After the exhilarating days leading up to the draft and free agency, it appears NHL teams have gone to sleep. Free agents have fizzled out quickly, and players, coaches, and others are hitting top vacation destinations.
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In other words, it’s the dog days of the summer, which is a good opportunity for NHL teams to reflect on where they stand. With the majority of clubs set on their rosters after making moves the past handful of weeks, which teams enter the 2025-26 season as contenders or pretenders?
Let’s get real with some teams that think they’re contending, but their rosters indicate otherwise.
Contenders
Florida Panthers
This one feels like a no-brainer: the Florida Panthers will be penciled in as contenders once again in 2025-26. General manager Bill Zito managed to keep the core intact, re-signing the big three of Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett.
The Panthers have been the NHL’s gold standard over the past three seasons, reaching the Stanley Cup Final each year and hoisting the Cup in the last two. Will they three-peat in 2025-26 remains a big question, but they certainly have the roster intact to do it again.
Vegas Golden Knights
Plenty of questions followed the Vegas Golden Knights after their second-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers in 2025. Injuries hurt the lineup, and the scoring that defined their regular season all but disappeared.
Then came the splash. Vegas landed Mitch Marner on an eight-year, $12 million deal, giving them a dynamic playmaker to reignite their offense up front. With a healthier roster and Marner in the mix, the Golden Knights are firmly back in the contender conversation out West.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche were dealt an unlucky hand entering the 2025 NHL Playoffs, going head-to-head with the Dallas Stars. Not to mention former Avalanche, Mikko Rantanen, who notched five goals and 12 points in a seven-game series win for Dallas. It was an unfortunate series right off the bat in which they lost in seven games.
But with a team that has Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and a healthy Gabriel Landeskog, the Avalanche will try to replicate their 2021-22 season when they won the Stanley Cup. They’ll also have to rely big-time on goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who could become a key factor in their success this season.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have fallen just short in back-to-back seasons, losing to Florida in the Stanley Cup Final each time. This offseason brought changes, with the additions of Andrew Mangiapane, Isaac Howard, and others, while the team moved on from Viktor Arvidsson and Evander Kane.
Still, the biggest question, and the one I keep coming back to, is in net. The tandem of Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner will need to be more than steady if Edmonton is going to finally get over the hump. How far the Oilers go in 2025-26 may ultimately rest on their goaltending holding up when it matters most.
Dallas Stars
The Stars capitalized on an unusual situation in Carolina, landing Rantanen after he declined to sign an extension there — a move that’s already paid dividends. Despite ongoing rumors about Jason Robertson’s future in Dallas, the front office has worked to keep the core intact.
They moved on from Mason Marchment and Matt Dumba but made few other changes, and truthfully, they didn’t need many. With Jake Oettinger in goal and a healthy lineup, Dallas remains firmly in the contender mix for 2025-26.
Carolina Hurricanes
Hurricanes general manager (GM) Eric Tulsky wasted little time this summer, landing one of the most coveted free agents in Nikolaj Ehlers and pulling off a sign-and-trade with the New York Rangers for K’Andre Miller.
After another Eastern Conference Final loss to Florida, the talent is there for Carolina to take the next step. Now it’s just a matter of the pieces fitting together at the right time, which could be this season.
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets haven’t particularly been a loud team this offseason, and maybe that’s a good thing. They did, however, sign Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, and Cole Koepke during free agency and managed to re-sign Gabriel Vilardi and Dylan Samberg.
Losing Ehlers will hurt them, there’s no doubt about that, but as long as Connor Hellebuyck does Connor Hellebuyck things (during the regular season that is), they’ll put themselves in a firm position to make a playoff run.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Much like the Jets, the Tampa Bay Lightning stayed relatively quiet this offseason. After a first-round exit at the hands of the Panthers, there were no major shake-ups or big-time trades.
Instead, GM Julien BriseBois is leaning on a core of Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Brayden Point to carry the load. It’s a bet that the stars can be stars and get Tampa Bay back to the heights they reached just four seasons ago when they last lifted the Stanley Cup.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals were one of the league’s most interesting stories last season. Alexander Ovechkin not only broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time scoring record, but Washington also emerged as one of the NHL’s top teams, finishing with 111 points after a successful (and quite surprising) roster retooling the previous summer.
Repeating that will be a challenge, but with Ovechkin possibly entering his farewell season, a deep playoff run would be a fitting final chapter for one of the game’s greatest players.
Columbus Blue Jackets
This one might surprise some, but I like what GM Don Waddell is building in Columbus. After missing the playoffs by just two points last season, the Blue Jackets feel ready to take the next step.
They’re not a Stanley Cup favorite yet, but with young talent like Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, and Denton Mateychuk — plus established pieces like Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov, and Charlie Coyle, this is a group that could make noise and be a lot of fun to watch along the way.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild gave the Golden Knights a run for their money during the first round of the playoffs, with the duo of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy nearly taking down Vegas by themselves.
Questions remain, particularly around Marco Rossi’s role this season, but when healthy, Minnesota has the talent to be a real contender and make noise again in 2025-26.
Pretenders
Los Angeles Kings
And who better to kick off the pretenders than the Los Angeles Kings, who had one of the most underwhelming offseasons, to say the least. They added Corey Perry, Joel Armia, Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin, and Anton Forsberg in free agency, spending just over $15 million collectively.
But these additions don’t really move the needle for a team that’s now suffered four straight first-round exits at the hands of the Oilers. Losing Vladislav Gavrikov, arguably their best defenseman last season, only compounds the question marks.
There’s certainly intrigue in Southern California this season, but I’m not buying what GM Ken Holland is selling just yet.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs lost Marner this offseason in a sign-and-trade deal with Vegas, where he signed a $12 million-per-year contract. Toronto brought in Matias Maccelli, Nicolas Roy, Dakota Joshua, and Michael Pezzetta as replacements.
While those players have value, none come close to replicating the elite playmaking Marner provided. Without one of the best to play in a Maple Leafs jersey, Toronto could be facing a challenging and unpredictable season ahead.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators finally broke through and made the playoffs last season, but they kept things relatively quiet this offseason. They added Jordan Spence from the Kings via trade and signed Lars Eller and Nick Cousins to one-year deals.
Beyond that, there wasn’t much movement. With the strength of the Eastern Conference, Ottawa could have a shot at a wild-card spot, but without major upgrades, it’s tough to see them making a serious push as contenders.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils were active in free agency, re-signing goaltender Jake Allen and adding forwards Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov. Beyond that, there weren’t any game-changing moves.
Jack Hughes will return from injury after missing the tail end of last season, but against some of the big movers in the East, it’s tough to see New Jersey as a serious contender this year.
St. Louis Blues
Credit where it’s due — the St. Louis Blues nearly cracked the contenders list. They pushed the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets to seven games in last season’s first round and showed they can compete.
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou took big steps and made the playoffs more interesting, but the Blues still lack the dynamic superstar needed to push them into contender territory.
Utah Mammoth
The pressure is on the Utah Mammoth to make the playoffs, and much of that pressure will fall on head coach André Tourigny. Whether deserved or not, his seat will be hot if they miss again.
It was a close call to leave the Mammoth off the contenders list, but without another true top-six center, it’s tough to see them competing with the Western Conference’s elite. The J.J. Peterka acquisition is a bright spot, but the playoff window might still be a year or two away.
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames lost a tiebreaker to the Wild last season that would have sent them to the playoffs. It’s anyone’s guess how they might have fared, but they kept much of their core intact.
Calgary re-signed several restricted free agents (RFAs), including Morgan Frost, Jeremie Poirier and Connor Zary, but didn’t add significant external help. With the teams around them making bigger upgrades, it’s hard to see the Flames as true contenders in 2025-26.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks entered the offseason with plenty of questions to answer. They addressed some by adding Evander Kane and, surprisingly, re-signing Brock Boeser to a seven-year contract.
They also locked up goaltender Thatcher Demko to a three-year deal worth $8.5 million. While Demko will be a key factor in their success, Vancouver will also be counting on Elias Pettersson to bounce back after a tough 2024-25 season. With this many questions, it’s difficult to envision the Canucks being contenders this season.
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens could be one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NHL this season. With a young, skilled defense led by Lane Hutson and newly acquired Noah Dobson, plus rising talent like Ivan Demidov, the potential is there.
They have enough talent to sneak into the playoffs like they did last season, but their youth and inexperience will likely hold them back, landing them squarely in the pretenders category for 2025-26, even if it’s by a small margin.
Detroit Red Wings
Steve Yzerman has been one of the NHL’s most intriguing GMs since arriving in Detroit. This offseason was relatively quiet, but it was highlighted by the trade for the Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson, a top-tier goalie when healthy.
Detroit will lean heavily on its young core, guided by veterans, but without true superstar talent, extending the playoff drought to a decade seems more than likely.
New York Rangers
The Rangers secured Gavrikov on a seven-year, $49 million deal, making their blue line a force alongside Adam Fox. They also traded Miller and re-signed several RFAs this offseason, but nothing substantial other than that.
Just two seasons ago, New York finished with the league’s best record. But after missing the playoffs last year, and with plenty of questions still unanswered, it’s possible they could miss out again in 2025-26, and thus on the pretenders list.
Lots of Questions for Teams Heading Into 2025-26
Many of these teams could indeed end up being contenders and vice versa; it’s the NHL, for goodness’ sake. However, it’ll be interesting to see if some of the points made above have an impact on teams and how they perform during the regular season and beyond. The NHL season kicks off on Oct. 7 with a tripleheader.
