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.

McDavid’s Edmonton tenure hits a high-stakes moment as he weighs the Oilers’ championship window this season. He’s not chasing a trade but probing whether goaltending, defense, and depth can finally translate his elite production into a Stanley Cup. With a 2026-27 contract on the horizon, the decision hinges on whether Edmonton can supply a clear path to title contention this year.

Two Cup Finals in recent seasons and a Panthers’ surge highlight the league’s shifting dynamics. McDavid’s calculus now centers on staying where winning is plausible, balancing cap realities with his prime years. If the Oilers don’t show meaningful progress, the door to exploring other destinations could widen, and the pressure is on Edmonton to prove they’re not just close, but contenders.

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.