NHL Preseason Power Rankings: Hurricanes and Avalanche Top the Board as 84-Game Era Begins

The National Hockey League is back on the ice. Training camps are officially open, the preseason is fully underway, and the 2026-27 campaign is set to drop the puck on September 29. The stakes are higher and the physical grind is longer this time around, with the league expanding the regular-season schedule to a grueling 84 games per team. That structural change means there will be 1,344 total matchups across the league, testing roster depth and prospect pools like never before. Teams will play two additional divisional games, making internal division rivalries even more critical for securing a postseason berth. As the league prepares for this expanded marathon, the preseason power rankings provide a crucial snapshot of where the 32 franchises stand before the real games begin.[4][5]

The Carolina Hurricanes enter the new season as the undisputed kings of the mountain. Coming off a hard-fought Stanley Cup victory, they claimed the number one spot in the NHL.com Super 16 preseason rankings, securing 11 of the 15 first-place votes from the participating panel of writers and analysts. The Hurricanes' championship pedigree remains entirely intact, and they are built to withstand the rigors of an 84-game schedule. Jordan Staal, who captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during their run, continues to anchor the lineup with his heavy two-way game. Carolina finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 53-22-7 record, banking 113 points before their dominant playoff march, and they show zero signs of a Stanley Cup hangover as training camp opens.[1][4]

If anyone is primed to knock Carolina off the throne, it is the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado finished the 2025-26 regular season with a league-best 121 points to capture the Presidents' Trophy, boasting a terrifying 55-16-11 record. Sportsnet placed the Avalanche first overall in their own training camp rankings, noting they are "a scary combination of talented and hungry" after falling short in the playoffs. The Avalanche's offensive engine remains unparalleled across the league. Center Nathan MacKinnon, who just turned 31, and dynamic defenseman Cale Makar continue to dictate the pace of the modern NHL. "All that's left to do is get 41-year-old Brent Burns his ring," noted Sportsnet analyst Ryan Dixon, highlighting the veteran presence on a roster that is explicitly built to win another championship immediately.[2][4]

Behind the top two juggernauts, the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers loom large as legitimate championship contenders. Dallas is coming off a 50-20-12 season and another deep playoff run, possessing a lineup that NGSC Sports describes as remaining incredibly deep and dangerous. The Stars' power play clipped at an elite 28.6 percent last year, second only to the Edmonton Oilers, making them a nightmare matchup on special teams. Florida, meanwhile, continues to rely on their heavy, physical forecheck and the elite goaltending that has made them a perennial threat in the Eastern Conference. Both franchises have the requisite depth to navigate the expanded 84-game schedule, and both are heavily favored to make deep runs when the playoffs arrive next spring.[4][5]

North of the border, the Montreal Canadiens are rapidly becoming one of the NHL's most exciting young squads, transitioning from a rebuilding phase into a window of genuine contention. Captain Nick Suzuki, elite sniper Cole Caufield, and dynamic young defenseman Lane Hutson lead a core that recently added veteran forward Chris Kreider to the mix. Montreal finished 48-24-10 last season, a massive leap forward that signaled their rebuild is definitively over. The Canadiens now boast the kind of high-end offensive firepower and veteran leadership necessary to compete with the heavyweights in the Atlantic Division. Their development trajectory suggests they are no longer just a fun story, but a legitimate threat to make noise in the Eastern Conference playoffs.[4]

As the 84-game schedule looms, special teams performance will dictate the margins between making the playoffs and heading to the draft lottery. The Edmonton Oilers led the league with a staggering 30.6 percent power-play conversion rate last year, but they still struggled defensively at five-on-five, allowing 269 goals against. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche topped the penalty kill rankings at 84.6 percent, providing the defensive backbone for their 121-point campaign. Teams that can consistently win the special teams battle will have a massive advantage in the expanded schedule, where fatigue and injuries will inevitably force teams to rely heavily on their power play and penalty kill units to steal crucial points in tight divisional matchups.[5]

Out West, the San Jose Sharks are assembling a terrifying prospect pool that has the entire league on notice. Macklin Celebrini already looks like a franchise centerpiece, and the Sharks added highly touted Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg with the second overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Stenberg dominated the SHL as an 18-year-old and is expected to slot directly alongside Celebrini in the Sharks' top six. While San Jose may still be a year or two away from true contention, their influx of elite young talent makes them one of the most fascinating teams to watch this season. The development of their young stars will be the defining storyline in San Jose as they look to climb out of the Pacific Division basement.[4][6]

The league's newest franchise, the Utah Mammoth, enters the 2026-27 season looking to build on a highly respectable 43-33-6 inaugural campaign. They are bolstered by the arrival of top prospect Caleb Desnoyers, the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, who posted an absurd 1.73 points per game in the QMJHL last season. Utah has quickly established a passionate fanbase and a competitive roster, proving that their expansion strategy is already paying dividends. With a mix of established veterans and high-end prospects like Desnoyers pushing for roster spots, the Mammoth are well-positioned to take another step forward and challenge for a playoff spot in the highly competitive Central Division.[1][6]

On the other end of the spectrum, the Vancouver Canucks find themselves anchored to the absolute bottom of the preseason power rankings. After a disastrous 25-49-8 season that yielded a league-worst minus-100 goal differential, The Hockey News ranked Vancouver 32nd overall heading into training camp. "Don't be surprised if the Canucks are better than you think… but that's also like saying instead of losing 50 games they might only lose 40," wrote analyst Jason Chen. The Canucks face a massive uphill battle to restore credibility and competitiveness, and their front office will be under immense pressure to show tangible progress during the 84-game grind. Until they can fix their defensive woes, it will be another long winter in British Columbia.[3][5]

Goaltending remains the ultimate wildcard in the preseason power rankings, capable of elevating a bubble team into a contender or sinking a powerhouse. The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to rely on the championship-caliber pedigree of Andrei Vasilevskiy, who remains one of hockey's elite netminders despite the team's aging core. Conversely, the Boston Bruins enter the season with immense confidence in net thanks to Jeremy Swayman, who provides a massive safety net for a roster that still features elite talents like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. In an 84-game season, having a reliable tandem will be more critical than ever, as no single goaltender can shoulder the workload of the expanded schedule without risking catastrophic burnout before the playoffs begin.[4]

The expanded 84-game schedule is the great unknown variable of the 2026-27 season, and it will test the structural integrity of every franchise. With two additional divisional games per team, the physical toll will demand unprecedented contributions from AHL affiliates and depth forwards. Teams that suffer early injuries to key personnel could find themselves buried in the standings before the holiday break. As training camps wrap up and the final preseason rosters are set, the focus shifts entirely from theoretical rankings to the ice. The Carolina Hurricanes' title defense officially begins, the Colorado Avalanche are out for revenge, and 30 other teams are ready to endure the longest season in NHL history to claim the Stanley Cup.[4][5]