Bold predictions for 2026 include Ovechkin re-signing, Sharks, Blackhawks in playoffs

What will 2026 bring to the NHL?

We know it will start with an outdoor game, in Miami on Jan. 2, for the first outdoor NHL game ever Florida. A month after the 2026 Discover Winter Classic between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, a second outdoor game – the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series -- will be played in Florida, this time in Tampa on Feb. 1.

At the end of that week, NHL players will head to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The men’s tournament, which will mark the first time since 2014 that the NHL has sent its players to the Winter Games, starts on Feb. 11 and finishes with the gold-medal game on Feb. 22.

The new year will bring an unforgettable Stanley Cup Playoffs and perhaps the opportunity for the Florida Panthers to go for a third-straight championship.

There will be other big moments, including the 2026 NHL Draft, where wunderkind Gavin McKenna will learn his NHL future.

But what else could 2026 bring?

We asked members of the NHL.com staff to look into their crystal balls and provide a bold prediction. Here are their attempts at prognostications:

Geekie scores 50

If I wanted to go really bold, I’d go with 60 goals, given that Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie is on pace to score 55 goals this season, but that seems a bit of a stretch. Still, I think 50-plus goals are well within the grasp of Geekie, who has 25 goals in 40 games this season and who has scored more than anyone else in this calendar year. He’s proving that his shot and his goal-scoring touch isn’t a fluke – and that the Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken each made a big mistake letting him leave. He’s turned what many regarded early as simply an impressive hot streak into his norm and, at this point, I’m not doubting him one bit. -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

Gold rush ends

Canada is the clear favorite to win the gold medal in men’s hockey at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The country has won 10 of the 14 best-on-best tournaments, including the past four. It has some of the best players on the planet. But the rest of the world is catching up, and the margins are so slim. Last season, Canada needed overtime to defeat the United States in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off after losing to the U.S. on home ice earlier in the tournament. This time, someone else will win in Milan. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Explore NHL.com's Coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

Shark warning for Hart

Few expected the San Jose Sharks to contend for a Stanley Cup Playoff berth, but they’re in position to do so nearly halfway through the season and forward Macklin Celebrini is a big reason. The 19-year-old center became the third teenager in NHL history to reach 50 points in 34 games or fewer, joining Sidney Crosby (28 games in 2006-07) and Wayne Gretzky (32 games in 1979-80 and 1980-81). Look for Celebrini to continue his dominance and lead the Sharks into the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and again follow in the footsteps Crosby and Gretzky, who won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player as 19-year-olds in 2006-07 and 1979-80, respectively. -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

Windy City Miracle

OK, the Chicago Blackhawks were already without center Connor Bedard when I originally made this prediction. Now they’ll be without forward Frank Nazar for about four weeks. Those are two big pieces gone for the youthful Blackhawks through the start of the New Year, but I’m going to stick with my bold prediction because I can’t go back now. The loss of those two certainly make the next few weeks more difficult but given the parity in the Western Conference, I still think they gut it out and clinch a wild-card spot into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2020. And once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Hurricane warning

The Carolina Hurricanes will get over the hump and finally win the Eastern Conference and reach the Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes have qualified for the playoffs the past seven seasons and advanced to the conference final three times, only to have their season end there each time. They're sitting first in the Metropolitan Division and are among the top 10 in the League in goals-for average and goals-against average. Goalie Brandon Bussi has instilled confidence in the group, the scoring is coming from throughout the lineup, and they have a coach in Rod Brind'Amour who is just as determined to get it right. -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

Cup champion on repeat again

I know, I know, calling for the team that has won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships to win another one is not exactly bold, but when you consider how the Florida Panthers started the season and who they are still missing, I do feel like I’m going a bit out on a limb. We all know that the Panthers are not only battle tested, but also an absolute beast when the Stanley Cup Playoffs arrive. Yes, making the postseason may be a challenge for them with captain Aleksander Barkov out for the regular season and forward Matthew Tkachuk having not played yet this season, but they will flip the switch when it matters most and quite honestly, I don’t see a team in the Eastern Conference that can beat them in a seven-game series. Get your sunscreen ready for another trip to South Florida in late June and get ready for another Cup party at the Elbo Room. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

Buffalo wings it into playoffs

The Buffalo Sabres have spent almost the entirety of the 2025-26 season among the bottom three in the Eastern Conference standings. How does a team that won 11 of its first 29 games make it into the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Buffalo is showing the formula in the moment and suddenly the 14-year playoff drought could well be over. Tage Thompson is an elite scorer. Josh Doan has been a revelation, their top-four on the blue line can compete with any other team and their goaltending by committee has been better than expected. Is it good enough to be among the top eight teams in the East? Here, the answer is yes. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

Ovechkin chases 1,000 goals

Alex Ovechkin can call it a career if he wants after this season. He's a Stanley Cup champion. He's the NHL's all-time leader in goals. His contract is up after this season. But he's not done. We see it. He knows it. He still can score. The Washington Capitals are good. So, Ovechkin will re-sign. Let's call it a two-year, $18 million deal. That's a $9 million average annual value, a slight shave off his current $9.5 million. This isn't about money, though Ovechkin deserves to be paid. This is about two years to become the NHL's first 1,000-goal scorer, and maybe a two-time Stanley Cup champion. If the 40-year-old can get 35 goals this season he'll be less than 70 away from 1,000. Go for it! -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

New goalie, new result in Edmonton

The Edmonton Oilers rolled the dice and hope Tristan Jarry helps them achieve something they were unable to do with Stuart Skinner as their starting goalie. It’s a tall order considering Skinner helped Edmonton get to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past two seasons, losing to the Florida Panthers each time. Jarry won the Memorial Cup as a junior with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014, so he knows what it takes to win in the city. And if he is able to make those few extra saves at key moments the Oilers did not get enough of the past two Finals, then it might be enough to get the Oilers across the finish line this season. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Canadiens will go on run

With the Eastern Conference race wide open this season, it says here the Montreal Canadiens will make a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, reaching the conference final. It won’t be easy, given they’ll likely have to get through the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Florida Panthers, if not both. But this young team, led by defenseman Lane Hutson and forwards Ivan Demidov, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, are ready for prime time and are not to be underestimated. As a bonus for this prediction: the Canadiens will be led by first-year goalie Jacob Fowler. Hall of Famers Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy each led Montreal to a Stanley Cup championship as a rookie. Can Fowler do the same? Winning the Cup this season might be a bit far-fetched, but being among the final four is not out of the realm of possibility. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer