32 Bold NHL Predictions for Each Team

The NHL season is almost upon us, and with it comes a new chapter for the league.

After just four short months since the Vegas Golden Knights skated around T-Mobile Arena with the Stanley Cup, they will have to prepare themselves for their first title defense against many hungry contenders. Major free agents have changed teams this summer, blockbuster trades have shaken the league to its core, and a phenom is hoping to make his mark in his rookie year. With plenty of new storylines to dissect as the season begins, teams will hope to get the answers they seek to help them be competitive.

Every team is looking for something to go their way this season. Sure, not every team is a realistic bet to win the Stanley Cup, but even the league’s rebuilding squads are hoping to get something to work with this season. From players enjoying successful campaigns, to jockeying for playoff position, to shocking blockbuster trades mid-season, this is shaping up to be yet another exciting season of hockey.

So what’s going to happen to your favorite team this year? Let’s find out.

Anaheim Ducks: Let’s start with a shock: Trevor Zegras get traded. The Ducks are playing a dangerous game with their star center, lowballing him on his contract despite plenty of cap space to get a deal done. The longer Zegras misses training camp, the more the Ducks run the risk of creating unnecessary drama and restlessness within the team and fanbase. If Anaheim isn’t willing to pay Zegras what he desires, there are plenty of teams that will jump at the opportunity to add him. As for who the lucky team will be that lands him? Read on, dear viewer.

Arizona Coyotes: It’s easy to assume Chicago’s Connor Bedard will run away with the Calder Trophy this year, but moves like this should tell you that Logan Cooley won’t make that easy. Remember that Connor McDavid finished third in the Calder Trophy in his rookie season, and Bedard could struggle to make magic happen on his lonesome. Meanwhile, Cooley will get to play with the likes of Jason Zucker, Dylan Guenther, and Matias Maccelli for at least most of the season, as well as be a fixture on Arizona’s top power-play unit. Cooley will make the race for the NHL’s top rookie at least uncomfortably close, and that result will give the Coyotes some confidence to advance to the next stage of their rebuild.

Boston Bruins: The Bruins followed up their nightmare postseason with an expectedly rough offseason, as their cap crunch forced an exodus of talent out of Beantown. Losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci should also negatively impact Boston’s center depth and on-ice leadership. Between potential regression of Brad Marchand and the goaltending and serious questions about depth beyond the top stars, Boston now runs the risk of falling behind in an Atlantic Division in a state of flux. Expect the Bruins to be the first domino to fall, missing the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy the previous year.

Buffalo Sabres: Speaking of the Bruins missing the playoffs, say hello to the team replacing them. The Sabres have built themselves the right way, and they’ve been rewarded with a plethora of young talent to work with this season. The next step towards their rise should be a playoff berth, but that’s a little too common of a take. Let’s go a step further and say the Sabres are this year’s Kraken: not only do they break their playoff drought, but they stun a division winner and advance to the second round.

Calgary Flames: It’s far too easy to predict bounce-back years from Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, so let’s look more at potential rookies. New coach Ryan Huska should be more open to giving rookies some ice time, but the one that stands out is goaltender (and Sports Nerd favorite) Dustin Wolf. Wolf has nothing left to prove at the AHL level and, should the goaltending struggle like it did this past season, Huska shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger with his young netminder. Not only does Wolf secure the starting job by midseason, but he shakes off the notion of Calgary blowing it up and helps guide the Flames to a top-three finish in the Pacific.

Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes have been victims to some hard luck in recent seasons, but they’ve continued to stay right in the hunt. Getting Andrei Svechnikov back should help, but Carolina’s also done a good job keeping their core intact while also adding valuable pieces like Michael Bunting and Dmitry Orlov. The Hurrcianes are as deep a team as it gets this season, and they should only be looking to get better. Despite the Metro being competitive at the top this year, the Hurricanes have the makings of a team to win the Presidents’ Trophy this season.

Chicago Blackhawks: All eyes will be on Connor Bedard this season, but it’s telling that the Blackhawks didn’t make any moves to work on their goaltending this year. While prospects like Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan are still developing, the Blackhawks will be focused on Arvid Soderblom this season. While his 3.45 GAA and .894 save percentage are nothing to write home about, the Blackhawks liked what they saw enough to keep him behind Petr Mrazek. With Mrazek’s proneness to injury, Soderblom is a candidate to see the lion’s share of work in net this year for Chicago. Expect some improvement this year as the Swede secures his spot as Chicago’s top goaltender, at least for the near future.

Colorado Avalanche: Needless to say, Colorado represents the last opportunity for Jonathan Drouin to stick at the NHL level. The talented-but-mercurial former third overall pick, Drouin was never able to establish consistency in Tampa Bay or Montreal. A prove-it deal in Colorado gives him the chance to reunite with former junior teammate Nathan MacKinnon, and being able to play with him and Mikko Rantanen should give Drouin no more excuses. Drouin hasn’t hit the double-digit goal or thirty-point plateaus in five years; he now has a prime opportunity to reach his career-highs of 21 goals and 53 points with his new elite linemates.

Columbus Blue Jackets: The Mike Babcock era didn’t even make it to training camp, as the maligned head coach resigned after asking players to share personal photos. While that’s an ominous way to start the season, such adversity has a way of bonding a team. The healthy defense should be a boost, and additions like Adam Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov gives this group some serious upside. With the Islanders and Capitals not doing a whole lot worth getting excited about this offseason, the door is wide open for Pascal Vincent to make his mark and get the Blue Jackets farther than expected. Playoffs will be a tough ask, but Columbus makes a spirited effort and comes closer than anticipated.

Dallas Stars: Wyatt Johnston was a revelation for the Stars last season, and he pulled through in key moments to become a core piece. If the Stars want to ensure their success last year is sustainable, they could use more young stars like Johnston to step up. Most notably, Dallas needs young defensemen like Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist to emerge into everyday options in order to push out declining options like Ryan Suter. Depth free agents might make the forward group a little tougher to crack, but Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque are both approaching the big club. Expect two or three of these names to make the Stars’ opening night roster and stick throughout the year.

Detroit Red Wings: Steve Yzerman will always be Red Wings royalty, and his return to Hockeytown as GM was met with much excitement. Five years later, the Red Wings haven’t really gone anywhere, and last year’s step back has led to serious questions. Yzerman has spent big both last and this offseason, and last season’s free agent crop produced mixed results. If the Red Wings are still well behind the rest of the division, how long can the Yzerplan be trusted without yielding any positive results? If the Red Wings miss the playoffs once again, what seemed impossible years ago could become reality: Steve Yzerman is given his pink slip.

Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers are one of the teams hoping to prevent Vegas repeating in the Pacific Division and Western Conference, but they didn’t really make any moves to change things up. Any improvement will have to come internally, and that starts with defenseman Evan Bouchard. He’s emerged as a reliable power play quarterback and 40-point scorer from the back end, but his 17 points in 12 playoff games suggests there’s potential for more. Now firmly entrenched in his role, Bouchard should shatter his current career highs with 15 goals and 60 points, at minimum.

Florida Panthers: The Panthers paid the price for their miraculous Finals run last season, as Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour will both miss time with injuries. The good news is that Matthew Tkachuk is healthy and ready for an encore after a career-high 109 points last season. In just his first year, Tkachuk has already emerged as the heart and soul of this Panthers team, and he will need to be at his peak if they want to return to the heights they now know they can reach. If the Panthers are anywhere close to the top of the Atlantic Division, Tkachuk deserves to be firmly entrenched in the conversation for the Hart Trophy. He’ll be a finalist for the award, at the very least.

Los Angeles Kings: The Kings got Pierre-Luc Dubois out of Winnipeg when they should have acquired Connor Hellebuyck. While the Kings have a good forward group and a defense that should still be solid, their goaltending is shaping up to be one of the worst units in the league. Cam Talbot, Phoenix Copley, and David Rittich are all interchangeable veterans with low ceilings and even lower floors, and there isn’t a ready option in the farm system to turn to yet. With the Western Conference having a mushy middle, the Kings could find themselves having to fight for their spot to return to the postseason. Expect them to make a big trade for a goaltender at the deadline, with Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros likely being their best bets.

Minnesota Wild: Am I the only one who’s legitimately concerned about the Wild coming into this season? They limped into the playoffs, were dispatched with relative ease by Dallas in the first round, and could do nothing as teams behind them like St. Louis and Nashville sought to get better. There’s certainly pieces to work with but, even if the Wild are in playoff contention, why lose some pieces for nothing? Players like Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, Brandon Duhaime, Patrick Maroon, and Marc-Andre Fleury are all impact players on expiring deals, which could appeal to teams with Cup ambitions. In a cap situation where young players are needed more than ever, the Wild stand out as a rare team that sells at the deadline, no matter the circumstance.

Montreal Canadiens: Remember when I said Trevor Zegras was getting traded? Montreal will be the lucky team to land him. While they’re still at least a year or so away from threatening anyone in the East, Zegras represents a rare opportunity for a still-rebuiliding team in Montreal to land a top player who fits their timeline. Zegras is already friends with Cole Caufield and coach Martin St. Louis, so the on-ice fit would also be seamless. With more than enough draft capital and prospect depth to go through, Kent Hughes can look like a genius if the Zegras situation in Anaheim reaches critical mass.

Nashville Predators: The Predators have enjoyed a solid offseason, and it would not surprise me at all if the first year of the Barry Trotz-Andrew Brunette era has the team in the playoffs. That said, Juuse Saros was a name that made its way throughout the rumor mill this offseason, and the conversations could pick up steam at the trade deadline. If a team like Los Angeles is desperate for a franchise goaltender and highlights Saros as an option, Nashville could be presented with a unique opportunity to land a massive haul. They also have Yaroslav Askarov biding his time in the AHL, so the succession plan is already in place. Moving Saros for a haul can allow Trotz to leave his stamp on the team, which makes a big deadline trade a tantalizing proposition.

New Jersey Devils: The Devils have plenty of reasons for optimism, with one of the best top-six forward groups in the NHL and a defense that could boast two promising rookies in Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec. However, New Jersey’s Cup hopes hinge on Akira Schmid, the rookie goaltender that helped the Devils defeat the New York Rangers in the first round. His strong regular season combined with the postseason heroics should give him the inside track for the starting spot over veteran Vitek Vanecek. With Schmid playing on a quality team and having invaluable playoff experience, he takes the next step up and becomes a top-ten goaltender and dark horse Vezina candidate.

New York Islanders: The moves of the last little bit have left me distrusting of Lou Lamoriello, but this offseason took that to a new level. In a postseason where the Islanders’ first round ceiling was made evident, Lamoriello thought it was a good idea to extend many pieces of this team. Sure, Ilya Sorokin is arguably the best goaltender in the league, but Pierre Engvall and Scott Mayfield’s deals confused me. With little in the pipeline and most of this core locked into long-term deals, I fear Lamoriello has locked the Islanders into mediocrity. If the Islanders slip and miss the playoffs as I expect, Lamoriello will have to be held accountable for his actions, and that may mean the Islanders forcing him into retirement.

New York Rangers: Alexis Lafreniere’s career may not have taken off in the same way as other top overall picks, but his analytics suggest that’s more due to a lack of opportunity than anything. While there’s potential for Lafreniere to start on the top line as a right wing, can we be certain that the Rangers won’t bring back Patrick Kane when he’s ready to come back to hockey? If Lafreniere falls back out of the top six, would it be all that strange for him to request a trade out of New York? It’s not as far-fetched a possibility as it sounds, and teams could be willing to pay quite a bit to have Lafreniere at a discounted rate. Could you imagine Lafreniere and Bedard in Chicago together?

Ottawa Senators: The Senators possess one of the more underrated defensive corps in the league, and their top four in among the best the league has to offer. While Thomas Chabot and Jakob Chychrun will get plenty of headlines, Ottawa’s best defenseman this season will end up being Jake Sanderson. The former fifth overall pick hit the ground running with 32 points in his rookie year, and the Senators awarded him with an eight-year extension. With that level of faith, Sanderson will reward Ottawa with a stellar sophomore year.

Philadelphia Flyers: Is it weird to predict luck? Maybe, but it’s still fun. The Flyers will have some competition for the worst record in the NHL, and it’s possible that they have too much talent to completely bottom out. That said, new GM Danny Briere is comfortable running a full rebuild, and his selection of Matvei Michkov gives him at least a little bit of leeway to work with. Ultimately, the Flyers will end up being the lucky team who lands the first overall selection in the 2024 Draft. While there’s no Connor Bedard in this class, a combination of Michkov and one of Macklin Celebrini or Cole Eiserman is certainly one the Flyers can build around.

Pittsburgh Penguins: The addition of Erik Karlsson is a game-changer for the Penguins, giving them another offensive threat to work with. Despite the league having potent power plays such as Edmonton’s and Toronto’s, Pittsburgh now has two legitimate quarterbacks in Karlsson and Kris Letang, with P.O. Joseph also a candidate for that role. With the elite talent on display, don’t be surprised if the Penguins return to the playoffs on the back of the NHL’s best power play.

San Jose Sharks: The Sharks moved on from both Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson, and their current trajectory indicates that those are just the start of their purge. That said, the Sharks need to be on the lookout for building blocks as they remake their core, and one of those players might be a cap casualty. Anthony Duclair was shipped for almost nothing from Florida, and his solid postseason performance should be of intrigue to San Jose. If he develops chemistry with at least one of William Eklund or even Will Smith this season, perhaps the Sharks will find it more in their best interest to keep Duclair long-term and focus instead on moving the likes of Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture.

Seattle Kraken: The Kraken’s high shooting percentage suggests some overachievement last season, but the Kraken at least have some viability. While younger players like Eeli Tolvanen and Tye Kartye are worth paying attention to, the real focus will be on Shane Wright. The former fourth overall pick, Wright started with the Kraken, but was never really used properly during his stint there. He did do well in spurts with their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley, and chances are that he’ll pop back up with the Kraken at some point this season. This time, with a better idea of where Wright’s skillset is best utilized, the Kraken will find a role that allows him to succeed at the highest level.

St. Louis Blues: While the Blues’ season will hinge on Jordan Binnington’s ability to bounce back from a down year, I find it difficult to believe that the contentious behavior is something that will just go away. He came awfully close to a fight with Minnesota’s Marc-Andre Fleury last season, so let’s run with that idea and say Binnington has two fighting majors on his record this season. Outside of Fleury, Los Angeles’s Cam Talbot and Vegas’s Adin Hill could serve as potential opponents.

Tampa Bay Lightning: The previous season and first round against Toronto showed the Cup fatigue on full display for the Lightning. No player made that more apparent than Andrei Vasilevskiy, who posted his worst numbers since the 2015-16 season. With a full offseason of rest, Vasilevskiy should be able to bounce back to his former self. The Lightning don’t have the depth that made their Cup runs possible, but their goaltender returning to form should balance that out and keep Tampa Bay well in the playoff hunt.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs have a roster designed for the Cup, but they’ve never been able to turn the corner. Making it out of the first round was a nice start, but why am I just not convinced? Toronto is putting an aging defense in front of an unproven goaltender duo of Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll. They didn’t particularly do much to assist in that department, as neither Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, or John Klingberg have the best defensive analytics attached to them. They feel like a team that will score and be scored on a lot, which is a strategy that falls apart during the postseason. Expect the Leafs to fall in the first round once again, casting further doubt on a core that has never been able to sustain success past the regular season.

Vancouver Canucks: It’s hard to believe that Vancouver will put together as poor a start as they did last season, and the team has done its best to prevent such an outcome. The bottom six and defense has seen some much-needed additions, which should be music to the ears of Thatcher Demko. After looking more like a franchise goaltender in 2021-22, Demko took a major step back last season. With the improvements made and Rick Tocchet now having an offseason to implement his system, Demko should be a direct beneficiary of these moves. Expect him to not only bounce back, but put together his best season as the Canucks try to bounce back.

Vegas Golden Knights: Logan Thompson coming back from injury and regaining his starting spot is a good prediction, but let’s go a little bolder. Pavel Dorofeyev was a late addition to the roster due to injuries, but he burst onto the scene with seven goals in ten games. With good chemistry established with William Karlsson, Dorofeyev could have an edge when it comes to who gets a roster spot. Even if he doesn’t start right away, Vegas’s injury troubles could see him get some extended time. A 20-goal season would go a long way towards establishing Dorofeyev as an NHL regular.

Washington Capitals: While Washington as a team will struggle this upcoming year, all eyes will be on them for Alexander Ovechkin alone. With 72 goals separating him and the all-time goal scoring record set by Wayne Gretzky, Ovechkin will have the rest of his storied career to chase history. Even as Ovechkin continues to age and the team declines in quality, he has yet to show any signs of slowing down. 40 goals is still well within reach, but Ovechkin goes further and gets within 25 goals of greatness (that’s 47 goals, for those doing the math).

Winnipeg Jets: The Jets were facing a teardown after they struggled in the second half of last season and their first-round series against Vegas. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler are already gone, and it appears that Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele are almost out the door themselves. Another season of mediocrity in Manitoba may force the hands of the front office, making both Winnipeg’s franchise goaltender and top center valuable commodities. Hellebuyck has been linked to Buffalo often, and Scheifele could be a good fit in Boston to give the Bruins a legitimate star center. Expect the conversations to pick up at the deadline, and for those two to be the main pieces of a fire sale that kickstarts Winnipeg’s rebuild.