Maddy Westbeld and Kathryn Westbeld enter the league together, pairing Sky and Mercury debuts in a year that feels less spicy but more about mutual growth. Their six-year gap fuels collaboration rather than competition, with Maddy leaning on quickness and Kathryn bringing European finesse to the post. Elizabeth Williams adds veteran frontcourt depth for Chicago, while Mark Williams, Williams’ brother, sparks a Phoenix Suns storyline that blends family pride with pro development. Kia Nurse leans on Darnell Nurse for human-side guidance as she navigates contracts and body care. The piece also ties in Indiana Fever and a Sky-Fever backdrop, spotlighting a basketball family culture that translates into front-office poise and fantasy upside.

Kia Nurse’s path echoes a blueprint: pro longevity through recovery, mentorship, and sibling support across leagues. Across the Chicago and Phoenix rosters, a blend of youth and experience suggests early-season rotations leaning into versatile frontcourts and guard depth, with maturation driven by elder presence and cross-sport family lessons. The Fever storyline adds a tournament-edge backdrop as Clark’s absence reshapes matchups, framing the Sky as an upstart but seasoned contender in a season framed by growth, depth, and strategic opportunity for fantasy managers.

Florida Panthers hold the early betting throne as the team to beat, anchored by a familiar core and reinforced by steady off-season moves. Re-signings of Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad keep leadership and production stable, while Jeff Petry slides in on the blueline to shore up defensive depth. The club is leaning into continuity, adding young talents like Michael Benning and Mackie Samoskevich to accelerate development without disturbing the championship rhythm. Five-plus-goal games remain a Panthers hallmark, and their penalty kill should stay top-tier with this blend of grit and discipline.

Edmonton Oilers sit just behind, chasing a breakthrough after consecutive Finals losses. The core trio of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Skinner remains, with Jake Walman and Evan Bouchard addressing back-end depth and experienced bottom-six forwards boosting secondary scoring. Edmonton also emphasizes special teams—improving PK elements and faceoffs—while maintaining a powerful power play that led the league. Vegas pivots with Mitch Marner, injecting elite playmaking into a group already featuring Eichel and Hertl, while Carolina and Colorado round out the top contenders with Ehlers’ speed and Landeskog’s anticipated return, respectively, adding depth, structure, and playoff pedigree to their rosters.

The Final Period notes a tighter, more variable race than ever, with health, chemistry, and unforeseen development shaping the 2026 landscape. Carolina’s forecheck and possession hold steady, Colorado’s transition and speed remain dangerous, and Florida’s veteran leadership keeps the team poised for a rare three-peat attempt. Across the board, teams emphasize depth, development pipelines, and reliable goaltending as the season approaches, creating a wide-open championship window for 2026.

Edmonton’s plan to chase a big top-nine forward hinges on creating cap space before the trade deadline, potentially by shedding salary and using a 2027 first-round pick as a bargaining chip. The strategy centers on a two-step approach: trim payroll now to enable a blockbuster move later, then pounce when the market tightens and teams hold back cap space for the stretch run.

Key timing and personnel are in flux. Mattias Janmark’s 1.45 million hit and 10-team no-trade clause complicate a deal, while Adam Henrique’s no-movement clause reduces odds of a trade. Jake Walman’s contract discussions enter the mix as a potential piece, and the Oilers’ cap plan could hinge on extending or reshaping the defense core to maximize flexibility for a top-line addition.

With the Oilers owning a 2027 first-round pick, the math could tilt toward a splash for a forward or even a goaltender depending on how the roster is reshaped. The broader question remains whether Edmonton can stabilize its cap window enough to add a player who can immediately lift the lineup in high-leverage segments of the season and beyond.

The Voices of Hockey: Broadcasters Reflect on the Fastest Game on Earth is now an audiobook, expanding the 2016 edition with about 30 extra interviews and fresh context on today’s NHL. Utah-born author Kirk McKnight drew 65 broadcasters past and present to mine the craziest, most riveting moments—the fights, the chaos in the stands, the quick quips in the booth—through the lens of the storytellers themselves. Costas’ anecdote about a rookie broadcaster navigating a chaotic bus escape frames the craft, while McKnight emphasizes trimming years of material into a tight, compelling narrative that still captures the sport’s blood, grit, and humor. Local flavor comes via the Utah Mammoth, and McKnight even sought a personal voice in Chuck Bowler, a narrator chosen for the project. The book’s update also nods to three new NHL teams and an inactive club, underscoring how the league’s evolution shapes the art of broadcasting and fandom.

McKnight’s mission is clear: celebrate the voices that turn on-ice action into story, shaping how fans and fantasy players perceive the game. By foregrounding broadcasters as central to hockey’s mythology, the audiobook becomes a guide not just to history, but to today’s game and its future narratives. Gretzky’s legacy threads through the discussion as a benchmark of stardom, while the Coyotes’ and other franchises’ histories provide context for the modern game’s storytelling tapestry. This is hockey lore told aloud, with a local heartbeat in Utah and a global reach in the broadcast booth.

Matthew Tkachuk remains undecided about offseason surgery to address torn adductor and sports hernia injuries sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off. A decision could push his return back two to three months if he undergoes surgery, though he’s hopeful for a normal summer. He finished the playoffs with 23 points in 23 games, including seven in the final against Edmonton, as Florida captured its second consecutive Cup. The Panthers begin the season Oct 7 at home vs Chicago, with heightened scrutiny on Tkachuk’s health and the team’s top-line dynamics.