time, as Edmonton defeats Florida in seven games — thanks, in part, to that consistent regular season securing home-ice advantage for the final.
For the record, this isn’t the first time I’ve predicted the Oilers will win the Cup, but it might be the last. Because if Babcock backfires and this season goes off the rails for Edmonton, it may also be the last of McDavid there.
As for the playoff picture as a whole, I’ve got six new playoff teams for 2027 — Washington, Florida, Toronto and New Jersey replacing Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston and Ottawa in the East, plus San Jose and St. Louis supplanting Anaheim and Los Angeles in the West.
Agree or disagree, this is the time to make your predictions. Who do you have making the playoffs and winning the Cup?
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