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.