NHL predictions 2024-25: Playoff teams, division winners and Stanley Cup
The NHL season technically began with the Global Series last week but, spiritually, it fully launches Tuesday. That marks our final chance to put our reputations on the line with our predictions for exactly how the 2024-25 season will play out.
We’ve tasked the following Daily Faceoff panel members to predict the standings of all four divisions, the Wildcard teams, the Stanley Cup finalists and, of course, the champion:
Anthony Di Marco, DFO contributing writer
Steven Ellis, DFO associate editor & prospect analyst
Jason Gregor, co-host of The DFO Rundown podcast
Matt Larkin, DFO managing editor & senior writer
Jonny Lazarus, DFO writer & co-host of Morning Cuppa Hockey
Brock Seguin, DFO managing fantasy editor
Frank Seravalli, DFO president of hockey content and co-host of The DFO Rundown podcast
We, of course, expect all predictions to be met with levelheaded consideration from all 32 fan bases. Here we go:
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Evidently, many of us believe in the culture change Craig Berube will bring to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with six of seven voters predicting Toronto wins the division over the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. While all but one voter had Toronto and Florida in the top two, the No. 3 to No. 7 slots are pure chaos. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and even the Ottawa Senators all earned at least one Wildcard vote. Buffalo, Detroit and Ottawa have the NHL’s three longest active playoff droughts at 13, eight and seven years, respectively. Will one of them nudge Boston or Tampa out of the picture?
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
We expect things to get very interesting at the top of this division. While the majority still likes the New York Rangers to remain a powerhouse as they enjoy the peak of their Stanley Cup contention window, three of seven voters like the New Jersey Devils to bounce back in a big way and finish first. Their goaltending is vastly improved with Jacob Markstrom joining Jake Allen, while we expect them to have better injury luck. The Carolina Hurricanes were a consensus third-place pick, expected to regress slightly after losing so many key players over the offseason. Overall, the voting panel pretty clearly perceives the Metro as inferior to the Atlantic. Among the 14 total Wildcard spots we handed out for the Eastern Conference, just three went to Metro teams. The Columbus Blue Jackets are in rebuild mode, the Philadelphia Flyers aren’t ready, the Pittsburgh Penguins are aging out of relevance, and the New York Islanders have done little to improve their roster.
CENTRAL DIVISION
The Dallas Stars, loaded at every position and possessing an incredible blend of young and veteran talent, are the envy of the league. Even if they have question marks on the right side of their blueline, that’s more of a concern for deep in the playoffs. They’re clearly the class of the Central. While the majority of the panel likes the star-powered Colorado Avalanche for No. 2, some of us worry the October absences of Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen could cause a slow start. That would open the door for the Nashville Predators to rise up after they added Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei in their splashiest summer ever. If there’s one other sleeper pick creeping up on many lists: three voters believe Utah Hockey Club will break through as a playoff team in its first season after relocating from Arizona.
PACIFIC DIVISION
The Edmonton Oilers have been jockeying with other top contenders in recent seasons, but we like them to lord over the Pacific this time around as they aim to avenge last season’s Game 7 Stanley Cup Final defeat. Most of us like some combination of the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights for the 2-3 slots, with the Los Angeles Kings, who got worse over the offseason, and the Seattle Kraken, who got better, competing in the 4-5 positions. None of us has the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames or San Jose Sharks sniffing the playoffs, and we put their odds in that order.
STANLEY CUP FINAL
Here’s what we think. Winners are listed in color, and the losing finalists are greyed out:
