NHL 2026-27 Season Preview: Top Teams, Players and Storylines to Watch

The 2026-27 NHL season is underway, and for fans who stepped away since the end of last season, there is plenty of ground to cover.

Rosters have shifted through trades, free-agent signings and offseason moves, and early results are already beginning to reshape expectations for contenders and rebuilding clubs alike.

What to watch

Storylines this season include which teams have retooled their rosters enough to contend for a playoff spot, how new coaching hires are shaping team identities, and which individual players are emerging as breakout performers early in the schedule.

As always, injuries, goaltending performance and special-teams execution are likely to play an outsized role in determining which teams separate themselves over the course of the long regular season.

Fans returning to the sport after time away are encouraged to follow standings and player performance closely in the coming weeks, as the picture across both conferences continues to take shape.