NHL 2025-2026

[von Rantala]

Toronto

 

Ratings (1-10)

Offence: 8,5

Defence: 8,5

Goalies: 8,5

Special Teams: PP 4 / PK 3

GM/Coach: GM 4 / Coach 4

Total: 40,5

 

Worst Contract: Calle Järnkrok (C/W)

Best Contract: John Tavares (C/LW)

Most underrated: Anthony Stolarz (G)

MVP: Auston Matthews (C/LW)

Biggest talent: Easton Cowan (C/W)

 

Project Line-ups

 

Knies - Matthews - Nylander

Domi - Tavares - Maccelli

Cowan - Roy - McMann

Joshua - Laughton - Lorentz

 

Rielly - Tanev

McCabe - Ekman Larsson

Benoit - Carlo

 

Stolarz

Woll

 

Key Words:

 

Core four is finally broken. Marner signed in Vegas. I think it's better for the team and for Marner. I believe Marner will do well in Vegas and show he can do well in the playoffs too and Toronto got 12M more in salary cap. The Toronto forward group is better than what you first think when you see it. It's wide, it's nasty and hard to  play against. It's a playoff team forward group. It likely makes a little bit less goals in the regular season, but in the playoffs it gets those nasty goals that are needed to win a series. The D-group is solid too, it still would need someone who could do 50+ points per season. The Goalie situation looks good too. Stolarz is great number one and Woll gives good support. Toronto has one of the best tandems. The first season under Craig Berube was a success. They played good hockey in the playoffs too. Toronto almost eliminated Florida in the second round. Toronto almost did take a 3-0 series lead, but Florida won game three in overtime. Basically Toronto lost the Stanley Cup finals, but they lost in the second round, because the current playoff format is what it is. Toronto vs Florida should have been the Conference finals. Next season will be tough. The team is not built to win the division, so  if Toronto is second or third in the division, they might see Tampa or Florida in the first round and those series will come to be tough to win. If Toronto would play in another division, Toronto would have been to the conference finals a couple times. Tavares signed a great contract for the team. He left a lot of money on the table and showed example how others need to do the same in future. Tavares is an example and even though he is not captain anymore, he is a leader who is respected by teammates, fans and media. Tavares is getting older and he just wants to win. In the last contract he made his money, now he is just here for the wins. 

 

Early Playoff prediction:

 

The Atlantic division is the hardest division and it's unfair how one of either Toronto, Florida or Tampa Bay season ends in the first round. I make bold predictions and say Toronto is the first Wild Card and will see Metropolitan teams in the first and second round. They will lose in the second round, but i am not surprised if they go and win the Cup in the coming season.

[von Rantala]

Dam it, its happened what i didnt want to see. Kaprizov signing 17M cap hit contract with Wild. Thats huge overpayment. Kaprizov is good player, but giving that amount just for one player is crazy and hurts team more than helping. We could have use that money next summer to sign two or three players who together makes more points and goals than Kaprizov. Wild was desperate and was ready to pay anything to keep him on team. This make Wild a lot harder to build Stanley Cup contender team. Awfull mistake from Wild. Kaprizov earn almost 4M more than Matthews who has won several individual trophies. Its crazy to think that Boldy is (almost) point per game player, but get 10M less salary. Nuts. This hurts and hurts long time.

 

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/kirill-kaprizov-signs-eight-year-136-million-contract-with-minnesota-wild

[von Rantala]

Utah

 

Ratings (1-10)

Offence: 7,5

Defence: 7

Goalies: 6

Special Teams: PP 3 / PK 3,5

GM/Coach: GM 2,5 / Coach 3

Total: 32,5

 

Worst Contract: Jack McBain (C/LW)

Best Contract: Barrett Hayton (C/LW)

Most underrated: Clayton Keller (RW/LW)

MVP: Clayton Keller (RW/LW)

Biggest talent: Caleb Desnoyers ( C )

 

Project Line-ups

 

Guenther - Cooley - Keller

Schmaltz - Hayton - Peterka

Crouse - McBain - Kerfoot

O’Brien - Stenlund - Tanev

 

Sergachev - Schmidt

Määttä - Durzi

Cole - Marino

 

Vejmelka

Vanecek - Ingram

 

Key Words:

 

Utah is an interesting team to follow for the coming season. They are fighting for a wild card for this upcoming season. Their forward group looks strong and its group which has a lot of x-factor on it. Several players still can improve and potential is higher than we have seen so far. Tourigny is a good coach, but I was a bit surprised they didn't change coach in summer. If Utah gets a slow start, that probably means Tourigny gets fired and either Laviolette or DePoer could sign in Utah and those two would get more out of players and the team would be a playoff team. Goalies are the biggest question mark. Vejmelka has not been good enough to lead team to the playoffs. His stats are not great and Utah signed Vanecek who was once seen as a solid starter. Now he is more as back up goalie. Can Vanecek play come back season and be a starter who leads the team to playoffs. Cooley, Guenther, Hayton and Peterka all have potential to be point per game players and they should be under the right coach and playing system. Sergachev and Durzi can both be 50 point defenders. Utah has everything that they need to be a playoff team.

 

Early Playoff prediction:

 

Should be in the playoffs, anything else is disappointment.

[von Rantala]

Vegas

 

Ratings (1-10)

Offence: 9

Defence: 8

Goalies: 6,5

Special Teams: PP 4,5 / PK 3,5

GM/Coach: GM 4,5 / Coach 4

Total: 40

 

Worst Contract: Adin Hill (G)

Best Contract: Pavel Dorofeyev (LW/RW)

Most underrated: William Karlsson ( C )

MVP: Jack Eichel ( C )

Biggest talent: Trevor Connelly (LW)

 

Project Line-ups

 

Hertl - Eichel - Marner

Dorofeyev - Karlsson - Stone

Barbashev - Howden - Smith

Saad - Sissons - Kolesar

 

Theodore - McNabb

Hanifin - Korczak

Lauzon - Whitecloud

 

Hill

Schmid

 

Key Words:

 

For some reason Vegas hasn't been so strong in regular seasons as it should have been. After signing, the Marner forward group looks very scary and it's one of the NHL's best forward groups. If Eichel and Marner find chemistry they both can break 100 points. In the paper Vegas is the Pacific division best team. They could be that for a wide margin and they are my favorite to win the regular season and Presidents Trophy. In last season playoffs goalie Hill was very weak and it cast a big shadow for the upcoming season too. Is Hill capable of being a starter? He was a great back up and was great when Vegas won the Cup. The year after the Cup he lost his starting role to Logan Thompson and last season was another poor season from him. Vegas believes Hill. Vegas signed Hill to a five year and 6,25M contract, which looks like overpayment now. Goalies' market is thin now, so Vegas is forced to play Hill and hope for the best. But the goalie game could cost them the Cup, but everyone knows Vegas. We all know they can make big trades and if Hill starts the season poorly, I am not surprised if they trade for a new goalie, for example Lankinen from Vancouver or Sorokin from New York Islanders. Pietrangelo might miss the whole season. Pietrangelo is a key defender for Vegas and a big leader in the lockerroom, how many more goals Vegas give now when they have to play without Pietrangelo? It's rumored that Vegas might try to get Rasmus Andersson from Vegas, but how can they fit his salary under the Salary Cap limit. Vegas might be ready to trade Barbashev or Karlsson to get Andersson. Vegas will be active in trade markets.

 

Early Playoff prediction:

 

If they get a goalie game fixed, my favorite to win the regular season. Will play conference finals.

[L3ftY.]

I think the Leafs will miss Marner's hockey intelligence and on-ice awareness skills and Vegas will benefit greatly.

 

Golden Knights won the lottery with this guy. He'll become a hockey god there this year.

[Sisje]

13 hours ago, L3ftY. said:

I think the Leafs will miss Marner's hockey intelligence and on-ice awareness skills and Vegas will benefit greatly.

 

Golden Knights won the lottery with this guy. He'll become a hockey god there this year.

I was always a bigger fan of Marner than Matthews. Might be because he seems to enjoy himself more vs Matthews who's always serious. 

 

And my favorite goalie retired 🌸😫 I feel like players who have the most joy in the game (and outside of that) are the most fun to watch.

[von Rantala]

Washington

 

Ratings (1-10)

Offence: 7 

Defence: 6,5

Goalies: 7

Special Teams: PP 3,5 / PK 4

GM/Coach: GM 3 / Coach 4

Total: 35

 

Worst Contract Jakob Chychrun (D):

Best Contract: Alexei Protas ( C )

Most underrated: Connor McMichael ( C )

MVP: Dylan Strome ( C )

Biggest talent: Ryan Leonard ( C )

 

Project Line-ups

 

Ovechkin - Strome - Protas

McMichael - Dubois - Wilson

Milano - Leonard - Beauvillier

Duhaime - Lapierre - Dowd

 

Chychrun - Carlson

Sandin - Roy

Fehervary - van Riemsdyk

 

Thompson

Lindgren

 

Key Words:

 

Washington is a bubble. They played over their potential. Coach Carbery getting extra out of the players. The division and conference win was more than anyone could have expected. Is this the year when the Washington bubble burst? Last year they got Logan Thompson almost free from Vegas and when Washington gave the starter role to Thompson, he took that and never looked back. Washington has one of the best goalie tandems. Dubois played come back season and he surprised us all. His cap is still a bit too high, but Kuemper - Dubois trade was win - win trade for both Washington and Los Angeles. Ryan Leonard is an exciting young talent who could take a role in the team after training camp. 

 

Early Playoff prediction:

 

I think the bubble will burst and they will not make the playoffs.

[Renegade Pig]

GO PITT!!..  not really, still no goaltending, with an aging core.  Maybe in a few years

 

[von Rantala]

Looks like i skipped Vancouver accidentally. So here comes Vancouver, after that we have Winnipeg and my top 3 prediction for upcoming season.

 

Vancouver

 

Ratings (1-10)

Offence: 7

Defence: 8

Goalies: 8,5

Special Teams: PP 2,5 / PK 3

GM/Coach: GM 2,5 / Coach 1,5

Total: 33

 

Worst Contract: Elias Pettersson (C/W)

Best Contract: Quinn Hughes (D)

Most underrated: Conor Garland (RW/LW)

MVP: Quinn Hughes (D)

Biggest talent: Tom Willander (D)

 

Project Line-ups

 

DeBrusk - Pettersson - Boeser

Höglander - Chytil - Garland

Kane - Räty - Kravtsov

Sherwood - Blueger - O’Connor

 

Hughes - Hronek

Pettersson - Myers

Forbot - Willander

 

Demko

Lankinen

 

Key Words:

 

Last season was a huge disappointment for Vancouver, a team who played game seven in the second round a year prior. There was too much drama around the team. Petterson and Miller had disagreements which caused issues in the whole team. Miller got traded and we will need a couple season time to see if the trade was good or not, but at least it did bring peace back to the locker room. There were rumors that Quinn Hughes wanted to trade, maybe to NJ with his brothers. Hughes has two years left on his contract. If Vancouver is wise they should try to trade Hughes when he has a contract left so they do not lose him free, if Hughes wants to leave. He would not be the first USA player who wants to go back to the USA. It's always nicer to play close to home. That's why you have to respect those young European players who leave their home country to go play in the USA or Canada. Vancouver re-signed Demko to an 8,5M cap hit contract which starts the 2026-2027 season. It was a risky move when Demko lost last season to injuries and they have Lankinen who can be starter and push Demko to the back up role. How big a chance they will give Lankinen to be that starter is a question mark. They likely try to push Demko to starter, which makes Lankinen an expensive back up goalie. Anyway they have one of the best tandems in the NHL. Lankinen will be a good trade asset if Vancouver wants to trade him. Return can be very good.

 

Early Playoff prediction:

 

Is playoff contenter, but this time it's not enough and they drop out of playoffs.

[von Rantala]

Winnipeg

 

Ratings (1-10)

Offence: 7,5

Defence: 8

Goalies: 10

Special Teams: PP 3,5 / PK 2,5

GM/Coach: GM 4 / Coach 3,5 

Total: 39

 

Worst Contract: Dylan Samberg (D)

Best Contract: Josh Morrissey (D)

Most underrated: Adam Lowry (C/LW)

MVP: Kyle Connor (LW)

Biggest talent: Sascha Boumedienne (D)

 

Project Line-ups

 

Connor - Scheifele - Vilardi

Perfetti - Toews - Niederreiter

Iafalo - Namestnikov - Nyquist

Pearson - Barron - Koepke

 

Morrissey - Pionk

Samberg - Demelo

Stanley - Schenn

 

Hellebuyck

Comrie

 

Key Words:

 

Hellebuyck won the Hart Trophy and he truly earned that. He was the main reason why Winnipeg played in the playoffs and his stats were best for wide marking. It was the first time since the 2014-2015 (Carey Price) season when someone other than forward won Hart Trophy. It's very rare that a goalie wins the Hart Trophy. Hellebuyck also won his third Vezina Trophy and second William M Jennings Trophy. For the last three seasons Hellebuyck has been struggling in the playoffs, but it's not because of his game, it's because the defense in front of him, not play well. In the playoffs teams have scouted Winnipeg so well that their defence has struggled. Losing Ehlers hurts. Winnipeg lost width. Signing Toews might be more sentimental than helping the team. Toews hasn't played in the last two seasons and his last season was not strong. Toews brings a lot of leadership to the team, but is he still an NHL level player? Winnipeg put a lot of faith in Toews. Hellebuyck needs to play another Hart Trophy season so that the team can play in the playoffs.

 

Early Playoff prediction:

 

Hellebuyck plays Winnipeg in the playoffs, but they will drop in the first round.

[von Rantala]

My top 3 teams!

 

Here are my top 3 teams to win the Cup. Writed top three before Barkov injury. Added screenshot of ratings here.

 

Tampa Bay

 

It's a shame that we have the current playoff format. It's possible that we see Florida vs Tampa Bay in the first round, when it should be played in conference finals. Tampa looks strong in every category. The offense group is wide and I rated that second best offence group after Dallas. Tampa Bay can be a team which makes the most goals. The defence group is strong also and Vasilievsky is still one of NHL best goalies. Tampa's backup goalie situation  doesn't look so strong, injury to Vasilievsky can hurt their Cup hopes. Tampa has been to the playoffs eight straight seasons, but lost in the first round three times, prior to that they were in Stanley Cup finals three times which they won two. Jon Cooper is one of the NHL best coaches and now starts his 14th season as coach of Tampa Bay. That's a very long tenure. What happens if Tampa Bay loses in the first round again. You can't find a better man behind the bench than Cooper, but every coach has an expiration date, a day when players don't hear your message anymore. Is Jon Cooper's job in the line this season? Geekie is an interesting young talent and Bjorstrand might play his best season. Keep eye on these two breakthrough players.

 

Dallas

 

Dallas is my biggest Stanley Cup favorite from the west. Dallas made a bold and surprising move when they fired DePoer after the season ended in Conference finals for the third year a row. How will the new coach get players to play? Gulutzan was a surprise choice. He has been NHL coach twice before and this will be his second time coaching Dallas. Last 7 seasons he was Edmonton Oilers assistant coach. His head coach records aren’t great, but now he will have a great team which one to coach. The new coach will bring new energy. DePoer had habitat to favor his players and now players can have new roles. New players might play in powerplay or penalty kill. New guys might play 20+min per game. There might come new d-pairs. Everyone gets a fresh start. Maybe it is what the team needs. Dallas has all that is needed to be the next Dynastia team. Harley and Heiskanen are two great d-mans who both can win Norris Trophy. Their center depth is very good and they have great wingers. Oettinger has potential to win the Vezina trophy. Rantanen has potential to win the Rocket Richard trophy. Most of the players are signed through next seasons. Only Robertson and Harley need contracts after this season. Harley new contract might be bigger than Heiskanen. First round draft pick Bourque might get a chance to play in the first or second line and play his breakthrough season. He has high potential.

 

Florida

 

Florida has been to the finals now three times and won the last two Cups. Players are ready to leave money to the table to sign with Florida. A year ago Reinhart signed a very team friendly contract and this summer Florida was able to keep Bennett, Marchand and Ekblad. Luke Kunin was a good depth signing from Zito. I followed Kunin's career closely and he is one of the players who I like a lot. How long Bobrovsky can continue his high playing level is a key question mark. In the last two playoffs Bob has been very strong and got some votes to Conn Smyth trophy. If you look at weaknesses from the team, it has to be back up goalie. Tarasov wasn't able to be a top level goalie so far. Of course it's easier to play behind the Florida team than behind the Columbus team. In many other teams Lundell would be second line center, but in Florida he is third line center, because center depth is so deep. Florida plays all three lines evenly and the fourth line gets big shifts too. Maurice is a great coach and Bill Zito is the NHL best GM. My biggest favorite to win the cup. 

 

PS. I wrote top predictions before Barkov injury. Injury of course hurts Florida a lot, but you can't count Florida out. They are very wide and they should get Tkachuk back after Christmas. Lundell will get a bigger role now and he  has talent to succeed in a bigger role too. Last year I didn't believe in Florida's chances, this year I am not making the same mistake. If it looks like Barkov misses the playoffs too, it's likely that Florida will trade someone to fill his spot. Alex Tuch is a name who I think Florida will target as a possible trade target. He is an underrated player with huge potential.

 

Wild Card

 

Toronto

 

Because Barkov's injury changed so much the whole Atlantic power relations I ask everyone to keep an eye on Toronto as a possible Wild Card. Barkov injury opens the door for Toronto. Toronto has a good and wide team. If they can stay healthy, you can't count Toronto out. They struggled in the playoffs, but they usually lost to very good teams. Last season they almost beat Florida. The dynamic in the team has changed when Marner left, it gives new players an opportunity to shine. Toronto has very good goalies, both goalies are signed under very team friendly contracts. It's good to remember that you can't ask 3-4M goalie to play like 10-11M goalie, you can't blame goalies if they lose to more expensive goalies, but at the same time it's good to remember that Stolarz is a very underrated goalie. If Toronto is able to find one offensive defender more to group it would help them big time in the playoffs. Do trade like Florida did when they did bring Seth Jones to the team. How much of its effect on Matthews goals amount that he dont have Marner anymore? I don't think it affect a lot. Toronto has a roster now which can play good two-way hockey and make those dirty goals. If you look at Toronto's roster it's built more to playoffs than regular season. It likely makes less goals, but it also gives less goals than under Keefe. On paper the team does not look as dangerous as the last couple seasons, but in reality Toronto has a very good and scary group. They are sleeping giant.

 

Keep an eye on these teams too. They are true Cup contenders

 

Vegas

 

My favorite to win the regular season. I think both Marner and Eichel will make 100+ points this season. They are my second favorite to win the Cup from the west. The Atlantic division is just such a big powerhouse that I had to put three teams from there to win the cup before Vegas. Also the goalie game is such a big question mark that it's dropped Vegas from my top 3 list. Pietrangelo's injury hurts the team, but it hurts the team more in the playoffs than in regular season and I predict that if Pietrangelo misses the playoffs, Vegas will trade one defender to the group.

 

Edmonton

 

This is probably the year when Edmonton takes one step backwards so they can win the Cup 2026-2027. McDavid gave a huge discount to Edmonton so they can build a better team. On paper, this year's team looks weaker than the last two Edmonton teams. But you can't never count Edmonton out. If they are able to make a couple moves at the trade deadline, Edmonton can be a contender this season too. Is this year when Skinner makes breakthrough to top goalies of the NHL? Edmonton will probably try to trade Lankinen, Sorokin or Swayman to the team. Keep an eye on Edmonton. They are very hungry and their Captain is very hungry to win the Cup now.

 

 

Edited October 7, 2025 by von Rantala

[Shaun Reynolds]

Love the commitment and effort you put into this mate very good work