5 Burning Questions on NHL Opening Night

As we head into the 2026-27 NHL season, every team has big goals and aspirations. How quickly those dreams take shape or fall apart depends on how each club begins their campaign. With five games on opening night, there will be many storylines to follow. But here are five burning questions to keep an eye on as the puck drops on the new season.

Florida Panthers: Are the Big, Bad Bullies Back?

The biggest news this summer was the massive trade that sent Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers. He joins his brother Matthew on a team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups before injuries got the best of them in their quest for a third consecutive title last season.

The cost to acquire Tkachuk – three first-round picks and a second-round pick – was high. That said, he seems like the perfect fit for what the Panthers have built: a tough, physical, talented team that can get under the opponent’s skin.

With Aleksander Barkov back and a group that finally seems healthy, are the Panthers ready to reclaim their place atop the Atlantic Division? The only question is whether newly acquired veteran netminder Jacob Markstrom can hold down the fort behind a formidable roster now that Sergei Bobrovsky is in Toronto.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Was Last Season an Anomaly?

After a five-year stretch in which they won a pair of playoff series, the Toronto Maple Leafs cratered in 2025-26. They went from winning the Atlantic Division and finishing second in the Eastern Conference to finishing eighth in the division and 15th in the conference. If it weren’t for their draft lottery win and selecting phenom Gavin McKenna, things would be a lot scarier.

The Maple Leafs also added defenseman Darren Raddysh and his booming shot to an attack that seemed sluggish a season ago. The new additions and a rebound season from captain Auston Matthews have Toronto looking like they can be right back in contention.

The biggest question: can a 38-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky, coming off the worst season of his career, help solve the Maple Leafs’ goaltending issues? If he can come even close to what he has accomplished, he and Anthony Stolarz should be a solid tandem, addressing one of the biggest weaknesses on the team.

Boston Bruins: Contenders or Pretenders?

Few predicted the Bruins would make the playoffs a season ago, but they had a solid run before running into and being eliminated by the upstart Buffalo Sabres in the first round. They are hoping to build on last season, but there are a lot of questions.

Can David Pastrnak, freshly named captain, continue to be the superstar driving the roster? Can Morgan Geekie replicate his 39-goal season from 2025-26? Will the trade for J.J. Peterka bolster their attack?

The most glaring concern is down the middle. Elias Lindholm isn’t a top-line center. Will either James Hagens or Fraser Minten become the answer? How their development progresses will be key to the Bruins’ season and their future.

Edmonton Oilers: Is This the Season They Get Over the Hump?

The Oilers are on season 10 of trying to get over the hump and capture their first Stanley Cup since 1990. With the superstar core of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard, they will always be in the thick of it.

However, this summer, management took steps to revamp the back half of their defensive core with the additions of Connor Murphy, Ryan Shea, and Shakir Mukhamadullin, but all eyes will be on the net once again. Can Tristan Jarry – or newly acquired Devon Levi – finally give them the goaltending they need?

The Oilers will no doubt be linked to every available player on the market, but the pressure is building. This is the first year of McDavid’s two-year extension, and the tension will be palpable if the Oilers enter next summer without a championship.

Chicago Blackhawks: Developing or Looking at Another Rebuild?

The latest game on the opening-night slate features the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights and a team hoping to finally turn a corner in their rebuild. Unfortunately, the Chicago Blackhawks will begin the season without their superstar captain Connor Bedard.

The Blackhawks are one of the youngest teams in the NHL, and they are brimming with potential. Can they achieve real growth and make a potential run at a playoff spot in a tough Western Conference?

Bedard is a big piece of the puzzle, but he’s just one piece. Chicago has a lot riding on the development of Roman Kantserov, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Artyom Levshunov, and Sam Rinzel. There is also the otherworldly cost to acquire Bowen Byram this summer to shore up their defense. This will be our first look at what the young group can do.

NHL Season Is Finally Here

The best part about Tuesday is that hockey is finally back. The sound of sharpened blades slicing through the ice, pucks clanging off posts, and the roar of the crowd are here to satiate us. If you are a fan of one of these teams worth keeping an eye on, Tuesday will be your chance to overreact, put all of your hopes in one performance, or deem the season an utter failure. We wouldn’t have it any other way.