The 2025-26 NHL season opens with Carolina and Edmonton as co-favorites at TitanPlay, Florida and Colorado close behind, signaling a high-stakes Cup chase. Florida keeps its core while Carolina added talent, creating a crowded race among the top four. Historic moments—Orr’s Cup-clinching overtime, Ovechkin passing Gretzky, Lemieux’s comeback, and Selanne’s rookie explosion—anchor contemporary fantasy narratives, shaping milestone-driven ceilings for stars and sleepers alike.

NHL announces the 2026 draft dates (June 26-27) with a city decision expected by year-end and a March 6 trade deadline. Barzal is ready to return from last season’s injury, emphasizing mental readiness and a six-year commitment. Kaprizov is labeled a blank-check candidate for Minnesota, while Seth Jarvis reports strong shoulder rehab and may revisit center duties. Gambrell and Labanc sign PTOs with Nashville and Carolina, respectively, and Mason McTavish faces a bridge-deal question for Anaheim. A Rangers front-office reshuffle hints at strategic shifts that could affect moves and depth. Fantasy takeaway: map out draft targets, watch lineup churn, and exploit late-season depth moves.

NHL chatter tightens around how these moves could ripple through rosters and cap space, influencing who lines up as top-scoring wings, center depth, and insurance on center-heavy lines. As teams finalize rosters and кeep assets flexible, fantasy managers should monitor immediate impact players, potential role changes, and how the trade deadline could unlock value for sleepers down the stretch.

Seth Jones, 30, is the lone Olympic-hopeful defender who brings a rare two-threaded path: he attended the 2013 USA orientation camp and earned a spot on the 2022 Olympic team before the NHL withdrew. Now chasing Milan 2026, Jones sits in a shifting USA defense core alongside Fox, Slavin, Werenski, Hughes and McAvoy, eyeing a chance to cap a career arc that includes a Stanley Cup triumph and a father-driven skating and skill lineage.

As USA Hockey reshapes its blue line, Jones’s background and Cup pedigree underscore the blend of veteran poise and youthful opportunity the 2026 squad will demand. Watching the 4 Nations from home highlighted the depth at defense, with Jones positioned as a potentially pivotal piece in Milan.

Nashville’s rookie camp centers on Brady Martin, the 2025 No.5 pick, with scouts keen on whether he can stand out and force a quick NHL look or whether his path still runs through the OHL. The Predators are also re-evaluating the Molendyk-Gibson pairing amid hints they could be split, a move that would reshape early-season defense depth. Cole O’Hara, a 2022 fourth-rounder with a Pro debut behind him, will push to prove he’s pro-ready. Florida hosts the rookie tournament against Florida, Carolina, and Tampa Bay before the veterans report.

Martin’s Florida showing could tilt Nashville’s nine-game NHL window decision and influence whether he stays or returns to Sault Ste. Marie. The camp will illuminate how Milwaukee’s AHL path could unfold for Molendyk and Gibson, and whether O’Hara’s playmaking can translate to a full-time role. Florida’s tournament acts as the first real barometer before September’s main camp.