The puck is about to drop on the 2024-25 NHL season.
The wait is over — hockey is back.After a long summer in the NHL, all 32 teams are geared up for another crack at the Stanley Cup.
This offseason featured quite a bit of shake-up in the league. The Predators were the big story in free agency, winning the Steven Stamkos sweepstakes after the Lightning made the stunning decision not to bring back their captain. Nashville also landed winger Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei, nabbing three of the highest-profile free agents available.With Stamkos out the door, Tampa Bay signed star winger Jake Guentzel to replace him in their top-six.
Tampa Bay also was involved in a blockbuster trade, sending defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah, who are in their first season in the league after the Coyotes were forced to sell. The other big offseason trade involved New Jersey, as the Devils finally got their starting goaltender, acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the Flames.
As the season begins, there are plenty of intriguing storylines. Will the Panthers feel the effects of back-to-back Stanley Cup Final runs? Can Connor McDavid and the Oilers get back to within striking distance of the Stanley Cup? Who emerges with the Calder out of a loaded rookie class that includes Sharks center Macklin Celebrini and Flyers winger Matvei Michkov?
The Sporting News dives into its predictions for the upcoming NHL season, including award selections and a Stanley Cup Final pick.
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NHL standings predictions 2024-25
Eastern Conference
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Atlantic Division
- Panthers (A1)
- Maple Leafs (A2)
- Bruins (A3)
- Red Wings (WC1)
- Lightning (WC2)
- Senators
- Sabres
- Canadiens
Once again, the Atlantic is going to be chaotic this season. It's set up to be almost the exact same as last season, with the four playoff teams from 2024 all expected to be contenders again and three more looking to finally emerge from a rebuild.
The only thing stopping the Panthers might be themselves. Florida was dominant during the regular season, winning the Atlantic Division for the second time in three years. Bringing back 50-goal scorer Sam Reinhart was key for a club once again built for success.
The Maple Leafs appear to finally have an answer in the crease, with the young Joseph Wol grabbing a hold of the starting job. The Bruins added a No. 1 center in Elias Lindholm, and the Lightning re-tooled with the addition of Guentzel in what is the first year of the Stamkos-less era.
Out of Detroit, Ottawa, and Buffalo, someone has to finally make the playoffs, right? Those three have been knocking on the postseason door, but none have broken through. The trendy pick is the Senators, given their acquisition of Linus Ullmark, but I think it's the Red Wings that come out ahead of the trio, with a young group in Detroit once again set to take another step forward.
The Canadiens figure to be pesky at the bottom of the division again, but they are still a bit away from contender status. Overall, the Atlantic once again will be a gauntlet.
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Metropolitan Division
- Devils (M1)
- Rangers (M2)
- Hurricanes (M3)
- Islanders
- Penguins
- Flyers
- Capitals
- Blue Jackets
It's another year where the Metropolitan Division figures to be top-heavy. I'm going all-in on the Devils with Markstrom in the crease and Sheldon Keefe at the helm on the bench. New Jersey has some incredibly talented youth on the roster, and the club is bound to bounce back after goaltending cost the group a playoff spot last year.
The Rangers will be incredibly competitive again, and they will be in the running to win the division. While the Hurricanes will be right there, Carolina suffered quite a few losses this offseason, including Teuvo Teravainen, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Jake Guentzel. Rod Brind'Amour has his work cut out for him.
I see the Penguins, Islanders, and Capitals all in a similar spot as last season — fighting for a wild-card spot. All three will contend for the playoffs, but I'm not sure any will break through. The Capitals and Penguins are relying on an aging core that has not gotten the job done in recent years, and the Islanders did next to nothing to improve this offseason.
The Flyers should be competitive again under John Tortorella, and the addition of rookie Matvei Michkov makes them a team to watch. Still, I don't see Philadelphia getting to the postseason.
Wrapping up the division will be the Blue Jackets, who likely will be fighting for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.
Western Conference
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Central Division
- Avalanche (C1)
- Stars (C2)
- Predators (C3)
- Jets (WC1)
- Utah (WC2)
- Wild
- Blues
- Blackhawks
The Stars and Avalanche are the clear 1A and 1B in the Central Division once again. Both teams are built with plenty of star power and should be set to contend for first place in the division.
The Predators are a trendy pick after the massive offseason they had. Nashville made the postseason last year and only got better this summer by adding Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, which I believe results in a higher placement within the division.Winnipeg is once again built to go as far as Connor Hellebuyck takes the club. The goalie is fresh off a Vezina win and should be good enough to get them into the playoffs.
Arguably my biggest hot take of the 2024-25 season is that Utah makes the postseason. The newest club in the league got better by adding Mikhail Sergachev to the blue line, finally giving the team a No. 1 defenseman. There is just a certain vibe around the team that makes me believe Utah will outperform expectations.
I'm not sold on the Wild, who still have question marks in net. The Blues did well by poaching Philipp Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Oilers via offer sheets, but they aren't enough to make them contenders. The Blackhawks gave Connor Bedard more talent around him, but Chicago is still a ways away from playing meaningful hockey in the spring.
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Pacific Division
- Oilers (P1)
- Canucks (P2)
- Kings (P3)
- Golden Knights
- Kraken
- Ducks
- Flames
- Sharks
The Pacific Division has one clear-cut top squad, a few clubs that had unimpressive offseasons, and a couple of young teams that probably will be in the cellar despite being more exciting to watch this season.
It's still crazy to think that the Oilers have not won the division with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That changes this year with Edmonton coming off the Stanley Cup Final loss and having even more motivation to repeat as Western Conference champs in 2024-25.
The Canucks came out of nowhere last year and won the Pacific thanks to Quinn Hughes' Norris-worthy year. The status of Thatcher Demko is a concern in net, but when healthy, Vancouver is one of the best teams in the division.
The Kings and Golden Knights present interesting options for the third playoff spot in the Pacific. Both Los Angeles and Vegas got worse this offseason. The Kings sort of solved their goaltending issue by acquiring Darcy Kuemper, but they gave up on Pierre-Luc Dubois in the process. The Golden Knights have a talented blue line, but the forward group lacks depth. Out of the two, I think it's Los Angeles that finishes third.
Seattle brought in Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour in free agency, but the Kraken still lack star power. The Flames traded away Jacob Markstrom and are now banking on unproven talent in the crease.
Both the Ducks and Sharks are going to be fun watches, with a plethora of youthful talent on either side. Anaheim boasts one of the best young cores with Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, and Cutter Gauthier, and San Jose has the tantalizing duo of Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. With that said, the two Pacific teams aren't flirting with the playoffs just yet.
NHL playoff predictions 2025
Here is how we see the Stanley Cup playoffs playing out, including our pick to win it all.
Eastern Conference winner: Toronto Maple Leafs
At some point this group in Toronto has to break through, right? This is the last go-around for the "Core Four," with Mitch Marner and John Tavares set to hit free agency next summer. The Leafs brought in Craig Berube to take over on the bench, and he's the exact answer the team has been looking for.
It's hard to pick against the Panthers emerging again from the Eastern Conference, but after going to two consecutive Stanley Cup Final, I think it's someone new emerging from the conference.
Outside of Florida, it's a completely wide-open conference. Toronto is written off every year when it comes to playoff teams, but how ironic would it be for this group to finally put it together right before a potential massive breakup of the core?
Western Conference winner: Dallas Stars
Dallas has found itself in the conference finals three out of the past five years. Led by stars Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Miro Heiskanen, it's a core group that has proven it can win in the playoffs. Now that they have young studs like Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, and Logan Stakoven, it's almost impossible to see this team underperform.
It won't be an easy task for the Stars. A motivated McDavid is tough to beat, and I believe we see a rematch of the 2024 Western Conference Final this year. However, it will be the Stars that come out on top and get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2020.
Stanley Cup champion: Dallas Stars
Dallas has knocked on the door so many times over the past couple of seasons. The team is too deep and plays so structurally sound. If Jake Oettinger can find himself in the postseason, it's a scary team to think about come playoff time.
It would be very Leafs-like to finally break through in the playoffs, make one last run with the core group, and get to a Stanley Cup Final just to lose. Unfortunately for Leafs fans, I see that exact scenario happening, with the Stars finally getting their first Stanley Cup since 1999.
NHL Award predictions for 2024-25
Award | Winner |
---|---|
Hart | Connor McDavid, Oilers |
Vezina | Juuse Saros, Predators |
Art Ross | Connor McDavid, Oilers |
Rocket Richard | David Pastrnak, Bruins |
Norris | Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres |
Calder | Matvei Michkov, Flyers |
Selke | Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs |
Jack Adams | Sheldon Keefe, Devils |