10/07/2025Ross VocaturoSportsnetsportsThe waiting is over: the 2025-26 NHL season is underway, as the season kicked off Tuesday with a tripleheader. This season, no different from any other, has an abundance of storylines to offer from the jump: a Panthers team on the precipice of a three-peat; the first major domino to fall in Toronto lands in Sin City; multiple Cup winning-coaches behind unfamiliar benches, and more. With that said, it is time to take a deeper dive into both conferences, evaluating who the true contenders are, and who may find themselves on the outside looking in.