NHL Atlantic And Central Division Expectations

The Hockey News Big Show is here to preview the 2025-26 NHL season by giving their expectations for each team in the Atlantic and Central Divisions.

NHL Atlantic And Central Division Expectations by The Big Show
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Stay tuned for Friday’s episode of The Wraparound, which will preview each team in the Pacific and Metropolitan Divisions

Here’s what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and Ryan Kennedy discussed in this episode:

00:50: Reacting to Kirill Kaprizov signing an eight-year, $136-million contract with the Minnesota Wild

04:20: The New Jersey Devils signed Luke Hughes to a seven-year deal with a $9-million cap hit.

07:00: What does Aleksander Barkov’s injury do to the Florida Panthers’ three-peat hopes?

10:50: What are the Toronto Maple Leafs’ expectations in their first season since losing Mitch Marner and Brendan Shanahan?

14:45: How long can the Tampa Bay Lightning remain a legit Stanley Cup contender?

17:10: What has to happen for the Ottawa Senators to jump from fringe playoff team to legit contender?

20:40: What do the Montreal Canadiens need to break through and make noise in the Atlantic Division race and the playoffs?

23:00: What’s more likely in Detroit: the Red Wings break through and make a playoff run or more of the same and we see drastic moves?

26:10: After losing another young player, JJ Peterka, what are the general expectations for the Buffalo Sabres?

28:20: Do the Boston Bruins have what it takes to get back to the playoffs, or is this a team with an impending rebuild?

31:15: Do the Winnipeg Jets need to trust the process and hope to break through, or are there changes that need to be made?

33:30: What do the Dallas Stars need to do to get through the Western Conference final?

35:20: Are the Colorado Avalanche still legit Stanley Cup contenders going into their first full year post-Mikko Rantanen?

37:40: What other moves do the Minnesota Wild need to make to move into a more competitive position after securing Kaprizov?

39:50: What are the expectations for the St. Louis Blues going into the first full season with Jim Montgomery?

41:00: What are realistic expectations for the Utah Mammoth going into Year 2?

42:10: What are the expectations for the Nashville Predators, given the age of some of their players?

44:00: What has to happen in Chicago for Connor Bedard to reach his full potential?

45:40: Which NHL rookies will stay for just nine games into the regular season, and which rookies will be around for longer?

46:45: Who are the top five Stanley Cup contenders from the Atlantic and Central Divisions?

47:30: How many points will Gavin McKenna record this season at Penn State?

Watch the full Episode here 

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