NHL.com writers make their bold predictions for 2025

What will 2025 bring in the NHL?

We know it will bring an outdoor game at Ohio State University just days after the first champion of the 4 Nations Face-Off is crowned.

It’ll bring an unforgettable Stanley Cup Playoffs and perhaps a new champion.

It’ll bring countless surprises at the 2025 NHL Draft, the first time the event will be decentralized.

There could be a new all-time goal-scoring champion. Wayne Gretzky, the current holder with 894 goals, could be surpassed by Alex Ovechkin, who has returned from a fractured left fibula and needs 25 goals to pass The Great One.

What else could the New Year bring?

We asked members of the NHL.om staff to look into the crystal ball and asked for a bold prediction. Here are the responses.

Reinhart will one-up himself

There were a lot of bold predictions at the start of the season that Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart would see some regression this season after scoring 57 goals to finish second in the NHL last season, behind the 69 goals scored by Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews. After all, Reinhart was in a contract year in a season when the Panthers seemed destined for Stanley Cup glory. That’s not the case this season, after Reinhart signed an eight-year, $69 million contract July 1. And Florida isn't having a linear season, with some ups and downs along the way. Which brings me to my bold prediction: Not only will Reinhart -- who has 22 goals -- not regress, but will top his 57 goals for an NHL career high. I can’t say if he’ll make it to 60, but he will set a new personal record. No new contract hangover here. -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

It’s time for United States to win again

The United States will win the 4 Nations Face-Off. Yeah, I know. The United States hasn’t won a best-on-best tournament since the World Cup of Hockey in 1996. Canada is loaded and has won four of the past five best-on-best tournaments. Finland and Sweden should not be overlooked. But United States general manager Bill Guerin was part of that 1996 team, and now he has assembled a roster that has everything -- skill, grit and goaltending. USA Hockey has been building its program, deepening its talent pool and winning international tournaments at other levels. The Americans have what it takes to win; the United States expects to win. This will be no miracle. Actually, now that I think about it, this is a bad choice for this roundtable. Weren’t we supposed to made bold predictions? -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Finland wins 4 Nations Face-Off

I asked a buddy of mine in Finland, Kari Mokko, why his country will win the 4 Nations Face-Off and he gave a succinct answer: “Because of Mikko Rantanen and Aleksander Barkov!” I’m with him. The 4 Nations Face-Off debate in North America has largely been about the U.S. and Canada, but I believe Finland will win. Finland is loaded with scoring with Rantanen, Barkov, Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz and Patrik Laine. Its defense may not be as strong but it’s still a solid group with Miro Heiskanen at the forefront. A lot of fans point to the United States’ advantage in goal with Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman. But it only takes one hot goalie to win a tournament and I’m going with Juuse Saros. A 2022 Vezina Trophy finalist, Saros is sometimes overlooked in conversations about the NHL’s top goalies. I believe the 4 Nations will be the time for Saros to shine. -- William Douglas, staff writer

Ovechkin passes Great One in memorable showdown

Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have been linked since each entered the NHL in 2005, so it would be fitting if Crosby were there when Ovechkin scores the goal to break Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894. Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals happen to play their regular-season finale against Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on April 17. Ovechkin was on pace to get to 895 goals well before that, scoring 15 goals in his first 18 games to close within 27 of breaking the record before he fractured his left fibula against the Utah Hockey Club on Nov. 18. The injury seemed ill-timed, but maybe it was fate stepping in to set up a dramatic final game of the season; he missed 16 games but returned Saturday and has scored in each of his past two games to give him 870 goals in the NHL, 25 from passing Gretzky. Ovechkin breaking a record that once seemed unbreakable against his respected longtime rival Crosby, with Gretzky in attendance, would represent a perfect confluence of history and greatness. -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

Stanley Cup returns to Canada

The Winnipeg Jets will bring the Stanley Cup home to Canada. June will mark 32 years since the Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the Cup, but the Jets have the talent and drive to do it this season. It starts with the best goalie in the NHL in Hellebuyck, a superstar scorer in Kyle Connor, a deep offense that could have as many as six 20-goal scorers and a top-end defense pair in Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk. There's also some bitterness after being eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in five games in the Western Conference First Round last season, and Winnipeg likely would have to get past the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights to reach the Final, but there isn’t a team in the Eastern Conference that looks like it could defeat the Jets four times in seven games. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Hutson will win Calder Trophy

It's about time Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is given greater consideration for the Calder Trophy, voted as NHL rookie of the year. Not only does Hutson rank third in NHL rookie scoring (26 points; two goals, 24 assists in 36 games), playing a harder position on a rebuilding team, but he leads all first-year players in assists, average ice time (22:28 per game) and blocked shots (46) despite his 5-foot-9, 162-pound frame. Hutson's hockey IQ and vision are on another level, and that's why he's able to look so comfortable and confident in whatever he does. He has been an unbelievable addition for a club that desperately needed star power on the back end and is my bold prediction pick to be selected as the League's top rookie. -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

Panthers go to Final for third consecutive season

OK, considering the Panthers are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference coming off the first Stanley Cup win in their history, perhaps this isn’t the boldest prediction. But when you remember how difficult it is to reach a Stanley Cup Final once, let alone twice, the third time would be pretty impressive. Florida has played a whole lot of hockey the past two seasons, advancing to the Final in 2023 when it lost to Vegas in five games and last season, when it defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. The East is once again shaping up to be challenging. It will take a lot for the Panthers to get to the pinnacle once again, but I think they’ll do it. I’m already prepping for more Florida hockey in June. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Maple Leafs will reach Stanley Cup Final

Some will say this is a bold prediction, some will call it something else, but yes, the Maple Leafs will not only win multiple rounds in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they will get all the way to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. First of all, coach Craig Berube has done it before, taking the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup championship in 2019. He’s a proven winner when it comes to the postseason, and that will be a big difference. Add in the fact that forward Mitch Marner is having a career season. Now, I’m not going to predict what happens once they get to the Final -- baby steps here -- but get ready for hockey deep into springtime in Toronto. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

Kaprizov to go Wild

In the past eight seasons, the Art Ross Trophy has become an exclusive fraternity; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid has won the award five times and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov has won it twice, including last season. Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is the other winner. But forward Kirill Kaprizov is going to crash that club this season, becoming the first Wild player to lead the League in points. Kaprizov, the Calder Trophy winner voted as 2020-21 rookie of the year, has topped 100 points once, with 108 points (47 goals, 61 assists) in 2021-22. He will lap that total this season and will score 50 goals for the first time as the Russia-born forward continues his climb into the elite of the elite superstars. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

Sweden wins 4 Nations Face-Off

The debate I’ve heard so much since the announcement of the 4 Nations Face-Off, and certainly since the rosters were revealed Dec. 4, is about which country is better, the United States or Canada? Um, hello, Sweden. Sweden’s defense and goaltending is at the minimum equal to what the U.S. and Canada will put on the ice, if not better. Victor Hedman, Gustav Forsling and Mattias Ekholm are three of the best shut-down defensemen in the NHL. The Swedes are loaded in net with Filip Gustavsson, Jacob Markstrom and Linus Ullmark. Gustavsson is a Vezina Trophy candidate this season. Markstrom has been one and could be again. Ullmark is a Vezina Trophy winner. The Swedes will be driven by their center depth featuring some of the NHL's top two-way pivots. It all means Sweden will defend well, won’t give up much, and will score enough to win the 4 Nations Face-Off. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Binnington star of 4 Nations final

There has been a lot of angst when it comes to Canada’s goaltending situation for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Gone are the days when the Great White North produced an assembly line of stars at the position, including Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Ed Belfour, Curtis Joseph, Roberto Luongo and Carey Price. At first blush, Canada’s trio of Jordan Binnington (Blues), Adin Hill (Golden Knights) and Sam Montembeault (Canadiens) is not in the same class as previous national team goalies. In the case of Binnington, his inconsistency and temperament are often mentioned by his critics. But has everyone suddenly forgotten he was the key cog in St. Louis’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2019? Moreover, the most important game of Binnington’s life came in Game 7 of the Final that year, when he stopped 32 shots in a 4-1 win against the Boston Bruins to help the Blues win their first championship. Minutes after the final buzzer, he was skating around TD Garden with the Cup over his head. Six years later, where will the title game of the 4 Nations Face-Off be held on Feb. 20? It’ll just so happen to take place at that same TD Garden. It says here that history will repeat itself at that venue, with Binnington leading his team to victory, this time for Canada. He’s already proven he’s comfortable in those surroundings when it matters most. — Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Canadiens will retire Price’s No. 31

Carey Price’s career didn’t end the way anyone wanted it to in April 2022, a knee finally unable to support the rigors of NHL goaltending. But going on three years since his final game, Price is ranked first in many goaltending statistics for the Canadiens, leads that will be untouchable perhaps for decades, or ever. His 361 regular-season wins are the most of any goalie in franchise history, 47 more than Hall of Famer Jacques Plante; he leads Plante in games played (712), starts (700), leads Patrick Roy in saves (19,304) and shots against (21,059). Price’s 49 shutouts rank him third behind early-era star George Hainsworth (75) and Plante (58). He had an unprecedented sweep of the Hart (MVP), Vezina (top goalie) and William M. Jennings (goalie on team with fewest goals against) trophies and Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA) in 2014-15. No, Price never won the Stanley Cup, as has every player whose retired number hangs in Bell Centre rafters. But he was the cornerstone of his teams from 2007-22, a leader in the dressing room, the most popular player for many Canadiens fans for more than a decade and statistically the greatest goalie to wear the CH. He’s surely headed for Hockey Hall of Fame election, perhaps as early as next June. His No. 31 won’t look out of place hanging above the Montreal ice. -- Dave Stubbs, columnist