Three NHL Front Offices With The Most To Prove In 2026

Three NHL front offices have a lot to prove in the second half of this season.

The Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs aren't where they'd like to be after the first half. The Sabres and Maple Leafs are still out of a playoff spot as the new year begins, and the Oilers just don't look as much of a threat to win the Stanley Cup as they have been at times in the last couple of seasons.

These front offices are clearly not alone in terms of having something to prove. Every team that's not meeting expectations face pressure to solve their troubles, such as the Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets.

But let's take a closer look at why Buffalo, Edmonton and Toronto have the most to prove in 2026.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres fired GM Kevyn Adams on Dec. 15, but of course, since Dec. 9, Buffalo has gone 10-1-0, rising from last place in the Eastern Conference to 10th.

That means the pressure on new GM Jarmo Kekalainen has only increased regarding the Sabres' short- and long-term futures.

Does Kekalainen use his team's $3.63 million in salary cap space – a total that rises to nearly $8.74 million at the March 6 NHL trade deadline – to go all-in on chasing a playoff position this season, or is the team better served if Kekalainen shows some restraint on the trade front this season and focuses instead on the long haul?

We've argued that, if we were running things in Western New York, we'd put the long-term needs of the Sabres on the back burner and instead do whatever it takes to get Buffalo into a playoff position this season. The trauma of having the Sabres' Stanley Cup playoff drought extended to a full 15 years is something the franchise must avoid at all costs. And if that means foregoing a slightly better position for the team in 2026-27 and beyond, so be it.

All the goodwill accrued in Buffalo's 10-game win streak would vanish among Sabres fans if Buffalo can't convert their recent surge into a playoff berth. Sabres ownership has to know the public relations cost of missing the playoffs for a decade-and-a-half outweighs the cost of not being quite so dominant after this season.

So, although Kekalainen is currently still settling into the seat of power with Buffalo, he's got to demonstrate to Sabres fans and players alike that nothing short of a post-season berth will suffice this season. The way he does that is by going out and acquiring a proven veteran or two to bolster Buffalo's attack.

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Edmonton Oilers

It seems odd to say a team that's delivered two straight Stanley Cup final appearances has much to prove to its fan base. But that's accurate when it comes to the Oilers and GM Stan Bowman.

Although they've gone 9-5-1 in their last 15 games to rise to second place in the Pacific Division, the Oilers have to go out by the trade deadline and improve their lineup so that they'll be considered a front-runner to run the table in the Western Conference once again.

Some of Bowman's moves this past year have worked out – specifically with right winger Jack Roslovic – while left winger Andrew Mangiapane has not played well, and the jury is still out on starting goaltender Tristan Jarry.

But the tricky part for Bowman is the fact he has only about $1.2 million in cap space at the moment. So if Bowman does want to make improvements, he's looking at a money-in, money-out situation. That means it won't be as easy as merely identifying a trade target or two and simply sending draft picks and prospects to another GM.

Bowman has plenty of experience putting his team over the top from his time running the Chicago Blackhawks. However, the pressure he's facing at the moment is unlike anything he faced in the Windy City – and let's not forget the clock is now very publicly ticking on superstar Connor McDavid's two-year contract extension with the Oilers. 

Bowman has two-and-a-half years to stick the landing with McDavid under contract. And if Edmonton takes a step backward anytime soon, they may have wasted their best chance in decades of winning the Stanley Cup.

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Toronto Maple Leafs

It's been a mostly disappointing season for the Maple Leafs and GM Brad Treliving.

Although Toronto has performed better of late, they sit in 14th place in the East and seventh in the Atlantic. Thus, Treliving will face enormous pressure in the season's second half to steer his team into a playoff position.

The injury bug has been particularly vicious to the Buds, which are without veterans William Nylander and Jake McCabe, and cornerstone blueliner Chris Tanev is at risk of missing the remainder of the regular season with a groin injury. So even if Tanev returns in time for the playoffs, there's no assurance the Leafs will be there. 

Treliving may have to step up his pursuit of a proven veteran on defense if Tanev is out for the regular season. Unfortunately for Leafs Nation, their spending sprees in recent years have significantly depleted their trade capital.

It will be quite the juggling act for Treliving to address his needs right now and not leave his prospect ranks completely barren for the foreseeable future. The Leafs are going to have more cap space without Tanev in action, but they won't be flush with money, making Treliving's job that much more difficult.

The Maple Leafs had enough pressure entering the season to make it beyond the second round of the playoffs this year. But now, after stumbling out of the gate in the first half, the Leafs will be in tough just to sneak into a wild-card position.

Treliving's work is cut out for him, and failure to get Toronto into the playoffs could result in the GM being out of a job next summer.

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