Opening night of the 2025-26 NHL season is Tuesday, featuring a tripleheader of games on ESPN: Chicago Blackhawks - Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET (including the Stanley Cup banner-raising), Pittsburgh Penguins - New York Rangers at 8 p.m., and Colorado Avalanche - Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m.

Before puck drop, this preview will serve you all the key intel you need on all 32 teams, including strengths, weaknesses, X factors, most likely award winners, fantasy tips and a bold prediction.

Our season preview also features the first edition of our Power Rankings, which provide the order in which these teams are presented. The weekly rankings are formulated through votes from ESPN hockey broadcasters, analysts and reporters.

Note: Thanks to PuckPedia for salary and contract d

See Full Page