The 2026-2027 NHL season is almost here and there is no shortage of storylines to follow.
The season began Sept. 29 with the defending Stanley Cup champions, Carolina Hurricanes, opening against the Florida Panthers, while Gavin McKenna made his regular season debut with the Toronto Maple Leaf’s against the Montreal Canadiens.
From the arrival of another highly anticipated prospect to the continued careers of some of the league’s biggest names, this season could mark another shift in the NHL.
McKenna will naturally be one of the biggest storylines.
The Maple Leafs selected the 18-year-old first overall in June after he recorded 51 ponts in 35 games during his freshman season at Penn State. He also scored 14 points in seven games for Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Now, McKenna is making the jump to the NHL and joining a Toronto team that missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016.
He is expected to play alongside veteran forwards John Tavares and William Nylander, giving him an opportunity to play with experienced NHL talent right away.
How quickly McKenna adjusts to the NHL will be one of the biggest questions of the season. While expectations will be high, his first year will also be about learning what it takes to play against the best players in the world every night.
McKenna is also part of a larger group of young players who are beginning to shape the league.
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer enters his second NHL season after winning the Calder Trophy unanimously as the league’s top rookie. The 2025 first-overall pick recorded 59 points in 82 games last season, tying the NHL record for goals by a rookie defenseman with 23.
San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini is another name to watch. After recording 63 points as a rookie, Celebrini took another step last season, setting a Sharks single-season record with 115 points in 82 games. Celebrini has also just been named captain of the Sharks, taking on a larger leadership role for the young team.
The NHL schedule will give fans a chance to see some of these young stars directly against each other. McKenna and Schaefer, the league’s last two first-overall picks, played each other on Sept. 30 with the Leafs winning 2-1. Their next matchup will be on Oct. 17 in Toronto.
While the league’s future continues to arrive, the defending champions will be trying to make sure they remain at the top.
The Hurricanes won their second Stanley Cup in franchise history last season, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Carolina finished the playoffs with a 16-3 record and enters this season looking to become the latest team to repeat as champions.
Repeating will not be easy. Carolina lost goaltender Frederik Anderson in free agency, and the rest of the league will be looking to knock off the defending champions.
The season opener should provide an early test, with Carolina hosting the Florida Panthers and raising its championship banner before the game.
Away from the young stars and defending champions, another storyline will be the continued careers of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
Both players are entering their 22nd NHL season, putting them among the longest-tenured players in league history.
Ovechkin, who turned 41 in September, is returning to Washington after scoring 32 goals and recording 64 points last season. He remains the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer with 929 career goals.
Crosby is looking to continue to add to one of the most accomplished careers in NHL history. The 39-year-old recorded 74 points in 80 games last season and remains the Penguins’ captain as he enters another season alongside Ovechkin as one of the league’s most recognizable veterans.
Crosby and Ovechkin will meet for the first time this season on Oct. 7 in Washington. It will be another chapter in one of the NHL’s most recognizable rivalries, but it also serves as a reminder of how much the league has changed during their careers.
On one side, players like McKenna, Schaefer and Celebrini are beginning to establish themselves. On the other, Crosby and Ovechkin are continuing careers that have defined an era of hockey.
That contrast may be one of the most interesting parts of the 2026-27 season. The NHL is not simply entering another year; it is watching one generation continue to write its history while another begins to take over.