After a respectable 50% success rate for 10 “left field” predictions for Canadiens campwe still have fun engaging in the daring game of bold predictions for each of the 32 clubs.
Anaheim Ducks
Trevor Zegras will disappoint as he scored fewer points than last year (he had 65). With -24 and 88 penalty minutes last season, Zegras missed almost all of training camp. because he wanted a better contract. He is very strong, but does not only bring positive things with him.
Arizona coyotes
Five years later, Barrett Hayton will finally explode. Full of talent, the center player, who was the fifth overall pick at the 2018 auction, had a very average debut. But just when he could be called a flop, he managed 43 points last year. He will become the first center player to reach 70 points ahead of Logan Cooley.
Barrett Hayton. Photo AFP
Boston Bruins
For the first time in eight years, the Bruis will miss the playoffs and perform poorly offensively, although Charlie McAvoy will hound Cale Makar for the Norris Trophy in a season.
Buffalo saber
Dylan Cozens will score 40 goals in a magical season in Buffalo and the talented young Sabers will make the playoffs for the first time since… 2010-2011.
Calgary Flames
Jonathan Huberdeau will still score under 60 points in what has been a very difficult season for the Flames.
Jonathan Huberdeau. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Carolina Hurricanes
Jesperi Kotkaniemi will reach the 60-point milestone and the Hurricanes will finish first in the NHL standings.
Chicago Blackhawks
After a 36-point season, old Taylor Hall will nearly double that, making Connor Bedard the team’s leading scorer, and it’s all thanks to… Connor Bedard.
Taylor Hall. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Colorado avalanche
The former Canadian color bearer who will score the most points in an Avalanche uniform this year will be neither Jonathan Drouin nor Artturi Lehkonen, but Tomas Tatar.
Tomas Tatar in a Devils uniform. Archive photo, Martin Chevalier
Columbus Blue Jackets
Kent Johnson will score twice as many points as Adam Fantilli and this will be the last time he will score fewer points than Johnny Gaudreau.
Kent Johnson. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Dallas Stars
Tyler Seguin, Matt Duchene and Evgenii Dadonov won’t suit up for a game after a rough start to the season and things will take a bad turn.
Tyler Seguin. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Detroit Red Wings
David Perron scored more goals than Alex DeBrincat in a very disappointing season in Detroit that saw the Red Wings miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season.
Edmonton Oilers
For the second straight year, the Oilers can count on three forwards to finish the season with more than 100 points. However, the third will not be Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but Zach Hyman.
Florida Panthers
After a difficult regular season last year, Sergei Bobrovsky will pick up where he left off in the playoffs (if we forget the last round). It will be the rebirth of the Russian goalkeeper who, at 35 years old, will be one of the key factors in the Panthers’ success.
Sergei Bobrovsky. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Los Angeles Kings
It was the Kings who won the Pierre-Luc Dubois ‘derby’, but it won’t be him, the most dominant Quebecer in Los Angeles. Philip Danault will continue to excel in both directions of the ice, he will be the center of the Kings’ second line and will finish the season with more points than his compatriot.
Minnesota Wild
There will be at least one new 50-goal scorer in the NHL. After flirting with this prestigious plateau two years ago (47 goals), Kirill Kaprizov will achieve it this season.
Montreal Canadiens
Alongside a healthy Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki will explode offensively with 85 points. The captain will also become the first Canadian player since Alex Kovalev in 2007-08 to score more than one point per game.
Nashville Predators
After being caught up in trade rumors, young goalkeeper Yaroslav Askarov will give Juuse Saros a tough fight in front of goal and will end up playing almost as many games as him.
Yaroslav Askarov. Archive photo, Martin Chevalier.
New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes will surpass 100 points for the first time in his career after collecting 99 points last year. And he won’t be the only one to achieve this feat for the Devils, as he will be emulated by Jesper Bratt.
Jack Hughes. Photo Getty Images via AFP
New York Islanders
Supported by Bo Horvat, Matthew Barzal will score 85 points. A first for the forward since his first NHL season in 2017-2018 (he has never scored more than 62 points since then).
Matthew Barzal. Photo AFP
New York Rangers
After having the best season of his career two years ago (77 points), Chris Kreider couldn’t keep up the pace last year, amassing 54 points. At 32 years old, the power forward will disappoint even more this year.
Ottawa Senators
Josh Norris’ injury will hurt the Senators again as they lack depth at center and are coming off a string of losses early in the season. Setbacks that will be the death knell for DJ Smith behind the bench. The name Patrick Roy will come back into the debate.
Patrick Roy. Archive photo, QMI Agency
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers will be the worst team in the league by far. They won’t break the 20-win mark.
Photo Getty Images via AFP
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins are the ones who took the “risk” last year by choosing Erik Karlsson and his -26 differential. But the strategy will pay off, because his offensive contribution (101 points in 2022-2023) will make the Norris Trophy winner stand out and the old Penguins will fight at the top of the table in the Metropolitan.
San Jose Sharks
The poor Sharks certainly won’t make the playoffs, but they will rely on two 30-goal scorers: Quebecer Anthony Duclair and a certain… Mike Hoffman.
Seattle Kraken
After making the playoffs in his second NHL season, the Kraken will disappoint this year. A return to the beginning.
Photo Getty Images via AFP
St Louis Blues
Samuel Blais will be one of the Blues’ most important players this year. The Montmagny forward will pick up where he left off when he returns to St. Louis: He finished last season with 20 points in his final 31 games.
Tampa Bay Lightning
After reaching the 50-goal mark last year, Brayden Point is looking to do even better this season. He will score at least nine more goals and pass the 60-goal mark.
Brayden Point. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Toronto Maple Leafs
At 33 years old, John Tavares will have his best season in the NHL. The first pick in the 2009 draft will score 90 points, two points more than in his first season in Toronto.
John Tavares. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Vancouver Canucks
Not Elias Pettersson, but Andrei Kuzmenko will be the club’s top scorer in his second season in North America. The Russian scored 74 points in 2022-2023, compared to 102 for Pettersson.
Andrei Kuzmenko. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Vegas Golden Knights
Jack Eichel will silence the majority of his critics by scoring at least 80 points, which will mark the best offensive performance of his career to date.
Washington Capitals
John Carlson won’t be the leading scorer among the Capitals’ defensemen. It will be Rasmus Sandin, 23, who was 35 in total last year in Toronto and Washington.
Rasmus Sandin. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Winnipeg Jets
Cole Perfetti will double his offensive output from last year and reach the 60-point milestone at age 21.
Cole Perfetti. Archive photo, Martin Chevalier.