Hockey is back on the calendar, and with the 2026-27 preseason in the books after Saturday, Sept. 26, the regular season is right around the corner on Sept. 29. Before the first puck drop, the usual debates are already taking shape: who’s a true contender, who’s fooling us, and which teams might end up staring at the 2027 NHL Draft instead of a playoff run.
That’s what makes the division-race conversation so interesting. Four teams stand out as possible dark horses to win their divisions in 2026-27, even if they aren’t the obvious picks on paper.
In the Atlantic Division, the Ottawa Senators have a real path to the top. Yes, losing Brady Tkachuk hurts.
But Ottawa still has plenty of pieces that make this more than a puncher's chance. William Eklund, brought in for the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, arrives after being a strong top-six winger for the San Jose Sharks.
He rarely skated with Macklin Celebrini at 5-on-5, which makes him a breakout candidate now that he’s in better company in Ottawa.
The strength of this team starts on the back end. Jake Sanderson has already established himself as a dependable No. 1 defenseman, and at 24, there may still be another level there.
Thomas Chabot gives Ottawa a major boost when he’s healthy, though staying available remains the main issue. If he does miss time, Jordan Spence is a capable answer in a top-pairing role.
Add in Artem Zub’s shutdown work and the upside of rookie Carter Yakemchuk, and the blue line looks strong.
Up front, the Senators have a center group that can hold its own with Tim Stützle, Dylan Cozens, and Shane Pinto. There’s also enough skill and two-way play on the wings to make the offense look balanced rather than top-heavy.
The biggest swing factor remains in goal. That has been the question around Ottawa for a while.
Still, Linus Ullmark’s .891 save percentage last season was a career low, so some bounce-back feels reasonable. Behind him, Samuel Ersson only needs to be better than Leevi Merilainen’s .860 save percentage.
In the Central Division, the Utah Mammoth are the boldest pick of the bunch. Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota are the obvious powers there, so picking Utah over all three takes some faith.
Even the offseason moves didn’t exactly scream certainty. The price paid for 23-year-old goaltender Sebastian Cossa and 33-year-old forward Vincent Trocheck was steep, and those additions may not move the needle as much as hoped.
Still, the upside is hard to ignore. Logan Cooley took steps forward last season, even if injuries kept it from becoming the full breakout many expected.
At 22, with more than 200 games already behind him, he looks ready to become the star top-line center he appears destined to be. Dylan Guenther is another name to watch after reaching 40 goals for the first time last season at age 23.
Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev are also in the mix as players who could become much bigger names in Utah.
The Mammoth have youth and proven talent working together, with Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Mikhail Sergachev also part of the picture. If Colorado slips, Dallas ages out a bit, and Minnesota’s goaltending injuries linger, Utah has a chance to take advantage.
The Metropolitan Division may have the most obvious favorite in the Carolina Hurricanes, who are running it back with almost the same roster that won the Stanley Cup just three and a half months ago and finished with a record-setting 16-3 run to get there. Even so, the New Jersey Devils have built a roster that can make this a race.
Their two biggest summer concerns were finishing and goaltending, and Sunny Mehta attacked both. Anthony Mantha gives them the best finisher available, while Luke Evangelista came in after a trade involving draft picks and helped Steven Stamkos post the best shooting-percentage season of his career. In goal, the move from Jacob Markström and his .883 save percentage to the Florida Panthers amounts to a clear upgrade by subtraction.
Depth was another issue, and the Devils added more of it with Evangelista, Amadeus Lombardi, Mantha, and Evan Rodrigues. If they can stay even reasonably healthy, a division title is absolutely in play.
Out West, the Pacific Division looks wide open enough that almost any pick could work. The Los Angeles Kings are the choice here, even with captain and franchise icon Anže Kopitar hanging up the skates in April. The case starts with the forward group, which looks more effective than flashy.
Quinton Byfield stands out as one of the league’s most underrated players. He averaged 20 minutes a night last season and brought strong two-way value, even if the 49 points didn’t exactly put him in the spotlight.
Adrian Kempe belongs in that same underrated conversation as a skilled player who doesn’t get enough league-wide attention. Trevor Moore is another name that deserves more credit, even from a second-line spot.
The real backbone, though, should be the defense. Los Angeles has long been a team that defends well, and that should continue as 23-year-old Brandt Clarke takes on a larger role, possibly as the team’s No.
- If Darcy Kuemper can get anywhere close to his 2024-25 form, when he finished third in Vezina Trophy voting, the Kings could do more than just sneak into the division picture.
They could make real noise in the playoffs, too.
In Other News...
Senators Roster Picture Just Got Much Messier Before Cutdown Day
Ottawas training camp trim started in earnest over the weekend, with the Senators releasing five players from their camp roster and loaning 10 more to Belleville as the organization begins narrowing the field before NHL cutdown day. The moves were part of a familiar late-camp sorting process, but this one has felt a little more complicated for Ottawa, especially with the roster still being shaped by injuries, absences and a few moving parts in goal.
The crease picture shifted again after the Senators lost Leevi Merilainen on waivers, then brought in Jonas Johansson from Tampa Bay to help stabilize the depth chart. Elsewhere, the club is trying to make its final decisions while several players are already unavailable, including Jake Sanderson and Andre Burakovsky after both left Saturdays action with injuries, and Ridly Greig, who will miss the first two games because of a suspension. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Face One Huge Test In Their First Season Without Brady
The Senators are heading into the 2026-27 season with a very different feel after trading captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in June, and the challenge now is making sure the offense still has enough punch without the player who defined so much of their identity. Ottawas path forward leans on a broader cast, with Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens and William Eklund expected to drive the attack while Jake Sanderson anchors a defense that has a chance to be a real strength.
The next layer of the test is in goal, where Linus Ullmark is slated to carry a big load with newcomer Samuel Ersson brought in to help support him. The Senators have spent the past few seasons learning how to play meaningful hockey again, and this year will be about proving that progress can survive a major roster shift, even as the club quietly weighs whether it has enough depth behind Ullmark to get through a long season. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Blue-Line Decision Signals Where Ottawa Is Headed
The Senators blue-line picture is starting to take shape as camp rolls on, and Ben Huttons brief audition was part of that process. Ottawa brought the veteran defenseman in on a professional tryout ahead of 2026-27 training camp, giving him a chance to compete for a depth role while the team sorted through a crowded group of defenders. He got into three preseason games, but the organization also had prospect Carter Yakemchuk pushing for attention and a few other players in the mix for roster spots.
Where that leaves the back end is a little clearer now, even if the full depth chart is still being finalized. Ottawa has moved on from Huttons PTO, leaving Nikolas Matinpalo in position as the extra defenseman and signaling that the Senators are leaning toward younger internal options as they map out their next step on defense. [Read more 🡒]