Below is a list of 10 people who will define the upcoming NHL season (and Olympic tournament) for one reason or another. Some are influential or transcendent. Others are staring down big decisions. All of them are intriguing.
Patrick Kane
Kane, who signed a one-year contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings in June, is well past his prime. He isn't chasing 100-point seasons or fat paychecks at 36.
Still, the table is set for a memorable season.
Kane enters 2025-26 with 492 goals and 1,343 points. Eight more goals and he joins the 500-goal club. Thirty-two more points and he's the all-time leader among Americans, passing Mike Modano. Fifty-seven more points and he becomes the 23rd or 24th player in NHL history to reach 1,400 (Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin is also close at 1,346 points to start the season).
Then there's the Olympics. Kane's a long shot to crack Team USA's roster, but his dream of competing in a third Games is by no means dead. "I don't want to be chosen just for what I've done in the past or to just be another guy," Kane said recently. "I'd love to be a guy who gets off to a great start, gets picked for the team, and can help in any way possible once you get there."
Young Kane inspired an entire generation of playmakers.
"He was laying the foundation for the shiftiness and the hands of so many guys now," Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. "He changed the game of hockey. He's an absolute legend. And it's great that he's an American."
Lastly, the Red Wings: The Original Six franchise that Kane picked as a November 2023 free agent is anxious to snap a nine-year playoff drought. "We really feel like we're on the verge, and we should do it this year," Kane said.
Bill Zito
It was never going to be easy for Zito's Florida Panthers to win a third straight Stanley Cup. The three-peat case has been weakened significantly of late, with three forwards - All-Star Matthew Tkachuk, ever-important Aleksander Barkov, and fourth-line center Tomas Nosek - sustaining long-term injuries ahead of the season.
Tkachuk's sidelined until around December, Nosek's out for "several months," and Barkov's gone for seven-to-nine months, giving him a return timeline of April-June.
How does Zito, a finalist for the NHL's General Manager of the Year award in four of his five seasons in Florida, navigate the next six months? Does Zito acquire someone to "replace" Barkov (note: nobody can truly replace the marvelous Finn) or hope he returns in close-to-normal form for the playoffs?
Zito's no stranger to swinging for the fences in trades. The Panthers' front office as a whole excels at bringing in the right pieces at the right time.
Quinn and Jack Hughes
For Quinn Hughes, 2025-26 is vital to figuring out if the Vancouver Canucks are a franchise worth committing to over a second long-term contract. (He's eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2026.) This season is also massive for proving he's a legitimate threat to Cale Makar for best-defenseman-on-the-planet honors.
For Jack Hughes, 2025-26 is key for silencing critics of his injury woes. (The six-year NHLer has missed a batch of games in every season but one.) It's also big for showing he can be the man in New Jersey and lead the Devils to the playoffs.
The Hughes brothers will be hugely important to the U.S. Olympic squad. Quinn, who missed the 4 Nations Face-Off due to injury, should log top-pair minutes in Milan, while Jack has a chance to snatch a premier winger spot despite looking overwhelmed and contributing only one assist at 4 Nations.
Connor McDavid
McDavid has posted gaudy numbers and won individual trophies consistently over the past decade. He helps define every season simply by being the best player in the world. Theoretically, his 11th season could be his wildest yet.
With McDavid and running mate Leon Draisaitl dominating every night, the Edmonton Oilers automatically deserve inner-circle Cup contender status. Meanwhile, McDavid's competing in his first Olympics and Canada has an excellent shot at winning gold. Oh, and McDavid remains undecided on his future. He could re-sign on a record-breaking long-term deal, go short with Edmonton, or create by far the craziest bidding war in NHL history by testing free agency.
Sidney Crosby
Still one of the faces of the sport at 38, Crosby will be part of the national conversation on a near-daily basis over the course of his 21st season.
Crosby's level of play is an important story. Does he remain elite or does his production begin to dry up?
His future is a juicy story. Does he choose to endure the Pittsburgh Penguins' rebuild or does he give management the green light to explore a midseason trade?
And his international resume is a legacy-affecting story. Does Canada win a third Olympic gold medal with him as its on- and off-ice leader, or does the team flounder?
Spencer Carbery
Carbery is a superstar in coaching circles. The 43-year-old's entering his third year behind the Capitals' bench and, boy, did everything click into place in Year 2. Washington grabbed 111 points to earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, Alex Ovechkin scored Goal 895 earlier than expected, and Dylan Strome, Aliaksei Protas, and many others enjoyed career years.
The flip side of all that success: Regression is probably around the corner.
The Caps probably won't finish first in the league in shooting percentage or get stellar night-to-night goaltending from the Logan Thompson-Charlie Lindgren tandem again. Ovechkin - 40 and looking it, no longer chasing history, and perhaps playing his final season - is primed to decline.
Washington's lineup is strong enough to grab one of three playoff spots in a weak Metropolitan Division. However, nothing will be given to them, which means Carbery's ability to elevate a team is going to be put to the test often.
Ivan Demidov
Demidov put up 49 points in 65 KHL games last season as a teenager. He triumphantly arrived in Montreal in April and impressed in seven NHL games.
The 2024 fifth overall pick has continued to add to his personal highlight reel during preseason action and looks set to begin his official rookie campaign in a prominent role on the second line alongside Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine.
Demidov is a tantalizing talent already being compared to countryman Nikita Kucherov for his effortless skating, ankle-breaking dangles, and off-the-charts offensive instincts. The 19-year-old playmaking winger will be spotlighted for several reasons: He plays in a major market, the Canadiens are on the rise, and he's exact brand of player (offensive dynamo) the Habs desperately need.
Frankly, it would be surprising if Demidov didn't win the Calder Trophy.
Kevin Cheveldayoff
Cheveldayoff didn't make our "people under the most pressure" list because his job in Winnipeg appears as secure as ever under owner Mark Chipman.
The second-longest-tenured GM in the league lands on this list because this Jets season has so many layers. Cheveldayoff is betting that Jonathan Toews is the answer at second-line center after two-plus years away from the game. The front office and coaching staff must figure out the right way to lessen starting goalie Connor Hellebuyck's regular-season workload. The reigning Hart Trophy winner needs to peak in the playoffs, not in December or March.
The Jets haven't advanced past the second round since 2018 and didn't directly replace departed free agent Nikolaj Ehlers in the offseason. Cheveldayoff is armed with first-round picks and enough desirable prospects to pull off a needle-moving trade or two ahead of the March 6 deadline.
Winnipeg has 10 pending unrestricted free agents on its roster, most notably top sniper Kyle Connor. Cheveldayoff can't fumble the Connor negotiation.
Gavin McKenna
McKenna may not be officially affiliated with the NHL at the moment, but viral highlights and the multi-team race to the bottom of the standings for the opportunity to draft him next June will soon thrust him into the limelight.
Is he a future Shark? Blackhawk? Penguin? Islander? Kraken? Flyer?
McKenna's a talent worth tanking for - the unquestioned top prospect for the 2026 draft and the caliber of player who can change a franchise's trajectory overnight. The 17-year-old winger is a tremendous skater and thinker with the passing and shooting abilities to make him a true dual threat at the NHL level.
McKenna left junior for the NCAA in the offseason. He'll star for Penn State while making a reported $700,000 in name, image, and likeness (NIL) money.
Paul Theofanous
Theofanous doesn't have the name recognition of fellow player agents like Pat Brisson, Judd Moldaver, or Darren Ferris. Make no mistake, though: The rep will be highly influential behind the scenes over the next 10-12 months.
For starters, Theofanous just finished negotiating the most lucrative contract in history - $136 million over eight years for hotshot client Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild winger doesn't boldly turn down $128 million a few weeks ago without first discussing at length the risks and rewards of doing so with Theofanous.
Kaprizov's front-loaded, signing-bonus-heavy deal carries a $17-million average annual value. It sets the bar for the rest of the 2026 UFA class, which is stacked with impact forwards, and resets the overall landscape as the salary cap rises from $95.5 million to $113.5 million over the next two years.
Theofanous reps nine NHLers, including pending UFAs Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. Panarin's stock is up with Kaprizov now off the market.
The agent keeps a low profile, but the little we know about him is fascinating. Theofanous has served on three separate enlistments with the U.S. Army's Special Forces, deploying twice to Afghanistan since 9/11, according to one online bio. He speaks Russian, studied at the University of Denver (business) and Harvard (Soviet studies), and sits on the Special Forces Trust board.
John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).
