The 2024-25 season is upon us and that means it's time to get out the crystal ball.
It's a clean slate for all 32 Franchises getting a fresh start in 2024-25. After significant movement in the offseason, the Florida Panthers will win its first Stanley Cup in franchise history and begin defending its title against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
Like many Stanley Cup champions, the Panthers will have to endure some turnover. Defender Brandon Montour and winger Vladimir Tarasenko signed as free agents in Florida. Many teams will be looking to give everything they can over the course of the season, including the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and Bruins, to name a few.
As the puck drops on a new season, we've revealed our individual picks for each of the major awards, what the playoff field could look like, and who will win the Stanley Cup this season.
Price predictions
Chris Bengel
Austin Nivison
Playoff seeding predictions
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- Atlantic Division: 1. Florida Panthers 2. Boston Bruins 3. Tampa Bay Lightning
- Metropolitan department: 1. New York Rangers 2. New Jersey Devils 3. Carolina Hurricanes
- Eastern Conference wildcard: 1. Toronto Maple Leafs 2. Philadelphia Flyers
- Central department: 1. Colorado Avalanche 2. Dallas Stars 3. Nashville Predators
- Pacific Division: 1. Edmonton Oilers 2. Seattle Kraken 3. Vancouver Canucks
- Western Conference wild card: 1. Winnipeg Jets 2. Utah Hockey Club
Nivison
- Atlantic Division: 1. Florida Panthers 2. Toronto Maple Leafs 3. Boston Bruins
- Metropolitan department: 1. New Jersey Devils 2. Carolina Hurricanes 3. New York Rangers
- Eastern Conference Wildcard: 1. Tampa Bay Lightning 2. New York Islanders
- Central department: 1. Dallas Stars 2. Nashville Predators 3. Colorado Avalanche
- Pacific Division: 1. Edmonton Oilers 2. Vancouver Canucks 3. Vegas Golden Knights
- Western Conference wild card: 1. Utah Hockey Club 2. Winnipeg Jets
Stanley Cup Predictions
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- Western Conference Finals: Edmonton Oilers via Dallas Stars
- Eastern Conference Finals: New York Rangers over Florida Panthers
- Stanley Cup Finals: Edmonton Oilers over New York Rangers
The Edmonton Oilers almost reached the top of the sport in the 2023-24 season, but narrowly fell to the Florida Panthers in last season's Stanley Cup Final. This time the Oilers will get the job done. Edmonton arguably has a deeper roster than it did a year ago after adding experienced forwards like this one Jeff Skinner And Viktor Arvidsson to their top six. For the first time in several years, the Oilers also have a strong goaltender in the crease in the form of Stuart Skinnerwho posted a 2.45 goals against average during Edmonton's run to the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers could easily be the most talented team in the West, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if they finally reach the NHL's summit in the 2024-25 season.
Nivison
- Western Conference Finals: Dallas Stars over Edmonton Oilers
- Eastern Conference Finals: New Jersey Devils over Florida Panthers
- Stanley Cup Finals: Dallas Stars over New Jersey Devils
The Dallas Stars have lost in the Western Conference finals each of the last two seasons, but they are overcoming that hurdle this season. The Stars downgraded their defensive depth in the offseason, but that's partially offset by a forward group that packs more firepower than the Galactic Empire. That, along with elite goalkeeper from Jake Oettingerhelps them sneak past the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of last year's conference finals. After a disappointing 2023/24 season, the New Jersey Devils have plugged holes in their roster and are once again looking like a real Cup contender. Jack Hughes, coming off a Hart Trophy regular season, will help New Jersey defeat the reigning Cup champions in the Eastern Conference finals. In a Stanley Cup Final that should provide plenty of offense, the Stars outlast the Devils in a long series.
