Six bold predictions for the 2024-25 NHL season

Every year, I embarrass myself with bold NHL predictions. I often get criticized for them — as I should, because most of them don’t come true. But most years, one or two do happen and I claim my bragging rights.
Last year, I said that Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks would finally hit the 30-goal mark, which had eluded him his entire career. He ended the season with 40 goals, making me look smart. Well, as long as you didn’t look at my other predictions, which included the Buffalo Sabres making the playoffs over the Boston Bruins.
I’ll do the same this year with the usual disclaimer: These are bold predictions. Don’t take them too seriously. Most of them won’t come true and I know that. Let’s just have some fun.
I’ll start with some Utah Hockey Club guesses.
First, Utah HC will make the playoffs. I don’t know how bold this prediction actually is because a number of smart hockey people have publicly made the same guess, so I’ll add a component: The Winnipeg Jets will not make the playoffs, which will make room for Utah HC.
Next, I’m going to say that Connor Ingram will finish top five in Vezina Trophy voting. The trophy is awarded to the goalie of the year, as voted by the general managers around the league.
He looked excellent in the preseason, he’s dialed in and he’s going to really put his name on the map this year. I don’t think he’ll win the Vezina, but he will be in the conversation.
My last Utah HC prediction is that Clayton Keller will crack 100 points for the first time in his career. His current career high is 86, but with the mantle of the captaincy comes the responsibility to lead the team both on and off the ice, and that’s going to motivate him to really take off this year — just like it did for Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks last year.
I’ll start with the Stanley Cup Final.
I’ve taken the bait by predicting the Carolina Hurricanes to make the Final far too many times. I’m done with the Canes, and this year the Toronto Maple Leafs will take that spot. They will ultimately fall short, though, losing to the Dallas Stars in six games.
Next, we’ll talk about Ovi. Alex Ovechkin needs 42 more goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. He’s going to break that record this year.
Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals added more than perhaps any other team over the summer, and the general understanding is that the organization’s main goal is to get him over the hump. He only scored 31 last year, but he had exactly 42 the season before.
This is the year he gets it done.
My final NHL prediction for the year is that Lane Hutson will win the Calder Trophy.
The Calder will have many serious competitors this season: first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, his teammate Will Smith, Russian phenom Matvei Michkov and maybe even Utah HC’s own Josh Doan.
The first-overall pick often gets a lot of Calder attention and often ends up winning it, but this year might be different. Celebrini plays in the Pacific time zone on a team that people won’t go out of their way to watch. Hutson will get more natural attention, playing for the Montreal Canadiens.
Don’t get me wrong, Hutson will not be given anything he doesn’t deserve. He looks like a budding superstar and he should be awarded accordingly.
So, there you go. Lock my predictions in and don’t talk to me about them unless they come true. Feel free to put your own predictions in the comment box and we can laugh together at the end of the season.