6 NHL Preseason Predictions That Went Wrong

At the start of every NHL season, pundits, bloggers and fans make their predictions about how they see the campaign ahead unfolding.

This season was no exception as our NHL panel offered up our prognostications about the major award winners, as well as some hot takes on other topics for the 2024-25 campaign.

With the regular season completed, most of the conjecture about the major award winners has yet to be determined. However, it's apparent we also missed the target on other forecasts, some of which included Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman.

Here are six of our notable preseason predictions that went wrong.

The Nashville Predators qualified for the 2024 playoffs in Barry Trotz's first season as general manager. That spurred him into making three major signings in last summer's free-agent market.

His biggest move was signing former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos to a four-year, $32 million contract. He also inked former Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (five years, $27.5 million), and former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei (seven years, $49 million).

The Predators GM wasn't done there. On July 1, he re-signed long-time Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92 million contract extension.

With Saros locked up long-term, Trotz shipped promising goalie Yaroslav Askarov to the San Jose Sharks for two prospects and a first-round pick.

Those moves, especially the additions of three of the biggest names from the free-agent market in Stamkos, Marchessault and Skjei, had observers declaring the Predators among the winners of the offseason. It also had us predicting he'd win the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award.

However, Trotz's moves didn't translate into wins on the ice as the Predators finished near the bottom of the standings. Stamkos, Marchessault and Skjei struggled to adjust with their new team, while Saros endured his worst season since making his full-time NHL debut with the Preds in 2016-17.

The GM of the Year Award finalists will be announced later this spring. It's a safe bet Trotz won't be among them. He faces another busy summer attempting to continue overhauling the roster as he did throughout this regular season.

After 29 tumultuous seasons in Arizona, the Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City last April and were given the short-term handle of Utah Hockey Club until a more suitable name could be found.

We felt the move would coincide with the emergence of this club as a playoff contender. They entered this season led by underrated star winger Clayton Keller, augmented by promising youngsters such as Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley and Matias Maccelli.

Utah general manager Bill Armstrong spent last summer bolstering his defense corps, acquiring Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino. They also had solid goaltending from the tandem of Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram.

Their first season in their new location saw this team sport its best record in years, finishing with 38 wins, 31 losses, and 13 overtime losses for 89 points, a 12-point improvement over their final season in Arizona. Unfortunately, they finished seven points outside the 2025 playoff picture.

Several factors contributed to their inability to clinch a berth. Ingram re-entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program following the death of his mother. Marino missed half the season recovering from offseason back surgery, while Maccelli's production dropped from 57 points last season to 18 points in 55 games.

Armstrong is expected to have another busy offseason tinkering with his roster. Perhaps those moves will result in a better outcome for Utah in 2025-26.

A once-promising young star, Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks became a fixture in the trade rumor mill during 2023-24 and throughout last summer.

Contentious contract talks with the Ducks saw the 24-year-old miss training camp, after which he struggled through an injury-shortened campaign with 15 points in 32 games.

That prompted us to suggest Zegras could be moved before the 2025 trade deadline. We felt the offense-minded winger would continue struggling to play the two-way style stressed by the Ducks' coaching staff. A lack of young centers in the trade market could have made him a tempting trade target.

However, the March 7 trade deadline passed with Zegras still with the Ducks. He did improve his defensive game, earning praise from then-coach Greg Cronin. However, he again struggled with injuries while his offensive production suffered, finishing with 32 points in 57 games.

Zegras occasionally surfaced in trade speculation this season, but not as often as he did a year ago. The Ducks' rumored high asking price may have been a factor, combined with his ongoing on-ice difficulties and injuries.

The Ducks could remain open to trade offers for Zegras, who has two years left on his contract with an average annual value of $5.8 million. Perhaps a deal will be reached in the offseason, but it wouldn't be surprising if he's still in Anaheim next season.

The Boston Bruins broke up one of the league's best goalie tandems last summer by shipping Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators. However, we predicted Jeremy Swayman would have little difficulty filling the role of full-time starter, culminating in a Vezina Trophy season for the 26-year-old.

Swayman's summer-long contract negotiations forced him to miss training camp before he and the Bruins agreed to an eight-year, $66-million deal. Nevertheless, we felt it wouldn't take long for him to regain his form.

His previous performance, including last season's solid numbers, was the basis for our prediction. He had a 25-10-6 record with a .916 save percentage in the regular season, followed by a stellar playoff effort in which he finished with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .933 SP.

Instead, Swayman struggled throughout most of 2024-25. Missing training camp meant it took him longer to shake off the rust and return to game shape. He finished with a 22-29-7 record, a 3.11 GAA and .892 SP, numbers that aren't even close for Vezina consideration.

A better-prepared and focused Swayman should bounce back next season and could put himself into Vezina territory. Still, his difficulties this season suggest he'll need time to adjust to his role as an NHL starter.

The Montreal Canadiens' acquisition of Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets prompted us (OK, me) to issue the piping-hot take that he'd lead them to the playoffs.

Laine was coming off an unhappy, unproductive tenure with the struggling Blue Jackets. He was frequently sidelined by injuries and missed most of last season in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program for mental health reasons.

However, we felt the change of scenery would help the 27-year-old regain the mojo that made him a 44-goal scorer earlier in his career with the Winnipeg Jets.

Having a pure sniper like the 6'4”, 208-pound winger in their lineup could provide the boost the rebuilding Canadiens needed to reach the playoffs.

Laine's start with the Canadiens was delayed by a knee injury suffered during preseason play. When he finally made his debut in December, it seemed like our hot take might come true. He tallied eight goals in his first 10 games as the team rallied from a poor start to rise in the standings.

The fact that Laine tallied those goals on the power play didn't faze Canadiens fans, who were delighted to have a player with his scoring skills in the lineup.

However, the sugar rush of the power-play production didn't last long. He finished the season with a respectable 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games, with 19 of those points coming with the man advantage. However, he never elevated his game to the heights expected of him.

Laine's production helped the Canadiens exceed expectations and reach the playoffs, but it was primarily in a secondary role and mostly on the power play.

At this stage in his career, it's clear he will never become the superstar goal scorer he was once projected to become.

Choosing Auston Matthews as this season's winner of the Maurice Richard Trophy seemed like a slam dunk. The Toronto Maple Leafs captain had already established himself as the best goal scorer of his generation.

The 27-year-old has a long way to go to catch Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who has taken home the Maurice Richard Trophy a record nine times in his career. On Apr. 6, 2025, the Russian broke Wayne Gretzky's goals record, netting his 895th goal.

However, Matthews is the only player besides Ovechkin to win the Richard Trophy at least three times. The Leafs captain was a back-to-back winner in 2020-21 (41 goals) and 2021-22 (60 goals).

Matthews won his third Richard Trophy in 2023-24 with a 69-goal performance. That eclipsed Ovechkin's single-season high of 65 in 2007-08. So it's easy to see why we chose the Leafs captain to win it again this season.

That was assuming, of course, that Matthews would be healthy. However, a nagging hand injury hampered his production, limiting him to 33 goals and 78 points, well below his usual output. That ailment, along with a knee issue, sidelined him for 15 games.

Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers wound up winning the Richard Trophy with 54 goals. However, we can't help but wonder how he would have fared jockeying with a healthy Matthews for the goal-scoring crown.

Regular-season stats and standings via NHL.com. Salary info via PuckPedia.