What an exhilarating offseason! The Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions are back after another summer of free agency. No one outside the Sunshine State has won the eastern conference and gone to the Stanley Cup finals the last six years. While a good number of teams out west improved, teams like New Jersey and Washington made trades to bolster their rosters and re-signed important depth players. The Maple Leafs and Hurricanes are more determined than ever to finish what they started last postseason. Then there are younger teams like Detroit and Montreal with long-term playoff aspirations.
It’s time to break down which teams in each division can push back hard or surprise a lot of people in making the 2025-26 playoffs.
Metropolitan
Washington Capitals
This could be the last season for the NHL’s best all-time goal scorer, Alexander Ovechkin (8).
The Caps have a great, defensive minded coach in Spencer Carbery who learned valuable lessons after his first postseason run. They also have the number one all-time goal scorer and a top five roster on the power-play and defense. Washington will make the playoffs.
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina’s roster is the envy of the east. No matter what happens in the postseason, I guarantee coach Rod Brind’Amour will have the Hurricanes clinch a playoff spot.
Devils core players Dawson Mercer (91) and Jack Hughes (86) are still learning how to play against the NHL’s best.
Pittsburgh’s aging core and lack of defensive depth could be an early issue. The Rangers nosedive will continue. The Islanders and Flyers should be better than last year, but neither have the scoring depth to clinch a postseason spot. Columbus may surprise many and find a way to clinch a playoff spot, but the Atlantic teams could have the edge in tie-breakers.
This leaves New Jersey as the remaining metropolitan choice. The Devils invested more money into both their goaltending and defensive depth. New Jersey will still be seen as an easy out in the postseason, but for now they’re re-building in the right ways.
Atlantic
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto’s core is back and more mature after Craig Berube’s first year as coach.
Toronto is the favorite to win the division again. From coach Craig Berube to a deep fourth line, the Maple Leafs will excel in the regular season.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay still has one of the NHL’s best rosters and coaching staff. The Lightning added and brought back key scoring and defensive depth players. After last year’s postseason exit, expect Tampa Bay to dial in and get back to 2022 levels of elite.
Ottawa Senators
Goaltender Linus Ullmark was good his first season in Ottawa. He can and should be better this year.
Ottawa nearly forced a triggering game seven with Toronto in last year’s first round. The Senators should take another leap this season and put the NHL on notice. Travis Green is the right coach for this young group, and general manager Steve Staios has done well adding and tweaking the roster.
Don’t be surprised if Ottawa faces the second place winner in the Atlantic and gives them fits the first round. The Senators could be a top ten team and make the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Florida Panthers
Despite some injuries to start the season, Florida aims for a championship three-peat.
One might wonder why Florida is lower on the list than Ottawa or Tampa Bay. Captain Aleksander Barkov and star forward Matthew Tkachuk will be out the entire regular season with lower body injuries. Those are big losses that threaten to loom over every important game the next few months.
The Panthers still have the NHL’s best active and the third most winningest head coach in Paul Maurice. Florida also has a lot of veteran talent that will give teams fits. However, they won’t be as high in the standings with the losses of Barkov and Tkachuk.
Detroit Red Wings
Captain Dylan Larkin leads Detroit into their centennial season.
Boston and Buffalo will be the dustbins of the Atlantic. Montreal’s playoff appearance amazed and surprised many, but more teams will take the Canadiens seriously this year. This leaves Detroit as the east’s surprise playoff team.
The Red Wings now have an elite goaltending tandem with John Gibson and Cam Talbot. The offense remains one of the NHL’s most dangerous. The deciding factor that gets Detroit into the playoffs is an improved defense. The 100th year of Red Wings hockey should be both a statement and a relief to audiences everywhere.
What a year it was for the western conference! Although Edmonton lost in fewer games in the finals, the conference certainly had entertaining playoffs. Many viewers wonder if the Oilers can make another run this year in coach Kris Knoblauch’s second full season. Edmonton doesn’t have any serious injuries before the season begins, and they have handled the salary cap issues better than most expected. There will certainly be competition and pushback from teams from St. Louis, Colorado and Vegas. Los Angeles and Minnesota have a lot to prove after last season’s playoff exits. A team like Utah could break out and do damage to whoever clinches a top seed, possibly throwing the playoffs into doubt. It’s time to break down which teams in each division have the best chances to make the 2025-26 postseason.
Pacific
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is a serious championship contender this year.
Let’s see…championship coach, forward and defensive depth, great scorers and shutdown defense. Pencil in the Knights for the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers
The addition of Connor Ingram last month finally gives Edmonton a stable presence in net. The Oilers could have another slow start to the season, but should gradually get better each month with two former MVPs in their prime.
Los Angeles Kings
Younger players like Quinton Byfield have to play better this season and step up in the playoffs.
The pacific will be one of two divisions featured that will have three teams predicted to make the postseason. Nothing about the other five teams in this division looks playoff-worthy compared to the central.
Future Hall of Famer and Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar will retire after the season. Los Angeles aims to make sure to reach the postseason for Kopitar to have one more championship run. Many people would like if they don’t draw Edmonton again in the first round.
Central
Dallas Stars
Jake Oettinger is the face of the franchise after captain Jamie Benn was placed on season ending IR.
Dallas did the right thing by firing Peter DeBoer after an atrocious conference finals elimination. DeBoer blaming US Olympic goaltender Jake Oettinger left a sour taste throughout the organization and the team. The promotion of Glen Gulutzan is a head scratcher, but the Stars have a lot of talent and should remain a top team throughout the season.
Colorado Avalanche
As long as Jared Bednar is alive and behind the bench, Colorado will make the playoffs. The return of captain Gabriel Landeskog immediately makes the Avalanche a top Stanley Cup champion contender.
St. Louis Blues
Expect St. Louis to build off of last year’s second half surge.
I am still stunned at the fight St. Louis put up in their first round series versus Winnipeg. Almost no one will want to play the Blues this season with Jim Montgomery behind the bench full-time. It wouldn’t surprise any serious viewers if St. Louis was one of the three best teams in both the division and the conference.
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg had a stellar 2024-25 season no matter what analysts say. No one expected the Jets to be the NHL’s best team nearly the whole regular season. Coach Scott Arniel should have an interesting year with a core still in its prime. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff signed defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tanner Pearson for additional physical depth and veteran presence. Winnipeg could be a more complete team this year.
Utah Mammoth
Behold, the first ever logo of the Utah Mammoth.
This is the only pick for the west (and maybe both conferences) that may stun a lot of readers. Utah gets the nod here with how close the roster is to complete. The Mammoth also have a long-tenured coach who has dealt and helped the team overcome several unique issues.
Chicago is easily the worst team in the central, Nashville is both older and stuck with a worse roster compared to last year, and Minnesota lacks defensive and goaltending depth. The Mammoth young core of Michael Carcone, Logan Cooley, Sean Durzi, Jack McBain and Dylan Guenther should break out this season while veterans Lawson Crouse, Clayton Keller, and Mikhail Sergechev grow more into their team captain roles.
The NHL finals are set. For the first time since 2009, the championship round is a rematch from the previous final series. Florida and Edmonton are stacked with stars, deep rosters, and savvy coaches. Their power-plays and penalty kills are some of the best since playoffs began. Whichever team wins the finals deserves the accolades and label of champion. It’s time to break down which franchise has the best chance of winning the finals and taking home both the Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup.
#5 Florida Panthers v. 6 Edmonton Oilers
Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been better this postseason than he was last year. That’s bad news for Edmonton.
A lot has changed since game seven of last year’s Stanley Cup finals. Both Florida and Edmonton are more physical and smarter with improved rosters to better counter each other. The Panthers can now play the middle of the ice just as well as the Oilers and still play the sides with the same excellence they did last season. Edmonton’s improved forecheck and physical play made them the best team in the western conference.
Series deciding factor: Aaron Ekblad and the Panthers defense v. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers forwards.
While Oilers centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will lead the offense against a deeper Florida defense, Edmonton’s forwards will feel the true test of this series rematch. With no Zach Hyman for the rest of the playoffs, it’s up to forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Corey Perry, Kasperi Kapanen, Evander Kane, Jeff Skinner, Victor Arvidsson and Trent Frederic to play the best series of their lives. Panthers defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Niko Mikkola, Seth Jones, Nate Schmidt and Dmitry Kulikov play well together and have shut down three of the best forward cores in the NHL (Tampa Bay, Toronto and Carolina).
Florida has some of the best two-way forwards and centers in the NHL. Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Tomas Nosek and Matthew Tkachuk throw their bodies into shooting lanes and block shots on penalty-kills. Their physical play will cause a lot of problems for whoever starts in net for Edmonton. The Panthers playing a more complete physical game on both interior bluelines and by the boards will give the Oilers more problems this year.
Verdict: The loss of Zach Hyman is massive for a team that found their groove games three and four in the first round. Hyman had 104 hits this entire postseason (almost as many as he had in the regular season) before he broke his right wrist at home against the Dallas Stars in game four. Without their best forward, that means someone else has to step up not named McDavid or Draisaitl. Florida’s smothering defense will lead to a lot of transition offense and make the Oilers defense more uncomfortable each game. Coach Kris Knoblauch did a great job stretching last year’s championship series a full seven games, but don’t expect replicated magic with Hyman’s loss and polar goaltender performances.
Florida captain Aleksander Barkov (16) will overwhelm Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) on every side of the puck.
Prediction: Florida Panthers defeat the Oilers 4-1 and win back-to-back championships and their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The first round of the NHL playoffs set records and entertained many viewers. In the west, the reigning Presidents Trophy winners were two seconds away from elimination in a game seven against St. Louis. After a nine game regular season losing streak, Dallas fought hard and eventually won a thrilling game seven against Colorado. Vegas eliminated Minnesota in style, and the Oilers power-play caught fire against one of the league’s best defenses in Los Angeles. Four championship caliber teams will show audiences why they made it this far, but only two will advance to the conference finals. It’s time to predict which two have the best chance.
#6 Edmonton Oilers v. #2 Vegas Golden Knights
The first two picks of the 2015 draft face off again. This time it will be in an exciting second round series. Unlike Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Vegas’ Jack Eichel’s (9) won a championship.
Good thing no one pinned championship aspirations on Los Angeles. That would’ve been silly. Instead of facing a daunting Kings roster in the second round, Vegas could be relieved they got Edmonton. The Oilers played journeyman goaltender Calvin Pickard four of six games of the first round, and he won all four.
While Los Angeles was a quality opponent, the Golden Knights are the top threat in the west to make the finals. Vegas may not have Drew Doughty or Anze Kopitar, but their roster depth is only rivaled by Florida and Winnipeg. Edmonton’s still shaky and not playing at levels similar to last year. Other analysts pointed this out by talking about how Los Angeles lost the series rather than the Oilers constantly doing the right things to win. The Golden Knights are veteran champions and the hardest team Edmonton’s played in a series the last two years.
Prediction: Golden Knights win series 4-2
#3 Dallas Stars v. #1 Winnipeg Jets
Dallas needs centers like Roope Hintz to play the best series of their careers versus the President’s Trophy winning Jets.
It took two overtimes of a game seven in Winnipeg to determine which team would play Dallas in round two. Instead of a cozy, home ice advantage where the Stars could put St. Louis away in (maybe) six games, Dallas has a nightmare second round opponent.
The Jets thumped the Stars in every serious game they played in the regular season. Add in the high and positive energies within Manitoba since forward Cole Perfetti’s two goal performance and captain Adam Lowry’s game winner, and this is a daunting task for Dallas.
It’s important to point out no matter how good Winnipeg’s played against the Stars in the regular season, Dallas could also be at their best selves. The Jets cannot force a full series this time because Stars coach Peter DeBoer is undefeated in game sevens and goaltender Jake Oettinger’s 3-1 with a .950 save percentage. Oettinger’s lone game seven loss featured 64 saves on 67 shots. MVP and Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck has to play better and center Mark Scheifele should return sometime this series, yet Winnipeg is the more physical team that survived a brutal, battering 600 hit onslaught from St. Louis in seven games. The Jets have every advantage and shouldn’t lose any of them.
Prediction: Jets win series 4-2
Western conference first round playoffs record: 1-3
The first round of the NHL playoffs intrigued and entertained many viewers. The Capitals were the first team to advance to the second round after eliminating Montreal. Toronto won a gritty series in the Battle of Ontario. Florida easily won the Battle of Florida. Carolina proved they can take care of business with depth scoring regardless of who starts in net. Four fantastic teams will show audiences why they made it this far, but only two will go to the conference championship. It’s time to predict which two have the best chance of advancing to round three.
#5 Florida Panthers v. #2 Toronto Maple Leafs
Florida looks forward to testing the health of Toronto’s captain and star scorer Auston Matthews.
Florida and Toronto impressed viewers with their first round wins. While the Maple Leafs finally played like a championship caliber team unfazed by challenges, the Panthers snapped into playoff mode and made fast work of their Sunshine State rival. This could be the most fun series of the second round as many expect the winner to represent the eastern conference in the Stanley Cup finals.
While the Maple Leafs took mature steps to beat the best teams in their conference, there’s no doubt which one is favored in this series. The Panthers have everyone back healthy and from suspension. That means Toronto has to find answers for defenseman Aaron Ekblad, newcomers Seth Jones and hated rival Brad Marchand, and Florida’s relentless (brother of Ottawa’s captain) Matthew Tkachuk. The Maple Leafs will be a championship threat, just not this year.
Prediction: Panthers win series 4-1
#4 Carolina Hurricanes v. #1 Washington Capitals
Whichever team gets the best goaltending will advance to the eastern conference finals.
This is the hardest series to predict because of prior injuries to both starting goaltenders last round. Washington has the most injuries while Carolina has to make sure backup goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is better prepared to play at some point in the series.
As noted in prior discussions, a big development will be how Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry adjusts and plays his lines since this is his first time leading a team in the postseason. Rod Brind’Amour is no stranger to leading the Hurricanes in the playoffs whether he was team captain or as a coach. Unless Frederik Andersen and injuries take a toll for Carolina, it will be hard to see how Washington can win four games against Brind’Amour’s deeper roster. The Capitals struggled with Montreal more than expected last round. Expect the Hurricanes to implement similar tactics but with more hungry veterans wanting to return to the conference finals.
Prediction: Hurricanes win series 4-2
Eastern conference first round playoffs record: 2-2
This could not be a more polarizing first round in the eastern conference. There are thrilling state and provincial rivalries, and then there are two simpler matchups. Despite the Washington Capitals being the best team in the east, their brilliant coach has never led a franchise into the postseason. The Carolina Hurricanes again have pressure to make it past the first round faster than their future opponents. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators look to upend everyone’s predictions while Florida and Tampa Bay make another push to return to the championship round. Most teams have their hands full against deep rosters wanting a conference finals appearance. It’s time to break down which four teams have the best chance of advancing to the second round.
#7 New Jersey Devils v. #4 Carolina Hurricanes
Injuries to star players put more pressure on the rest of the roster (like forward Jesper Bratt) to do more against the tough Hurricanes.
This is the most lopsided NHL first round series. New Jersey won’t have center Jack Hughes, defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, and forward Timo Meier due to injuries. Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic has been benched due to conflicts with coach Sheldon Keefe. Carolina has the conference’s best home record, and their offense yearns to run the score up against a top five defense. This will be a fast series and an ugly end to the season for the Devils.
Prediction: Hurricanes win series 4-1
#8 Montreal Canadiens v. #1 Washington Capitals
Despite the one seed v. eight seed matchup, Washington v. Montreal will be violent and full of fights. Special teams will determine how fast the series ends.
Montreal remarkably went from the NHL’s second worst team to start 2025, to clinching the last playoff seed in either conference earlier this week. The Canadiens have a passionate, young and talented core coached by former Hall of Fame champion Martin St. Louis. They’re smart and constantly adapt to whatever situations are thrown their way.
Unfortunately, that won’t be enough against the top seeded Capitals. Washington had a top three offense and a top ten defense. Coach Spencer Carberry may the weakest link since he has not seen the playoffs as a coach before, but veteran team leaders Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome and Charlie Lindgren easily out-match Montreal’s young and inexperienced core.
Prediction: Washington wins series 4-2
#6 Ottawa Senators v. #2 Toronto Maple Leafs
The Battle of Ontario returns to the postseason for the first time in 21 years.
The Battle of Ontario could be the most important first round series in either conference. The winner not only plays the winner of the Battle of Florida series, but could wind up going to the conference finals depending on next round’s opponent.
Ottawa’s return to the postseason since their 2017 eastern conference finals appearance brings renewed vigor to the nation’s capital and the franchise’s fandom and ownership. Toronto has improved on defense and has the offensive firepower to outscore almost anyone, but the Senators are on another level when it comes to their provincial rivals. Usually, one wouldn’t pick the regular season series winner to replicate their success in the playoffs. However, the temptation to pick Ottawa wins out because they swept the regular season five game series against the Maple Leafs. Toronto tried to beat the Senators in different ways, but none were successful. If they had played each other three times, the Maple Leafs would be favored. Five straight losses to rising Ottawa shows how this series will turn out.
Eastern conference upset prediction of the first round: Senators win series 4-1
#5 Florida Panthers v. #3 Tampa Bay Lightning
Despite injuries and revamped rosters, the new round of the Battle of Florida will be fun to watch. Viewers want a nasty, seven game series.
If it’s not the Battle of Ontario winner, the Battle of Florida winner will determine who advances to the Stanley Cup finals in the eastern conference. The Sunshine State has represented the conference in the last five championship appearances. There’s a great chance the streak continues.
Florida and Tampa Bay look even to the average fan. To be fair, this is a 50/50 pick. For those who enjoy watching film, there are variables that decide who advances. The Panthers were battered with injuries to start 2025. Losing big name players like defenseman Gustav Forsling and forward Matthew Tkachuk were recent blows to Florida’s chances of winning the Atlantic division. Both are expected to play at some point, and the return of defenseman Aaron Ekblad (was suspended due to illegal substance use) are pluses. While this sounds good, it puts the Panthers at an early disadvantage against the determined and red-hot Lightning.
Tampa Bay is top three in total offense and defense. They know how to find every team’s weaknesses and play their best against championship contenders. The Lightning’s roster is fully healthy, focused and better coached this time. They also have the home ice advantage. Additional pressure on the Panthers to repeat last year’s championship run tilts this in Tampa Bay’s favor.
Prediction: Lightning win series 4-2
Regular season eastern conference playoffs prediction record: 6-2
The NHL’s western conference was the first to have every playoff spot clinched. Seeding was final after last weekend. Many wonder if either of last year’s conference finals participants can replicate their success and represent the west in the conference championship. No western team wants to go two years in a row without winning the Stanley Cup. President’s Trophy winners Winnipeg Jets improved this season but drew a difficult first round opponent. Los Angeles and Vegas have the capabilities to make deep playoff runs.Finally, the Colorado Avalanche have returned to their Stanley Cup champion selves after serious roster moves at the trade deadline. Only four teams will advance to the second round. Time to break down which four have the best chance.
#6 Edmonton Oilers v. #4 Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles’ 5-0 shutout win in Edmonton last Monday could be a preview for what happens in this first round series.
For the fourth year in a row, the Kings and Oilers face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Edmonton won the previous three matchups in seven, six and five games. This time Los Angeles is in the best position to win the series.
The Kings wound up with the best home record in the NHL and coach Jim Hiller has improved the roster’s playing style. Hiller’s decision to have a five forward look after the acquisition of forward Andrei Kuzmenko is brilliant and makes Los Angeles nearly unstoppable.
The Oilers have been inconsistent since Four Nations ended, and the health of star players has been their biggest issue. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm will miss the entire first round. Forwards Zach Hyman, Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane won’t be fully healthy. By contrast, the Kings’ five forward rotation preserves the health of defensemen Drew Doughty and Joel Edmundson. Los Angeles’ success coupled with the Oilers continuous struggles means the Kings should finally get past their rivals into the second round.
Prediction: Kings win series 4-2
#5 Colorado Avalanche v. #3 Dallas Stars
If Dallas has any chance of winning this series, depth players like defenseman Thomas Harley (55) have to play their best, all-around hockey.
Two months ago, we saw this as the best first round series in any conference. Dallas went all-in at the trade deadline for former Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen. The Stars’ seven game losing streak has them in panic mode and coach Peter DeBoer has no answers.
Meanwhile, the Avalanche are back to their dangerous selves and got some extra rest after a Sunday win in Anaheim. Their new goaltending duo of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood will fluster Dallas’ already frustrated offense and power-play units. Colorado also has better coaching and higher confidence.
Prediction: Avalanche win series 4-1
#7 Minnesota Wild v. #2 Vegas Golden Knights
Forward Matt Boldy’s played more games without scoring depth than he probably imagined and wanted to this year.
Many believe this series has the potential to be the NHL’s best and longest in the first round. As goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s legendary career draws to a close, the Wild finally have all their star players back and healthy for the playoffs. Unfortunately, they drew one of Fleury’s former teams for the first round. Vegas knows how to beat Minnesota in many ways. Unless the Golden Knights suffer serious injuries, the Wild don’t have a chance of winning this series. Vegas has a lot of former champions, scoring depth, shutdown defensemen and great coaches. These veterans won’t be phased by Minnesota’s last hurrah for Fleury, a goaltender they originally acquired in their 2017 expansion draft.
Prediction: Golden Knights win series 4-1
#8 St. Louis Blues v. #1 Winnipeg Jets
2025 Jordan Binnington is playing like the legend he was in 2019. That’s bad news for Winnipeg.
We’ve been here before. Of course the President’s Trophy winning Jets drew the most challenging first round opponent for any team. Coach Jim Montgomery made sure St. Louis clamped down on defense and improved on both offense and the power-play. This Blues team is eerily similar to the 2018-19 championship team that also faced Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs.
The Jets won the regular season series but they’ll be without forward Nikolaj Ehlers for most of the first round. Winnipeg also has a lot of pressure to win a series after last year’s jaw-dropping collapse against Colorado. St. Louis has no pressure and is riding all kinds of highs after early season struggles. If that isn’t daunting enough, the superb play of Four Nations champion starting goaltender Jordan Binnington has been stellar. Binnington’s aggressive style will further frustrate the Jets offense and special teams deep into the series.
Western conference upset prediction of the first round: Blues win series 4-3
Regular season western conference playoffs prediction record: 6-2
Nashville starting goaltender Juuse Saros takes a stick to the face in a shutout loss to Calgary earlier in the month.
General manager Barry Trotz had a hard decision to make on March eighth earlier this year: should he trade Nashville’s core talent after a hot winning streak or keep everyone together and try for a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was a hard decision. The Predators were one of the NHL’s most dangerous teams last spring and pushed well-coached Vancouver to a thrilling six game series in the first round of the postseason.
Many serious viewers believed Nashville would be one of the top western conference teams when the season began in October. They signed Tampa Bay’s franchise scoring leader and long tenured captain Steven Stamkos and former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault. They added defenseman Brady Skjei after trading Ryan McDonagh back to the Lightning. Barry Trotz was already a contender for general manager of the year before the Predators played a regular season game.
The free agency period could be the highlight of Nashville’s year. The Predators were one of two teams to not win a game until the end of October. They’ve won the same number of games in November as they’ve been shutout. While the team’s leading goal scorer is Filip Forsberg, the acquisition of Jonathan Marchessault is a dud. Marchessault has three goals and seven assists after two months. This is a forward who was the core of many successful Golden Knights offenses once they grabbed him in the 2017 expansion draft.
The former Stanley Cup finals MVP isn’t the only one struggling. Former Conn Smythe winner Ryan O’Reilly is having a hard time after last year’s solid season. While O’Reilly and Marchessault both have 12 points as of this writing, at least the former plays better defense. Still, that’s a problem when two of the team’s best signings the last two years went from MVP of a champion winning team to non-existent on offense and the power-play.
This is where most of the struggles are for the Predators. They’re bottom five in goals scored and bottom ten in goals against. No player has gotten double digit goals in almost two months, and former Vezina candidate Juuse Saros is giving up an average two and a half goals a game. Part of Saros’ issues stem from doing too much when the offense can’t score. Five-on-five has been this team’s worst area, and it doesn’t look like a one or two month slump. Captain Roman Josi said at the beginning of November to FanSided’s Nashville page Predlines that, “there’s a hard time breaking out. We’re having a hard time on the backcheck, we’re not playing as a five-man unit and we’re not playing as a team right now. It’s almost like every guy is on their own page.”
This leads us back to Trotz and how he re-tooled the roster the last year and a half. Sports journalist Scott Maxwell wrote an honest opinion on why the Predators are struggling this early. He believes Barry Trotz spending just under $31 million for super stars was the “Plan A” the franchise had in mind. That’s one third of the team’s salary cap before a regular season game. Maxwell also addresses free agent signings the year before and how Nashville needs more center depth than star scorers.
Finally, many say this is also on coach Andrew Brunette. The calls to fire Brunette are constant, but he’s lucky Nashville is unlike many NHL teams where they don’t fire coaches just because there’s a slump. The Predators front office will give Andrew Brunette as much time as possible to fix the ongoing issues throughout the season. If this is just a slow start, there should be an uptick in production. Unfortunately for him, there isn’t much time left until 2025 begins.
Every game in the NHL is hard, and Nashville’s schedule is rife with playoff bound opponents. December has Toronto, the Rangers, Dallas, Colorado, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, Minnesota and a resurgent St. Louis. Barry Trotz could make some harder decisions before the next trade deadline if the Predators are just as bad these last two months.
The Predators struggle to score especially at close range. If Nashville wants to improve, they’ll have to play better offense and score more on second chance opportunities.
Time for the first power rankings of the season. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to the rankings from last season. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off of how they’d perform on a neutral site.
#32 Chicago Blackhawks (final ranking last season: 31)
It shouldn’t be a surprise the worst team in the NHL is the one that can’t score and is second to last in assists. It should surprise viewers that they’re bottom five in shots on the power-play at 0.9. It’s an early season warning when an offense struggles to find time to get shots on net with a one man advantage.
#31 Montreal Canadiens (final ranking last season: 28)
RG’s Marco D’Amico reported veteran Stanley Cup winning defenseman David Savard could be traded before the March deadline. It’s possible Savard gets dealt before the new year if Montreal’s defense continues the downward spiral.
#30 Anaheim Ducks (final ranking last season: 30)
If there was one play that sums up starting goaltender John Gibson’s career in Anaheim, Friday night’s overtime loss to Buffalo had one. Gibson made a highlight reel save against two Sabres scorers and no help. However the save bounced to the front of the net and forward Jiri Kulich scored his second goal of the season up high when John Gibson was sitting in front of the net. No defender came close to stopping Kulich’s shot and there was no way Gibson could make another save given how he made a spectacular one not even five seconds before the game winner.
#29 San Jose Sharks (final ranking last season: 32)
San Jose’s 7-8 since their second, league record-setting nine straight losses to start the season. The Sharks have also beaten playoff hopefuls the last month and play hard. This could be a one month resurgence, but it’s another reminder there are no easy wins in the NHL.
#28 Pittsburgh Penguins (last season’s final ranking: 24)
When both Stu Grimson and Dave Reid subtly suggested on NHL Network for the first time it was time for Pittsburgh and general manager Kyle Dubas to move in a different direction on coach Mike Sullivan, it was like watching a marathon runner reach the final mile on a race. It’s a matter of time before the Penguins decide to let Sullivan go and bring in a fresh face. The big decision the organization must decide before Sullivan goes is what they should do with the roster. As Mike Johnson said not even 24 hours after, Sidney Crosby must be involved. If that means Crosby wants a trade, then it’s time for a re-build.
#27 Columbus Blue Jackets (final ranking last season: 29)
Columbus will be a dark-horse playoff contender. They already have impressive wins against Colorado, Toronto, Edmonton, Boston (where coach Jim Montgomery was fired after the loss), Carolina and a high-scoring thriller over Tampa Bay. Coach Dean Evason’s getting top ten league scoring with players who wouldn’t make first or second lines for most NHL teams.
#26 St. Louis Blues (last season’s final ranking: 17)
#25 Philadelphia Flyers (last season’s final ranking: 16)
Starting goaltender Samuel Ersson landing on injured reserve puts a bottom five scoring defense further behind. Coach John Tortorella is known for getting the most out of defensive depth but even this is too much for him.
#24 Detroit Red Wings (last season’s final ranking: 19)
One could argue Detroit should be lower in the rankings, but the two things stopping that is the amount of roster talent and how worse the other eight teams are. However we can agree head coach Derek Lalonde’s on the hot seat and viewers are impatient with the Red Wings slow start.
#23 Utah Hockey Club (last season’s final ranking as the Arizona Coyotes: 27)
If you take out the four wins out of their first six games, Utah’s lost 11 their last 15. Since the relocation to another state could finally be on everyone’s mind, it’s ok to excuse some of the play for now. Remember, this is mostly a young roster that’s been outmatched most of the last five years.
#22 Buffalo Sabres (last season’s final ranking: 22)
Is it possible the game’s passed coach Lindy Ruff? He’s excellent with improving offenses wherever he’s gone, but the run-and-gun style creates problems for his defenses as many saw in New Jersey. Buffalo is plus three in goal differential and has given up five or more goals to Pittsburgh, Columbus, Florida, Montreal and Philadelphia. The Sabres need a lot of help in net the next five months.
#21 New York Islanders (last season’s final ranking: 20)
General manager Lou Lamoriello’s master plan of transforming the roster with Patrick Roy as coach features one of the worst offenses a viewer could lay eyes on, the second worst power-play in the league, the second worst penalty kill and the most blown third period leads with six. Islander fans shouldn’t be upset though. At least they have the fewest penalty minutes two months into the season with 121.
#20 Ottawa Senators (last season’s final ranking: 26)
One topic under-discussed is how decimated the Senators goaltending depth is again. This time it’s coming from minor league systems. Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg will be relied on the next month or two in every game. Fortunately for them, coach Travis Green is known to stay a few steps ahead and is balancing when their play. This will show how much the defense improves against playoff contending opponents.
#19 Nashville Predators (last season’s final ranking: 10)
Nashville has too much talent to be a bottom ten team in the rankings. This is after all, an objective analysis of where teams stand almost two months into the regular season. There will be few times where an NHL or NBA team skyrockets ten spots or higher.
That said, the Predators do have some positives left they can use to claw back into the playoff race. Special teams is a big reason there’s still hope. Nashville’s great on the power-play and has the best penalty killing unit. While you could argue that won’t last long, ask how confident you’d be with that thought if the Predators start playing as a team.
#18 Seattle Kraken (last season’s final ranking: 25)
Seattle’s painfully mediocre, which is surprising given how general manager Ron Francis’ hiring of Dan Bylsma excited everyone. Still, painfully mediocre is better than what the other 14 teams behind the Kraken have right now.
#17 Calgary Flames (last season’s final ranking: 23)
Calgary fans won’t be happy with this ranking. Yes, they’re ahead of Edmonton, Colorado, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Dallas. However, this is an objective ranking. There’s no debate Dallas and Los Angeles are complete teams. The Oilers, Avalanche and Canucks will also have winning streaks at some point because of scoring depth, talent and coaching. When that happens, there’s not much leading scorers Rasmus Andersson, Matt Coronato, MacKenzie Weegar and Andrei Kuzmenko can do to counter.
#16 Edmonton Oilers (last season’s final ranking: 9)
Still, that doesn’t exempt neither the Oilers nor Avalanche for their early season sputters. Edmonton had an exhausting run to the finals last season and hasn’t played with the same energies similar to when Jay Woodcroft was fired last year. Kris Knoblauch balancing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s minutes could give this team the extra push when spring starts.
#15 Colorado Avalanche (last season’s final ranking: 7)
As for Colorado, they’re in trouble if there’s no solid goaltending. Alexandar Georgiev is struggling and all Avalanche netminders combine for second worst in goals against. This puts more pressure on the the offense to out-score opponents in high scoring games. Don’t be surprised if general manager Joe Sakic is forced to trade for a netminder before Christmas.
#14 New Jersey Devils (last season’s final ranking: 21)
Everything written on this site about the Devils has been accurate. The defensive improvements have made New Jersey a playoff contender nearly two months into the season. Their highlight and earliest test was a five-on-three penalty kill on the road at Florida, November 12th. Not only did they shut down the Panther power-play, they won 4-1. The Devils won again in a higher scoring game two nights later 6-2. The coaching and goaltender changes make New Jersey a top team this season.
#13 Boston Bruins (last season’s final ranking: 5)
General manager Don Sweeney fired Jim Montgomery because of an 8-9-3 start. Montgomery had 41 losses in 184 games. That might be the dumbest move Sweeney’s made in a long time. If Boston continues to play average the next two months, it will be a firesale at the trade deadline.
#12 Vancouver Canucks (last season’s final ranking: 4)
Surprisingly the Canucks are better in net to start the season than many expected. Vancouver must improve their five-on-five play if they want to be taken seriously. That shouldn’t be a problem once winter begins.
#11 Tampa Bay Lightning (last season’s final ranking: 11)
What a difference a healthy Andrei Vasilevskiy makes for Tampa. The Lightning have a top ten defense and have won at least a dozen games over playoff hopefuls because he’s started most of them. Their dominant home win of Winnipeg made Vasilevskiy the fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach 300 wins. If the offense and special teams can have a better December, Tampa Bay could be near the top of the eastern conference standings.
#10 Los Angeles Kings (last season’s final ranking: 14)
This and the next two team placements won’t be popular given how well all three teams have played to start the season. Remember, these are objective rankings. Los Angeles started hot last year and cooled down to where Jim Hiller took over as coach. Right now they’re unpredictable despite the veteran talent. Another month will show us what we can expect of the Kings.
#9 Minnesota Wild (last season’s final ranking: 18)
It’s almost criminal how there’s little conversation on Minnesota. If Winnipeg didn’t have a historic start, everyone would be praising forward Kirill Kaprizov’s play and Filip Gustavsson’s goaltending. Regardless of conversation, the Wild learned last year’s lessons and had a great start in October. Their mental confidence should keep the stellar performances consistent.
#8 Washington Capitals (last season’s final ranking: 15)
After forward Alex Ovechkin surpassed Gordie Howe for second most goals scored all-time, I made the prediction he could be the first NHL player to score 1,000 goals. He’s going to shatter Wayne Gretzky’s goal record this year and get 900 (outside of missing four to six weeks with a fractured fibula). 1,000 is easily the next barrier he gets to and should surpass.
#7 Toronto Maple Leafs (last season’s final ranking: 12)
In some ways center John Tavares is still team captain with Auston Matthews’ slow start to the season. That’s helped the Leafs keep a top ten offense while the defense has injury issues. It’s early, but replacing Sheldon Keefe with Craig Berube at coach looks like a win.
#6 Vegas Golden Knights (last season’s final ranking: 13)
There’s a difference between Vegas and Los Angeles’ hot starts from last year. The Golden Knights grew tired after winning a championship and scraped into the postseason. The Kings sputtered and needed a new coach. Vegas’ start this year is similar to last season’s minus the fatigue. It’s fascinating to see how they haven’t missed a beat after losing Jonathan Marchessault to free agency.
#5 New York Rangers (last season’s final ranking: 1)
New York’s already one of the best teams due to their goaltending tandem of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. They’ll be on another level once center Mika Zibanejad gets hot. When that happens, this could be the best team in both the metropolitan and the eastern conference.
#4 Dallas Stars (last season’s final ranking: 2)
I was hesitant to have Dallas back in the playoffs due to how much the central division improved in free agency. The Stars still dominate every side of the puck while younger players like Mason Marchment and Logan Stankoven get better. No one expected Matt Duchene to lead the team with eleven goals two months into the season. All credit goes to coach Peter DeBoer for how he keeps improving the players.
#3 Florida Panthers (last season’s final ranking: 6)
Coach Paul Maurice talked about how the mentality of facing everyone’s best actually came last year after Florida won the President’s trophy. Two months into the season, it’s hard to tell if that’s true. The Panthers have lost four straight but still look like the team to beat. Florida needs more consistency on defense and to stop taking dumb penalties. Only serious injuries and mistakes could derail a deep Panthers postseason run.
#2 Carolina Hurricanes (last season’s final ranking: 3)
During Carolina’s eight game home winning streak, the Hurricanes have:
scored 41 goals (four plus goals in each game during streak)
given up 16 goals on defense
have a 36.4% power-play
have an 85% penalty kill
Good luck to the future road teams playing in Lenovo Center.
#1 Winnipeg Jets (last season’s final ranking: 8)
The top spot shouldn’t surprise anyone. 18 wins in 22 games should make almost every team number one in the rankings. Winnipeg doesn’t have a bad loss after two months. That’s something no other team can brag. Coach Scott Arniel found another gear previous coaches didn’t think possible.
Winnipeg’s Vezina winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck makes one of his 26 saves against the Lightning earlier this month.
JD's Sportscorner 