The new NHL season is almost upon us. After what can only be described as a chaotic and exciting 2023-24 season, expectations are high for this season to deliver.
With some massive offseason moves, we can hopefully expect the standings to be shaken up a bit, too. As it is every year, however, while some teams will succeed, others will not be so fortunate.
Today we will look at each NHL team and predict the records they will finish with after 82 games.
How many games will your favorite NHL team win this season?
Anaheim Ducks: 38-44
The Ducks had glimmers of hope last season but ultimately failed to do anything really spectacular, finishing toward the bottom of the league. I wanted to have decent hopes for them this season, but with John Gibson missing the start of the season and the Ducks failing to really do much of anything in the offseason, it’s looking like another rough year ahead.
Boston Bruins: 48-34
The Bruins had another terrific regular season that failed to translate to any real postseason success last year. They once again will have to deal with some offseason losses, such as Linus Ullmark being traded to make room to re-sign Jeremy Swayman. While the NHL’s best goalie tandem may be broken up, this team is still very good on paper and should be expected to finish toward the top once again.
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Buffalo Sabres: 38-44
To put it simply, I do not have any more faith in Buffalo. Last season was their year. They had the talent to finally move forward, but they couldn’t do it. While injuries certainly played a part, poor coaching and underperforming stars also held them back tremendously. I don’t expect much to change here, but as much as I’m lowering the bar for them, hopefully, they can surprise me.
Calgary Flames: 40-42
The Flames have officially started a rebuild it seems, or at least trying to. They shipped out a lot of stars before the end of last season, and they added another to that list in the offseason when they sent Jakob Markstrom to the Devils. The issue is that they may still be too good of a team to tank, but they are not good enough of a team to make the playoffs. Calgary finds itself stuck in limbo right now with no real direction or clue of where to go.
Carolina Hurricanes: 47-35
Hey, so maybe the Jake Guentzel rental didn’t work out. Maybe the NHL postseason didn’t go the way you desperately needed it to. Maybe your window is rapidly closing, and you can smell the desperation in this roster. Despite all of that, this team is still very good. They went all in last season at the deadline, and it didn’t pan out. That’s going to sting. It’s going to cause some chaos, but with the solid core this team has, they can pick themselves up.
Chicago Blackhawks: 30-52
Look, I will admit the Blackhawks are finally moving in the right direction. They added some much-needed veterans to help Connor Bedard, as the biggest problem last season was that he was pretty much on his own ninety percent of the time. With some help on the roster, we can expect Bedard to put up some very good numbers this year. So, while they may finally be moving this rebuild in the proper direction, it’s still too early to say they’ll be competing for a playoff spot. Give them a couple of years.
Colorado Avalanche: 47-35
The Avs fell short against the Stars last NHL season because they couldn’t match Dallas’ depth. While resigning Casey Middlestadt and signing a couple of third- and fourth-liners should certainly help that problem, I don’t think it’ll solve it. With Valeri Nichuskin once again violating the Player’s Assistance Program, it’s become clear that they cannot rely on him. The bad part about that is that Nichushkin is a vital piece of the Colorado offense, and I’m not sure they have what they need to patch that hole.
Columbus Blue Jackets: 28-54
I want this team to be good. They deserve it. They’ve been through so much. With the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau weighing on this franchise and the departure of Patrik Laine, on top of poor coaching, I’m deeply saddened to say I don’t think they will be much better than they were last year, if better at all. This team needs a rebuild but lacks the tools to make one happen.
Dallas Stars: 52-30
It was shocking to see what may very well be the deepest team in the NHL get outworked by the Oilers. After back-to-back conference finals exit, one has to start wondering if Dallas has what it takes to make that final push. I think they do. This team is loaded with talent from top to bottom. They just need to finally get over that hump.
Detroit Red Wings: 42-40
Detroit almost made it back into the NHL postseason last year. If it wasn’t for Philadelphia pulling their goalie when they did, they may have very well made it in. That’s the way the cookie crumbles, though. The top heaviness of the Wings, paired with their atrocious defensive play, will most likely bite them in the butt again this year. They won’t be in the basement, though, so there’s a bonus.
Edmonton Oilers: 49-33
It’s hard to say if the Oilers’ Finals run last season was their much-needed depth finally showing itself and a sign of what’s to come for this franchise or a flash in the pan. This NHL team has struggled with four-line play for years, and it’s easy to want to believe that that issue seemingly fixed itself, but sadly, we will have to wait and see. It’s still hard to say if Stuart Skinner is a true number-one goalie who can be relied on as well.
Florida Panthers: 50-32
Unless they get bitten by a serious case of Cup hangover, it’s hard to see the defending champs not having another spectacular regular season. Bobvrosky did look a little shaky at the end there, but we should have faith that he will find his form again. This team hasn’t changed much in the last couple of years, so there’s no reason to expect them to not be good again.
Los Angeles Kings: 47-35
The Kings will have to start the season without star defenseman Drew Doughty, as he fractured his ankle during the preseason. This is a tough blow, but the Kings’ defense is still very solid, even without Drew. However, we will have yet to see if the goaltending issue has been solved and if the Kings can live up to their hype. Anze Kopitar announced that they’re ditching the 1-3-1 formation this season, so hopefully that’ll help.
Minnesota Wild: 38-44
Shockingly, Marc-Andre Fleury did not retire at the end of last season. This may not be a good thing, as he didn’t exactly put on a Vezina-worthy season last year. That being said, goaltending is far from the only problem Minnesota has. Their penalty kill was absolutely terrible last season, on top of taking the most penalties in the league. If that problem isn’t fixed, they’re not going to make any progress.
Montreal Canadiens: 39-43
The Habs are making progress, but they’re doing it very, very slowly. They did decide to move on from Jake Allen last season and focus on their more promising young goalies, but there’s still a chance they don’t end up panning out. There are a lot of what-ifs surrounding this NHL team, so one can only hope that the chips fall in their direction, or it’s going to be a long few years.
Nashville Predators: 41-41
The Predators defied the odds last season, having a terrific second half of the season to make it into the playoffs. It was all for naught, though, as they were taken out in the first round. It’s unlikely they’ll have a canceled U2 concert to motivate them again this year, and one would have to assume that eventually, the rope that they’re desperately clinging onto is going to slip out of their hands and leave them falling. They may prove me wrong again, though.
New Jersey Devils: 44-38
The Devils were a massive disappointment last season. It would be easy to blame injuries, but that would be a cop out.The real issue was not addressing their glaring goaltending issues until the deadline and hoping their talent would be enough to carry them through. Then the talent got injured and they were relying on bad goaltending and depth pieces. The fact that they weren’t in the basement last season is impressive and should spark some hope. They did acquire Markstrom too.
New York Islanders: 41-41
It’s hard to see this team pushing through age again to make it into the NHL postseason as spectacularly as they did last time. They were thoroughly outclassed by the Canes in the opening round and even if they do make the playoffs again, there’s no real reason to think that would go any differently. This is not a bad team by any means, but they’re not elite, either.
New York Rangers: 49-33
The Rangers got a President’s trophy and a deep playoff run last season. This franchise is going to be hungry for more. Whether or not they will be able to accomplish that is yet to be seen. They did re-sign Jonathan Quick for another year so hopefully he can maintain his good form and continue giving Shesterkin some much needed help.
Ottawa Senators: 38-44
The Sens are a team with no identity. If they could figure that out, they would be well on their way to success, but alas, they were unable to do so last year. However, they did acquire goalie Linus Ullmark to help with their goaltending woes. If they can give him support on the blue line, he may very well be the backbone this team needs to make the NHL playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers: 39-43
Last season was a real shocker for the Flyers. They were supposed to be knee-deep in their rebuild, yet they competed for a playoff spot. They did not just compete either; they held a playoff spot for the vast majority of the season. Alas, that success might bite them in the rear as their higher positioning made them unable to acquire much-needed draft capital, and they are still rebuilding a lot. This team has heart, though, and they may very well shock us again.
Pittsburgh Penguins: 38-44
Despite Sidney Crosby’s best efforts, the Penguins missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Not too long ago, it seemed inconceivable for Pittsburgh to even miss the playoffs at all, never mind two straight seasons. That being said, don’t expect this season to go much better for the black and gold. They did very little to fix their issues in the offseason, and they certainly haven’t gotten any younger.
San Jose Sharks: 29-53
The Sharks had a truly awful season last year. Filled with embarrassment and heartbreak. Unless they fulfill an inspiring worst-to-first story, which is highly unlikely, this season most likely won’t be much better. The sad truth is San Jose is going to need a long rebuild before they’re anywhere close to competing for a playoff spot again.
Seattle Kraken: 40-42
It’s hard to figure out exactly where to place Seattle. They’re obviously not a bad team, even if they do woefully underperform at times. That being said, they don’t seem to be very consistent either. In their inaugural season, they finished near the bottom of the league. The year after that, they somehow made the NHL playoffs with a high-powered offense and dethroned the champs despite glaring goaltending issues. Then, last season, they had great goaltending but couldn’t score to save their lives and finished outside of the playoffs again. Who knows what we’ll see this year?
St Louis Blues: 39-43
We’ve watched the Blues slowly fade into obscurity since they won the Cup back in 2019. For a brief moment, it looked like they were going to delay that process and somehow sneak into the playoffs last season. It wasn’t meant to be, though, and despite a fairly good season from Jordan Binnington and a couple of others, the glaring flaws of this team were too much to overcome.
Tampa Bay Lightning: 44-38
It’s becoming increasingly obvious that the Bolts’ time at the top is coming to an end, but I don’t expect the roof to fully collapse on their heads this year. Despite salary cap issues and the departure of long-time captain Steven Stamkos, the Bolts still have a fairly decent, if not utterly exhausted, roster. It may come down to whether Vasilevsky can not only stay healthy but also refind his Vezina form.
Toronto Maple Leafs: 51-31
The Leafs failed to capitalize on the momentum of ending their playoff losing drought last season, as they once again were taken out in the first round by the Boston Bruins. That being said, there’s a lot to be hopeful for. A lot of that hope comes from absolute phenom Auston Matthews, but it is hope nonetheless. And if Joseph Woll can keep the form we saw from him in the postseason last year, this team could have a real chance.
Utah Hockey Club: 43-39
Last season, this team was the Arizona Coyotes. While it’s a different front office, name, and arena, the players are still pretty much the same as the team that very nearly snuck into the postseason last year. They just didn’t have the stamina to keep it up to the final stretch. Maybe that will change this year, or maybe we will see some awful regression. It’s still hard to say at this moment.
Vancouver Canucks: 50-32
The Canucks absolutely stunned us last season. From consistent high-level play to win them the Pacific division, to eliminating the Predators, to taking the Oilers to the absolute brink. They were nothing short of spectacular. I see no reason they shouldn’t be able to keep that train moving outside of the fact that they will be forced to start with relatively unproven Kevin Laniken in goal, as both Thatcher Demko and Arturs Silov will be injured to start the year.
Vegas Golden Knights: 49-33
Injured reserve controversy aside, Vegas is a very good NHL team, and despite notable departures such as Alec Martinez, that most likely isn’t going to change. Had they not run into Dallas in the first round, they very well could’ve gone on another deep run last year. That being said, the competition in the Pacific is getting stiffer every year, and Vegas has been finding itself being tested more and more often.
Washington Capitals: 30-52
I expect massive regression from the Caps this year. The fact that they even made the playoffs last season was nothing short of a miracle. Never mind the fact that Ovechkin had his worst season in years or that the powerplay and offense completely disappeared. This team is simply old. Charlie Lindgren also completely vanished in the playoffs, so if he can’t refind his good form, Washington may do even worse than expected.
Winnipeg Jets: 50-32
The Jets had a disappointing end to their season to say the least. Despite a terrific regular season, it was once again all for naught as they were completely outgunned by the Avalanche and taken out in five games in the first round. Winnipeg barely made any changes in their roster in the offseason which is a pretty big red flag. Expect another good regular season, followed by a fizzling out in the playoffs.
