The Florida Panthers look to defend their title, starting Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins. Source: Florida Panthers (twitter/X)
The 2024-25 NHL season is only days away. 32 teams will play 82 games each over the next six months and that’s all before the playoffs begin. All this to say, there’s a lot to follow. So, let’s try to look at some of the key storylines heading into the new season.
Atlantic Division
The Rundown
There are two tiers when it comes to this division. There are the rebuilding teams (Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators) and the Stanley Cup contenders (Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Toronto Maple Leafs) that define this division (the Tampa Bay Lightning are somehow in between). The Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup winners so needless to say, this division has some super teams at the top.
What To Expect
The Canadiens were in last place a season again and with injuries to Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher, expect the same from them. The Sabres and Red Wings have good cases to make the playoffs but als glaring concerns so expect the only team to leap into the conversation to be the Senators. At the top, the Maple Leafs, Panthers, and Bruins will all fight for the top spot and look like Cup contenders throughout the season.
Metropolitan Division
The Rundown
There are three groups for this division. The Columbus Blue Jackets, a team that is arguably the furthest from contention in the NHL, the middle class (New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals), and the Cup contenders (Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers). The Hurricanes and the Rangers were the superteams in the division last season and they look poised to be even better this time around.
What To Expect
The Hurricanes and the Rangers will highlight this division, finishing with two of the best records in the NHL. The Devils will make a good case while the Islanders could sneak up on those team but don’t expect it. Otherwise, this division provides a lot of mediocrity.
Central Division
The Rundown
The Dallas Stars are the super team in this division. They head into this season poised to rattle off the wins but it won’t be easy considering how the rest of the Central Division is shaping up. The Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild all look like great teams. On top of that, the Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Utah both have promising rebuilds going. It’s why this division might be the best in the NHL.
What To Expect
The St. Louis Blues are stuck in no mans land and it’s why they might bottom out and be an awful team. The Blackhawks and Utah will make a push for playoff spots with young and improving rosters but they will come up just short. The Avalanche, Jets, Predators, and Wild will all be good but not great and make the playoffs but not much more because of it. The Stars meanwhile might win a ton of games and finish the season with the best record in the NHL.
Pacific Division
The Rundown
The bad teams in the Pacific Division (Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, and San Jose Sharks) might be real bad. There are also a few teams that will either be contenders or pretenders (Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, and Vegas Golden Knights) where if you squint, they will be contenders. Then there are the two teams at the top, the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. They will define this division.
What To Expect
The Canucks and the Oilers will be in a fight all season for the best record in the division. From the trio of the Golden Knights, Kings, and Kraken, one team will surprise but otherwise, these teams will put you to sleep (unless you live in Los Angeles).
Stanley Cup Hopefuls
To wrap this up, let’s look at the teams that can win the Cup and make a prediction of what the Final will look like.
The Contenders
Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks.
Stanley Cup Final Prediction: Dallas Stars over Carolina Hurricanes
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