Three NHL Teams That Could Be On The Verge Of A Rebuild

As we enter the 2026-27 season, there are some teams that are facing some serious questions. Every campaign, we see some NHL teams step back, and there are multiple clubs that could experience that in the coming season.

With that, here's a look at three teams that could be on the verge of rebuilding, depending on how their seasons go this year. 

The Winnipeg Jets are going to be a very fascinating team to watch this season. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck recently confirmed that he has requested a trade out of Winnipeg, so he could be on the move at any time. 

If the Jets end up granting Hellebuyck's trade request and move him, that is going to put them in an incredibly difficult spot. They are already coming off a disappointing 2025-26 season that saw them miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents' Trophy the year before that. Trading Hellebuyck would only make them worse and could very well make them become one of the NHL's worst teams.

Due to this, trading Hellebuyck could open the door for them to move on from more of their core players. 

Although the Los Angeles Kings just snuck into the playoffs last year, they also won only 35 games and only qualified for them due to their 20 overtime losses. Along with losing captain Anze Kopitar to retirement, the 2026-27 season could be a long year for Los Angeles.

The Kings added a few players this off-season, like Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula, and Erik Gustafsson, as well as bringing back Corey Perry. Overall, they made some moves that could be solid, but it is hard to predict with full confidence that they will be a playoff team.

If the Kings end up taking a step back, it could be what leads to them starting a rebuild or at least a retool. Their roster has plenty of flaws and not a lot of firepower. 

The Detroit Red Wings may currently be on a 10-year playoff drought, but they have been out of their full-on rebuild for a while now. They have been trying to become a playoff team for multiple seasons now but have continued to fall short.

Now, there is even more uncertainty about the Red Wings, as Dylan Larkin requested a trade earlier this off-season. If Detroit ends up moving Larkin and the Red Wings once again have a bad year in 2026-27, it could very well lead to them making more significant changes. 

The Wings are entering this season with several notable pending UFAs, like Alex DeBrincat, Justin Faulk, John Gibson, Andrew Copp, and Mason Appleton. So, if this season goes south for Detroit again, it could lead to them starting another rebuild or at least being relatively aggressive sellers.

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