Blueshirt Banter 2025-26 NHL Standings Season Preview
Who rises, who falls, and who could stop the Panthers’ reign? Our full NHL standings predictions are here—every team, every division, and plenty of bold takes.
Happy NHL Opening Night to all who celebrate!
This year, the team at Blueshirt Banter is kicking it up a notch in terms of season previews as we present to you a full season preview for the entire NHL, predicting the final overall league standings. It may not have been as crazy of an offseason as many were expecting around the NHL, but a lot of teams still faced major changes as the quest to put an end to the brewing Florida Panther's dynasty Florida begins tonight.
Joe Fortunato
Metropolitan Division
We'll start with the Metro, seeing as everyone should already know where we have the New York Rangers finishing based on our Full Season Preview Roundtable that published yesterday.
Joe Fortunato: I have said it before, I will say it again, and probably keep saying it: The Rangers quit for six weeks last year and still almost made the playoffs. I don't think Washington or New Jersey got particularly better, I think you always need to assume Carolina is going to win the East, and I know the Rangers have the best goalie in the league. Where does that lead you? Here, with the Rangers finishing a closely contested second place in the Metro.
Eric Kohn: The Carolina Hurricanes are an efficient machine in the regular season. They're built to get the most out of their roster through their system of hockey for 82 games. The problem is, they're not built for the playoffs. But they'll still take the division crown. I think the Washington Capitals take a step back, but only enough to put them in second place. I have the Rangers in third, but as I noted in the Rangers Season Preview Roundtable, I think they have better odds of finishing fourth than they do of finishing second, so there's a ceiling on them this year. The Devils are good, and have a ton of talent. But whether it's injuries or something else, they always seem to stumble somewhere along the way. I have them as a wild card team. Columbus surprised last year, and I think they build on that this season—not quite enough to make the playoffs, but they'll be right there in the wild card hunt. The Islanders aren't bad, but they also aren't good. Their only real hope is Ilya Sorokin having a Vezina quality season to drag them higher in the standings. Pittsburgh and Philly are just bad and in the basement until further notice.
Chip23: A less-talented, poorly coached version of this Rangers team is a year removed from being the best regular season team in the NHL. I have no reason to believe that the additions of Sullivan, Miller (for a full year) and Gavrikov can't at least return this team to the top of the Metro.
Tom Dianora: Carolina's style of play is perfectly suited to get them the top spot in a weakened Metro. I have the New Jersey Devils in second place by default, but I think the Rangers will bounce back enough to claim third place. The Columbus Blue Jackets are a young and very talented team that I see building off last year's near-playoff berth. Perhaps my hottest take here is that the Capitals will take a major step back. I think Spencer Carbery is an excellent coach, but that team dramatically overachieved last season. Everything seemed to go right. I don't see that happening again this season.
Chris Feldman: In the Metro, I'd say it's pretty safe to assume the Hurricanes, Devils and Rangers should all be in playoff consideration. Personally, I'd go as far as to say they're probably locks for the top three. I do believe that the Capitals run last season was a bit of an anomaly and that kind of magic, especially Alex Ovechkin's scoring pace on his crazy run to the NHL goal record, won't be replicated. I find that there are much better teams in the Atlantic that will take the two wildcard spots ahead of Washington or any others in the Metro. I can see the New York Islanders being a better team than they were last season and the Blue Jackets taking another step in the right direction. But aside from that, the Penguins and Flyers are going to be in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes, which as a Rangers fan is quite alarming!
Roberto Solis-Byxbee: I'll be transparent with you guys: I let homerism guide me here. I have the Rangers overachieving and the Islanders underachieving simply because I think that's fun. That being said, I think Carolina will be one of the best teams in the league and will run away with the division early in the year.
Jake DiBlasio: As I mentioned in the Rangers season preview roundtable, I believe Carolina and New Jersey have more complete rosters, especially if the Devils can stay healthy this season. I see the Capitals taking a step back after having a strong regular season on the back of Ovechkin chasing the NHL goal record. With Mike Sullivan calling the shots behind the bench, that should also be enough to put the Rangers back in the playoffs. For most of the other teams, I don't think they are far enough along in their rebuild to make the playoffs.
Atlantic Division
Joe Fortunato: I did this before I knew that Florida was dealing with major injuries, but I still think they're good enough to potentially win the Atlantic anyway. They are built very well from the bottom up, and while they have lost major players to injury, I still think they'll be just fine. That said, I can see Tampa overtaking them due to the injuries.
Eric Kohn: While I still think they finish in the top three in the division, I'm down on the Toronto Maple Leafs, albeit not nearly as much as Chip. H.L. Mencken said that "democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." To paraphrase Mencken, the common Leafs fans knew what they wanted—a Leafs team without Mitch Marner, a guy who averages 92 points per season—and now they deserve to get it good and hard. Florida, even without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuck for much, if not all, of the season will still be terrifying. I have Tampa finishing second, but I honestly wouldn't be shocked if the bottom dropped out on them, although perhaps that's more likely next year than this one. I think Montreal makes the playoffs as a wild card, but Ottawa will be nipping at their heels. Buffalo will be better, but will still be Buffalo, which translates being to on the outside looking in. As for Detroit, well, the last person to leave the room who still believes Steve Yzerman is an elite general manager, please turn off the lights. And everyone wave to the Boston Bruins in the basement. I couldn't be happier for their demise.
Chip23: I called for the Toronto Maple Leafs to fall and I'm sticking to that. Originally I had Florida winning the Atlantic, but then news came out that Aleksander Barkov would miss the entire season. Between that injury, Matthew Tkachuk slated to miss time, and Toronto making some terrible off-season decisions, I see Tampa Bay as the clear favorites to win the Atlantic and, ultimately, face the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final. Also, if Detroit really is this bad again, don't be shocked if Dylan Larkin has some long talks in Milan with J.T. Miller and Adam Fox about the benefits of playing for Sully in New York.
Tom Dianora: The Maple Leafs will miss Mitch Marner's offense, even if they continue to delude themselves into thinking that he was one of the main drivers of their repeated playoff failures. But they'll have enough to battle Tampa Bay for the top of the division, ultimately falling short. Florida, even without Aleksander Barkov, has enough depth to eke out a third-place finish in the division. Plus, I imagine they're going to make some kind of splash to help replenish some of what they've lost in Barkov (although there is no replacing him). I think Montreal will be fun but will have a season of growing pains and miss the playoffs. Ottawa will continue to yield more fruits from all of the talent on its roster, getting into the postseason as a wild-card team.
Chris Feldman: The Panthers have a tough road ahead as they will have to go most of the season without Matthew Tkachuk and all of it without Aleksander Barkov. I believe the Atlantic is going to be a super tight race, but if the Panthers want to become a true dynasty, they have to find a way to stay at the top and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they did. I disagree with Chip's Toronto take and think the Leafs will be a lot better with a more spread out roster and less attention on the "core four." Montreal and Ottawa both took massive steps forward last season; they're my two wild card teams in the East. Two things I've been a huge proponent of in recent years are the Boston Bruins downfall and the Buffalo Sabres finally figuring it out. Boston was in the basement last year, and I think that's where they stay. This is the proper year for Buffalo's ascendence, and sandwiched in between those two things are the Red Wings, because I just do not believe in the "Yzerplan."
Roberto Solis-Byxbee: Toronto lost a mighty piece of their offensive production this past offseason and didn't do much to replace that. So, why do I have them winning the division? Well, I think their style of play was too centered on pretty perimeter hockey. While replacing Marner's production is next to impossible, I think the team is going to buckle down and find a harder-to-play-against mentality and buy into Craig Berube's system, and we may see them achieve more than ever because of it.
Jake DiBlasio: I don't believe any of these picks are super hot takes. Even though they lost Mitch Marner, I believe Toronto has plenty of talent and will place at the top of the division. Without Barkov or Tkachuk for a good portion of the season, I can see the Panthers struggling some, but they are still good enough to make the playoffs. In Montreal, I really like some of the moves they made this offseason, and I believe that Ivan Demidov will help boost the team. I also think the Senators take another step in the right direction.
Central Division
Joe Fortunato: I still think Dallas is a wagon, and Colorado will be just behind them. I was shocked at how well Winnipeg did in the regular season last year, and let's not forget they needed a miracle against St. Louis to prevent being bounced early in the playoffs. I do think Utah, with all their youth, is going to start making some pushes here.
Eric Kohn: The Dallas Stars are just a real solid hockey team. There's not a ton about them that's all that exciting, but they're solid just about everywhere and have great goaltending, to boot. I have Colorado finishing second here, mostly being willed to that position by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. I think Winnipeg massively overachieved last year, mostly on the back of Connor Hellebuyck's regular season brilliance. And, as Ranger fans know all too well, you can't count on even your elite goaltender to be in god-mode all the time, so I think they fall back to third. Plus, the loss of Nikolaj Ehlers will hurt. Minnesota takes a wild card spot out of this division, but this is just a team that really lacks an identity beyond Kirill Kaprizov, the NHL's highest paid player. I'm bullish on Utah, and think they could surprise a lot of people. They're definitely a team with a ton of young talent that's trending up. I have no idea what the St. Louis Blues are doing. I see no reason why largely the same Nashville team that was a disaster last year will be any better this year. And Chicago? What do you even say? Someone rescue Connor Bedard.
Chip23: It's not that I think Winnipeg is going to be bad, it's that I think Utah, Dallas, and Colorado are going to be really good. Like, really really good. This Central is going to be a war of attrition.
Tom Dianora: I think Winnipeg will take a step back this season, but will still be a solid team. The Avalanche will be more consistent and ultimately take the division crown, while Dallas will shake off a slow start with a new coach to finish second. Minnesota and the upstart Utah Mammoth will be neck-and-neck for most of the season, and will finish fourth and fifth but both qualify for the playoffs in the Western Conference.
Chris Feldman: Dallas and Colorado are going to be the big contenders in the Central but I do believe this division is going to be more competitive than most are expecting. Winnipeg is going to be in a tougher spot without Ehlers but they're still a competitive group. It might seem like I'm low on Minnesota but I believe Utah is going to surprise a lot of people this season. Similarly to the Atlantic, I see this being the stronger division in the West by a landslide. The Blues could find themselves in the mix as well but Nashville and Chicago are certainly going to be in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes.
Roberto Solis-Byxbee: What a fun division this is now. Not only are Colorado and Dallas two of the best teams in the league, but the drama between the two teams makes any clash where they go head to head electric. The Mikko Rantanen saga is sure to have a few new chapters added this upcoming season. Additionally, I think despite Minnesota making Kirill Kaprizov the highest paid player in the league, the team will see a slight regression and miss the postseason. How long will Bill Guerin's job be safe if this is the case? Only time will tell!
Jake DiBlasio: Colorado and Dallas are both very strong teams and will be competing for the Stanley Cup. If Kaprizov can stay healthy for the entirety of the season, I can see Minnesota finishing top two in the division. This will be the year Utah makes the playoffs, as I love the acquisition of JJ Peterka. And after finishing last season as the President's Trophy winner, I do believe Winnipeg takes a step back this regular season.
Pacific Division
Joe Fortunato: I also made this prediction before Connor McDavid re-upped with Edmonton, but that really doesn't matter. Despite their lack of goaltending, Edmonton boasts two of the best five offensive players in the league and they're going to win a ton of games. I think Vegas is the only other team that could potentially even challenge them for the title. I also think the Los Angeles Kings take a step back having lost your new friend and mine, Vladislav Gavrikov.
Eric Kohn: The best two teams in this division are the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers, as Joe notes, have two of the five best forwards in the NHL. Vegas as one of the other three in Jack Eichel, and a deep roster that management continues to find creative ways to bolster ::coughs violently in Mitch Marner tampering::. The difference between the two that puts Vegas on top for me? Goaltending. Vegas has it and, much to my continual amazement, Edmonton still does not. (But, hey, they did sign depth piece Trent Frederic to an 8-year, $30 million contract, which should definitely keep pucks out of their net. Or something.) I think the Kings take a big step back this year, not dissimilar to what I expect from the Capitals in the Metro, but make the postseason as a wild card team. That helps move Calgary up to third in the division, and frankly that's remarkable since it's apparently a place that no one willingly wants to play. The rest of this division is just mediocre to bad. Vancouver is a dumpster fire that is still burning. Anaheim is trending upwards, but not there yet. Seattle is ... I don't really know. They're just kind of there. And San Jose will still a very bad team, being a fascinating mix of sparkling young talent (Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa) and guys that make you say "oh, that's where that dude is playing now" (Ryan Reaves, Alex Wennberg, Tyler Toffoli).
Chip23: The Pacific just sucks. I'm sorry, but outside of Edmonton, is there any team there that realistically has a chance to do anything? No way Anze Kopitar's final season ends with him hoisting a Cup.
Tom Dianora: The Oilers, for all their talent, always seem to have some struggles in the regular season that keep them from being a top seed. They'll finish second behind Vegas, which boasts a pretty scary lineup now with the addition of Mitch Marner. I think the Kings will get in as the three-seed in the division, but it'll be a tight battle with the Canucks. Anaheim will be a fun team and will make a little bit of noise early in the season before slowly fading away. Calgary is...meh...and Seattle has no discernible direction as a franchise. San Jose is bad, but at least there's a foundation and obvious upward trajectory there.
Chris Feldman: The Los Angeles Kings are not going to make the playoffs. That's my hot take for the season. It's going to be a toss up at the top between Vegas and Edmonton. Anaheim is going to surprise everyone and have a great season. Vancouver's hit or miss, and things are either going to get real ugly or they'll skate by as a middle-of-the-pack team. Seattle could be interesting but there still a ways away from contending. The Flames are going to have to be sellers and the Sharks, well, they are just happy to be here—at least for one more season.
Roberto Solis-Byxbee: Simply put, I don't think you can really doubt Connor McDavid. Losing in the Cup Final two years in a row has motivated the world's best player more than ever to win it all. As for the bottom of the standings, I think Vancouver is going to find out J.T. Miller wasn't the issue, and this is the beginning of the end for Quinn Hughes' time in Canada.
Jake DiBlasio: I went back and forth about whether the Oilers or the Golden Knights would finish at the top of the division, but in the end I picked Edmonton. With McDavid and Draisaitl, the sky is the limit, and I love the addition of Issac Howard and think he will fit in great. I was really considering the possibility of the Ducks making the playoffs, but in the end, I think they're still a year away from the playoffs and have a few former Rangers holding them back.
That's it, folks! Enjoy the Opening Night and the NHL season ahead.
