NHL 2026-27 Season Preview: Predictions, Power Rankings and Key Storylines

The story so far

6 publishers have covered this in 21 articles since 23 Sept 2026. feeds.bleacherreport.com published first, on 23 September at 14:28 UTC; www.espn.com followed 46h 35m later. The most recent article, from feeds.bleacherreport.com, appeared on 2 October at 14:44 UTC.

Outlets reporting it: www.espn.com (major outlet), Variety (major outlet), feeds.bleacherreport.com, Latest articles, CBS Sports Headlines, SI Feed.

3 prediction markets price this story:

• Will the Florida Panthers make the 2026-27 NHL Playoffs? — the market puts it at 77%, closing 16 Apr 2027. The outcome is Yes if the Florida Panthers qualify for the 2026-27 NHL postseason under official league rules, including Wild Card berths. The outcome is No if they fail to qualify or become mathematically eliminated before the season ends. Readers often mistake the end of the regular season for the deadline, but the team must actually secure a spot in the playoff bracket to resolve as Yes.
• Will the Edmonton Oilers be named the 2026-27 NHL Stanley Cup Champion? — the market puts it at 9%, with $249 traded in the last 24 hours, closing 1 Jul 2027. The market resolves to "Yes" if the Edmonton Oilers are officially named the 2026-27 NHL Stanley Cup Champion. It resolves to "No" if they are eliminated or do not win, with a fallback to "Other" if the season is cancelled or postponed past June 30, 2027, at 11:59 PM ET.
• Toronto Maple Leafs — the market puts it at 55%, closing 25 Apr 2027. The outcome is Yes if the Toronto Maple Leafs qualify for the playoffs during the 2026-27 NHL season. The outcome is No if they do not qualify. Readers often mistake the linked story about the expanded schedule as the resolution criteria, but only playoff qualification matters.

Odds are the market's probability that the outcome happens, updated every few minutes. They are information about what traders expect, not a forecast we make and not investment advice.