The NHL’s 2026-27 season is almost here, and it’s time for our pre-season predictions.
We've assembled our best guesses as to how the season will unfold, with the caveat that we never know precisely how in-season changes will shape the way the standings look by mid-April.
But after the off-season’s slew of changes in many markets, the power balance — at least, on paper — has shifted significantly in each of the league’s four divisions.
Let’s unveil how we see the Central race unfolding this season:
1ST - COLORADO AVALANCHE
2025-26 Divisional Finish: 1st
Off-Season Power Ranking: 8th
Newcomers: Jaden Schwartz (LW), Fabian Lysell (RW), Noah Juulsen (D)
Here’s Why They’re Picked First: The Avalanche were the NHL’s most dominant regular-season team last year, and although that train ride met an abrupt end when Colorado lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, virtually all of the Avs’ key players returned for this season.
While former Seattle Kraken winger Schwartz is the biggest acquisition for this Avalanche team, the reality is Colorado didn’t need much help. This season promises more of the same dominance from the Avs.
Why We Could Be Wrong: It’d take an act of the hockey gods for the Avalanche to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs, or for them to not finish with home-ice advantage. There’s too much high-end talent for Colorado to fail.
The Avs will run into adversity as every team inevitably does, but there’s no chance the Avalanche will be a bottom-feeder in any category, including wins and losses.
2ND - MINNESOTA WILD
2025-26 Divisional Finish: 3rd
Off-Season Power Ranking: 15th
Newcomers: Blake Coleman (LW), Olli Maatta (D), Calvin Pickard (G), Maxim Shabanov (LW), Justin Kirkland (C)
Here’s Why They’re Picked Second: For years the Wild had decent teams, but not elite players. That’s no longer true, as Kirill Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber all would be stars on any team.
And though goalie Filip Gustavsson is currently injured, when he returns, the Wild will have one of the NHL’s best goalie tandems.
Minnesota plays in arguably the NHL’s toughest division, but GM Bill Guerin has acquired the pieces to keep this team atop the Central.
Why We Could Be Wrong: The Wild aren’t perfect, and ideally, they need a high-end second-line center. But they’re basically out of salary cap space, and unless Guerin pulls a rabbit from a hat, Minnesota could have a hard time fending off other Central teams for a home-ice advantage spot.
2025-26 Divisional Finish: 2nd
Off-Season Power Ranking: 21st
Here’s Why They’re Picked Third: The Stars have been one of the NHL’s most dominant regular-season teams, but for the first time in ages, Dallas GM Jim Nill couldn’t make material improvements to the roster.
Additionally, their salary cap crunch forced out dynamic young forward Mavrik Bourque, now a member of the Nashville Predators. So while it would take catastrophic developments to push the Stars completely out of the playoff picture, Dallas could lose home-ice advantage for the first time since 2021-22.
Why We Could Be Wrong: Despite their total lack of external improvement, the Stars have one of the league’s deepest rosters, with excellent balance and experience to rival any opponent. The pressure is clearly on coach Glen Gulutzan to produce not only a solid regular-season, but also a deep post-season run.
But it is possible Dallas finishes in first-or-second-place in the Central.
2025-26 Divisional Finish: 4th
Off-Season Power Ranking: 5th
Newcomers: Vincent Trocheck (C), Anders Lee (LW), Zac Jones (D), Sebastian Cossa (G), Andrew Peeke (D)
Here’s Why They’re Picked Fourth: The Mammoth had one of the best off-seasons of any team, acquiring veterans Trocheck and Lee while also improving their goalie tandem by adding Cossa.
Now, with Utah’s foundation of young talent, the Mammoth should be at least as good, if not better than they were last season. They might even be good enough to rise to third place in the division if one of the Stars, Avalanche or Wild unexpectedly slide down the standings.
Why We Could Be Wrong: The Mammoth had to give up something to get something, trading defenseman Sean Durzi to the New York Rangers in the Trocheck trade, taking a hit to their defensive core. And while they still have something to contribute, Trocheck is 33 and Lee is 36.
GM Bill Armstrong is taking a calculated gamble with his additions.
The Mammoth still look like a team on the rise, but sometimes young teams’ trajectory goes sideways. While we still believe they’ll be a playoff team this season, Utah may slip to fifth.
2025-26 Divisional Finish: 7th
Off-Season Power Rankings: 17th
Newcomers: Mario Ferraro (D), Stuart Skinner (G), Noah Gregor (LW)
Here’s Why They’re Picked Fifth: The Jets had a brutal 2025-26 season, and they bookended it with a frustrating summer thanks to superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s trade demand. So our choice to put Winnipeg in fifth could change drastically depending on what Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff gets in a potential return for the netminder.
However, Winnipeg has an above-average foundation of veteran talent, and given that the Pacific Division could be weak enough to send only three teams to the playoffs, the Jets might finish in fifth and still get into the post-season.
Why We Could Be Wrong: Once Hellebuyck is dealt, the Jets could lean on veteran netminder Skinner to give them a chance to succeed. However, Skinner is far from a serviceable replacement for a former Hart Trophy-winning goaltender like Hellebuyck.
Winnipeg will have more flaws than they did last year if a Hellebuyck deal gets done, and missing the post-season is entirely possible.
6TH - NASHVILLE PREDATORS
2025-26 Divisional Finish: 6th
Off-Season Power Rankings: 10th
Newcomers: Chris MacFarland (GM), Mavrik Bourque (C), Ross Colton (C), Jack Drury (C), Alex Kerfoot (C), Nils Hoglander (LW), Adam Edstrom (LW)
Here’s Why They’re Picked Sixth: The Predators have struggled to be relevant in recent years, but Nashville ownership made bold moves this summer starting at the top, where they poached former Avalanche GM MacFarland to run their team.
The Preds also hit a home run with the acquisition of Bourque, who will generate great results for them. But veteran players Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marcessault and Ryan O’Reilly are a year older, and not necessarily better.
In the Central, that could be the difference between a playoff berth and finishing far down the standings.
Why We Could Be Wrong: If the Predators struggle early, MacFarland will almost assuredly fire coach Andrew Brunette, which could provide the spark to push Nashville into a post-season spot.
There’s pressure on these Predators players to put in a better effort, and they may surprise this skeptic. However, if the teams higher on this list fail to wobble, they face an uphill battle to get into the playoffs.
7TH - ST. LOUIS BLUES
2025-26 Divisional Finish: 5th
Off-Season Power Rankings: 3rd
Newcomers: Alex Steen (GM), Mason McTavish (C), Connor McMichael (C), Brandon Carlo (D), Ross Johnston (LW)
Here’s Why They’re Picked Seventh: The Blues had a good off-season, acquiring two young centers in McTavish and McMichael while bolstering its blueline with Carlo. However, there are no guarantees that St. Louis will get the across-the-board performances management is banking on.
The Blues have their starting goalie in Joel Hofer, but tandem-mate Jordan Binnington posted an .873 save percentage and 3.33 goals-against average last season. If he doesn’t improve, Binnington could be what sinks St. Louis' playoff aspirations.
Why We Could Be Wrong: The Blues have foundational talent in Robert Thomas, Jake Neighbours and Jimmy Snuggerud, and their defense corps is sneaky deep. St. Louis also has a respected coach in Jim Montgomery, and he’ll provide the structure they need.
This team could be a dark horse to make the playoffs and do damage once they’re there.
8TH - CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
2025-26 Divisional Finish: 8th
Off-Season Power Rankings: 30th
Newcomers: Bowen Byram (D), Jordan Greenway (LW), Ian Cole (D), Patrick Kane (RW)
Here’s Why They’re Picked Eighth: The Blackhawks have struggled for years to establish themselves as a legitimate playoff threat, and although GM Kyle Davidson injected much-needed experience and talent in former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Byram, we’re reserving judgement until we see him perform like a top-pairing blueliner.
With injured superstar Connor Bedard sidelined to start the season, the Blackhawks are already at a disadvantage. Chicago’s young core could surprise some people, but it’s much more likely they stay at the bottom of the Central.
Why We Could Be Wrong: The Blackhawks have impressive youngsters, but they’ve spent all but $1 million of its cap space, and they don’t have the proven talent guaranteed to steer them into fifth or sixth place in the Central, let alone into a playoff spot.
The Hawks have a feel-good story in the repatriation of franchise icon Kane, but he’s 38 in December, and the fact he’s projected as Chicago’s first-line winger tells you all you need to know about how far the Blackhawks must go before they’re a post-season team.