Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning is the Stanley Cup final we all wanted, Scott Wheeler's final draft rankings & New York Rangers take a giant step forward

We are officially one day away from the beginning of a brand new NHL season, and with that comes a lot of questions. On the first episode of The Athletic Hockey Show this season, the guys attempt to answer a bunch of those questions. How will the Panthers fare without their captain, Sasha Barkov? Will Sidney Crosby finish this season as a Penguin? Will Connor McDavid actually reach free agency? And of course, which team is the favorite to win the Stanley Cup? Find out the answers to all of those questions and more on today’s show.Hosts: Max Bultman and Mark LazerusWith: Jesse GrangerExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris FlanneryWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Loka 50min

The NHL season is nearly upon us, and with that in mind, the guys take a look at the field of rookies likely vying for the Calder Trophy and make their picks for frontrunners, dark horses, and long shots heading into opening night.Got a question? Ask it here: t.co/fYieuQEg14Hosts: Max Bultman and Corey Pronman, Scott WheelerExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris Flannery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Loka 26min

NHL division previews conclude with the Pacific. Are the Vegas Golden Knights the team to beat? Can Connor McDavid get the Oilers over the hump? Did the Kings do enough in the offseason? Will the Canucks and Flames take the next step? How much longer for the rebuilds in Anaheim, San Jose and Seattle? Hailey, Jesse and Sean are joined by The Athletic’s team of beat writers to preview it all.Hosts: Hailey Salvian, Sean Gentille, and Max BultmanWith: Eric Stephens, Thomas Drance, Daniel Nugent-Bowman, Shayna Goldman, Julian McKenzie and Shayna GoldmanExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Jeff Domet Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Loka 2h 3min

Today we preview the NHL’s Central Division, arguably the deepest division in hockey. Can the Jets repeat as Presidents’ Trophy winners? Will the Stars finally make it past the Conference Finals? Is this the year the Mammoth take the next step into the playoffs? The guys answer all those questions and much more, alongside The Athletic’s writers for each team.Hosts: Mark Lazerus, Sean McIndoe, and Jesse GrangerWith: Peter Baugh, Scott Wheeler, Scott Powers, Murat Ates, Jeremy Rutherford, Michael Russo, and Joe SmithExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris Flannery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Loka 1h 46min

Today we preview the NHL’s Metro Division, a division very much in flux with many questions heading into this season and beyond. Can the Rangers regroup and make it back to the playoffs? Will Ovi’s Caps repeat the success they had last season? Is this the year the Hurricanes reach the Stanley Cup Final? The guys answer all those questions and much more, alongside The Athletic’s writers for each team.Hosts: Max Bultman and Peter BaughWith: Shayna Goldman, Scott Wheeler, Vince Mercogliano, Aaron Portzline, Kevin Kurz, and Josh YoheExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris Flannery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Syys 1h 37min

We kick off our NHL division previews for the 2025-26 season starting with the Atlantic Division, led by the two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers who will be without their captain and MVP Sasha Barkov with an injury for the entire season. Are the Lightning now the team to beat? Will the Maple Leafs win without Mitch Marner? Is it a reboot or a rebuild for the Bruins? Is this finally the year that the Red Wings and Sabres join the Habs and Sens in the playoffs? Hailey, Max and Sean and The Athletic’s beat writers preview it all.Hosts: Hailey Salvian, Sean Gentille, and Max BultmanWith: Shayna Goldman, Julian McKenzie, Matthew Fairburn, Arpon Basu, Jonas Siegel and Fluto ShinzawaExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Jeff Domet Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Syys 1h 51min

For the first time in Prospect Series history, but certainly not the last time, Corey responds to comments left on his U23 rankings, as well as his recent 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 re-drafts. Does he really hate Gabe Perreault? Why is Shane Wright ahead of Lane Hutson? Is he really obsessed with Zeev Buium? All that and a lot more on this really fun episode.Got a question? Ask it here: t.co/fYieuQEg14Hosts: Max Bultman and Corey PronmanWith: FloHockey’s Chris PetersExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris Flannery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Syys 52min

On today’s episode, the guys dive into both Scott’s 2025 NHL Prospect Tiers, his own placement of 120 or so under-23 players into the different tiers, then vetted by scouts and executives, as well as Corey’s first 2026 NHL Draft ranking of the season, headlined by Gavin McKenna in the No. 1 spot. Plus, the guys close things out with some listener questions in the mailbag.Got a question? Ask it here: t.co/fYieuQEg14Hosts: Max Bultman, Corey Pronman, and Scott WheelerExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris Flannery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Syys 45min