Sep 23, 2026 · 2h 57m
NHL contenders face sharper questions across every division
2026-27 NHL Season Preview
The preview separates genuine contenders from aging teams, unstable rebuilds, and potential breakouts before making playoff picks for 2026-27.
- 1New Jersey, Washington, St. Louis, Ottawa, Utah, Edmonton, and Philadelphia emerge as the hosts’ preferred breakout or buy teams.
- 2Colorado, Tampa Bay, Florida, and Vegas remain credible contenders, but depth, goaltending, coaching, or age create meaningful doubts.
- 3The hosts see Central Division depth as the league’s strongest overall test and distrust several model projections, especially in the Metro race.
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The hosts compare their playoff judgments with HockeyStats.com probabilities, challenging surprising projections for Pittsburgh, Montreal, the Islanders, and the Rangers.
The brief
The hosts open with league news and jersey oddities before turning to the central question: which teams improved enough to change their playoff ceiling?
Atlantic and Metropolitan contenders reveal different fault lines, from Toronto’s goaltending and Boston’s decisions to Pittsburgh’s aging core and Washington’s aggressive additions.
New Jersey, St. Louis, Utah, Edmonton, and Philadelphia become the episode’s preferred buy teams, while Anaheim, Calgary, Seattle, and Vancouver signal more uncertain timelines.
The Central emerges as the deepest division, but Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck uncertainty and several model projections keep the playoff picture unsettled.
The episode closes with playoff picks and community messages, pairing detailed roster debate with a reminder to check in on friends after a listener shares a recent loss.