The 2024-25 NHL season is upon us — okay, it already started, but it’s kicking off for the other 30 NHL teams this week. Sometimes, in order to win your fantasy hockey league, you need to make bold moves — fade top targets, jump on sleepers early, etc. These may not always be the biggest and boldest claims, but there are certainly a handful in here that could help you secure your league title if you act accordingly on some of these bold predictions for the 2024-25 NHL campaign.
[Create or join a Yahoo Fantasy hockey league for the 2024-25 NHL season]
Auston Matthews won’t lead the league in goals
Considering Matthews has taken home the Rocket Richard Trophy in three of the last four seasons, it seems a lot of people have already written this off as an open-and-shut case. That seems to be especially true considering he is the heavy favorite among oddsmakers, but there is a new sheriff in town in Toronto, as Craig Berube takes over behind the bench.
That’s not to say he is going to stifle Matthews’ scoring ability — far from it, but there will no doubt be a stronger focus on the defensive side of the puck, and it won’t take more than a handful fewer goals for somebody to surpass Matthews.
There are several candidates to choose from, including Sam Reinhart who was closest last season with 57 tallies, but I’m looking at David Pastrnak. He’s got a legit No. 1 center again with the addition of Elias Lindholm to the Bruins’ roster and I expect Pastrnak to put together a strong season.
Erik Karlsson will be a Norris candidate
Look, I’m not saying he is going to have another 100-point season but to challenge for the 90-point threshold, which is where Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar landed last season, is certainly in play. The Penguins’ power play really can’t be any worse than it was in 2023-24, which means Karlsson should already see increased production after finishing with 56 points.
Add to the mix that the Swedish blueliner’s head coach from that Norris-winning season is now running the PP as an assistant for his new club, and all signs point to Karlsson getting back on top of his game.
Whether he can unseat Hughes and Makar at the very top remains to be seen, not to mention Roman Josi who figures to also be in the mix, but don’t be surprised to hear Karlsson’s name when nominations are announced.
Dustin Wolf will start more games in Calgary
During the preseason, Wolf and Dan Vladar split the bulk of the workload, a trend that could continue into the first weeks of the NHL season. At this point, the Flames should know what they have in Vladar considering he has played in 70 games for the club, posting a 35-21-9 record, .894 save percentage and 3.05 GAA along the way. Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Wolf is relatively untested in the NHL but has decent numbers in the minors.
For me, I think the Flames will give the bulk of the starts to the youngster over the course of the season, especially if they find themselves out of playoff contention.
Jack Hughes will put up 100 points
This might not be the boldest prediction ever considering he put up 99 points in 78 games during the 2022-23 campaign. Still, injuries have plagued the 23-year-old center’s career, with him having reached the 70-game mark just once in five seasons.
With two games already under his belt, the Devils’ No. 1 center is already on his way, having picked up two helpers. This prediction will be linked entirely to Hughes’ health, and I’m betting that he can put in the games to reach that 100-point mark.
J.T. Miller will finally score 40+ goals
Unlikely Hughes, injuries have never stopped Miller from putting up fantastic numbers, having missed just four games over the last three years. The veteran center came very close last season, registering 37 goals on his way to a career-best 103 points.
Miller will need to adjust to a new winger in Danton Heinen, but that will likely mean Miller has to pick up some of the goal-scoring for Vancouver’s top line. Overall, Miller’s point total may drop this year but I’d anticipate him finding the back of the net with a little more regularity.
Juuse Saros will win the Vezina Trophy
Over the last seven seasons, there has only been one two-time Vezina Trophy winner — Connor Hellebuyck took home his second last season. If he were to take home the Vezina, Saros would once again be a first-time winner, something that seems to be favored by the voters.
He’s been on the cusp of winning, including the 2024-25 campaign in which he racked up 35 wins in 64 starts to go with a .906 save percentage, a 2.86 GAA and three shutouts. With the addition of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei to the Preds’ lineup, the veteran netminder should have a significantly improved team around him that could help him approach the 40-win mark and put him in a strong position for the Vezina.
Jake Guentzel will outperform Steven Stamkos
While it may not be completely fair to link these two together, the fact that the Bolts let Stamkos walk in free agency before signing the biggest free-agent fish on the market in Guentzel means players will be constantly comparing their performances this season. While Guentzel played in just 67 games last year due to injury, he still managed to average over a point per game (77 total).
The pressure will be on the winger like never before in his career this season — he wasn’t expected to be the face of the franchise during his time in Pittsburgh — but all signs point to him rising to the occasion. This isn’t a knock on Stamkos, he should have a fantastic season in Nashville but he’s on the back half of his career by comparison. Both players should be pushing for 40 goals and 80-plus points, but I’ll give the edge to Guentzel when it’s all said and done.
