With the NHL season just a few weeks away, some fans might be wondering which teams are the ones to watch this year. Last NHL season was a roller coaster, with six new teams making the playoffs, as well as one of the tightest division races in NHL history, and the back-to-back cup champs missing the playoffs — so who’s to say this season won’t be the same? Look no further, because I’m here to tell you which teams you should keep your ears and eyes on this entire upcoming NHL season.
Honorable Mention: The Minnesota Wild
This team is always looking really good during the regular season, only to fall apart during the playoffs; however, I think this could be the year the Wild go on a run. After trading for Quinn Hughes mid-season last year, sending shock waves through the NHL world, the Wild have looked like a different team. Forward Kirill Kaprizov coming off nearly a 50 goal season (45 goals, 89 points) still looks like a goal-scoring powerhouse that teams need to shut down. On top of Kaprizov, the Wild have a strong power forward in Matt Boldy, who is also coming off an amazing season (42 goals, 43 points). The only thing this team truly lacks is a number one center, with Joel Eriksson Ek stepping up to fill that position, but having to battle injuries, missing the entire second round against the Colorado Avalanche in these past playoffs. If this team can secure a true number one center, they could easily be in the final, going for the throat of other teams.
5. The Buffalo Sabres
After all the years of mediocrity and missing the playoffs, last season the Sabres won their division as well as dominating the Bruins and falling in overtime in game seven to the Montreal Canadians. This team is extremely inexperienced, but they played as though the complete opposite. Captain Rasmus Dahlin finished third in Norris voting, with many fans arguing he should have won over Columbus’s Zach Werenski. The only downside of this team is its goaltending, being very questionable at times and streaky, having traded what could have been a future starter in Devon Levi to the Edmonton Oilers, opting to run with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon, who both looked decent in playoffs. If this team can get consistent goaltending, they will be finding themselves in the cup final yet again.
4. The Montreal Canadians
The Montreal Canadians are a fairly young team, but still made it deep in the playoffs, falling to the eventual cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, in five games. This team has everything needed to win a cup except for experience. They have a powerful first line with a 50 goal scorer in Cole Caulfield; the reigning Selke winner in Nick Suzuki; a former first overall pick, budding into a star in Juraj Slavkovský; a strong top defensive pairing in Noah Dobson; and Lane Hutson, along with a budding goalie in Jakub Dobeš, who looks like the successor to Carey Price. This team is poised to go on yet another deep run, whether it’s this season or next.
3. The Florida Panthers
Last season was a massive fluke for this team, going from winning back-to-back cups to finishing in a lottery position. This team is poised to win now, trading for former Ottawa Senators captain, Brady Tkachuk, who will be joining his brother, two-time cup champion Matthew Tkachuk. Last season, the Panthers lost their captain, Aleksander Barkov, to a practice injury for the entire season, letting the team completely unravel. This team only has one flaw now, similar to all the Sabres; the Panthers lack a true number one goaltender, letting Sergei Bobrovsky walk in free agency, and traded for Jacob Markström who began his career in Florida, but is aging rapidly. If this team can stay healthy and play that brutal style of hockey we saw in all three of their cup runs, they will be back, looking the cup in the eye.
2. The Carolina Hurricanes
You cannot do a cup contender list without including the current cup champions. This team is complete in so many ways, playing the perfect defensive game and suffocating offense when they play. As boring as some fans find these games, it’s what this team utilizes for its success. The Hurricanes have been in contention for the cup since 2019, making the conference final four times in the last seven seasons. During this playoff run, the Hurricanes only lost three total games; two coming in the final to Vegas, and one coming from the Canadians in the conference final. However, this team lost a core piece of their cup run in Freddie Anderson, who posted a .910 save percentage and a 1.89 goals against average. Assuming Brendan Bussi can step up in the same way Anderson did, this team will find themselves back in the dance.
1. The Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a dominant powerhouse season in and season out, locking up two time Norris winner Cale Makar for eight more seasons, on top of the current “Rocket” winner Nathan MacKinnon. This team is built to win championships. They won the Presidents’ Trophy last season, and the last time they won the award in 2021, they won the cup the following season. Who’s to say they won’t do the same thing again? This team lacks flaws, outside of how aggressive their style of play is. This team is so dominant that they tire themselves out and get smothered in the later rounds of the playoffs. If they can keep the energy up, they will be in the final, fighting for yet another cup in the 2020s.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
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