Tank's 2024/25 NHL Preview and Predictions
Atlantic Division
- Toronto Maple Leafs 108 pts
- Florida Panthers 104 pts
- Boston Bruins 98 pts
- Detroit Red Wings 96 pts (WC 1)
- Ottawa Senators 94 pts (WC 2)
- Tampa Bay Lightning 90 pts
- Buffalo Sabres 82 pts
- Montreal Canadiens 70 pts
The Toronto Maple Leafs made significant improvements on defense, adding Chris Taney and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. They will win the division, but can they overcome the postseason struggles? That will be the test in Toronto, which will rely heavily on new coach Craig Berube.
The Florida Panthers captured their first Stanley Cup but lost several key players. Battling the Stanley hangover will be the first test for Florida. The regular season could be a letdown, but the champion's pedigree will come into play in the postseason.
The Boston Bruins will remain a factor, as they have a top-rated defense and have signed goalie Jeremy Swayman to a nice contract. The only question is whether their age will catch up with them when the pressure of the playoffs mounts.
The Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs by a controversial tiebreak last year. With a young and improving team, it is time for the playoffs to return to Hockeytown USA.
The Ottawa Senators added Linus Ullmark, who won the Vezina in 2023, hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. It will be a battle all season, but do they have enough offense? Ottawa needs to answer that question.
The Tampa Bay Lightning's glory days are over, an era that saw three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances and two championships. The loss of Steven Stamkos and the roster's overall age, with several teams rising behind them, will leave Tampa out of the postseason since 2017.
The Buffalo Sabres have not made the playoffs since 2011, when Lindy Ruff was coach. Hoping to go back to the future, Ruff is back in Buffalo, but the Sabres are still on the wrong side of the postseason bubble, as the highly competitive Eastern Conference will leave them in the dust.
The Montreal Canadiens are a dynasty in ruins. Once a postseason stalwart, they are again among the worst teams in the NHL, as their significant offseason addition, Patrick Laine, will miss at least the season's first two months.
Metropolitan Division
- New York Rangers 112 pts
- New Jersey Devils 109 pts
- Carolina Hurricanes 98 pts
- Philadelphia Flyers 93 pts
- New York Islanders 88 pts
- Washington Capitals 84 pts
- Pittsburgh Penguins 80 pts
- Columbus Blue Jackets 56 pts
The New York Rangers won the President's Trophy but fell short in the playoffs. Look for them again to be among the top teams in the NHL. They enter with the same team as last year but with the urgency of several big players entering their walk years, including goalie Igor Shesterkin.
Following a disappointing injury-filled season, the New Jersey Devils made upgrades at goalie and added some much-needed toughness and defense. Expect them to battle the Rangers all season for Metro supremacy.
For the past few seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes have been at the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Finals but have lost several key players due to the salary cap. They should again be a playoff contender, but they are unlikely to make a run to the Stanley Cup.
The Philadelphia Flyers collapsed late in the season and missed the playoffs last season. They should be contenders again, but their lack of depth will be their undoing.
The New York Islanders have a team capable of making the playoffs if everything breaks right. The problem is that everything needs to fall right, and there are enough teams in the East that the playoffs will be a long shot.
Once the two top teams in the East, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals are both past their primes as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are in the sunset of their careers. At least the Capitals will have Ovechkin on record watch as he approaches Wayne Gretzky's goal record standing 37 away as the season begins. The playoffs will be out of reach for both teams.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, like the entire league, were shaken by Johnny Gaudreau's death. Even if Gaudreau was on the team, the Blue Jackets would struggle, as Columbus has been the most poorly run organization in the NHL.
Central Division
- Dallas Stars 116 pts
- Winnipeg Jets 107 pts
- Colorado Avalanche 102 pts
- Nashville Predators 100 pts (WC 1)
- Utah Hockey Club 94 pts
- St. Louis Blues 87 pts
- Minnesota Wild 78 pts
- Chicago Blackhawks 72 pts
The Dallas Stars are on the verge of greatness; with a potent offense and great goaltending, they have lost in the Conference Finals in the past two seasons. Anything less than a trip to the Stanley Cup Final will be a disappointment.
As Connor Hellebuyck goes, so does the Winnipeg Jets. Hellebuyck won the Vezina last season as the Jets were among the top teams in the West. Look for them to be a factor in the Stanley Cup race again.
After two years of injuries, the Colorado Avalanche hope that Gabriel Landeskog can return. The last time Landeskog played, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022. If he can return to form the Avalanche could win the Stanley Cup again.
The Nashville Predators were aggressive in the offseason, signing Steven Stamkos, hoping he could repeat his success in Tampa and lead the Predators to a Stanley Cup.
The NHL has come to Utah. The Utah Hockey Club is a work in progress, as it will soon have a new name and arena. This year, it will be in the playoff race, and the excitement of a new fan base will drive it.
The St. Louis Blues have already received bad news: Torey Krug will miss the season after suffering an ankle injury. In a top-heavy division, the Blues will fall behind and miss the playoffs again.
The Minnesota Wild are in the first stages of a rebuild as their salary cap complications forced them to the sideline during the offseason shopping spree.
The Chicago Blackhawks are improving but are still at least two years away from a return to the playoffs.
Pacific Division
- Edmonton Oilers 112 pts
- Vegas Golden Knights 102 pts
- Vancouver Canuks 100 pts
- Los Angeles Kings 96 pts (WC 2)
- Seattle Kraken 92 pts
- Calgary Flames 80 pts
- San Jose Sharks 66 pts
- Anaheim Ducks 62 pts
The Edmonton Oilers fell one game short of the Stanley Cup, nearly completing a comeback from down 3-0. The Panthers fell short a year earlier and won the cup last year. There will be no denying Edmonton this time around as Canada will end its three-decade drought.
The Vegas Golden Knights battled a Stanley Cup hangover last year. They will again be a factor, but losing Jonathan Marchessault to the salary cap losses will be hard to overcome.
The Vancouver Canucks have a solid defensive core, but without a big goal scorer, their hopes of winning the Stanley Cup remain long.
The Los Angeles Kings will need to survive early in the season without Drew Dougherty if they are to be a factor in the postseason.
The Seattle Kraken added some veteran presence in Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour. However, they will likely be outside the playoff bubble again.
The Calgary Flames are rebuilding again after dealing away goalie Jacob Markstrom. Without much in return, the Flames are several years away from making the playoffs again. They only hope their new arena will be ready by then.
The San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks will fight for the worst in the West. Both teams are rebuilding with little to rely on to remain competitive. The Ducks have some tradable assets, while the Sharks can hope their youth can win a few odd games here and there.
First Round
- Rangers over Senators in 6
- Maple Leafs over Red Wings in 5
- Devils over Hurricanes in 5
- Bruins over Panthers in 7
- Stars over Kings in 5
- Oilers over Predators in 6
- Jets over Avalanche in 7
- Canucks over Golden Knights in 6
Second Round
- Bruins over Maple Leafs in 7
- Devils over Rangers in 6
- Stars over Jets in 5
- Oilers overCanucks in 6
Eastern Conference Finals
- Devils over Bruins in 6
Western Conference Finals
- Oilers over Stars in 7
Stanley Cup Finals
- Oilers over Devils in 6
Conn Smythe Trophy: Connor McDavid, Oilers
Awards
- Jack Adams Award Winner (Best Coach): Craig Berube, Maple Leafs
- Art Ross Trophy (Leading Scorer): Connor McDavid, Oilers
- Calder Trophy Winner (Best Rookie): Macklin Celebrini, Sharks
- Selke Trophy Winner (Defensive Forward): Nico Hischier, Devils
- Norris Trophy Winner (Best Defenseman): Cale Makar, Avalanche
- Vezina Trophy Winner (Best Goalie): Igor Shesterken, Rangers
- Hart Trophy Winner (MVP): Connor McDavid, Oilers