Will the NHL’s latest membership end as one of the crucial highest-scoring groups within the league? Will Pierre-Luc Dubois in any case discover a long-term house with the Washington Capitals? Are avid gamers like Juraj Slafkovský taking to put together a vital bounce of their manufacturing?
The ones had been a few of the responses The Athletic were given this life when it requested its NHL group of workers for his or her daring predictions for the 2024-25 season.
Right here’s one prediction for each and every crew because the early ordinary season continues.
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Trevor Zegras is probably not traded this season: You wish to have daring? How about operating counter to the customery concept the Geese are destined to walk their mercurial 23-year-old ahead? Within the Fake NHL (i.e., hockey social media), hasn’t he been traded about 1,000 occasions? But it surely didn’t put together sense for Anaheim to do business in Zegras then an injury-plagued 2023-24 season when his commerce worth took a collision. He’d do smartly to put together this season considered one of vengeance, and the Geese must a minimum of aim hanging him in the most efficient place to manipulate. Now the “this season” qualifier is in there since he nonetheless has then 12 months left on his word and a few roughly commerce may just get labored on then summer season. Common supervisor Pat Verbeek may just proceed the Jamie Drysdale course with a colossal player-for-player switch, however the Geese want extra proficient offensive avid gamers, no longer fewer. Bonus daring prediction: Cutter Gauthier will win the Calder Trophy. You’ll keep in mind this when it’s flawed however do just the similar if it occurs to be proper. — Eric Stephens
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Jeremy Swayman will aim early: Swayman overlooked all of coaching camp. He’s getting into his first season with out Linus Ullmark as his spouse. He has to do business in with the force of being the fourth-highest-paid lively goalie within the league. Thursday’s four-goal get started gained’t be the utmost hiccup. — Fluto Shinzawa
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Owen Energy will double his earlier high-goal overall: Energy hasn’t scored greater than six objectives in a season throughout his trim NHL occupation, however he appears all set for an uptick in that segment. His shot is noticeably more potent this season as he added energy over the summer season. The Sabres have additionally emphasised growing extra visitors in entrance of the web. Because of this, Energy had two objectives within the preseason and already has one within the ordinary season. A target overall of a minimum of 12 isn’t out of the query. — Matthew Fairburn
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OP nets the primary Sabres target of the season #LetsGoBuffalo | #NHLGlobalSeries pic.twitter.com/cfmt0x7Zws
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 4, 2024
Jonathan Huberdeau will fracture the 80-point plateau: Huberdeau has 107 issues blended over his utmost two seasons in Calgary. So, why the optimism round him? In part as it can not get any not up to his near-pointless age of December utmost season. Huberdeau performed smartly then that, even supposing his season ended with fewer issues than his debut Flames marketing campaign. Some other phase is since the Flames are banking on his developing chemistry with Anthony Mantha. They’ve performed in combination maximum of, if no longer all, preseason and feature proven flashes that they may be able to be a perfect duo along Martin Pospisil. Huberdeau must additionally get his ordinary PP1 mins to start out the 12 months. In spite of everything, the force to reach Calgary is way cheapen in comparison together with his first two seasons. — Julian McKenzie
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Seth Jarvis gets a shot at heart: The Hurricanes have their Refuse. 1 heart in Sebastian Aho, however discovering a participant to fit at the back of him has been tricky. Extreme 12 months’s Evgeny Kuznetsov acquisition flopped, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been not able to stock directly to the process in spite of a number of probabilities. Jarvis has already proved to be one of the crucial perfect defensive wingers in hockey, and one thing this season — ineffectiveness from Kotkaniemi and Jack Drury or an harm — will persuade teacher Rod Brind’Amour, a minimum of within the trim promise, to provide Jarvis a shot within the heart. — Cory Lavalette
The Blackhawks will end 25 issues higher than utmost season: The Blackhawks would possibly finally end up being close to the base of the league once more, however they must achieve this with a miles upper level overall than their 52 utmost season. — Scott Powers
Can Cale Makar, who recorded 90 issues utmost season, achieve the century mark in 2024-25? (Matthew Stockman / Getty Photographs)
Cale Makar may have 100 issues: Just one defenseman has reached the century mark within the utmost 30 years: Erik Karlsson two years in the past for San Jose. Makar completed with 90 issues in 77 video games utmost 12 months, and I be expecting a fair larger 2024-25. He completed peak 10 within the league (and led all defensemen) with 39 issues at the talent play games a season in the past, and Colorado’s talent play games might be much more potent this season. Makar must play games upward of 26 mins consistent with contest, maximum of which shall be shared with the Avs’ high-powered peak wrinkle with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. This might be Makar’s perfect season but. — Jesse Granger
Yegor Chinakhov will bloom as a target scorer: Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson have carried out this preseason as though they’re in a position to be breakout avid gamers in 2024-25, however there’s every other teenager who has a tendency to exist beneath the highlight. Chinakhov, who had 16 objectives in 53 video games utmost season, goes to get a miles larger position than the 15:10 consistent with contest he performed. With Boone Jenner out long-term with an upper-body harm, Chinakhov has moved as much as the peak wrinkle with heart Sean Monahan and proper winger Kirill Marchenko. Chinakhov, if he remainder wholesome, may just simply rating 25 objectives or extra. — Aaron Portzline
The Stars will win the Stanley Cup: In truth, I’m no longer even positive this qualifies as “bold.” The Stars have grow to be a type NHL franchise, with basic supervisor Jim Nill constructing a crew that’s deep, proficient, and lines a great mixing of teenage and veteran savvy. Shedding Chris Tanev to Toronto harm, however the Stars shall be consumers once more on the commerce closing date, and if there are any holes to plug, they’ll be plugged. A lot of this prediction hinges on Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson turning back method then unusually habitual 2023-24 campaigns (via their elevated requirements). The assumption right here is that they each do, and the Cup remains within the Solar Belt for the 3rd immediately 12 months, and the 5th era within the utmost six years. — Mark Lazerus
Dylan Larkin will rating 40 objectives: The Crimson Wings haven’t had a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa in 2008-09. However Larkin got here nearer than chances are you’ll understand to converting that utmost season: He completed with 33 objectives in 68 video games, which over an 82-game season totals out to a 39.7-goal week. He’s discovered a complete pristine degree as a scorer over the occasion 3 seasons, and Detroit has in any case surrounded him with the type of ability had to threaten 40. The query now could be simply condition, as he hasn’t performed a complete 82 video games since 2017-18. He collision 80 simply two seasons in the past, regardless that, and if he can do this once more, I believe it’ll be plethora to put together this prediction come true. — Max Bultman
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Stuart Skinner will end peak 5 in Vezina balloting: Skinner was once forged within the playoffs save for the Vancouver order and enters the season as an undisputed Refuse. 1 goalie for the primary era in his occupation. He must be primed for a breakout marketing campaign. With a Stanley Cup-contending crew in entrance of him, there’s incorrect reason why to suppose that shouldn’t occur. However this gained’t be a case of Skinner merely driving his teammates’ coattails. The defensive staff has some main query marks. The PK, so remarkable within the postseason, has gone through important yielding. Skinner will deserve his roses for an finest season. A most probably correct Group Canada within the 4 International locations Face-Off tourney will most effective building up the highlight on him and provides NHL GMs — the citizens in this award — extra reason why to solid ballots in his bias. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman
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Adam Boqvist will crack out: Florida didn’t put together many offseason adjustments because it already has a championship core in playground. Don’t mess with what works. We’re nonetheless taking to are expecting the Panthers paintings their enchanment on 24-year-old Boqvist, their original defensive reclamation undertaking. He confirmed some power-play chops and transition talent in his era with the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets, and the Panthers have indubitably proven an organizational knack for placing their defensemen in place to be triumphant. — Sean Gentille
Quinton Byfield will grow to be the Kings’ perfect participant: Let’s see, the Kings can be a crew at risk of lacking the playoffs, however they’ve were given plethora to a minimum of nab a wild-card spot within the West so I’m no longer taking to handover any receipts for that. However Byfield is giving off the vibe that he needs to be a celebrity then a confidence-building 20-goal, 55-point breakout 2023-24 season. He had a hat trick within the preseason and was once clicking with Kevin Fiala, who fed off the colossal heart’s pace. Byfield was once successful faceoffs in a decisive method. He appears extra assured together with his shot and has the scale and making improvements to arms to do harm on the internet. The Kings want an inheritor obvious to Anze Kopitar as their 1C. Byfield will pull the ones colossal steps towards turning into The Man. “He’s much more mature than he was a few years ago, physically,” Kings GM Rob Blake stated. “We saw his ability to play some there last year, and we expect him to continue to grow 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 objectives and 40 assists: Common supervisor Invoice Guerin has predicted 50 objectives and 50 assists some time in Boldy’s presen. We’ll be a hair extra conservative for this season, life nonetheless being daring plethora to determine a pristine occupation grand (in the past 69 issues). When John Hynes talks about Boldy, he salivates, and for excellent reason why. Boldy scored 28 objectives and 61 issues in 63 video games (a 36-goal, 79-point 82-game week) beneath Hynes utmost season. Upcoming, Hynes coached Boldy on the International Championship, and the US proper wing led the event in scoring with 14 issues in 8 video games. Boldy didn’t play games any exhibition video games because of a lower-body harm, however the 23-year-old opened 2024-25 with 3 issues in his first contest. — Michael Russo
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Boldy coming in sizzling pic.twitter.com/TIHbV0JAL7
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 11, 2024
Juraj Slafkovský will collision 70 issues: With the best way Slafkovský completed utmost season and getting into this season firmly established at the Canadiens’ peak wrinkle and peak power-play unit, the statuses are ripe for Slafkovský to put together a 20-point bounce in his manufacturing from utmost season. The massively stepped forward playmaking we noticed from him over the second one part of utmost season would be the driver at the back of the greater than 40 % bounce in manufacturing. — Arpon Basu
Juuse Saros will win the Vezina Trophy: Saros starts the season with a lower-body harm, but it surely gained’t be lengthy prior to the Preds are depending on him, closely, then he signed an eight-year do business in with a $7.74 million AAV within the offseason. Avid gamers don’t at all times achieve their very best degree proper then signing colossal offers, however Saros now has readability — the group selected him over peak chance Yaroslav Askarov — and that figures to backup him. So must getting assistance from skaters of their moment season in Andrew Brunette’s device. It’s era for Saros to win one. — Joe Rexrode
The Devils will end with the East’s perfect report: I’m grand at the Devils then their offseason additions. Jacob Markström is a monster improve in internet, and Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon are colossal boosts to a defensive corps that overlooked Ryan Graves and Damon Severson utmost 12 months. That, paired with enlargement in younger avid gamers, must put together Unutilized Jersey bold, a minimum of within the ordinary season. — Peter Baugh
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Noah Dobson will rating 70 issues once more — and get a colossal extension: Dobson moved into a special tier of NHL defenseman utmost season, no longer most effective generating at an elite degree but additionally enjoying main mins life Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield had been out with accidents. A wholesome protection will permit Dobson to steer clear of being overworked life nonetheless letting him galvanize. So he’ll tied Denis Potvin as the one Isles defenseman with a couple of 70-point seasons and he’ll keep the bag, too: an eight-year extension round Ilya Sorokin’s $8.25 million consistent with 12 months. — Arthur Staple
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Igor Shesterkin will win the Vezina Trophy: We’ve revealed Shesterkin care for force smartly. He has a occupation .928 save share within the playoffs and was once via some distance the Rangers’ perfect participant utmost postseason. Neatly, together with his word i’m ready to run out then summer season, he’s taking to be dealing with force this season. Shesterkin already has the cachet to be expecting to be the highest-paid goalie within the league. A monster season harking back to his 2021-22 one will additional building up that trust, and the Rangers should come to a decision how a lot they’re keen to pay to secure him. — Peter Baugh
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Travis Inexperienced will win the Jack Adams Award: If the Senators put together the playoffs this season, the teacher gets a dozen of credit score for his crew’s upward swing. The younger nucleus of ability is already in playground and so they’ve added a goaltender. The Senators simply desire a teacher who can carry them to that then degree. Inexperienced has coached a crew to the playoffs prior to, albeit as soon as. If he ends Ottawa’s playoff drought, he must be regarded as a front-runner for teacher of the 12 months. — Julian McKenzie
The Flyers may have a top-15 talent play games: What, that doesn’t pitch daring plethora? Neatly, imagine the Flyers have had the league’s worst talent play games for each and every of the utmost 3 seasons. Extreme season, at simply 12.2 %, they had been just about 3 complete share issues at the back of 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 a wholesome Jamie Drysdale transferring smartly and quarterbacking the peak unit, the possible is there for the Flyers to greatly reinforce with a person benefit. — Kevin Kurz
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Tic-Tac-Objective. @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 grow to be a trade-deadline commodity: In his top and a gentle top-four defender, Pettersson is an imminent UFA. He’s the kind of defenseman GMs have a tendency to secure from checking out the marketplace. However Kyle Dubas turns out to understand his Penguins are nearer to game of chance than the Cup, and his determination to not signal Pettersson prior to the season suggests Pettersson will grow to be 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 top the crew in scoring: Positive, there was once the temptation to name Macklin Celebrini the Calder Trophy winner on this area. However is that in point of fact a daring select for the reason that he is going into this season as a prominent Calder contender in a robust rookie magnificence? The 18-year-old will incorrect lack of certainty have some noteceable moments, and we shouldn’t bargain the have an effect on his attainable operating mate Will Smith may have as a fellow rookie. Eklund, who turns 22 on Saturday, is a relatively unconventional select. The left wing quietly emerged in the second one part of utmost season with 27 issues in his ultimate 35 video games. He’s going to start out out at the peak wrinkle with Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli life figuring of their talent play games. It can be a balanced staff atop San Jose’s level checklist, however to observe our Sean McIndoe’s top of oddly particular predictions, we’ll say Eklund may have 26 objectives and 40 assists for 66 issues. — Eric Stephens
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Matty Beniers will rating 30 objectives: Beniers went thru a troublesome sophomore stoop in his moment NHL marketing campaign, however he remainder a proficient, assertive younger heart with a swashbuckling taste and game-breaking bona fides, which he proved in his rookie 12 months. Beniers goes to go back to method and upcoming some in his 3rd marketing campaign, scoring 30 objectives and re-establishing himself as one of the crucial NHL’s maximum promising younger pivots. — Thomas Drance
Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway’s luck will top to extra lend a hand sheets: Broberg has been bodily and Holloway rapid thus far. It’s early, so why is that impressive? As a result of Broberg and Holloway are precisely what the membership wanted, and the best way basic supervisor Doug Armstrong obtained them from the Oilers was once by way of offer-sheet words. Within the uncommon example when lend a hand sheets are finished, many miracle whether or not they’re going to top to extra, and actually, the solution has been incorrect. However with the pristine ceilings and anticipated luck for Broberg and Holloway in St. Louis, there might be an uptick. — Jeremy Rutherford
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Andrei Vasilevskiy shall be a Vezina Trophy finalist: Vasilevskiy will display that his lackluster 2023-24 season was once because of again surgical treatment. With a wholesome offseason to coach and era to get again on course, he’s going to select up the place he left off in 2022-23 together with his ordinary game-breaking play games. Vasilevskiy confirmed he can also be the excess in spite of defensive struggles in entrance of him in 2022-23. With the go back of Ryan McDonagh and the addition of Jake Guentzel, he must have extra two-way assistance, which can backup him get again to his former heights. — Shayna Goldman
Can Mitch Marner, identified for his passing talents, achieve 40 objectives this season? (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Photographs)
Mitch Marner will rating 40 objectives: This can be a roughly a protracted shot given Marner’s number one ability and intuition is passing and he occurs to play games with the peak target scorer within the NHL nowadays, Auston Matthews. But, Marner ratings greater than he will get credit score for. Within the utmost 3 seasons, he scored just one target fewer (91) than John Tavares and did so in 18 fewer video games. Marner scored at a 30-goal week utmost season, collision 30 at the nostril the 12 months prior to that, and buried 35 objectives in most effective 72 video games throughout the 2021-22 season, a 40-goal week. Attending to 40 will require Marner to search for his personal shot greater than he frequently does and almost certainly garner some capturing success alongside the best way, greater than his tide occupation perfect of 16.5 %. At some time, possibly even this season, I be expecting him to get there or come near on the very least. — Jonas Siegel
They’re going to end as one of the crucial NHL’s highest-scoring groups: It’s a given Utah goes to be a thrilling hockey membership to observe, what with the power within the pristine marketplace, bizarre constructing and all its younger stars. However its choice of ability is such that it would briefly stand to the ranks of probably the most unhealthy offensive groups, too. Clayton Keller may just rating 40, as may just Dylan Guenther. It’s no longer out of the query as many as 8 Hockey Clubbers collision the 20 mark, which must push them into the peak 10 leaguewide. — James Mirtle
Elias Pettersson will soar again and top the crew in scoring: Pettersson struggled tremendously ill the stretch and into the playoffs utmost season, and Canucks fanatics are starting to lose persistence with their famous person heart. Within the membership’s first contest of the marketing campaign, then Pettersson misplaced the care for on a deke via the offensive blue wrinkle, the Rogers Area community reacted with one thing of a Bronx cheer. Granted the membership had frittered away two sovereign 3-goal leads, so frustration was once operating grand, but it surely nonetheless encapsulates the force Pettersson is beneath. In spite of all of that noise, Pettersson remainder a celebrity performer. A pivot with 40-goal, 100-point upside. With Vancouver emphasizing attacking off the frenzy this season, and proficient wingers like Daniel Sprong and Jake DeBrusk on his wrinkle, we expect Pettersson will soar again and outscore all alternative Canucks skaters throughout the 2024-25 ordinary season. — Thomas Drance
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Pavel Dorofeyev will end moment at the crew in objectives: Dorofeyev confirmed he may just rating as a rookie with 13 objectives in 47 video games utmost 12 months for the Yellowish Knights. He has a misleading reduce on his wrist pictures and a knack for locating pucks in entrance of the web. Now, projected to play games along pass-first forwards comparable to Mark Stone, William Karlsson and/or Tomas Hertl, Dorofeyev is in a superb place to manufacture at a fair upper fee in 2024-25. — Jesse Granger
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Washington Capitals
The Pierre-Luc Dubois do business in will repay: It’s parched to consider predicting the rest bolder than Dubois in any case discovering a long-term house, so we’ll proceed with that. He’ll give the Caps what he was once intended to provide the Kings — fertile two-way play games from a high-end second-line heart. Does that ruthless they’ll get their $8.5 million utility? Let’s no longer get grasping. Nonetheless, 70 issues would proceed a ways towards rehabbing his recognition and hanging the Caps again within the playoff dialog. — Sean Gentille
Nikolaj Ehlers will play games out the season and upcoming proceed as a UFA: As a part of an extended dialog about his presen, Ehlers stated: “We talk. Chevy, my agent. There’s communication.” Ehlers understands all of us need solutions about his presen however conveyed that, at his core, he himself is undecided what comes then — a word extension, a commerce, or a summer season 2025 escape to sovereign company. The speculation of ongoing conversations may just form a way of optimism: Winnipeg has indubitably proven itself to be capable to signing big-ticket avid gamers past due within the contest. It could even be good for Winnipeg to buy Ehlers on the closing date if it may possibly’t signal him, rather of dropping him for not anything then summer season. My wild October stab at it says the Jets secure Ehlers for the playoffs, cope with their protection a special means if want be, and upcoming Ehlers selections a crew that provides him greater than the sixth-most mins consistent with contest amongst forwards. — Murat Ates
(Representation: Meech Robinson / The Athletic. Pictures: Jamie Sabau, Jason Mowry / Getty Photographs; Vincent Ethier / Icon Sportswire)
