NHL season previews 2025-26: Projecting each team from worst to first – The Athletic – The New York Times

NHL
NHL Preseason
Welcome to The Athletic’s 2025-26 edition of the team season previews, a deep dive into what to expect from each team for the upcoming season by Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, and Dom Luszczyszyn.
Between Sept. 22 and Oct. 3, we’re previewing all 32 NHL teams in order of predicted regular-season finish, according to Dom’s model.
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Beyond the projected point total and playoff finish, you’ll find a wildcard player that might have an unexpected impact on the forecast, a roster breakdown, one big question facing each team, and a best and worst-case scenario for each team.
• How these projections work
• Understanding projection uncertainty

(Photo: Leila Devlin / Getty Images)
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