6 NHL Teams Poised for Double-Digit Improvement in 2026-27

Every season, some teams make big jumps in the standings. The San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers were among several teams that made double-digit improvements in the standings in 2025-26. Here are six teams that could do the same, even if the playoffs aren’t a guarantee.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers have played a lot of hockey in recent seasons, and it caught up to them in 2025-26. Injuries were a significant factor in their finishing with 84 points and failing to qualify for the playoffs. Aleksander Barkov missed the entire season with a torn ACL, while Matthew Tkachuk didn’t return from injury until about halfway through the season.

They are prime bounce-back candidates in 2026-27, though. General manager Bill Zito has made multiple changes. He acquired Jacob Markström and Akira Schmid to revamp their goaltending situation and Brady Tkachuk to give the team more scoring pop and physicality in their top six.

Overall, the Panthers have a pretty loaded roster heading into next season. They could have a third line consisting of Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand, which speaks to their depth. The Atlantic Division will be like crawling through barbed wire with a wool jacket, but the Panthers should be among the favorites to win it. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they end up with 100 points or even just north of that.

Vancouver Canucks

Are the Canucks a playoff team? That would be a shocker, but they should improve on the 58 points they totaled last season. They haven’t had the busiest offseason, with signings like Paul Cotter and Jamie Oleksiak just helping on the edges. But there are some decent pieces on this team heading into 2026-27.

Some of it will hinge on Elias Pettersson bouncing back and looking closer to a $11.5 million AAV player. He has largely disappointed since signing that contract, but a coaching change may help.

There’s no arguing that Adam Foote was arguably the worst coach in the NHL last season. The Canucks finished with an expected goals share (xG%) of 45.25 percent, 30th in the NHL. Depending on where you looked, the Canucks had an over/under of around 90.5 points heading into 2025-26. They significantly underperformed, so some of their struggles fall on coaching.

It’ll be hard for Manny Malhotra to be much worse than Foote. There won’t be much pressure on him to perform in the short term since the organization is rebuilding, which should help as well. It’d be a surprise if the Canucks made the playoffs, but a 15-point or so jump in the standings is possible.

Edmonton Oilers

The Pacific Division may be the weakest in the NHL, which could help the teams expected to compete for the top spot. The Oilers finished second in the Pacific last season, with a modest 93 points. They have the talent to improve, but it will depend on goaltending.

Tristan Jarry struggled last season after the Oilers acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He totaled a meager .857 save percentage in 19 regular-season games and wasn’t much better when called upon during the playoffs.

However, even though Jarry has been inconsistent, an .857 SV% over an entire season would be unsustainably low; he recorded a .909 SV% with the Penguins before the trade. He should bounce back some, but the Oilers made some reinforcements in net, signing Frederik Andersen in free agency and acquiring Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres.

They can pull the plug on Jarry if he struggles again, but the Oilers should be a better defensive team than they were in 2025-26. That should help Jarry or whoever the Oilers’ 1A becomes as the season progresses. I don’t think they’re due for a 121-point campaign similar to the Colorado Avalanche, but I could see a 10-15 point improvement.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Oilers’ counterpart in the Pacific, and the defending Western Conference champs, the Golden Knights could rebound if they also get better goaltending. Adin Hill struggled with injuries last season and finished with a SV% of just .870 in 27 games. Carter Hart was excellent during the playoffs, but he recorded a SV% of just .891 in the regular season.

If the goaltending holds up, the Golden Knights could be in for a 10+ point improvement in the standings, too. They finished with an xG% of 54.02 percent during the regular season, and they are largely running back the same roster, sans Pavel Dorofeyev, that got them to the Stanley Cup Final.

They should be neck and neck with the Oilers for the top spot in the Pacific. And because the bottom half of the division is so weak, both teams could feast on lesser competition, which could boost their point totals in the standings.

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have underperformed relative to expectations over the last couple of years. Last season was a major disappointment, as they finished with just 87 points and out of a playoff spot. They do look like a good rebound candidate, though.

Much of it will depend on Jack Hughes’ health. He’s missed 20 games in each of the last three seasons, but there’s no doubting his impact when available. He’s averaged 37 goals and 100 points per 84 games over the last three seasons. He just needs to stay on the ice.

The Devils have made some improvements to their roster, too. Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist should boost the team’s bottom-six depth, and Anthony Mantha gives them some much-needed finishing ability in their top six.

Goaltending is a question mark, with Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich entering camp as the Devils’ main netminders. But the rest of the roster is in a good spot. I’m not sure if the Devils will crack the century mark in the standings, but they could come close if they stay healthy.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Last but not least, there’s the Toronto Maple Leafs. This coming season feels like a crucial one. If they miss the playoffs again, there could be significant change to the team’s core next summer. At least for now, new GM John Chayka has done his best to improve the team for 2026-27.

Among the Maple Leafs’ additions on defense are Darren Raddysh and Emil Andrae. Up front, Jack Roslovic, Brandon Duhaime, and Colton Sissons should bolster their middle- and bottom-six depth. Where the Maple Leafs will have some questions is in net.

Sergei Bobrovsky certainly has the pedigree, but he’s coming off a poor season with the Panthers. Considering what he’s done for the Panthers, it should raise some eyebrows that they elected to move on from him. If he’s in decline, which is possible, it could affect how much of an improvement the Maple Leafs make.

Still, I can see the Maple Leafs making a double-digit jump in the standings, but they have plenty of ground to make up. They finished with 77 points last season, and they will likely need to improve by around 18-20 points to feel comfortable about making the playoffs. The Atlantic Division will be a gauntlet, and even though they could improve by 15 or more points, it might not be enough to make the playoffs.

Of course, there’s always a team or two that makes an unexpected leap, such as the Sharks last season. But these teams are best positioned to move up the standings in 2026-27.

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