Early in the 2026-27 NHL season, strong starts by established contenders such as the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and Vegas Golden Knights have reinforced expectations for a sizable group of teams to surpass 80 points over the 84-game schedule. Preseason projections from models like The Athletic’s placed roughly two dozen clubs in that range, reflecting typical league parity where the top half of the standings routinely clears the threshold while bottom feeders struggle. Key factors include depth scoring, goaltending stability, and schedule strength, with early injury reports and power-play efficiency already influencing pace for teams like the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets. Trader consensus on the total number of qualifiers will likely shift with November and December results as the sample grows.