26 people who will shape the 2025-26 NHL season

After a long summer, we’ve finally arrived at the start of the 2025-26 NHL season. A revamped Toronto Maple Leafs squad is expected to remain in contention for the Stanley Cup, as the team will get underway against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

This is a list of people who will shape the 2025-26 NHL season. It’s meant to replicate some of the Hockey Hall of Fame criteria, and it includes builders, management and journalists, along with players who will shape the leading narratives and developments throughout the season.

Here is a list of 26 people who will shape the upcoming season. And for some context, here is last year’s list.

Jessica Campbell, assistant coach, Seattle Kraken: Campbell is the most likely candidate to become the first woman to become an NHL head coach. The 33-year-old is known for her work on the penalty kill and the next wave of NHL players certainly relate to her approach to teaching the game. It’s just a matter of time before Campbell takes on a head coaching role and her work with the Kraken will certainly be amplified this fall.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby is still a top-10 player in the game and his own ambition supersedes the Pittsburgh Penguins’ descent into tanking mode. Crosby will be the subject of trade rumours all year, although it feels unnatural to view him in anything other than a Penguins uniform. Crosby is 37 points away from passing Mario Lemieux as the Penguins’ all-time leading scorer, and it’s a moment the hockey world will be glued to, when he breaks the record this year.

Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens: Demidov showed glimpses of his electrifying skill set, and he’s the favourite to win the Calder Trophy. This may be the wrong forum to accelerate the hype around Demidov, but if he’s indeed the real deal, it will elevate the Canadiens’ ceiling by a tier and reinvigorate a once-dormant rivalry with the Maple Leafs.

Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights: Eichel is one of the NHL’s best all-around players and he’s firmly in the middle of his prime. Vegas is a leading contender to win its second Cup in four years, and Eichel will operate as an all-situation menace for his team. He’s one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, he can bowl over opponents, he provides elite defensive impact and could steer the U.S. to an Olympic gold medal. Eichel could be in for a banner year in many respects.

Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks: To put it gently, the Canucks were the most dysfunctional team in the North American men’s sports landscape last year, with due consideration to the Dallas Mavericks. Hughes will look to put the noise behind him, while speculation runs rampant about his potential desire to join his brothers in New Jersey. On the ice, Hughes is one of the two best defencemen in the NHL and could steer a resurgent campaign for the Canucks. And of course, Vancouver could once again to prove to be a circus.

Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens: Hutson’s improvisational qualities with the puck may be a precursor for the next generation of defencemen. The reigning Calder Trophy winner led the Canadiens to the playoffs last year and he’s looking to secure a massive contract extension with the team, while quickly becoming a fan favourite. Montreal boasts the best long-term outlook of any team, and Hutson’s emergence as one of the NHL’s best defencemen will go a long way in this journey.

Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild: Kaprizov would make this list alone for becoming the highest-paid player in NHL history. He’s the unquestioned face of the Wild franchise, but durability remains a concern for the 28-year-old, who has played greater than 75 games just twice in his career. How will Kaprizov respond to the added attention that comes with his massive salary?

Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings: Kopitar is entering the final season of his decorated career, but he’s still an elite presence. The 38-year-old may enjoy the spoils of a retirement tour but he’s also going to provide Selke-calibre defence for a Kings team that could push all their chips in pursuit of one final Stanley Cup. Kopitar is seeking a Hollywood ending to his career, and it may dictate the balance of power at the trade deadline.

Anton Lundell, Florida Panthers: Lundell has outgrown the ‘Baby Barkov’ nickname and with the Panthers’ captain out for the duration of the regular season, it’s his time to step up. He is the rare Panthers player still ascending into his prime, he provides elite defensive ability with an increased penchant for getting into the high-danger areas. If Florida doesn’t drop off during the regular season, it will be in part due to Lundell’s continued growth into an absolute menace in all facets of the game.

Kate Madigan, assistant general manager, New Jersey Devils: Madigan continues to rise in the Devils’ organization, and should be a top candidate for the next general manager vacancies in the league. She has contributed to several astute moves and if the Devils contend for a Stanley Cup, it will certainly raise her profile in league circles, where her scouting background combined with proven analytics acumen will be an asset to any team.

Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights: You’re probably sick of hearing about Marner, but he will be one of the leading stories this season. Marner signed an eight-year deal with the Golden Knights, where his playoff failures won’t be tolerated on a group intent on winning its second title in four years. Was the market the problem for Marner all along? We cannot wait for his return to Toronto on January 23. Until then, he’s persona non grata in Toronto.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews is not only tasked with leading the Maple Leafs to a Stanley Cup in his first season without Marner, the hockey world is also waiting to see if he will return to 69-goal form that he showed two years ago. Toronto’s captain has looked fully healthy throughout the preseason. Can Matthews return to the best goal-scorer alive form he showed two years ago, and will a reshuffled Leafs lineup finally overcome their playoff hurdles?

Sunny Mehta, assistant general manager, Florida Panthers: Mehta was a legendary poker player before joining the Panthers’ front office, and his superior of understanding of math and the salary cap positions the two-time champions to be contend for the next half-decade. He’s rarely discussed as a future general manager, but the NHL is a copycat league and the next great team executive is sitting in plain sight in the Panthers’ box.

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers: McDavid signed a two-year extension worth $12.5 million annually with the Oilers on Monday, putting rumours of his imminent relocation to rest. It provides the Oilers with a clear, finite window to lift the Stanley Cup, or run the risk of the generational talent leaving in two summers. For the time being, McDavid will do everything in his power to lead to the Oilers to an elusive Stanley Cup. McDavid is the best player in the world, and this may finally be the year he joins the pantheon of hockey greats.

Gavin McKenna, Penn State: OK, so McKenna isn’t in the NHL just yet but teams will be lining up to better their odds of selecting him first overall in this summer’s draft. McKenna is a dynamic scorer who turned heads during his NCAA debut and is the presumptive favourite to go first overall. McKenna will enter the NHL next year as the most anticipated prospect since Connor Bedard, and several teams across the league will be monitoring every one of his shifts this year.

William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs: Nylander finished second with 45 goals last year and he’s tasked with a greater share of the Maple Leafs’ offense, now that Marner has joined the Golden Knights. He’s a dynamic scorer who often rights the ship when the Maple Leafs face rough patches, and he could be in line for the first 100-point season of his career, two years removed from a 98-point campaign.

Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars: Oettinger is a popular candidate to win the Vezina Trophy among The Leafs Nation’s staff and if he’s able to elevate his game in the playoffs, there may be further awards in store. Dallas has been on the verge of lifting the Cup for several seasons and its chances this year will heavily rely on Oettinger finding another tier during the summer. No pressure!

Zayne Parekh, Calgary Flames: Parekh is going to be a fan favourite quickly in Calgary. The 19-year-old plays a freewheeling game and is always looking to create offence for a Flames team that will certainly need some secondary offence. Ivan Demidov is the heavy favourite to win the Calder Trophy, but Parekh’s electric style of play may put him over the top.

Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars: Rantanen was traded twice last year and amid the most turbulent year of his career, produced one of the most dominant individual playoff showings we’ve seen in recent memory. The 28-year-old is seeking revenge on multiple teams and as one of the NHL’s preeminent playoff performers, we cannot wait to see him going scorched earth on the league.

Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov will be missing the regular season, but Sam Reinhart is a Selke-calibre player who also lead the team in goals last year. Reinhart’s ability to win pucks back, get his own shot off and executive Paul Maurice’s 1-2-2 forecheck to perfection makes him one of the league’s most dangerous players.

David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins: Pastrnak is a one-man offence unto himself, and this could prove to be taxing pretty quickly for the Bruins star. Boston will struggle to generate any offence without Pastrnak on the ice, and though he’s committed long-term, will Pastrnak grow fed up and force a trade midseason? We could see some fireworks in Boston in the absence of institutional leadership and firepower.

Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders: Schaefer will make his NHL debut for the Islanders on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins and this isn’t merely ceremonial. The first overall pick from the 2025 NHL Draft is a transformational skater and could help the Islanders quickly accelerate past a rebuilding stage in pursuit of a playoff spot. It seems unlikely that the Islanders will return him to major junior after nine games, and Schaefer is the most exciting defenceman to enter the league since Rasmus Dahlin.

Mike Sullivan, head coach, New York Rangers: Sullivan boasts two Stanley Cup victories to his name and he’s tasked with one of the most exciting projects in hockey: restoring the New York Rangers back to greatness. New York was the biggest disappointment in hockey last year, and now it’s incumbent upon Sullivan to extract the most from his talented roster, in the biggest media market in the world.

Andre Tourigny, head coach, Utah Mammoth: Utah is a popular pick to make a major leap this season and Tourigny oversees a young team growing into its collective prime. This is his fifth season behind the bench and if Utah struggles out of the gate, his seat could get hot quickly, as the novelty of a franchise relocation may have already worn off.

Marty Walsh, executive director, NHLPA: Walsh has done a stellar job in his role with the NHLPA and helped ratify a new collective bargaining agreement, which takes effect for the 2026-27 season. The job is never finished for Walsh, who oversees all labour matters and made a concerted effort to meet with players before the new CBA was ratified. He may not be able to eradicate state taxes, but Walsh continues to work in service of the players, with a formidable union.

Bill Zito, Florida Panthers: Chalking up the Panthers’ dynasty to the sum of their state income tax advantage plays directly to Zito’s strengths. Zito and the Panthers’ management team just pulled off a dream offseason, signing Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad to long-term pacts, before adding Jeff Petry on a veteran minimum deal. Although the Panthers will be without Aleksander Barkov for the entire regular season, this is still a team very well positioned to three-peat, with Zito and his staff laughing to the bank.