Hockey is a sport that is hard to get into if one has not been introduced to it. It can be even harder if there is no local team. For a fan that does not have a team, there are many options. There are always the top teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, who are the past 2 Stanley Cup Champion teams. But there are more teams to cheer for than just the recent winners. These are my 5 picks for an undecided fan to root for.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are one of the best young teams in the NHL. Last year they missed the playoffs in a tight race that came down to the end of the season, barely being edged out by the eventual losers in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Florida Panthers. This team is led by some young emerging superstars like Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Cozens and Owen Power. This team was the 2nd youngest team last year, only behind the Vancouver Canucks. This year they get even younger with rookie goalie, Devon Levi, who is highly regarded as a goalie prospect. This year the Sabres have an opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season, and possibly take home their first Stanley Cup.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils draw many comparisons to the Buffalo Sabres. Headlined by the 2017 and 2019 number 1 overall picks, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, this team is headed towards success. With top defenseman Dougie Hamilton on the blueline surrounded by younger guys like Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes, younger brother to Jack Hughes, the Devils will be a perennial playoff team for years to come. The only question mark going into the season is in net. Will it be Akira Schmid who had a crazy good run in the playoffs or will it be the guy the Devils thought they were going to rely on, Vitek Vanecek. That battle will take place in the season, but after the 2nd round loss to the Hurricanes last year, this team will be looking to go deeper into the playoffs and bring the Devils back to the top.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are one of the most compelling teams on this list. With the rise of young stars like Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk, this team will have a high powered offense. They also have depth and veteran leadership with guys like Claude Giroux and Vladimir Tarasenko. The defense core is also really solid and filled with guys that have the potential to grow into even bigger stars, such as Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson. The goaltending situation could be a little shaky but they tried to work on that in the offseason. They went into free agency and got Joonas Korpisalo who had a solid 2022-23 campaign. If everything clicks, this team could easily be back in the playoffs for the first time since losing in the conference finals in 2017.
Columbus Blue Jackets
If you want a team with a storyline, this is your team. The Blue Jackets had one of the craziest offseasons after such a bad season that not many expected. After finishing second to last, the Blue Jackets got the 3rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, Adam Fantilli. They also went out and attempted to bring in a new head coach in the form of Mike Babcock. This almost immediately backfired, and he proved that he is still not a great person and the Blue Jackets forced him to step down before training camp even started. The on ice situation is a lot better, Johnny Gaudreau is leading the charge up front and there has been a revamp of the defense, as well as getting a healthy Zach Werenski. This team will most likely miss the playoffs this year, but they will be a highly skilled young team with a fast paced offense that will be very fun to watch.
Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Bedard. That’s all that needs to be said. If you chose the Blackhawks, don’t have high expectations for this team. They could easily be at the bottom of the league and most likely will be in the bottom 5. Other than having the most hyped up prospect since Connor McDavid, this team only has a couple bright spots. One of them being the offseason addition of Taylor Hall. He’ll be a nice addition to the Connor Bedard show that has already begun in Chi-Town. The defense and goaltending aren’t really worth mentioning other than some of the younger guys that have a chance to break out such as Kevin Korchinski and Wyatt Kaiser. But as I said, this is going to be the Connor Bedard show, and I don’t think anyone wants to miss that.