Hurricanes' repeat bid, superstar trade requests, who will win the Stanley Cup and other 2026-27 NHL season storylines

Here's a look at several storylines to follow as the puck drops on another hockey season.

First off, the regular season is now 84 games, not 82, after the league and the NHL Players' Association agreed to the change — the first such to the schedule since 1993-94. That means division rivals will meet each other four times per season.

Love a good emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) story? Those are in the past as teams now must employ a dedicated EBUG, who will travel with them during the season. The EBUGs must not have NHL experience or have appeared in more than 80 professional games over the past three years.