NHL Insider Frank Seravalli's 2026-27 NHL Predictions
Key Points
- The Minnesota Wild are predicted to win the Stanley Cup, with the team ready to capitalize on its championship window with Quinn Hughes.
- Scott Arniel is tipped to be the first coach fired, as the Winnipeg Jets face mounting uncertainty surrounding Connor Hellebuyck.
- Sam Montembeault is predicted to be the first player traded, with Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler expected to become Montréal’s goaltending tandem.
- The Anaheim Ducks are expected to be the NHL’s biggest disappointment following a disastrous summer. One NHL GM warned: “There’s zero chance that defense is playoff caliber.”
At long last, NHL training camps have opened - and hope springs eternal. Every new season is a fresh start. And this Saturday when preseason action returns, it will mark our last Saturday without hockey until June.
Giddy up. Here are my predictions for the 2026-27 NHL season:
Breakout Star: Cal Ritchie, New York Islanders
There are a number of players, from Will Smith to Jimmy Snuggerud, on the precipice of blast off – but the information we keep fielding on Ritchie is noteworthy. “He’s one of the smartest hockey players I’ve watched,” one Eastern Conference director of scouting said. “His hockey IQ is off the charts and he’s just getting started. I still can’t believe Colorado traded him.” Ritchie quietly collected 30 points in 65 games last year after his promotion from AHL Bridgeport and this scout thinks he’ll more than double that output in his sophomore season.
Biggest Disappointment: Anaheim Ducks
GM Pat Verbeek has no one to blame but himself for a truly awful summer in Orange County. Leo Carlsson’s shocking offer sheet not only reset the league’s cap structure, but halted what Verbeek built right in its tracks. Losing Olen Zellweger, John Carlson, Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas in one summer spells disaster. “There’s zero chance that defense is playoff caliber,” one NHL GM said. “They have five players of substance. They get thin in a hurry.”
Brady Tkachuk: Under 71.5 Points
Panthers coach had the line of the offseason when asked about the notion of playing Sam Bennett on the same line as the Tkachuk brothers: “They’ll be in jail before the puck drops.” This feels like a gaudy number because as stacked as Florida’s forward corps is, deployment will be key. Brady isn’t scheduled to line up with Matthew to start the season. They may revert to that. But a lot of Florida’s forward corps feels the same to me; Brady has also only hit the over twice in his eight seasons.
First Player Traded: Sam Montembeault, Montréal Canadiens
No, it’s not Dylan Larkin or Connor Hellebuyck, but there is still some goaltending shuffling to do and sources indicate the Canadiens do not currently plan on opening the season with three netminders on their roster. The smart money is on Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler prevailing as the tandem, leaving Montembeault as the odd man out. Sources said Montembeault entered training camp last season out of shape and his game never recovered, undone in part by the pressure of playing on home ice. It’s been a quick fall from grace for a goaltender who was named to Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.
Biggest Surprise: Chicago Blackhawks
You read it here first: the Chicago Blackhawks will be knocking on the door of 90 points and in the playoff conversation in March, the same step that the San Jose Sharks took last year. There are still a couple holes in their lineup, but two darkhorse Calder Trophy candidates in Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov will instantly perk up the fanbase alongside new captain Connor Bedard. “Don’t underestimate the power of Patrick Kane, his return is going to mean a lot to the young guys in that room,” another NHL GM said. Playoffs? Maybe a year too soon. But close. They’ll be in the running for most fun team to watch.
Biggest Unknown: Boston Bruins
The consensus is no one really knows quite how to feel about the Bruins in a crowded Atlantic. They could be good. They’d be a surefire playoff team in two other divisions. “Boston is a true wild card,” a Western Conference GM said. “If they get a big bump from James Hagens and JJ Peterka gets plugged back in with the German connections, they might have another 100-point season.” As usual, the strength of Boston’s goaltending and the health of Charlie McAvoy and Co. will loom large.
Sixteen Stanley Cup Playoff Teams
(in alphabetical order)
Eastern Conference: Buffalo, Carolina, Florida, Montréal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Washington
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, San Jose, Utah, Vegas
Division Winners
Atlantic Division: Montréal Canadiens
Metropolitan Division: Carolina Hurricanes
Central Division: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division: Edmonton Oilers
Biggest Rebound: Ottawa Senators
Drama free now, the Ottawa Senators are going to be just fine turning the page from Brady Tkachuk. They have players who want to be in the nation’s capital now, evidenced by Drake Batherson’s long-term deal. And they’ve got a great coach. “Travis Green has done a tremendous job there,” one rival coach said. “They’re detailed, they work hard, they’re tough to play against. I think they’re one of the more consistent teams in the league.” The Sens are going back to the playoffs for the third straight year on the back of Linus Ullmark.
First Coach Fired: Scott Arniel, Winnipeg Jets
There’s a cloud hanging over Winnipeg and it doesn’t feel like the Jets are going to pull out of this tailspin anytime soon, particularly with Connor Hellebuyck away from the team. The Jets appeared to be at a crossroads with Scott Arniel last season – a dyed in the wool Jet, a man the organization is very fond of – and after some internal deliberation, they decided to keep in the role. Now in his third season, the leash on his job security appears to be short, and the Jets want to do everything they can to be in contention. That may well include a coaching change if they stumble out of the gate.
Biggest Regression: Pittsburgh Penguins
Looking back, it feels like the Penguins over indexed in nearly every measurable category last season, culminating with a first round loss to the Flyers. “I don’t think there was a bigger surprise in the league last year than Pittsburgh – a regular season that pretty much no one saw coming,” one NHL GM said. “Good luck repeating that.” Call us skeptical but we don’t think Andrei Kuzmenko can replace Anthony Mantha’s 33 goals. Or that Sam Girard and Trevor van Riemsdyk can effectively cover for Ryan Shea and Brett Kulak. Henrix Lapierre and Ville Koivunen are fascinating gambles, let’s see if GM Kyle Dubas can find magic again.
Stanley Cup Winner: Minnesota Wild
They’re not bragging, but there is a quiet air of confidence milling in Minnesota. “Guys were very focused getting ready for camp. This is a veteran group that knows it is close,” one Wild observer said. Minnesota might be feeling a little pressure to maximize this unknown Quinn Hughes window – and that’s a good thing. They lost a few wily veterans in Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko and Kirill Kaprizov will need to find another gear as his once-record setting contract kicks in. It’s not often that a team that hasn’t experienced an extended playoff run breaks through and wins it all. But this Wild team has as good a shot as any in the circle of Stanley Cup contenders.
Frank Seravalli
Frank Seravalli has covered the NHL since 2007. His career began at the Philadelphia Daily News as beat writer covering the Philadelphia Flyers for seven seasons. He then crossed the border to join TSN in Canada, where he served as Senior Hockey Reporter covering the league on a national level, and transitioned into breaking news as an insider. After TSN, Seravalli helped build and launch Daily Faceoff with The Nation Network, a coast-to-coast digital platform with national and regional sites and shows covering the NHL. He also appears regularly on Sportsnet, NHL Network and Amazon Prime's NHL Coast to Coast. Seravalli has been selected three times by The Hockey News in their “100 People of Power and Influence in the NHL” rankings
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