It feels like hockey season just ended, yet here we are with the 2025-26 campaign already underway. Next year, the season will actually start earlier, too. With the season going from 82 games to 84, they've added a week, but they also moved up the start so that the Stanley Cup can be awarded in mid-June. Of course, that'll feel really early, but I think we can all welcome the earlier finish. That's not until next season, though. This season is still 82 games with a late June finish, but there's also an Olympic break!
I give Gary Bettman credit for actually acknowledging the elephant in the room during his season-opening press conference. He admitted that he and the owners hate taking a break in the middle of the season so that the players can go to the Olympics. However, he also conceded that they're going because the players want to...and that it's good for the league! Just like how the Four Nations Face-Off last season was great for the league!
Anyway, we go into the 2025-26 season with the State of Florida having officially turned into the State of Hockey. The Panthers are looking for their third straight Cup, and it definitely feel like they've become one of those teams that just needs to make the playoffs. Their seed doesn't matter. As long as they get in, they're one of the favorites. And, with Matthew Tkachuk out until at least the New Year and Aleksandar Barkov likely out for the season, they won't win the division...which won't matter come playoff time.
There actually isn't a clear-cut Stanley Cup favorite. A lot of people are big on Florida. For good reason. Edmonton's the team that's lost to the Panthers in both of those Stanley Cup Finals, and the Oilers aren't going anywhere. The Avalanche are getting a lot of support. So are the Golden Knights. Carolina is also a popular pick, and that one I can really see.
Atlantic Division: While the Atlantic Division has its Big Three (Florida, Tampa Bay, Toronto), there were actually five playoff teams out of this division last season, with Ottawa and Montreal also making it. Detroit was in the mix until the very end, too. And, let's not forget, Boston was still hanging around until collapsing down the stretch and mailing in the rest of the season. So, really, everybody but the Sabres really has realistic playoff hopes.
The Lightning may have been overtaken by the Panthers as the best team in Florida, but let's not pretend Tampa Bay isn't still among the five best teams in the league. I actually have them winning the division and the Panthers finishing second. Toronto's not as top heavy with Mitch Marner now in Vegas, but they're still well-positioned for their annual seven-game first round loss. And I like the Red Wings to finish fourth and grab a wild card spot. I just don't see the Senators and Canadiens being able to repeat what they did last season.
Metropolitan Division: Last season, Washington nearly won the President's Trophy out of nowhere. The Capitals weren't the best team in the league or even in the division. It'll be nice to see them make the playoffs in Ovechkin's final season, but they're nowhere near the same level as Carolina. The Hurricanes are the best team in the Met Division by a mile. Can they finally overcome the hump that is the Eastern Conference Final?
Everyone else is mired in the same level of mediocrity that I really have no idea who'll get that third (and potentially fourth) playoff spot. The Devils made it last year, but their goaltending situation isn't great. Columbus almost joined them, but I'm as skeptical about the Blue Jackets repeating their 2024-25 effort as I am about the Senators and Canadiens. I have absolutely no expectations from the Rangers after what Chris Drury has done to the franchise. Does Pittsburgh have enough to give Sidney Crosby one last playoff run? Will a healthy Mathew Barzal make a difference for the Islanders? Is the Flyers' rebuild complete?
Central Division: In the Central Division, everyone is always quick to pick Colorado while completely discounting Dallas. I have no idea why. It's the Stars who've been to three straight Conference Finals. And making it four straight wouldn't be that surprising. I get the hype behind the Avalanche. With MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog and Co., there's good reason to think Colorado can make a deep playoff run. They're just not the only ones in the division who can. That's all I'm saying.
Ditto about Winnipeg. The Jets are the defending President's Trophy winners, yet nobody is talking about them. Which, in their case, might be a good thing. Minnesota's also in a great position to make the playoffs if everybody stays healthy. St. Louis and Nashville should fight for that second wild card spot, and I'm curious to see what the Mammoth will look like this season. Chicago has Conor Bedard and that's about it.
Pacific Division: You know a team has made an impact when the league makes a rule change specifically directed towards them. In this case, it's the Golden Knights' taking advantage of the now-closed loophole regarding long-term IR and the playoffs. No more stockpiling talent only for your "injured" players to magically be healed in the postseason. Not that it'll matter much. The Knights not making the playoffs would be the shocking development.
Whether it's Vegas or Edmonton that wins the division almost doesn't even matter. Especially because if the Oilers don't finish second, they can't play their annual playoff series against the Kings! I'm also expecting a bounce back from the Canucks, who dealt with a lot of injuries last season. The rest of the Pacific Division's playoff chances aren't great. Calgary and Seattle? Maybe have a chance to compete. Anaheim and San Jose? In the lottery.
My playoff field in the East is Tampa Bay, Toronto and Florida out of the Atlantic, Carolina, Washington and New Jersey out of the Metropolitan, with Detroit and Columbus earning the wild cards. In the West, meanwhile, it's a lot more straightforward. Colorado, Dallas and Winnipeg out of the Central, Vegas, Edmonton and LA out of the Pacific, with Minnesota and Vancouver joining them in the playoffs.
Call me crazy, but I'm going with Carolina vs. Dallas in the Stanley Cup Final. I know they both lose in the Conference Finals every year, so it's a bit bold to say they both get past the hump in the same season. I just have a feeling about both of them, though. Just like how I have a feeling that this run of success that the Hurricanes have been on will finally result in lifting the Stanley Cup.
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