Connor McDavid, Barkov and Bettman headline 27 figures to shape 2026-27

As the 2026-27 NHL season gets underway, Sportsnet has singled out 27 people it believes will play outsized roles in how the year unfolds. The longform feature cuts across superstars, emerging talents, coaches and executives, sketching a picture of a league entering a period of both on-ice change and significant off-ice shifts.

McDavid, Babcock and the heat in Edmonton

In Edmonton, the combination of Connor McDavid and head coach Mike Babcock is presented as one of the season’s central storylines. Babcock’s hiring by general manager Stan Bowman, after his brief and controversial stint in Columbus, is described as a high-risk move that drew sharp criticism from Mark Messier but support from the Oilers’ leadership group. Those veteran players reportedly wanted a more demanding, detail-oriented approach to push the team deeper into the playoffs.

McDavid has publicly embraced that challenge, stressing his desire to be coached hard and saying he has already seen how prepared Babcock’s teams can be. At the same time, Sportsnet notes that the captain has made it clear he would step in if any lines are crossed, a reminder of how delicately this partnership must be managed in what could be a defining season for the franchise.

Barkov, Bedard and the next wave of franchise pillars

For the Florida Panthers, captain Aleksander Barkov is framed as the key to reviving a team that fell short in its bid for a three‑peat. Barkov missed all of 2025-26 after tearing his right knee early in training camp, then returned to lead Finland to gold at the 2026 world championship. His healthy return is expected to reset the club’s centre depth behind him, with Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell sliding into more natural roles and adding another challenger to Nick Suzuki’s Selke Trophy defence.

In Chicago, Connor Bedard enters the season coming off a 30-goal, 75-point breakout, armed with a $75‑million contract and the captain’s ‘C’. Sportsnet points out that despite his offensive surge, Bedard’s career plus-minus remains deep in the red and the Blackhawks still have not been back to the playoffs since before Patrick Kane’s departure. With Kane now back, Bowen Byram under a lucrative deal and expectations rising, the 21‑year‑old is portrayed as the player who must pull Chicago out of the basement.

San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini is highlighted as another focal point after a huge leap in production, a standout Olympic performance and a major extension. Surrounded by young teammates such as Will Smith and Michael Misa, he is cast as the player who could finally end one of the league’s longest active playoff droughts and give East Coast viewers a late‑night reason to tune in.

Bettman, Carlsson and a changing NHL landscape

Off the ice, commissioner Gary Bettman is portrayed as a central architect of the league’s next phase. Sportsnet notes that his office is dealing with rising revenues and salaries, new contract term limits, additional regular-season games and the strong possibility of further expansion, including a push into Texas. Preparations for the 2028 World Cup, another round of U.S. broadcast negotiations and managing proposals that could bring the league to 34 teams are all cited as part of his workload.

Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson stands out as a player who has already disrupted the economic landscape. His $18‑million average annual value, secured via an offer sheet, is described as a watershed deal that drove up restricted free‑agent expectations, helped set the stage for Cale Makar’s record‑breaking contract and forced the Ducks to part with a key winger like Chris Kreider while emboldening Cutter Gauthier’s own ask. Anaheim now needs Carlsson to dominate to justify the cap strain.

The piece also points to Sidney Crosby’s ongoing chase of all‑time scoring milestones and another contract in Pittsburgh, and to Peter DeBoer’s task of lifting a transitioning New York Islanders team after Anders Lee’s departure and a Mathew Barzal injury. Veterans such as Drew Doughty, entering a contract year in Los Angeles, round out a cross‑section of 27 figures Sportsnet believes will sit at the heart of the NHL’s 2026-27 narrative.