The 2026 NHL offseason had many big trades and signings, but some teams still do not look ready to compete. In a story for The Hockey News, Adam Proteau ranked the NHL’s weakest teams on paper. From No. 1 to No. 5, these teams have the toughest road going into the 2026–27 season.

Five weakest NHL teams on paper entering 2026-27

Here are the five weakest teams discussed below. 

5. New York Rangers

The Rangers are the most surprising team on this list. Players like Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, Mika Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafreniere give New York a strong core.

The additions of Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson also improve the defense. However, Proteau believes the Rangers do not have enough depth to compete with the NHL’s top teams after ending last season near the bottom of the standings.

Proteau’s rankings are based only on how these teams look on paper after the first major offseason moves. Vancouver and Calgary seem to be in deeper rebuilding stages.

Chicago, Seattle, and even the Rangers still have big questions about their depth, talent, and ability to compete in tougher divisions.

What do you think? Which of these five teams has the best chance to exceed expectations during the 2026-27 season? Let us know in the comments. 

4. Seattle Kraken

Seattle has not found a clear direction yet. Re-signing Bobby McMann and adding Mackie Samoskevich were good moves, but neither player looks like a true first-line star.

Rumors about Shane Wright’s future and the team’s unused cap space show that the Kraken are still caught between rebuilding and trying to compete.

3. Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have a franchise star in Connor Bedard and a group of talented young players like Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Artyom Levshunov, and Spencer Knight.

However, The Hockey News’ Proteau believes Chicago’s overall roster is still weaker than the top teams in the Central Division. Adding Bowen Byram helps improve the defense, but the team still has many gaps to fill.

2. Calgary Flames

Calgary has a bright future, but the team still faces problems right now. Young players like Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec, Matt Coronato, and Matvei Gridin have talent, but they are not ready to lead the team yet.

The Flames have little salary-cap space and many areas to improve, so they may spend another season developing players instead of fighting for a playoff spot.

1. Vancouver Canucks

Proteau ranks Vancouver as the weakest team in the NHL after a poor 2025–26 season. The Canucks hired GM Ryan Johnson and coach Manny Malhotra, but the roster has not improved much.

Players like Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn, and Jamie Oleksiak bring experience, but they may not make a big difference. Rumors about possible trades involving Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, and Thatcher Demko show that a major rebuild could still happen.

Read more at the NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Kapil Manghnani brings over 4.5 years of experience in sports journalism, covering a wide range of sports, including Soccer, NHL, Tennis, Gymnastics, NASCAR, Swimming, and more. He has written for leading sports platforms, producing everything from breaking news and features to in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, long-form stories, and short-form content. Beyond articles, he has also scripted long-form storytelling videos for YouTube channels. His work focuses on delivering well-researched, engaging, and reader-first sports content across multiple formats.

Know more

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason