10 Burning NHL Questions For Overtime Hockey Lanes

The puck drops on National Hockey League training camps this week. The 2026-27 regular season begins in two weeks’ time with the most games ever, at 84 per team. Here’s a list of 10 Burning Questions entering the new campaign, as compiled by the Rod Pedersen Show & Cats N Bolts Podcast:

10 – OLE! OLE! OLE!: The rebuild for the Montreal Canadiens has been slow and steady since Les Habitents last appeared in the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. Hockey people call it the finest rebuild ever. Favourite son Martin St. Louis has guided it all, including playoff appearances the past two seasons and a trip to the Eastern Conference Final in 2026 before bowing out to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in five-game ECF. Do the Habs go all the way this year and finish it off? Nous pensons qu’ils en sont capables. (Look it up).

9 – WHAT ABOUT BOB?: Unable to agree to terms in Florida where he became a household name and franchise legend, Sergei Bobrovsky landed in Toronto this summer along with new head coach Jim Hiller. The pair is tasked with returning the Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a miss in 2026, which cost Craig Berube his job. No easy job! Fanduel has the Leafs picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Division. But a motivated Bob – who believes he’s still in his prime – is a good thing for Toronto.

8 – BIG APPLE BUST: The NY Rangers, NY Islanders & New Jersey Devils all missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026. A first. They called it the first “New York-area blackout” for NHL playoff hockey in 44 years, since the Devils arrived from Colorado. Will it happen again in 2027? Only the Devils are projected to make the playoffs by Fanduel.

7 – BEDARD OR CELEBRINI?: It’s this generation’s Sid vs Ovi debate, and we’re here for it! Who will have the better season? On Tuesday, Bedard was named captain of the Chicago Blackhawks and in a beautifully-written column at The Players Tribune, Bedard vowed to Blackhawks fans that the team will return to prominence on his watch. Connor’s got Patrick Kane in the Windy City now to ride shotgun. As for Celebrini, he signed a whopping 5-year extension at $18.8M per season which kicks in next year. Clearly the Sharks see him as the centerpiece of their rebuild but as of today, his Sharks do not have a captain. How long before they stitch the “C” on Celebrini’s sweater?

6 – OVIE: The Great 8 won’t reach 1,000 career goals this season (he’s 71 shy) but his chase will be fun to follow as the sun sets on Alex Ovechkin’s Hall of Fame career. The Capitals got a lineup boost this summer with the additions of Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, and Fanduel has them picked to finish in second-place in the Metropolitan Division. They’ll be fun to watch.

5 – VGK: It feels like a gamble to hand the head coaching reins over from John Tortorella to NHL rookie coach Ryan Craig, but we’re long past second-guessing, or doubting, Vegas General Manager Kelly McCrimmon. Call it a “calculated risk”. Besides if you look at Craig’s coaching resume, he’s ready. The Golden Knights will be in the mix, as always.

4 – NO CANADA?: It’s a perennial question. When will Canada’s 1993 Stanley Cup drought end? There’s no doubt the Oilers and Canadiens represent the nation’s best chance to bring Stanley home. However is there a third or fourth team in the running? Sens, Jets and Leafs fans hope so. Flames and Canucks fans seem realistic about their team’s chances for this season, picked to finished 31st and 32nd when all is said and done.

3 – HELLEBUYCK: Speaking of the Jets, reports out of Winnipeg are dreary as TSN’s Darren Dreger says Connor Hellebuyck won’t be reporting to training camp after his now-public trade request. Dreger, who’s the lead insider on this story, further reports trade offers for Hellbuyck have been pathetic. Did we expect anything else? Hellebuyck has tied GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s hands, and it feels like there’s no way he could go back into that dressing room now. What a mess.

2 – COMEBACK CATS: Missing the playoffs in 2025-26 after three straight Stanley Cup Final trips was regarded as just a blip here in South Florida and Fanduel seems to agree. The sportsbook has the Florida Panthers listed as the #1 Stanley Cup favorite in 2026-27. With a healthy captain Aleksander Barkov back in the lineup, Brady Tkachuk joining brother Matthew to unite the Bash Brothers, and Jacob Markstrom acquired to replace Sergei Bobrovsky, the Cats now plan to go out and prove it was indeed a blip.

1 – BABS: For us, there’s absolutely no question what the #1 NHL storyline is entering the new season. Revered yet reviled head coach Mike Babcock has come out of retirement to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a Stanley Cup title immediately. The clock is ticking as the two-year bridge deal for superstar Connor McDavid has kicked in. And did GM Stan Bowman do enough in the off-season to augment the Oilers roster? We’re about find out.

Enjoy the hockey!
RP