Will the NHL’s latest membership end as one of many highest-scoring groups within the league? Will Pierre-Luc Dubois lastly discover a long-term residence with the Washington Capitals? Are gamers like Juraj Slafkovský going to make a big leap of their manufacturing?
These had been among the many responses The Athletic obtained this week when it requested its NHL workers for his or her daring predictions for the 2024-25 season.
Right here’s one prediction for every staff because the early common season continues.
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Trevor Zegras is not going to be traded this season: You need daring? How about working counter to the prevailing concept the Geese are destined to maneuver their mercurial 23-year-old ahead? Within the Fake NHL (i.e., hockey social media), hasn’t he been traded about 1,000 occasions? However it didn’t make sense for Anaheim to deal Zegras after an injury-plagued 2023-24 season when his commerce worth took a success. He’d do properly to make this season considered one of vengeance, and the Geese should at the least attempt placing him in the very best place to flourish. Now the “this season” qualifier is in there since he nonetheless has subsequent yr left on his contract and a few sort of commerce might get labored on subsequent summer time. Common supervisor Pat Verbeek might go the Jamie Drysdale route with an enormous player-for-player swap, however the Geese want extra gifted offensive gamers, not fewer. Bonus daring prediction: Cutter Gauthier will win the Calder Trophy. You’ll bear in mind this when it’s unsuitable however simply do the identical if it occurs to be proper. — Eric Stephens
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Jeremy Swayman will wrestle early: Swayman missed all of coaching camp. He’s getting into his first season with out Linus Ullmark as his associate. He has to cope with the strain of being the fourth-highest-paid energetic goalie within the league. Thursday’s four-goal begin gained’t be the final hiccup. — Fluto Shinzawa
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Owen Energy will double his earlier high-goal complete: Energy hasn’t scored greater than six targets in a season throughout his brief NHL profession, however he appears to be like poised for an uptick in that division. His shot is noticeably stronger this season as he added power over the summer time. The Sabres have additionally emphasised creating extra visitors in entrance of the web. Consequently, Energy had two targets within the preseason and already has one within the common season. A objective complete of at the least 12 isn’t out of the query. — Matthew Fairburn
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OP nets the primary Sabres objective of the season ⚔️#LetsGoBuffalo | #NHLGlobalSeries pic.twitter.com/cfmt0x7Zws
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 4, 2024
Jonathan Huberdeau will crack the 80-point plateau: Huberdeau has 107 factors mixed over his final two seasons in Calgary. So, why the optimism round him? Partially as a result of it can’t get any decrease than his near-pointless month of December final season. Huberdeau performed properly after that, even when his season ended with fewer factors than his debut Flames marketing campaign. One other half is as a result of the Flames are banking on his establishing chemistry with Anthony Mantha. They’ve performed collectively most of, if not all, preseason and have proven flashes that they are often an excellent duo alongside Martin Pospisil. Huberdeau must also get his normal PP1 minutes to start out the yr. Lastly, the strain to achieve Calgary is far decrease in contrast along with his first two seasons. — Julian McKenzie
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Seth Jarvis will get a shot at heart: The Hurricanes have their No. 1 heart in Sebastian Aho, however discovering a participant to fit behind him has been tough. Final yr’s Evgeny Kuznetsov acquisition flopped, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been unable to carry on to the job regardless of a number of probabilities. Jarvis has already proved to be top-of-the-line defensive wingers in hockey, and one thing this season — ineffectiveness from Kotkaniemi and Jack Drury or an harm — will persuade coach Rod Brind’Amour, at the least within the brief time period, to provide Jarvis a shot within the center. — Cory Lavalette
The Blackhawks will end 25 factors higher than final season: The Blackhawks may find yourself being close to the underside of the league once more, however they need to achieve this with a a lot greater level complete than their 52 final season. — Scott Powers
Can Cale Makar, who recorded 90 factors final season, attain the century mark in 2024-25? (Matthew Stockman / Getty Pictures)
Cale Makar could have 100 factors: Just one defenseman has reached the century mark within the final 30 years: Erik Karlsson two years in the past for San Jose. Makar completed with 90 factors in 77 video games final yr, and I anticipate a good larger 2024-25. He completed high 10 within the league (and led all defensemen) with 39 factors on the facility play a season in the past, and Colorado’s energy play could possibly be much more potent this season. Makar ought to play upward of 26 minutes per sport, most of which will likely be shared with the Avs’ high-powered high line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. This could possibly be Makar’s greatest season but. — Jesse Granger
Yegor Chinakhov will bloom as a objective scorer: Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson have carried out this preseason as in the event that they’re able to be breakout gamers in 2024-25, however there’s one other teen who tends to exist beneath the highlight. Chinakhov, who had 16 targets in 53 video games final season, goes to get a a lot larger function than the 15:10 per sport he performed. With Boone Jenner out long-term with an upper-body harm, Chinakhov has moved as much as the highest line with heart Sean Monahan and proper winger Kirill Marchenko. Chinakhov, if he stays wholesome, might simply rating 25 targets or extra. — Aaron Portzline
The Stars will win the Stanley Cup: Actually, I’m not even certain this qualifies as “daring.” The Stars have develop into a mannequin NHL franchise, with common supervisor Jim Nill constructing a staff that’s deep, gifted, and options an ideal mixing of youth and veteran savvy. Shedding Chris Tanev to Toronto damage, however the Stars will likely be consumers once more on the commerce deadline, and if there are any holes to plug, they’ll be plugged. A lot of this prediction hinges on Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson returning to kind after surprisingly odd 2023-24 campaigns (by their lofty requirements). The guess right here is that they each do, and the Cup stays within the Solar Belt for the third straight yr, and the fifth time within the final six years. — Mark Lazerus
Dylan Larkin will rating 40 targets: The Crimson Wings haven’t had a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa in 2008-09. However Larkin got here nearer than you may understand to altering that final season: He completed with 33 targets in 68 video games, which over an 82-game season totals out to a 39.7-goal tempo. He’s discovered a complete new degree as a scorer over the previous three seasons, and Detroit has lastly surrounded him with the sort of expertise wanted to threaten 40. The query now could be simply well being, as he hasn’t performed a full 82 video games since 2017-18. He hit 80 simply two seasons in the past, although, and if he can do this once more, I feel it’ll be sufficient to make this prediction come true. — Max Bultman
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Stuart Skinner will end high 5 in Vezina voting: Skinner was strong within the playoffs save for the Vancouver collection and enters the season as an undisputed No. 1 goalie for the primary time in his profession. He needs to be primed for a breakout marketing campaign. With a Stanley Cup-contending staff in entrance of him, there’s no purpose to suppose that shouldn’t occur. However this gained’t be a case of Skinner merely driving his teammates’ coattails. The defensive group has some main query marks. The PK, so excellent within the postseason, has undergone vital turnover. Skinner will deserve his roses for a wonderful season. A probable spot on Group Canada within the 4 Nations Face-Off tourney will solely improve the highlight on him and provides NHL GMs — the voters on this award — extra purpose to solid ballots in his favor. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman
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Adam Boqvist will escape: Florida didn’t make many offseason adjustments because it already has a championship core in place. Don’t mess with what works. We’re nonetheless going to foretell the Panthers work their magic on 24-year-old Boqvist, their newest defensive reclamation mission. He confirmed some power-play chops and transition skill in his time with the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets, and the Panthers have actually proven an organizational knack for placing their defensemen in place to succeed. — Sean Gentille
Quinton Byfield will develop into the Kings’ greatest participant: Let’s see, the Kings could possibly be a staff at risk of lacking the playoffs, however they’ve obtained sufficient to at the least nab a wild-card spot within the West so I’m not going to offer any receipts for that. However Byfield is giving off the vibe that he needs to be a star after a confidence-building 20-goal, 55-point breakout 2023-24 season. He had a hat trick within the preseason and was clicking with Kevin Fiala, who fed off the massive heart’s pace. Byfield was profitable faceoffs in a decisive method. He appears to be like extra assured along with his shot and has the dimensions and bettering fingers to do injury on the internet. The Kings want an inheritor obvious to Anze Kopitar as their 1C. Byfield will take these huge steps towards turning into The Man. “He’s way more mature than he was a number of years in the past, bodily,” Kings GM Rob Blake mentioned. “We noticed his skill to play some there final yr, and we anticipate him to proceed to develop there.” — Eric Stephens
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QUINTON BYFIELD.
TOUR DU CHAPEAU 🎩🎩🎩
4-1 LAK pic.twitter.com/pCeGBWtqWp
— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 4, 2024
Matt Boldy will rating 40 targets and 40 assists: Common supervisor Invoice Guerin has predicted 50 targets and 50 assists sooner or later in Boldy’s future. We’ll be a hair extra conservative for this season, whereas nonetheless being daring sufficient to ascertain a brand new profession excessive (beforehand 69 factors). When John Hynes talks about Boldy, he salivates, and for good purpose. Boldy scored 28 targets and 61 factors in 63 video games (a 36-goal, 79-point 82-game tempo) beneath Hynes final season. Then, Hynes coached Boldy on the World Championship, and america proper wing led the event in scoring with 14 factors in eight video games. Boldy didn’t play any exhibition video games attributable to a lower-body harm, however the 23-year-old opened 2024-25 with 3 factors in his first sport. — Michael Russo
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Boldy coming in sizzling 🥵 pic.twitter.com/TIHbV0JAL7
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 11, 2024
Juraj Slafkovský will hit 70 factors: With the way in which Slafkovský completed final season and getting into this season firmly established on the Canadiens’ high line and high power-play unit, the circumstances are ripe for Slafkovský to make a 20-point leap in his manufacturing from final season. The vastly improved playmaking we noticed from him over the second half of final season would be the driving pressure behind the greater than 40 p.c leap in manufacturing. — Arpon Basu
Juuse Saros will win the Vezina Trophy: Saros begins the season with a lower-body harm, nevertheless it gained’t be lengthy earlier than the Preds are counting on him, closely, after he signed an eight-year cope with a $7.74 million AAV within the offseason. Gamers don’t at all times attain their highest degree proper after signing huge offers, however Saros now has readability — the group selected him over high prospect Yaroslav Askarov — and that figures to assist him. So ought to getting assist from skaters of their second season in Andrew Brunette’s system. It’s time for Saros to win one. — Joe Rexrode
The Devils will end with the East’s greatest document: I’m excessive on the Devils after their offseason additions. Jacob Markström is a monster improve in internet, and Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon are huge boosts to a defensive corps that missed Ryan Graves and Damon Severson final yr. That, paired with progress in younger gamers, ought to make New Jersey formidable, at the least within the common season. — Peter Baugh
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Noah Dobson will rating 70 factors once more — and get an enormous extension: Dobson moved into a distinct tier of NHL defenseman final season, not solely producing at an elite degree but additionally taking part in main minutes whereas Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield had been out with accidents. A wholesome protection will permit Dobson to keep away from being overworked whereas nonetheless letting him impress. So he’ll be part of Denis Potvin as the one Isles defenseman with a number of 70-point seasons and he’ll safe the bag, too: an eight-year extension round Ilya Sorokin’s $8.25 million per yr. — Arthur Staple
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Igor Shesterkin will win the Vezina Trophy: We’ve seen Shesterkin deal with strain properly. He has a profession .928 save share within the playoffs and was by far the Rangers’ greatest participant final postseason. Properly, along with his contract set to run out subsequent summer time, he’s going to be dealing with strain this season. Shesterkin already has the cachet to anticipate to be the highest-paid goalie within the league. A monster season paying homage to his 2021-22 one will additional improve that perception, and the Rangers should resolve how a lot they’re keen to pay to maintain him. — Peter Baugh
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Travis Inexperienced will win the Jack Adams Award: If the Senators make the playoffs this season, the coach will get quite a lot of credit score for his staff’s upward swing. The younger nucleus of expertise is already in place they usually’ve added a goaltender. The Senators simply want a coach who can deliver them to that subsequent degree. Inexperienced has coached a staff to the playoffs earlier than, albeit as soon as. If he ends Ottawa’s playoff drought, he needs to be thought-about a front-runner for coach of the yr. — Julian McKenzie
The Flyers could have a top-15 energy play: What, that doesn’t sound daring sufficient? Properly, take into account the Flyers have had the league’s worst energy play for every of the final three seasons. Final season, at simply 12.2 p.c, they had been almost 3 full share factors behind the Thirty first-ranked Blue Jackets. However with Matvei Michkov now right here and coming off of a stellar preseason, and what appears to be like to be a wholesome Jamie Drysdale transferring properly and quarterbacking the highest unit, the potential is there for the Flyers to drastically enhance with a person benefit. — Kevin Kurz
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Tic-Tac-Aim. @tfoerster8 nets our first tally of the season with a PPG. Credit score @FarabeeJoel and @BobbyBrink19 with the helpers. #PHIvsVAN | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/m1vnc3IfKk
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 12, 2024
Marcus Pettersson will develop into a trade-deadline commodity: In his prime and a gradual top-four defender, Pettersson is an impending UFA. He’s the kind of defenseman GMs are likely to maintain from testing the market. However Kyle Dubas appears to know his Penguins are nearer to the lottery than the Cup, and his choice to not signal Pettersson earlier than the season suggests Pettersson will develop into this season’s Jake Guentzel in Pittsburgh. — Rob Rossi
A marker for Marcus 🚨 pic.twitter.com/SuDgelEwct
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 11, 2024
San Jose Sharks
William Eklund will lead the staff in scoring: Positive, there was the temptation to name Macklin Celebrini the Calder Trophy winner on this area. However is that actually a daring choose on condition that he goes into this season as a number one Calder contender in a robust rookie class? The 18-year-old will little doubt have some spectacular moments, and we shouldn’t low cost the affect his potential working mate Will Smith might have as a fellow rookie. Eklund, who turns 22 on Saturday, is a barely unconventional choose. The left wing quietly emerged within the second half of final season with 27 factors in his closing 35 video games. He’s going to start out out on the highest line with Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli whereas figuring of their energy play. It could possibly be a balanced group atop San Jose’s level record, however to comply with our Sean McIndoe’s lead of oddly particular predictions, we’ll say Eklund could have 26 targets and 40 assists for 66 factors. — Eric Stephens
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Matty Beniers will rating 30 targets: Beniers went via a tough sophomore stoop in his second NHL marketing campaign, however he stays a gifted, assertive younger heart with a swashbuckling fashion and game-breaking bona fides, which he proved in his rookie yr. Beniers goes to return to kind after which some in his third marketing campaign, scoring 30 targets and re-establishing himself as one of many NHL’s most promising younger pivots. — Thomas Drance
Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway’s success will result in extra provide sheets: Broberg has been bodily and Holloway quick to this point. It’s early, so why is that necessary? As a result of Broberg and Holloway are precisely what the membership wanted, and the way in which common supervisor Doug Armstrong acquired them from the Oilers was by way of offer-sheet contracts. Within the uncommon occasion when provide sheets are executed, many wonder if they’ll result in extra, and in actuality, the reply has been no. However with the brand new ceilings and anticipated success for Broberg and Holloway in St. Louis, there could possibly be an uptick. — Jeremy Rutherford
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Andrei Vasilevskiy will likely be a Vezina Trophy finalist: Vasilevskiy will present that his lackluster 2023-24 season was attributable to again surgical procedure. With a wholesome offseason to coach and time to get again on observe, he’ll choose up the place he left off in 2022-23 along with his normal game-breaking play. Vasilevskiy confirmed he will be the distinction regardless of defensive struggles in entrance of him in 2022-23. With the return of Ryan McDonagh and the addition of Jake Guentzel, he ought to have extra two-way assist, which can assist him get again to his former heights. — Shayna Goldman
Can Mitch Marner, recognized for his passing abilities, attain 40 targets this season? (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Pictures)
Mitch Marner will rating 40 targets: It is a sort of an extended shot given Marner’s major talent and intuition is passing and he occurs to play with the highest objective scorer within the NHL as we speak, Auston Matthews. But, Marner scores greater than he will get credit score for. Within the final three seasons, he scored just one objective fewer (91) than John Tavares and did so in 18 fewer video games. Marner scored at a 30-goal tempo final season, hit 30 on the nostril the yr earlier than that, and buried 35 targets in solely 72 video games in the course of the 2021-22 season, a 40-goal tempo. Attending to 40 would require Marner to search for his personal shot greater than he typically does and doubtless garner some taking pictures luck alongside the way in which, greater than his present profession better of 16.5 p.c. Sooner or later, possibly even this season, I anticipate him to get there or come shut on the very least. — Jonas Siegel
They’ll end as one of many NHL’s highest-scoring groups: It’s a given Utah goes to be an thrilling hockey membership to observe, what with the vitality within the new market, bizarre constructing and all its younger stars. However its assortment of expertise is such that it might shortly rise to the ranks of essentially the most harmful offensive groups, too. Clayton Keller might rating 40, as might Dylan Guenther. It’s not out of the query as many as eight Hockey Clubbers hit the 20 mark, which ought to push them into the highest 10 leaguewide. — James Mirtle
Elias Pettersson will bounce again and lead the staff in scoring: Pettersson struggled enormously down the stretch and into the playoffs final season, and Canucks followers are starting to lose persistence with their celebrity heart. Within the membership’s first sport of the marketing campaign, after Pettersson misplaced the deal with on a deke by the offensive blue line, the Rogers Enviornment crowd reacted with one thing of a Bronx cheer. Granted the membership had frittered away two separate 3-goal leads, so frustration was working excessive, nevertheless it nonetheless encapsulates the strain Pettersson is beneath. Regardless of all of that noise, Pettersson stays a star performer. A pivot with 40-goal, 100-point upside. With Vancouver emphasizing attacking off the push this season, and gifted wingers like Daniel Sprong and Jake DeBrusk on his line, we predict Pettersson will bounce again and outscore all different Canucks skaters in the course of the 2024-25 common season. — Thomas Drance
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Pavel Dorofeyev will end second on the staff in targets: Dorofeyev confirmed he might rating as a rookie with 13 targets in 47 video games final yr for the Golden Knights. He has a misleading launch on his wrist photographs and a knack for locating pucks in entrance of the web. Now, projected to play alongside pass-first forwards akin to Mark Stone, William Karlsson and/or Tomas Hertl, Dorofeyev is in an incredible place to provide at a good greater fee in 2024-25. — Jesse Granger
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Washington Capitals
The Pierre-Luc Dubois deal will repay: It’s laborious to think about predicting something bolder than Dubois lastly discovering a long-term residence, so we’ll go along with that. He’ll give the Caps what he was supposed to provide the Kings — productive two-way play from a high-end second-line heart. Does that imply they’ll get their $8.5 million price? Let’s not get grasping. Nonetheless, 70 factors would go a good distance towards rehabbing his popularity and placing the Caps again within the playoff dialog. — Sean Gentille
Nikolaj Ehlers will play out the season after which stroll as a UFA: As a part of an extended dialog about his future, Ehlers mentioned: “We speak. Chevy, my agent. There’s communication.” Ehlers understands all of us need solutions about his future however conveyed that, at his core, he himself is uncertain what comes subsequent — a contract extension, a commerce, or a summer time 2025 departure to free company. The thought of ongoing conversations might create a way of optimism: Winnipeg has actually proven itself to be able to signing big-ticket gamers late within the sport. It might even be wise for Winnipeg to buy Ehlers on the deadline if it could possibly’t signal him, as a substitute of shedding him for nothing subsequent summer time. My wild October stab at it says the Jets maintain Ehlers for the playoffs, tackle their protection a distinct manner if want be, after which Ehlers picks a staff that offers him greater than the sixth-most minutes per sport amongst forwards. — Murat Ates
(Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic. Pictures: Jamie Sabau, Jason Mowry / Getty Pictures; Vincent Ethier / Icon Sportswire)