by | Aug 31, 2025 | Headlines, NHL | 0 comments
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Every year in the NHL, some teams come out of nowhere to surprise people. It’s difficult to stay very good or very bad for a long time, shifting power throughout the league every few years.
As the new season gets ready to start, there are a few teams that could emerge as threats. Here are the top three teams that could surprise this coming season:
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There will be a lot of people high on the Blue Jackets this coming season. The team just missed the postseason this past year, and they are still a very young squad.
Columbus was the fifth-youngest team by average age, and this squad has the feeling of a potential breakout candidate. Young star Adam Fantilli broke out, showing some real flashes of greatness that the team always believed he had.
The roster looks virtually the same as it did last season, just with more experience and talent. Columbus acquired center Charlie Coyle via trade, and he could be the real difference maker for the Blue Jackets.
Coyle has the talent to be an All-Star-level talent for this team, and his experience could help push them over the top. Look for the Blue Jackets to potentially break the five-year playoff drought this year.
The big move for the Ducks this offseason was hiring former Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville to take over. Despite his off-ice issues, Quenneville has a proven track record.
Quenneville led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup titles, and the Ducks are hopeful that he can help them get back to the postseason. Anaheim has missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons, and it’s been a rough go for the Ducks.
Not only did the Ducks bring in a veteran coach, but the front office added to the roster as well. Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund join this team, looking to help the younger players thrive under Quenneville’s system.
This team is loaded with young talent, and they feel like they are ready to become the next powerhouse in the league if things fall their way.
Much like the Blue Jackets, the Mammoth just missed the playoffs last season, and the team can take this as motivation for next season. Utah saw success despite two of its top defensemen being out of the lineup for more than half of the year with injuries.
The Mammoth added star win JJ Peterka to the lineup, giving this offense even more firepower to work with. Peterka was a highly coveted name on the trade market, and Utah won the sweepstakes for him.
Utah is a very deep team, and this could help them navigate the long NHL season. The Mammoth has a lot of bodies that they can throw onto the ice, and opposing teams better be ready for a dogfight each time out.
This year will be a chance for the Mammoth to fully show Salt Lake City what it can do. The Western Conference will be tough this year, as always, but the Mammoth are coming with full force to reach the postseason.
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