Canadiens, Mammoth and Sharks featured in La Presse’s 2026‑27 NHL predictions

With the 2026-27 NHL season approaching, La Presse has rolled out its annual package of forecasts and opinion pieces. The Montreal-based outlet’s hockey section, including its Montreal Canadiens beat writers, offers a broad look at where the league stands, what to expect from the Canadiens, and how each division might shake out.

Six tough questions to frame the Canadiens’ season

Reporters Richard Labbé, Guillaume Lefrançois and Simon-Olivier Lorange headline the Canadiens coverage with a familiar pre-season exercise. The trio digs into six pointed questions about Montreal’s roster, outlook and pressure points as the new campaign begins. Their roundtable is presented as a way to turn over every stone around the organization, from internal battles to bigger-picture issues.

The discussion is meant to clarify what could push the Canadiens forward or hold them back in a season where the Atlantic Division looks especially demanding. With little room for missteps, the analysis serves as a roadmap for readers trying to gauge where Montreal truly fits in the Eastern Conference before opening night.

Crowded Atlantic, locked‑in Central and a shifting Pacific

In a league-wide sweep, La Presse’s writers move on to projected storylines in each division. In the Atlantic, they note how the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs slid in the standings last year, while suggesting both clubs should be more competitive in 2026-27. Combined with expected strength from the Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, that sets up a tight battle for playoff spots.

In the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes were the only team to clear 100 points last season, then went on to capture the Stanley Cup. La Presse points to the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils, and possibly the Philadelphia Flyers, as candidates to improve, while seeing limited immediate threat from the rest of the field.

The Central Division remains defined by three heavyweights. The Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild dominated last season with 121, 112 and 104 points respectively, and the paper’s analysts do not expect those clubs to be seriously challenged in the short term. The exception could be the Utah Mammoth, described as a team steadily climbing the ladder year after year.

Out West in the Pacific, the picture is more fluid. La Presse recalls Connor McDavid describing last year’s playoff race in that division as a “pillow fight,” a comment underscored by the Vegas Golden Knights topping the group with just 95 points. The San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames all finished among the league’s 10 worst teams, but the Sharks are now viewed as clearly trending upward, with the Anaheim Ducks also flagged as a candidate to take a meaningful step.

Trophy picks, big-picture calls and a new hockey pool

Beyond divisional outlooks and the Canadiens-specific roundtable, La Presse also publishes its staff selections for the major NHL awards. The outlet’s experts go on record with broader 2026-27 predictions, from potential Stanley Cup contenders to teams that may be heading for a setback.

To round out its season preview, La Presse launches the 2026-27 edition of its hockey pool, inviting readers to submit their player choices ahead of the regular-season opener. The detailed analyses across the package are positioned as useful context for pool participants looking to identify which clubs and skaters could be poised for a breakout year.