NHL season preview: Strengths, weaknesses, X factors for all 32 teams - ESPN

Opening night of the 2025-26 NHL season is Tuesday, featuring a tripleheader of games on ESPN: Chicago Blackhawks-Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET (including the Stanley Cup banner-raising), Pittsburgh Penguins-New York Rangers at 8 p.m. ET, and Colorado Avalanche-Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Before puck drop, this preview will serve you all the key intel you need on all 32 teams, including strengths, weaknesses, X factors, most likely award winners, fantasy tips and a bold prediction.

Our season preview also features the first edition of our Power Rankings, which provide the order in which these teams are presented. The weekly rankings are formulated through votes from ESPN hockey broadcasters, analysts and reporters.

Note: Thanks to PuckPedia for salary and contract data. Advanced stats are from Hockey Reference, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey. Kristen Shilton profiled the teams in the Eastern Conference, while Ryan S. Clark handled the Western Conference clubs. The fantasy outlook for each team was written by Victoria Matiash and Sean Allen, and bold predictions are from the mind of Greg Wyshynski. Stanley Cup odds are courtesy of ESPN BET as of Oct. 6, projected points are via Stathletes.

How to watch the 2025-26 NHL season on ESPN networks — including 100 exclusive games and the out-of-market package (over 1,050 games).

Last season: 48-29-5 (101 points), lost in Stanley Cup Final
Stanley Cup odds: +800
Projected points: 103.1

Biggest strength: A supporting cast that appears threatening. Every team in a championship window is faced with the annual problem of building a strong supporting cast with limited cap space. The Oilers jettisoned quite a few players in the offseason to do just that, with the