Last season, I attempted to predict the 2023-24 NHL season and it didn’t go so well for me. I wrote a piece highlighting just how wrong my season predictions were. I’m doing the same for the 2024-25 season.
With training camp hitting the later stages, teams making their second and some making their final cuts, we are officially less than a week away from opening day on October 8th, 2024. Let’s go through my predictions for the 2024-25 season.
Individual Award & Player Predictions
The race begins for individual awards, and as the league’s dynamics have shifted in the last few years, I think player awards will continue to be a different race every year.
Hart Memorial Trophy – Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid has taken the cake for the Hart Trophy prediction for a second year. He was a finalist yet again for the Hart Trophy and he seems to have created a pattern over the last four years in this trophy category. This will be a solid prediction if he continues his finalist year followed by a Hart Trophy-winning year.
Previous Winner: Nathan Mackinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – Elias Pettersson
Regarding the NHL award for gentlemanly conduct, Elias Pettersson is one of the favourites to win the Lady Byng this year. Coming close last season, he’s definitely made himself stand out even more as a player who can compete and stay within the rules.
Previous Winner: Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Vezina Trophy – Igor Shesterkin
I am very divided on whether or not Hellebuyck will repeat or Shesterkin will leverage his contract negotiations with an incredibly dominant Vezina winning season. Ultimately, I had to flip a coin as Hellebuyck will be on a mission to win another Vezina and Shesterkin will be wanting to perform for his next contract.
Previous Winner: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Calder Memorial Trophy – Matvei Michkov
Matvei Michkov has been the total package in training camp so far. He’s shown maturity and a strong upside when it comes to the on-ice side of the game. Off the ice, Michkov has looked like he’s having a great time and has been enjoying being a part of the Flyers organization. This will bleed into his on-ice game and will only benefit him long-term as he goes to get the Calder this season. However, there is significant competition for the award this year.
Previous Winner: Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
Art Ross Trophy – Connor McDavid
McDavid is closing in on 1,000 points, he’s likely to hit 1,100 this season as well. This is just another season in the books for McDavid, but he will definitely be hunting another Stanley Cup Final. The 82-game performance by the Edmonton Oilers will be the first of many determining factors, but McDavid’s road to the finals again will be epic. I can see the Art Ross being one of many trophies McDavid picks up in the 2024-25 season.
Previous Winner: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Noah Dobson
The New York Islanders are one of the fringe teams that you don’t truly know if they will make the playoffs or not. They have talent, but they haven’t had anything truly defining for a long while now. Noah Dobson can be one of many players on this team to break out, and a Norris Trophy would cement if further.
Previous Winner: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Ted Lindsay Award – Auston Matthews
Auston Matthews will have far more on his plate in the 2024-25 season. He was named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL offseason and it is a significant step in his career. There is an abundance of leadership on the Leafs and the team is now guided by the 2016 first-overall draft selection. He’s going to be more than just the most valuable player to his team, but have a defining season to cement him as the true cornerstone of the Leafs’ franchise.
Previous Winner: Nathan Mackinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Jack Adams Award – Paul Maurice
I had to redo my Jack Adams predictions three times before I finally narrowed it down. Honestly, I think Maurice was more than deserving of the award last season after everything he’s done with the Panthers, but that wasn’t the case. With a crucial season ahead for the Panthers after their offseason losses, they will have to rely on coaching and the game they’ve played to a really strong showing. Maurice is bound to get the award at some point in his career, but he may get overlooked again as he’s the no-nonsense coach who’s hard to market.
Previous Winner: Rick Tocchet, Vancouver Canucks
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Roope Hintz
Roope Hintz has been one of the best emerging defensive forwards in the NHL. He’s on a strong Dallas Stars team which will only help him focus on the defensive touches of his game. Hintz has been a strong part of the Stars’ core and finished sixth in Selke voting last season. The Stars are also going to hunt a deep playoff run and Hintz having a solid season in the offensive and defensive aspects of his game will be important for him in securing his first career Selke.
Previous Winner: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
William M. Jennings Trophy – Juuse Saros
I think the Jennings will be split this year. Last year, Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets took home the Jennings and Vezina, but it was a close race for the Jennings. Saros just signed a monster contract extension and will be looking to get some early value for the team that has made big splashes in the 2024 off-season.
Previous Winner: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy – David Pastrnak
I have a hunch that Auston Matthews will be more wrapped up in his new leadership role this season. David Pastrnak, who is the biggest component of the Bruins goalscoring department, has not won the Rocket since the 2019-20 season and is due to have another monster season. The Bruins will rely on Pastrnak’s natural goalscoring talents this season and he should be back in contention for the trophy.
Previous Winner: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Mark Messier Leadership Award – Brady Tkachuk
This is a do-or-die season for the Ottawa Senators and Brady Tkachuk must step up for his team this season. The Senators have one of the best captains in the NHL and they have to get a playoff run out of him this year. It’s long overdue that the Senators get into a position to compete properly and if they make the playoffs, I can see Brady Tkachuk receiving this award.
Previous Winner: Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers
Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award – Barry Trotz
Jim Nill has won this award for the past two years and I think it is time that the award goes out to a candidate that has built a competitive team within the first few seasons they were hired. Trotz inherited a decent situation, other than some retained salary cap being on the books for a few seasons, he’s done a sound job at making the Nashville Predators return to a high competitive level. I can see the Predators being extremely good this season and helping Trotz win his first award as General Manager of the Year.
Previous Winner: Jim Nill, Dallas Stars
Team Awards & Standing Predictions
Stanley Cup – Edmonton Oilers
Watching the Amazon docuseries reveals just how competitive the best players in the NHL are. The Oilers were one win away from bringing the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993. Connor McDavid got so close, why can’t he return to the finals again? Locking Draisaitl up long-term was crucial for this team and they’ve made some sneaky good additions to play in their top and bottom six. The only hole this team has is defence and goaltending, but that was an issue for them when they got one win away last year. I think McDavid will be a man on a mission this season and the Oilers will benefit from a Stanley Cup due to his 2024-25 projected output.
Previous Winner: Florida Panthers
Prince of Wales Trophy – New York Rangers
While I think the Western Conference is a near lock to be Edmonton, I think the Rangers will have a run at the Stanley Cup this season but ultimately fall short. Jacob Trouba, captain of the Rangers, has stated that this is the last dance for the core of the team. What better way to show promise than going to the Stanley Cup Finals?
Previous Winner: Florida Panthers
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl – Edmonton Oilers
I’m going to let my Oilers Stanley Cup Final predictions speak for itself mostly. They have a really good team and they will almost certainly be on a mission this season after falling just one win short. The Amazon Faceoff Docuseries shows a great glimpse into just how heartwrenching it is to come so close to winning the ultimate prize in hockey. Kris Knoblauch’s 2024-25 Oilers, captained by Connor McDavid should be a really strong competitor to win it all this year.
Previous Winner: Edmonton Oilers
Presidents’ Trophy – Florida Panthers
Last year I predicted the New Jersey Devils to win the Presidents’ Trophy because I honestly thought they were going to be a lot better than they were. I began to wonder if I chose a team and they missed playoffs or if the Devils were just performing below expectations. Regardless, the safer choice is the Panthers, regardless of who they lost in the offseason. Paul Maurice is a good coach
Previous Winner: New York Rangers
Eastern Conference Predictions
I said briefly on the last Inside The Rink podcast episode that it’s most likely going to be a playoff year where two divisions have five teams making playoffs. However, I think Utah is going to finish in the last wildcard spot or fall just short of the playoff berth. Los Angeles will have a rocky start with Doughty out month-to-month and their depth shoring up significantly.
As for the Eastern Conference, I don’t see the Hurricanes finding themselves in a playoff spot this year. They’ve lost a few key players on their team and folded like a cheap lawn chair in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I can see the Penguins and Blue Jackets pushing and fighting to attempt to knock Carolina out of fourth, but the league’s competitiveness will drive them lower this year.
Atlantic Division
- Florida Panthers (p)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (x)
- Buffalo Sabres (x)
- Boston Bruins (x)
- Ottawa Senators (x)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (e)
- Detroit Red Wings (e)
- Montreal Canadiens (e)
Metropolitan Division
- New York Rangers (y)
- New Jersey Devils (x)
- New York Islanders (x)
- Carolina Hurricanes (e)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (e)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (e)
- Philadelphia Flyers (e)
- Washington Capitals (e)
Western Conference Predictions
Central Division
- Dallas Stars (y)
- Nashville Predators (x)
- Winnipeg Jets (x)
- Colorado Avalanche (x)
- Utah Hockey Club (e)
- Chicago Blackhawks (e)
- Minnesota Wild (e)
- St. Louis Blues (e)
Pacific Division
- Edmonton Oilers (z)
- Vancouver Canucks (x)
- Vegas Golden Knights (x)
- Seattle Kraken (x)
- Los Angeles Kings (e)
- Anaheim Ducks (e)
- Calgary Flames (e)
- San Jose Sharks (e)
Playoff Key
p – President’s Trophy
y – Clinched Division
z – Clinched Conference
x – Clinched Playoff Spot
e – Eliminated
