2024-25 NHL season predictions: Stanley Cup winner, playoff teams, dark horse and more

Can the Florida Panthers repeat as Stanley Cup champions or is it the Edmonton Oilers’ turn to go from second to No. 1? What will happen in the Eastern Conference wild card race?

After kick-off The Athletics Season predictions from NHL staff Thursday with individual awards, today we look at team expectations. Who will make the play-offs? Who are the potential dark horses? Which fanbase is about to be disappointed?

To break down our poll results, provide context, and give us healthy critiques, we brought in NHL senior writers James Mirtle and Sean Gentille, analytical know-it-all Shayna Goldman, and gambling expert Jesse Granger.

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Who will win the Stanley Cup?

cheerful: The lone Hurricanes pick makes me feel special. Maybe this is finally the year?! Right?

Goudman: Lose in the Stanley Cup Final and then come back to win the next year. I think I’ve seen that script before.

Gentille: Last season I chose the Stars. The Devils don’t seem quite ready for it yet. The leaves are the leaves. The Avs have a lot of question marks. It’s standard Edmonton.

Granger: I think the Devils are the perfect combination of talent, motivation and rest after a longer summer than they had hoped, ultimately adding a top goaltender in Jacob Markstrom.

Who will be the runners-up?

Gentille: In other words, most of us think the Rangers will find a new way to disappoint their fans in the playoffs.

Granger: Our consensus Cup Final pick is Oilers over Rangers. You can bet on that exact result at odds of 66-1.

Will Connor McDavid and the Oilers face Mika Zibanejad and the Rangers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final? (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Who will finish in last place?

cheerful: Pray for Yaroslav Askarov, friends.

Granger: And Mackenzie Blackwood.

Gentille: The Sharks have added several real, live NHL players this season. That doesn’t mean things will change that much.

Who will be the biggest disappointment?

Should be projected at over 100 points by Dom’s model at the start of the season. Projected point totals in brackets.

Goudman: I didn’t vote for Carolina, but it kind of makes sense here. Year after year they are one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. But the results ultimately don’t match the hype, so it feels like the pressure is starting to build there.

Granger: Thatcher Demko’s injury has me very concerned about Vancouver. He covered a lot of holes on that team with heroics in net, evidenced by his sky-high .845 save percentage on high-danger shots. If he plays most of the season, things should go well for the Canucks, but if not, a lot will be asked of Kevin Lankinen and Artūrs Šilovs.

Who is your Dark Horse Cup candidate?

According to Dom’s model, should be projected as a mid-table team at the start of the season, between 85 and 100 points. Projected point totals in brackets.

Granger: The Devils are my pick to win the Cup, so I actually had to pick them here.

cheerful: I gave Vegas my vote because (a) the Devils are the easy choice and (b) everyone is losing sleep over how good the Golden Knights remain, including arguably the NHL’s best blue line. Plus, they’re going to add two $10 million amounts at the deadline anyway.

Goudman: Honestly, I forget if I chose Tampa Bay or Nashville here. The Lightning have depth issues, but they are not dead yet. And the Predators had a very interesting offseason. They are my two dark horse candidates to watch, because Mirtle is right: the Devils are the easy choice here.

Gentille: One day I’ll be done treating the Lightning like a real contender. Today is not that day.

Who is your surprise playoff team?

Should be projected under 85 points at the start of the season by Dom’s model. Projected point totals in brackets.

Goudman: Detroit feels like the only legitimate choice here, especially if it can build on its level after that late-season push. Even if the Flyers roll like last year, their deadline moves will likely take them out of the conversation again.

Gentille: Yes, for me it is also the Red Wings by default. At least their path feels realistic, especially when some of their prospects show up.

Who will be the first coach to be fired?

cheerful: Nearly half of said league sounds like the NHL.

Goudman: The average tenure of an NHL coach is less than 2.5 years, so it really suits everyone.

Gentille: There has been so much turnover in recent years that we have a shortage of real candidates.

Eastern Playoff Field

We asked each voter to pick the eight Eastern playoff teams. Here is the percentage of votes each team received. (Note: *playoff team in 2023-2024)

Goudman: Sorry, Atlantic Division disruptors, apparently it’s still not your time.

Gentille: Very funny to see the Capitals, a team that made the playoffs last season and improved over the summer, being so far down the list.

Granger: The funny thing is that the oddsmakers agree. Washington is a minus-190 favorite to miss the playoffs, and plus-155 to qualify.

Western Playoff Field

We asked each voter to pick the eight West playoff teams. Here is the percentage of votes each team received. (Note: *playoff team in 2023-2024)

cheerful: Vancouver at 100 percent with Demko’s injury problems is daring, but then again, Pacific isn’t a killer row.

Goudman: This is erasing Utah, wow. I’m a little surprised there isn’t more confidence behind the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck can get his team there, the rest is a bit vague.

Gentille: I’m glad to see us all predicting another year with the best new tradition in sports: the Kings losing in the first round to Edmonton.

Granger: With Drew Doughty going down in the preseason and the uncertainty with Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich in net, it makes sense that the Kings are the closest to an exit from playoff position, even if they are still way out in front .

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletics. Photos: Ric Tapia, Richard A. Whittaker / Icon Sportswire; Joël Auerbach / Getty Images)