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The NHL is almost back following its annual offseason hiatus, and the headlines heading into the new campaign are a tabloid writer’s dream. Can the imperious Florida Panthers pull off the first Stanley Cup three-peat of the modern era, their star-studded core one step away from immortality? Or will Connor McDavid finally find a way for his Edmonton Oilers to vanquish the bruising Cats at the third time of asking, exorcising the ghosts of back-to-back Final defeats and delivering the Cup to long-suffering northern Alberta?
One thing that is certain is that online NHL oddsmakers think that both sides will be in contention come next June. The latest NHL lines at Bovada currently list McDavid’s Oilers as a +750 joint favourite alongside the Carolina Hurricanes, with the reigning champion Cats just behind at +950. But further down the food chain, the real drama is equally riveting—albeit quieter and less understood. It’s still every bit as crucial to the future of the NHL status quo.
The franchise in rebuilding more is what social media folk would brand as “things the European mind can’t comprehend.” The rebuild is something that quintessentially belongs to American sports, and as the 2025/26 NHL season begins to lurk on the horizon, plenty of teams find themselves attempting to restore former glories. Here are three such teams hoping their respective revamps will result in a climb towards the playoff spots.
San Jose Sharks
Last season, the San Jose Sharks were adrift—a mere 20 wins, a league-worst minus-141 goal differential, and a fanbase that oscillated between despair and begrudging hope. But in the NHL, rock bottom can be a launchpad. The living, breathing centre of the SoCal outfit’s optimism is Macklin Celebrini, the first-overall pick in 2024 and—already at just 19—the most gifted Shark since Joe Thornton. Following an impressive 60-plus point rookie campaign, prospect analysts have him tagged for a potential 90-point sophomore year, a figure that, if realized, will jolt the SAP Center like a supernova.
Celebrini snipe to tie the game 5-5! 🦈
Sharks were down 3-0 and 5-2, the 3rd period should be fun 👀🍿
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) January 24, 2025
Yet, a rebuild does not run on one name alone. Will Smith, Michael Misa, and Sam Dickinson headline a veritable parade of future stars, while the acquisition of goaltending prodigy Yaroslav Askarov signals San Jose’s intent to shore up a long-standing defensive malaise. Veterans Dmitry Orlov and Nick Leddy were brought in to stabilize without getting in the way—a subtler shade of roster management that underscores GM Mike Grier’s buy-in to a slow-burn philosophy.
This is a 2-3 year project at least, and there will likely be more losses before the tide turns. But San Jose’s deliberate approach—development over desperation—may at last lift them from the wilderness. For a city starved for relevance, the direction is finally clear.
Calgary Flames
There may be no franchise with a more dramatic identity crisis than the Calgary Flames. Just three years removed from losing Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau—arguably the franchise’s most devastating one-two punch since the ’80s—the Flames stand at the edge of a new era. Here’s the problem: it’s not clear in what direction that era points.
Last year’s excruciating playoff miss—missing the postseason by a single tiebreaker while amassing the most points of any team to ever miss out—sums up the agony. Are the Flames a poorly disguised wildcard contender, or, as some have suggested, only a step or two into a five-year trek through the wilderness? This offseason’s decisions did little to clarify things.
With cap space in hand, Flames brass opted against any big-name signings, choosing instead to elevate prospects like Dustin Wolf between the pipes and prodigious defenseman Zayne Parekh. The forward corps remains static—no marquee addition, no astute trade. If there’s a master plan, it’s hidden behind closed doors.
What is manifest is the discomfort among the C of Red. Attendance is down, patience is wearing thin, and without a clear offensive upgrade, 2025-26 shapes up as another monster in the lottery chambers. But if Wolf takes flight and Parekh shines, Calgary’s long-term bet on youth will at least offer hope—a vital commodity in a city accustomed to equal parts snow and skepticism.
Detroit Red Wings
To call Detroit’s rebuild “long” verges on kindness. Eight years without playoff hockey is an eternity in a city where banners are supposed to matter. Steve Yzerman arrived as GM in 2019, bearing the hopes of a city that expects miracles from its sporting icons. What’s followed is a relentless, almost agonizing, stockpiling of picks and prospects—no shortcuts, no quick fixes.
How to judge progress? Despite flashes of promise last year, with the Motor City outfit finishing only five points out of the playoffs, the Red Wings’ cap ledger remains undercooked, with $12 million left untouched and impact signings conspicuously absent. Experts have hammered management with D grades for an off-season that stinks of hesitation, and it’s hard to blame them. Netminder John Gibson arrives as a steadying force, but the Atlantic is a cauldron—Toronto, Boston, Florida, and Tampa all standing in the way of a Red Wings renaissance.
What’s truly painful is the lack of genuinely elite, canvas-altering prospects. Detroit’s pipeline is deep, yet still lacks that McDavid-esque comet to change the club’s direction. The window for patience is narrowing, and 2025-26 will almost certainly be another year spent circling “what if?” on the calendar.
