Atlantic Division
The Toronto Maple Leafs made significant improvements on defense, adding Chris Taney and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
They will win the division, but can they overcome the postseason struggles?
That will be the test in Toronto, which will rely heavily on new coach Craig Berube.
The Florida Panthers captured their first Stanley Cup but lost several key players.
Battling the Stanley hangover will be the first test for Florida.
The only question is whether their age will catch up with them when the pressure of the playoffs mounts.
The Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs by a controversial tiebreak last year.
With a young and improving team, it is time for the playoffs to return to Hockeytown USA.
It will be a battle all season, but do they have enough offense?
Ottawa needs to answer that question.
The Buffalo Sabres have not made the playoffs since 2011, when Lindy Ruff was coach.
The Montreal Canadiens are a dynasty in ruins.
Metropolitan Division
The New York Rangers won the President’s Trophy but fell short in the playoffs.
Look for them again to be among the top teams in the NHL.
The Philadelphia Flyers collapsed late in the season and missed the playoffs last season.
They should be contenders again, but their lack of depth will be their undoing.
The New York Islanders have a team capable of making the playoffs if everything breaks right.
The playoffs will be out of reach for both teams.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, like the entire league, were shaken by Johnny Gaudreau’s death.
Anything less than a trip to the Stanley Cup Final will be a disappointment.
As Connor Hellebuyck goes, so does the Winnipeg Jets.
Hellebuyck won the Vezina last season as the Jets were among the top teams in the West.
Look for them to be a factor in the Stanley Cup race again.
After two years of injuries, the Colorado Avalanche hope that Gabriel Landeskog can return.
The last time Landeskog played, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
If he can return to form the Avalanche could win the Stanley Cup again.
The NHL has come to Utah.
In a top-heavy division, the Blues will fall behind and miss the playoffs again.
The Chicago Blackhawks are improving but are still at least two years away from a return to the playoffs.
The Panthers fell short a year earlier and won the cup last year.
There will be no denying Edmonton this time around as Canada will end its three-decade drought.
The Vegas Golden Knights battled a Stanley Cup hangover last year.
The Seattle Kraken added some veteran presence in Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour.
However, they will likely be outside the playoff bubble again.
The Calgary Flames are rebuilding again after dealing away goalie Jacob Markstrom.
Without much in return, the Flames are several years away from making the playoffs again.
They only hope their new arena will be ready by then.
The San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks will fight for the worst in the West.
Both teams are rebuilding with little to rely on to remain competitive.
