A VERY Honest NHL Season Preview (East Edition)

A VERY Honest NHL Season Preview (East Edition)

The 2026 NHL season is almost upon us. Preseason is a go. Storylines are everywhere. So, this is what NHL fans must know going into the 2026 NHL season east edition. Starting with the Washington Capitals. Last season, the Caps were arguably the biggest surprise of the league. They came in as the anomalies and fugazies and then ended up dominating the regular season by winning the Metro. Pretty much all of their offseason moves worked out. Everyone and their mother had a career year and old man Obie turned back the clock. He broke his freaking leg Greg Jennings style, came back, said, “Suck it. I’m the Russian machine.” And broke the all-time goals record while putting up 44 tucks in the process. The Caps also have a solid young skipper and Spencer Carberry and their transition offense made them one of the best counterattack teams in the league last season. Now going into this year, the Caps do have the pieces to win now and it may very well be an all-in push as it could be. Alexander Ovetchkin’s last year in the show. If that is indeed the case, expect the Caps to go balls to the wall for one final run. The biggest wild card will be whether or not the Tendy duo of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lingren can repeat their success. You know, Tendies, they’re weird and inconsistent, so buckle up for some drama if they don’t follow it up. I don’t exactly expect the Caps to dominate like they did last season, but they will be ro shamboying for a playoff spot and will likely get in. The Carolina Hurricanes. Yes, the Cup favorites are close to it every single year who just continuously fall short. It has been the same story for the Hurricanes ever since the start of the decade. A very good, even elite team that plays a playoff style of hockey all throughout the regular season. But once the playoffs actually roll around, it’s nothing but disappointment. Of course, they go further than most teams, but they end up falling short of everyone’s expectations. Carolina actually won a game in the conference finals last year. So I guess that’s an improvement. But like usual, they dominated everywhere when five on five leading in shot attempts, scoring chances, and limiting chances against under Rob Biden’s aggressive forche system. The Canes were a force. Then they got Miko Ranton in for about 15 seconds. It didn’t work out at all. And then they flipped him for the best last name in the league in Logan Stanovven. And in this off season, the Hurricanes made more moves. They went out and got the other big fish and Nick Eers. Eers is a guy whose speed thrives off the rush, but as we know from last year, the Hurricanes dumped the puck in more than any other team in the league, including the Panthers. That was enough for Rantonin to say this, I’m out. But that doesn’t mean that Eers won’t have success. He’s a strong skater that can quickly close gaps on the fore and then provide a creative spark in the ozone. And that could be exactly what Carolina needs. But hey, that’s exactly what we’re going to find out when the season starts. They also made some nifty moves picking up Keandre Miller, but goending continues to be a question mark. Fred X same day delivery is Fred Gilele and Coachkov is still unproven as to whether or not he can take Carolina to the next level. They’ll likely pick up a goalie midway through the season if they feel that the solution is just not there yet. Overall, Carolina is a playoff team, but I think most doubt their ability to get over the hump, especially because they live in Panther Purgatory. Now, if you’re brave enough to watch that purgatory live, you’re going to need tickets, which is where our friends at Segeek come up clutch. Segeek is the best and easiest way to score a deal on your tickets. They rate every seat from a score of 1 to 10, so you know exactly what kind of deal you’re getting. If it’s red, it means that deal is no bueno. If it’s green, that’s a banger and you should snatch up those tickets. The best part is Segeek is hooking us up for the summertime. You just got to use code hockey 15 at checkout and they’ll give you 15% off your next order. You know, if you watch the channel, we go to a ton of games throughout the season and I get all the tickets through some sweet lastminute deals on the app. The NFL season is back. The NHL preseason is here. So, if you want to catch a great deal on one of these games, you got to download the app. So, for your next live event, make sure you use code hockey 15 to get 15% off your next purchase. All you got to do is just click the link in our description down below to get the best seats in the house while scoring a great deal from SegeGeek. The New Jersey Devils. Despite missing the playoffs in the 2324 season, New Jersey were expected to return to the postseason in 25. And that’s exactly what happened. Their two biggest additions that offseason were Jacob Marstrom in net and Sheldon Keith behind the bench and he was able to lead the Devils back to the postseason. But an injury riddled roster had them eliminated in five games in round one. Honestly, it seems like the biggest thing that’s holding this team back is health. Jack Hughes is probably a top 10 talent in the NHL, but already in his young career, injuries have been rather frequent. Their depth is probably their weakest point as after those top two lines that include Hughes, Brat, Heir, and Meyer production dropped significantly. So they tried to address that in the offseason by bringing some new guys like downtown Connor Brown and of Genny Datinoff. Overall, if this team can stay healthy, they will be a problem. They have a good coach, a really talented young core, and a solid goalender. Other than Luke Hughes not having a contract just yet, Devils fans can probably expect this team to be in the playoff mix. And if they’re healthy, perhaps make some noise and go deep. Just make sure Jack Hughes wears some body armor for that shoulder so he doesn’t get hurt again. The Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets could be the dark horses this season, just like they were last year. No one gave them a shot in the 24 season, and they almost snuck into the dance. There’s a lot of good things brewing in Columbus, and I know that’s probably the first time anyone’s ever said that sentence, but their offense is deeper than people think. The Jackets offense were seventh in the league in goals per game, and they had five guys that hit the 50 point mark last season. With a young core that includes guys like Fanti, Johnson, Marenko, and Veronov, all being under 25 years old, Columbus has a chance to be real good for a long time. They also made some sneaky good pickups, grabbing Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood. Both can be real pricks to play against in the best possible way, but the heartbeat of their success still lies with defenseman Zack Winsky. Rensky showed the entire hockey world last year what he was capable of, leading the team in scoring with 82 points and finishing as runner up in Norris voting. You bet that he’s going to be wound up to show people that it wasn’t just a one-off year. He showed firsthand that he can control the game just as well as guys like Mar and Hughes. And now it’ll be about building on that moving forward. The last thing that makes me nervous about Columbus is the goalie situation. It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and they’ll likely need another godlike season for Minsky again to be in the mix. The Jackets will probably be on the outside looking in, but they will make damn sure to make some noise and teams nervous along the way. The New York Rangers. Oh, the 18-wheeler off the cliff the Rangers experienced last year was quite entertaining for some fans. With all the drama surrounding players like captain Jacob Trouba and Chris Krider, the season was a complete mess and regression from the previous year where they got bounced by Florida in the conference finals. This year though, the Rangers could be the undertaker rising from the dead. They got a new coach in Mike Sullivan who is coaching team USA in the Olympics and they added Visav Gabriov on D to help stabilize things back there. That’s important because at times last season it was a goddamn fire drill on their own end. Sullivan, although just being canned from Pittsburgh, is still a solid coach that could bring a fast north south style of play that breathes life into this squad. There was more turnover in the off season. The notorious PETA guy from Sausage Party and Chris Krider was shipped out to the Ducks and Keandre Miller went to Carolina. Despite that, the Rangers still have some weapons that make them more than capable of bouncing back. Guys like Fox, Paneran, and Sabinad should all be hungry for a better year. They also recently named JT Miller their captain heading into the season. So, I guess that means the Rangers won’t be trading for Elias Person anytime soon. For real though, Miller’s intensity and focus could be exactly what New York needs to get back into the playoffs. It’s either that or we get another drama on Broadway, which I’m sure no one else would mind. The New York Islanders. It’s a new era on the island. I am finally out of the Lou Lamarella witness protection program because Lou is gone and GM Matthew Dar has taken his place. Last year, the Islanders missed the playoffs, played the lottery, and won the damn thing with a 3.5% chance. So, they took that first overall pick and drafted projected stud defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who could step right into the NHL and have an impact. They also made some moves, too. They shipped out defenseman Noah Dobson to Montreal. And despite the turnover, they still have a team that could surprise some people. Elia Sroken has the ability to be the best goalie in the world on some nights if he’s healthy. But where they need most improvement is special teams. Last year they were 31st in the league both on the PK and on the power play. That ain’t good enough. Patty Wall and the coaching staff will have to rein that in if they want to be any sort of competitive. Overall though, I do like the moves they made. I don’t mind their forward group if they can fully buy into their system, but most importantly, it does feel like a new chapter for the island. Playoffs would be a pleasant surprise, but I wouldn’t count on it. Side note, if they’re ever in trouble, they now have 1-800 Big Save Dave Riddick on standby as the backup. So, that’s a good feeling. The Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins are one of the few teams committed to being fully asked this year to potentially grab Gavin McKenna. Of course, that raises all kinds of questions for the future of Sydney Crosby. It’s going to be another year of the #safe Sid movement, and there’s been some noise about Sid’s agent saying that essentially anything can happen. Of course, Crosby himself has always maintained loyal to Pittsburgh and continues to do so throughout this entire process. This sicko is probably planning on being in the playoffs as a Penguin. And honestly, he’s so damn good that he can probably will this entire team somehow into the postseason, but that is a real long shot. And the reality is that Pittsburgh will never fully embrace the rebuild like they should as long as Sid is on their roster. Then again, how do you trade Sid the middle-aged man unless he’s fully on board to leave? Crosby has a ton of juice left in his game. He finished top 10 in scoring last season and he showed he can still hang and excel against the very best during Four Nations. Up front, the Penguins offense was mid at best, finishing 18th in goals four and their top seven scorers were all over the age of 30. Quite the retirement home. On the back end, it’s the same story. Eric Carlson and Chris Leang are all past their expiry date and the goalie situation is still a nightmare. A team save percentage of 8.91 last year was nine points below league average and unless Tristan Jarry comes back from Shanghai as a new version of Patty Wah just don’t see it getting any better in Pittsburgh. There’s a new coach in town and Dan Muse. So that should be interesting to see what he does with this roster. However, the expectation is that they’ll likely be a lottery team. And whether anyone in Pittsburgh likes it or not, the rumors of Sid leaving will always be swirling as long as they’re losing. The Philadelphia Flyers. After finishing last season in the bottom of the metro, the Flyers are going into the first year of the Rick Talk era. Coming into this season, Philly fans can feel optimistic. Some of the Flyers young guys like Owen Tippet, Tyson Forester, and Bobby Brink all hit the 40point mark. But their most notable performer last year was rookie Mitchkov. The 20-year-old who embodied everything that Tors hated went off for 26 goals and 63 points, finishing fourth in Calder voting. And this year he will look to take another step under new coach Rick Taketta. Now that should be an interesting dynamic as well since Vancouver fans were screaming for months begging Rick Taket to stop relying on a dump and chase system. That style isn’t exactly Mitchov’s bread and butter. But hey, you got to do what you got to do to win. Well, one of the other big moves Philly made this off season was picking up Trevor Ziggress. Yes, after they can building the very team that he would have absolutely hated with two guys known for the Michigan now in the same squad. Ziggers did put up back-to-back 60point seasons in Anaheim, but then people labeled him a bust and a social media player after those years were followed by two injury riddled seasons and lack of production. The guy isn’t going to win the Art Ross, but under returning to a 60point player he once was in Anaheim is a strong possibility. Philly’s biggest problem though this year is going to be a net. If you thought Pittsburgh’s 891 team save percentage was bad, how about an 879 from the Flyers? My goodness, you might as well put my drunk uncle out there and just see what happens. The Flyers aren’t going to be competing for a playoff spot, but instead striving for another year of growth and development. It will likely be a tank off in Pennsylvania to see who gets the next quote unquote generational talent in Gavin McKenna. The Ottawa Senators. Last year, Ottawa ended a 7-year playoff drought by winning 16 of their final 24 games in the first year of the Travis Green era. Yes, finally. After all those years, they escaped the Bermuda Triangle of mid and have become a decent team. They’ve always had the talent, but last year everything finally came together with the right system. Their style and overall play mirror that of the Florida Panthers. Wow, how shocking. But it shouldn’t be considering that both teams indeed have a kachchuck. A lot of shoot and retrieve style play that starts with their forche. That will be the theme a lot this year with every team trying to become the Panthers. So that should be fun. But the Sens did show a lot of growth despite losing in the first round to Toronto. They have a young and exciting core learning how to win and they got some nasty jam to their game that makes them hard to compete against. If goalie Lena has a similar or even better season, I can see Ottawa making some noise this year. But at the very least, I do have them making the playoffs. Just make sure no one makes a playoff song again because that’s the reason why you guys lost in round one. The Montreal Canadians. The Habs hype train is at an all-time high. The practice barns are already full just to see the kids on the ice. That’s because last year they showed that they are just scratching their surface of their true potential. Returning to the playoffs for the first time since their miracle run to the finals in 2021. It did end rather quickly thanks to a spanking to the caps and five. But there was a lot of promise with this young team. The top line of Suzuki, Coughfield, and Slavosski is the prototypical first line that plays so well instinctually off one another. The elite two-way center combined with a lethal sniper and power forward is at the core of Montreal’s young and exciting offense. Oh, and they also got rookie Ivan Demidov. He showed flashes of brilliance in the final few games and in the playoffs, but now he’s coming in with a full off season and camp. These guys are building an Avengers level of young guns, and we haven’t even gotten to Lane Hudson yet. The 20-year-old head fake and son of a gun was the NHL’s rookie of the year last season, and his game transformed Montreal in all three zones. The Habs also got to work this off season, acquiring Dman Noah Dobson at the draft. A one-two punch of him and Hudson could be lethal or a defensive disaster if paired together. So, deployment will be key. Habs fans are also giddy at the thought that there’s a potential they may land Sid mid-season. Let these guys dream all they want. Life is good in Montreal. Well, maybe it’ll come crashing down, maybe it won’t. They just better hope they follow it up by making the playoffs again to build on this momentum. I do think that there’s going to be a lot more pressure on them this season, and that could hinder performance along with teams seeing them coming and how good they truly are. So, I have them right on the bubble, maybe making the playoffs, maybe not. It’s going to be a coin toss, but they are going to be in the mix. The Detroit Red Wings. We’re now entering eight years of the Iser plan, and there’s still been no playoff hockey in Detroit. The Red Wings have been inching closer and closer each year, and it seemed like last year they would finally end the drought until they found a way to screw it up again. Now, heading into the 2026 season, Detroit hasn’t undergone too many changes. Their roster is very similar to last season. However, they have taken a swing in between the pipes. John Gibson, the former Ducks goalie who has been in trade rumors since the First World War, has finally got dealt to Detroit, and the Red Wings get their number one goalie. Or so they hope so. The team as a whole had some flashes of brilliance last year. Coach Todd Mlullen came in halfway through, gave him life, and even led them to a 175-1 run. Yet, they just couldn’t stay consistent enough. One of the best power plays in the NHL, and yet one of the worst teams in the league when it came to generating offense 5v5. The hope is that a full year under Tom Mlen has the boys executing more consistently to finally get back in the playoffs. I think depth could be an issue. And with the Atlantic being stacked, you can probably expect Detroit to be a bubble team with them probably on the outside looking in. So, I guess that means welcome back for another year to the Bermuda Triangle of Mid for Detroit, the Buffalo Sabres. Speaking of that triangle, I’m not sure the Sabres and their fans can literally take it anymore. It’s been 15 years since we’ve seen the Buffalo Sabres in the postseason, and unfortunately, it doesn’t look like this year will be any different. Last year was another disaster. a 13game losing streak, guys underperforming, an overall disappointing year meant that the Sabres went another season without the playoffs. There are some bright spots, though. Buffalo can score. They’ve proven it these last few years, finishing top 10 in goals four in two of the last three seasons, headlined by Ta Thompson, who just had another 40goal season. But they just can’t keep the puck out of the net or stay consistent, which is expected out of the youngest team in the NHL. But Sabres fans don’t give a Finding Savers playoff highlights in HD quality is all just hearsay nowadays and the league is genuinely concerned about the future of the franchise if they continue being so ass. Now they did make some changes this off season bringing in defenseman Michael Kessle as well as young forward Josh Stone. Okay, not bad except for the fact that they gave up JJ Purka which also pissed off Sabres fans. Only time will tell how that one will turn out and how everyone fits into the system. But it will take a large leap and full team buyin to get this current squad into the playoffs. That’s a very big ask for a young team, but stranger things have happened. Unfortunately for Buffalo, it looks like they’re going to spend another year in the Bermuda Triangle of Mid. Congrats on Josh Allen, though, being a mutant. Get that man a ring for the love of God, because the Sabres aren’t going to get one anytime soon. The Boston Bruins. Last year, Boston was one of the biggest disappointments in the entire league. Starting with the swaying drama holding out, the year seemed cursed to start, and it was awful. Boston finished at the bottom of their division for the first time in nearly 20 years after they were expected to return to the playoffs. At the deadline, they sold the farm, trading away Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, and most notably, their captain, Brad Marshon. They did get an absolute baller of a season from David Passion, but the poor fella is on an island out there by himself. Yet he still finished top five in scoring on a team with a bottom five offense. GM Don Sweeney had to do something to get this guy some help. So he signed Mikey Eimon, Victor Arbertson, and Tanner Jano. All right, we’ll see how that works out. But one thing that could be interesting to watch is rookie head coach Marco Sturm. He’s had some international and AHL success along with assistant coaching experience. But the NHL is a different beast. Could be an entirely different story though this year if defenseman Charlie Makavoy and Hampus Lindhomem stay healthy. Mixon Swayman getting back into form and all the distractions going away. You get a Boston team that could be sneaking up on everyone. With some of the talent on their team, I could see them rallying and sneaking into a wild card spot to knock out a team like Montreal. But it’s a big if. And what’s more likely is that they replace Ottawa in the Bermuda Triangle of Mid, joining Buffalo and Detroit. So, welcome to Misery Boston. It’s honestly about time you experienced some since you’ve been good forever. The Toronto Maple Leafs. Last season was a script that every Toronto fan has seen before. A great regular season enough to convince themselves that it is their year. Then they go down in a fiery explosion in game seven. This time though, it cost you Mitch Marner. Some fans are happy he’s gone. Others think the team will regret chasing him out of town. But one thing is for certain, both sides needed a fresh start. That’s right. No more core four as they officially go down in the history books as the snore four. Mitch Marner was traded to Vegas and the trade in air quotes was actually because the man basically walked for nothing. Yes, they did pick up a solid thirdline center and Nick Wah, but the Leafs missed out on a ton of return that they would have got if they just traded him years ago. With the departure of MNER, the Leafs and their fans are hoping the sum of their parts is greater than the individual who left. No Marner and a forecher lion offense me that scoring could be a chore, but they got some depth that could serve them better during playoff time. I like the pieces that Toronto brought in, especially the Italian stallion, who’s not even Italian at all in Matias Machelli. And I think a more balanced approach throughout the lineup will end up suiting Birub system a little bit more. So get ready for another season of Leaf fans telling you it’ll be their year yet again. And if that doesn’t piss you off enough, the McDavid campaign to come home will be unbearable for every other franchise. Expect Toronto to be a playoff team this year and inevitably screw it up in an all-time epic fashion to either Florida or a team that’s way worse than them, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 2025 season ended for the Lightning exactly how the 2024 season ended, and that is losing to the eventual cup champs and their ultimate rival in the Florida Panthers in the first round in five games. And while that result leaves them with three straight first round exits, this Lightning team is still among the games elite. Nikita Coutrov is coming off back-to-back Art Ross trophies. I ranked him as the third best player in the world on this channel and that top line of him point and Gensel reminds every goalie on a nightly basis to close their damn legs. Tampa had the number one ranked offense in the NHL thanks primarily to that line. But what has been their Achilles heel is depth and well the Panthers. Tampa is still a playoff team. They still got Michael Keaton stunt double John Cooper who’s their coach leading them to the playoffs in 11 of the last 12 seasons. So Tampa will probably be just fine. Most likely one of the better teams in the Atlantic. They just got to find a way to get by the big bad Panthers. But so does everyone else. So get in line. The Florida Panthers. The back-to-back Cup champs are currently the class of the NHL. Three straight trips to the finals and there’s no reason to believe that they won’t make it a fourth this season. They’ve got pretty much the exact same lineup as last year as they were somehow able to bring back Eblad, Bennett, and Marshon for a couple hundred bucks because who the hell doesn’t enjoy some pin coladas on the beach, avoiding taxes and being better than literally everyone else. Their system and style of play is going to take over the NHL as everyone will become a copycat to try and beat the best. The good news is that the Florida injury reserves will no longer be a thing. The NHL removed the loophole so Florida and 31 other teams can’t take advantage of it. Not that the Panthers really need it because they’re undoubtedly the best squad we’ve seen in years until someone proves otherwise. The biggest concern for Florida is the health of Matthew Kachchuck with him being out with surgery that will keep him out for a decent chunk to start the season. That’s a big loss for the Panthers team that thrives off of his game to execute their identity every single night. That being said, no one is worried for the defending champs and there’s a good shot that they go for the three repeat for the first time in the salary cap era. And of course, that makes them cup contenders. So, what do you think about the Eastern Conference? Who’s going to be the top dog? Who’s going to suck? Who is going to surprise everyone this season? Let us know in the comments down below. And guys, if you aren’t following the channel, you didn’t follow it last year. Every single week, we do weekly recaps along with breakdowns throughout the week of teams and players. So, if you love NHL content, you’re trying to follow it all, this is the channel to be at. So, to stay uptodate on everything NHL, make sure you click that subscribe button and turn on notifications so that you don’t miss a

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The 2026 NHL Season is almost here! This is everything hockey fans MUST know heading into the season (East Edition)

Time Stamps:

Washington Capital – 0:15
Carolina Hurricanes – 1:24
New Jersey Devils – 4:03
Columbus Blue Jackets – 5:10
New York Rangers – 6:31
New York Islanders – 7:49
Pittsburgh Penguins – 8:59
Philadelphia Flyers – 10:36
Ottawa Senators – 12:15
Montreal Canadiens – 13:15
Detroit Red Wings – 14:56
Buffalo Sabres – 16:08
Boston Bruins – 17:39
Toronto Maple Leafs – 19:08
Tampa Bay Lightning – 20:33
Florida Panthers – 21:31