Eastern Conference

Metropolitan Division

The top of the division will once again belong to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. After that, it feels wide open. The Capitals had a nice offseason, including bringing Ovi back for at least one more year.

As for the rest:

  • New Jersey Devils: It feels like year 10 of “this is the year they get over the hump.”
  • New York Rangers: Did a nice job filling out a thin roster, though my trust level in the front office and coaching staff isn’t quite there.
  • New York Islanders: Their future looks bright, but the NHL roster isn’t there yet.
  • Philadelphia Flyers: I still don’t buy that last year’s run was real.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets: The sleeper team everyone will look past. I actually like them and think they’ll hang around the playoff race for most of the year before coming up just short.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins: Props for what they did last year, but “regression” will be the defining word of their season.

Top 3 Playoffs:

  1. Carolina Hurricanes
  2. Washington Capitals
  3. New Jersey Devils

Atlantic Division

Good luck to Detroit trying to break into the playoff race here. Once again, the Atlantic is loaded, but I’m going against the grain.

  • Florida Panthers: They look stacked, but coming off a year where injuries tanked their season, was that a fluke or just who they are now?
  • Montreal Canadiens: Added to a roster that’s clearly on the rise.
  • Ottawa Senators: Lost their captain to Florida.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs: Still confused about who they want to be.
  • Boston Bruins: Don’t look good to me, though it’s hard to ever count them out completely.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning: The most consistent team of the last decade, even as age and salary cap constraints catch up.
  • Buffalo Sabres: Coming off a year where they finally looked like a real hockey team.
  • Detroit Red Wings: Sorry, Red Wings fans…

Top 3 Playoffs:

  1. Tampa Bay Lightning
  2. Montreal Canadiens
  3. Ottawa Senators

Eastern Conference Wildcards

  1. Buffalo Sabres
  2. New York Rangers

Yes, I’m picking Florida to miss the playoffs again. I don’t see Jacob Markström getting back above an .885 save percentage, and injuries feel like they’ll be the main storyline down south once more. The Rangers pick might be a little bit of heart over head, but the Rangers, Flyers, Leafs, Blue Jackets, and Bruins will likely all finish within a couple of points of each other. At that point, it’s anyone’s guess.

Western Conference

Central Division

This division is stacked top to bottom.

  • Colorado Avalanche: It starts at the top with what might be the best team in hockey.
  • Utah Mammoth: Ready to build on their playoff run.
  • Minnesota Wild: Will actually focus on playing hockey instead of endless drama over who will or won’t sign.
  • Dallas Stars: Look loaded again, featuring my pick for the Vezina Trophy in goal.
  • Winnipeg Jets: Hard to figure out, they have that lingering goalie issue which we can blame on Trump and Kash Patel because why not?
  • St. Louis Blues & Nashville Predators: Will go through the motions and play hockey.
  • Chicago Blackhawks: The caboose in another rebuilding year.

Top 3 Playoffs:

  1. Colorado Avalanche
  2. Dallas Stars
  3. Utah Mammoth

Pacific Division

Once again, Vegas enters the year as the clear-cut team to beat, though between injuries and mediocre stretches they always manage to make things more dramatic than necessary.

  • Edmonton Oilers: Could win the Stanley Cup or implode while leading the league in drama.
  • Anaheim Ducks: The young squad should improve after a strange offseason filled with offer sheets and payroll issues.
  • San Jose Sharks: Can they make the leap into the playoffs led by the best young player in hockey?
  • Los Angeles Kings: Can they somehow squeak into the postseason for the 928th straight year just to lose to Edmonton?
  • Vancouver Canucks & Calgary Flames: Do they still play in this league?
  • Seattle Kraken: Yep, they still exist too.

Top 3 Playoffs:

  1. Vegas Golden Knights
  2. San Jose Sharks
  3. Edmonton Oilers

Western Conference Wildcards

  1. Minnesota Wild
  2. Anaheim Ducks

Stanley Cup Final Pick

Dallas Stars over Montreal Canadiens