Off The Crossbar

A new season brings forth a mix of emotions for most, ranging from the utmost confidence in a team to utter disappointment in a team’s summer acquisitions. The good news is, everyone begins with a clean slate and the same opportunities; a chance to maintain success or change fortunes depending on how the last season ended. For a handful of teams, the dawn of a new campaign means that Cup dreams are alive and well, and those squads will have their eyes on the prize all season long in hopes of hoisting the best trophy in sports come next June. Among those are the Maple Leafs, Golden Knights, Oilers and reigning champion Panthers, all of which made moves in the offseason to strengthen their chances of being named the best team in the sport when it’s all said and done. 

Toronto Maple Leafs 

After disappointing postseason finishes over the past few seasons, the Maple Leafs have a lot to prove this upcoming season, to both themselves and the hockey community. A lot of their issues during the 2024-25 campaign can be chalked up to the ailing health of new captain Auston Matthews, who tallied just 33-45–78 in 67 games and looks to make a comeback to form in his first season in Toronto without longtime linemate Mitch Marner, who departed the team in early July. A lot of pressure will be on Matthews to bring Toronto its first Cup since 1967, and with it, faith that the Maple Leafs can return to the top of the NHL as one of the League’s premier teams. A big part of that success will also lie on the shoulders on recently extended Matthew Knies, who looks to be the next best thing Toronto as to offer in terms of scoring ability; the fourth-year left winger looks to build on a successful 2024-25 campaign that saw him tally 29-29–58 in 78 GP and contribute to the Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup hopes in a big way. 

Vegas Golden Knights 

The Golden Knights are one of the more recent Stanley Cup winners on this list with their first win coming in 2023 during their sixth season as a franchise. The team has improved greatly in terms of assets this past summer, giving them a huge edge over most of their opponents in the Western Conference and a boost of confidence heading into the 2025-26 campaign. Among those is one of the most prolific sign-and-trade deals of the summer in Mitch Marner, who was acquired by Vegas on the first day of the free agency period. Marner posted 27-75–102 in 81 games played last season, marking his highest career point total; he joins a high-scoring squad with the likes of Jack Eichel, who is also coming off a career high in points, as well as captain Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev, who are proven scorers in their own right. Vegas will have to contend with the likes of the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid, who knocked them out of the 2025 playoffs, but their strong scoring looks to give them the edge heading into play.  

Edmonton Oilers 

Edmonton is coming off one of the biggest heartbreaks in sport — back-to-back losses in the Stanley Cup Finals, but they look to enter the 2025-26 season with a vengeance in what could be superstar Connor McDavid’s last year with the franchise. The team looks for McDavid (26-74—100 in 67 GP) to have a bounce back year in terms of goal scoring after setting a career low (minus his rookie season, when an injury sidelined him for almost half a season) and potentially lead them to a third straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance. In addition to McDavid, Edmonton will lean on Leon Draisaitl (52-54–106 in 71 GP) to recreate his performance from last season that resulted in a Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy win as well as a Hart Trophy nomination. The dynamic duo will play a big role in how Edmonton fairs this season and could very well become the pair that brings the Oilers, and Canada, their first Cup win in over three decades. 

Florida Panthers 

Just about everything has gone right in recent years for the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, and the team looks to build on their success by becoming the first team to complete a three-peat since the New York Islanders did so from 1980-83. En route to ensuring another successful campaign, the Cats had quite an eventful summer in terms of contracts by successfully bringing back impactful players from each of their last three Cup runs in Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and recent acquisition turned long-term option Brad Marchand. Bennett, the most recent Conn Smythe winner, returned to Florida in an eight-year deal, greatly improving the Panthers’ postseason presence due to his style of play shining when the moment is at its most pressing; coupled with Marchand, the two look to create issues for defenses for years to come. Ekblad, who has long been seen as one of Florida’s most impactful veterans, looks to lead the defense after signing an extension; the Panthers are in perhaps the best shape to make another run for the Cup, and it could be historical if they play their cards right.