NHL Opening Day Rosters Are Set, and the Kids Are Taking Over

NHL Opening Day rosters are officially out for the 2026-27 season, which means the annual tradition of overreacting to training camp battles is finally complete.

Daily Faceoff dropped the official lists, and while the big names are exactly where you expect them, the real story is the kids who hijacked roster spots from established veterans.

"Daily Faceoff shared the official roster announcement, sparking immediate debate over surprise cuts and rookie inclusions."

Look at the Vancouver Canucks. Braeden Cootes just made the team as an 18-year-old. He is the first player that young to start a season in Vancouver since Petr Nedved in 1990. For context, the last time the Canucks trusted a teenager this much, most of the current roster had not even been born yet.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings are apparently running a youth hostel. They kept three 20-year-old rookies, including seventh-round pick Emmitt Finnie. Finnie was drafted 201st overall and somehow beat out actual NHL veterans for a job after putting up four points in seven preseason games.

The Winnipeg Jets are rolling with Nikita Chibrikov after injuries opened the door up front. He signed a two-year deal on Sunday and immediately locked down a spot. If you are looking at early Calder Trophy futures, these surprise camp standouts always throw a wrench into the odds board.

This is the best part of the NHL calendar. Every front office thinks they are geniuses for finding a hidden gem, and every veteran who got sent down to the minors is calling their agent in a panic.

The puck drops on the 2026-27 season with a tripleheader on Tuesday. We will find out very quickly if these kids are actually ready for the speed of the NHL, or if they are just keeping a seat warm until the trade deadline.