The NHL’s power structure is shifting, and some recent contenders are showing serious cracks in their armor heading into 2025-26.
Let’s look at five teams that have taken clear steps backward this offseason – and not by choice.
The Colorado Avalanche’s glory days might be fading. They’ve lost 14 players from their 2022 Stanley Cup team, and their point totals have dropped three straight years.
This summer hit them particularly hard. Charlie Coyle, Jonathan Drouin, and Ryan Lindgren all walked out the door. Their big addition? Brent Burns, who’s 40 years old and well past his prime.
Sure, they still have Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. But history shows that even superstar duos struggle to maintain success as their big contracts eat up cap space. Just ask Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
The Edmonton Oilers might be in even bigger trouble. Fresh off their Stanley Cup Final appearance, they’ve lost six key players – that’s over a quarter of their playoff roster gone.
Making matters worse? Zach Hyman might miss the start of the season after wrist surgery.
The Los Angeles Kings somehow managed to get worse through both additions and subtractions. They lost shutdown defender Vladislav Gavrikov and replaced him with Cody Ceci, who’s been one of the NHL’s shakiest defenders.
In Toronto, losing Mitch Marner is a massive blow. We’re talking about a guy who put up 102 points last year and ranks seventh in NHL scoring since 2016. Sure, they got tougher – but they were already the NHL’s biggest team.
The Winnipeg Jets might have the most to worry about. Losing speedster Nikolaj Ehlers hurts bad enough, but they’re betting big on Jonathan Toews, who hasn’t played in two years due to health issues.
They’re now the oldest team in the NHL. That Presidents’ Trophy window? It might be closing fast.
These teams aren’t necessarily headed for disaster. But when you’re trying to win Stanley Cups, even small steps backward can have huge consequences.
And for these five clubs, the steps they’ve taken look anything but small.
