Oilers, Avalanche, Hurricanes and Panthers each carry one key flaw

With the 2026-27 NHL season about to start, several clubs appear almost locked in as division favourites. On paper, the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers all look capable of deep playoff runs. Beneath those strong resumes, though, each team has a clear weak spot that could derail its plans if it isn’t managed carefully over 84 games.

Oilers: elite top end, thin support and fragile crease

Edmonton has pushed hard for a breakthrough by hiring Mike Babcock in what feels like a Stanley Cup-or-bust year. He returns to the NHL after six seasons away and hasn’t guided a team to a series win in well over a decade. His new roster is front-loaded with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard, but the overall depth remains a concern.

The Oilers already struggled last season to replace forwards Corey Perry, Connor Brown and Viktor Arvidsson, and their forward group looks much the same heading into 2026-27. Alex Formenton, who has not played in the league since 2021-22 and projects to a bottom-six role, is the only notable addition up front. That leaves Edmonton banking on significant strides from younger players such as Isaac Howard and Matthew Savoie.

On defence, the departure of Darnell Nurse removes more than 22 minutes per game from the blue line. Newcomers Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin will be asked to absorb much of that workload. In goal, Tristan Jarry is coming off a nightmare season, Devon Levi is largely untested and free-agent signing Frederik Andersen is already injured. For the Oilers to live up to expectations, Babcock will have to squeeze more consistency out of a roster that sagged last year.

Avalanche: stacked roster faces regression risk

Colorado ran away early in 2025-26, losing only twice in regulation before New Year’s. That surge, however, was fuelled by several standout seasons that may be difficult to replicate. Martin Necas hit 100 points while shooting 18.4 per cent, well above his career norm, and 34-year-old goalie Scott Wedgewood posted a .921 save percentage with 31 wins, numbers few expected.

Veteran forwards Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri will be 35 and 36, respectively, in October, which naturally raises questions about sustaining top-end production. Brent Burns is coming off a 12-goal campaign from the blue line at 41, another performance that logically should tail off. If too many of these pieces slide back at once, the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild—who both cleared 100 points last season—are well positioned to seize the Central Division crown.

Hurricanes and Panthers: quiet summer vs. goaltending gamble

Carolina chose stability after finally putting everything together last spring. The roster remains balanced and deep, but that steady approach stands in contrast to a divisional rival that loaded up. The Washington Capitals added Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner, while young talents such as Cole Hutson, Ilya Protas and Ryan Leonard are expected to take on larger roles. The result is a Capitals lineup that now looks as big, skilled and physical as Carolina’s.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes’ depth took some hits. Frederik Andersen departed, Seth Jarvis is currently injured and defenceman Alexander Nikishin appears headed toward a break with the organization. That increases the burden on Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov in net, and may force Eric Robinson into a more prominent role until Jarvis returns, even though Carolina still has more than $8 million in cap space available to add help.

In Florida, injuries were a major storyline last year, but the addition of Brady Tkachuk further strengthens an already punishing forward group. The biggest question mark lies in goal. The Panthers let Sergei Bobrovsky walk in free agency and turned to Jacob Markstrom, who is roughly the same age, carries a similar cap hit and is also coming off a poor season.

Florida’s aggressive forecheck and highly involved defence can leave it exposed to odd-man rushes and breakaways. Over their two Stanley Cup-winning seasons, the Panthers surrendered 132 breakaways, the most in the league in that span, often relying on Bobrovsky to erase those breakdowns. If Markstrom doesn’t rebound or suffers another setback, the next option is Akira Schmid, whose 82 career games over five seasons have produced a save percentage below .900. For a contender with championship aspirations, that is a thin margin for error.