Youngest & Oldest NHL Teams 2025-26: Average Age Rankings for All 32 Teams
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The 2025-26 NHL regular season begins Oct. 7. Anticipating another year of exciting hockey betting action, we at Bookies.com have taken a deeper dive at all the projected opening-day rosters and ranked them by age, from youngest to oldest teams.
The ages for the projected rosters are courtesy of Sportrac. Check out our findings below:
NHL 2025-26 Rosters, Youngest To Oldest
| Rank | Team | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 26.26 |
| 2 | Buffalo Sabres | 26.30 |
| 3 | Chicago Blackhawks | 26.74 |
| 4 | Boston Bruins | 27.39 |
| 5 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 27.48 |
| 6 | Philadelphia Flyers | 27.59 |
| 7 | St. Louis Blues | 27.87 |
| 8 | Ottawa Senators | 27.91 |
| T9 | Anaheim Ducks | 28.00 |
| T9 | San Jose Sharks | 28.00 |
| 11 | Vancouver Canucks | 28.09 |
| 12 | Minnesota Wild | 28.35 |
| 13 | Utah Mammoth | 28.39 |
| 14 | Dallas Stars | 28.43 |
| 15 | Seattle Kraken | 28.48 |
| 16 | Calgary Flames | 28.52 |
| 17 | Washington Capitals | 28.70 |
| 18 | New York Rangers | 28.74 |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 28.78 |
| 20 | Nashville Predators | 28.86 |
| 21 | Carolina Hurricanes | 28.87 |
| 22 | New Jersey Devils | 29.13 |
| T23 | Colorado Avalanche | 29.17 |
| T23 | Edmonton Oilers | 29.17 |
| 25 | New York Islanders | 29.30 |
| 26 | Detroit Red Wings | 29.39 |
| 27 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 29.43 |
| 28 | Vegas Golden Knights | 29.83 |
| 29 | Florida Panthers | 29.88 |
| 30 | Los Angeles Kings | 30.00 |
| 31 | Winnipeg Jets | 30.50 |
| 32 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 30.57 |
Which NHL Teams Are Youngest In 2025-26 Season?
According to our research, the Montreal Canadiens are the youngest team in the NHL this year, with an average age of 26.26 years. The Habs were one of the surprise teams last season when they snuck into the playoffs as the final seed in the Eastern Conference, though they were bounced in the first round by the Washington Capitals.
Still, the young players in Montreal gained valuable experience, so despite once again being the league’s youngest team, look for the Habs to make a playoff push this season. And the team traded retired goalie Carey Price – who has not played since 2022 but was still on Montreal’s books in the final season of an eight-year contract he signed in 2017 – to San Jose, clearing salary cap space.
The second- and third-youngest teams are the Buffalo Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Sabres, who have an average age of 26.30 years, have a 14-year playoff drought, the longest in NHL history, and ties the New York Jets of the NFL for the longest playoff drought in the Big 4 leagues.
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, haven’t made the playoffs in five years, but hope to snap that streak with a projected roster age of 26.74 on average. Both Buffalo and Chicago will hope that their young and talented players finally break out.
Rounding out the bottom five are the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets at average ages of 27.39 and 27.48, respectively. These teams also both missed the playoffs last year.
Keep track of NHL odds all season at Bookies.com.
Which NHL Teams Are Oldest In 2025-26 Season?
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the oldest team is the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have an average age of 30.57. The Penguins have two of the league’s oldest players in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, which raises the team’s average age. There is talk that if the Pens have a poor start to the year, they might trade their long-time franchise icons. It’s also worth noting that sportsbooks view Pittsburgh as one of the teams least likely to win the Stanley Cup this season. Oddsmakers are fading this old roster, one that has missed the playoffs three straight years.
While the Penguins missed the playoffs last year and figure to once again miss this year, the rest of the five oldest teams are considered Stanley Cup contenders at top sportsbook sites: The Winnipeg Jets (30.50), Los Angeles Kings (30.00), Florida Panthers (29.88), and Vegas Golden Knights (29.83). Those four franchises made the playoffs last year, with the Panthers winning the Stanley Cup, and all of these squads will likely make the postseason once again.
As for overall trends, out of the 10 youngest teams, only the Canadiens and Ottawa Senators made the playoffs last year. Out of the 10 oldest teams, all made the playoffs except for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings.
At Caesars Sportsbook, the Panthers are the favorites to repeat at +600 odds, as of Sept. 26. The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights are next at +800.
While having a young roster is sexy on paper, it also seems clear that experience in the league is valuable. Ultimately, the best teams mix in their young stars with their veteran leaders, and we’ll find out after 82 games and four rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs which teams end up being the best in the NHL.
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