The NHL standings could be a little more bunched this season.
Last year, the No. 1 overall team, the Winnipeg Jets, and the No. 32 San Jose Sharks were separated by 64 points. This year, USA TODAY predicts that the gap between first and last will be 47 points.
First, the Sharks and other bottom teams should improve. Also, the league is changing the rules on salary retention in trades. That will make it harder for top teams to load up and for bottom teams to have fire sales during the season.
Another factor is the 2026 Winter Olympics. Top teams will send more players to Italy in February for an intense tournament. Bottom teams won’t send as many players and will get some midseason rest.
USA TODAY Sports makes its annual attempt at projecting the records for all 32 NHL teams (explanations below) before the 2025-26 season starts on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
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