Expert picks for the 2024-25 season: Stanley Cup, division winners, awards
The 2024-25 NHL season begins Tuesday night with a tripleheader on ESPN and ESPN+, but we’re looking beyond those games.
Will the Florida Panthers repeat as Stanley Cup champs? Which team will top the standings in each division? Who will take home all of the individual hardware?
We’ve gathered our cross-platform ESPN hockey family together to predict the winners of each division, along with the Stanley Cup champion and the players who will win all of the major awards.
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Power Rankings, key intel
Jump ahead:
Atlantic | Metropolitan
Central | Pacific | Cup
Hart | Ross | Richard
Norris | Vezina | Calder
Atlantic Division
Sean Allen: Bruins
Blake Bolden: Maple Leafs
John Buccigross: Bruins
Ryan Callahan: Maple Leafs
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Maple Leafs
Sachin Chandan: Panthers
Ryan S. Clark: Panthers
Rachel Doerrie: Panthers
Ray Ferraro: Panthers
Emily Kaplan: Panthers
Tim Kavanagh: Panthers
Hilary Knight: Bruins
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Maple Leafs
Steve Levy: Bruins
Vince Masi: Panthers
Victoria Matiash: Maple Leafs
Sean McDonough: Panthers
Mark Messier: Maple Leafs
Mike Monaco: Maple Leafs
Arda Öcal: Maple Leafs
Kristen Shilton: Panthers
Bob Wischusen: Panthers
Greg Wyshynski: Maple Leafs
Totals: Panthers (10), Maple Leafs (9), Bruins (4)
Metro Division
Sean Allen: Devils
Blake Bolden: Rangers
John Buccigross: Rangers
Ryan Callahan: Rangers
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Rangers
Sachin Chandan: Rangers
Ryan S. Clark: Rangers
Rachel Doerrie: Rangers
Ray Ferraro: Rangers
Emily Kaplan: Rangers
Tim Kavanagh: Devils
Hilary Knight: Rangers
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Rangers
Steve Levy: Devils
Vince Masi: Rangers
Victoria Matiash: Devils
Sean McDonough: Rangers
Mark Messier: Rangers
Mike Monaco: Hurricanes
Arda Öcal: Devils
Kristen Shilton: Rangers
Bob Wischusen: Devils
Greg Wyshynski: Devils
Totals: Rangers (15), Devils (7), Hurricanes (1)
Showtime! Get amped for the NHL’s return with the best of last season
Get ready for the pucks to drop on the 2024-25 NHL season with the top moments from last season.
Central Division
Sean Allen: Stars
Blake Bolden: Stars
John Buccigross: Stars
Ryan Callahan: Stars
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Stars
Sachin Chandan: Stars
Ryan S. Clark: Stars
Rachel Doerrie: Avalanche
Ray Ferraro: Stars
Emily Kaplan: Stars
Tim Kavanagh: Avalanche
Hilary Knight: Avalanche
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche
Steve Levy: Stars
Vince Masi: Stars
Victoria Matiash: Predators
Sean McDonough: Stars
Mark Messier: Stars
Mike Monaco: Stars
Arda Öcal: Stars
Kristen Shilton: Stars
Bob Wischusen: Stars
Greg Wyshynski: Stars
Totals: Stars (18), Avalanche (4), Predators (1)
Pacific Division
Sean Allen: Oilers
Blake Bolden: Kings
John Buccigross: Oilers
Ryan Callahan: Oilers
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Oilers
Sachin Chandan: Oilers
Ryan S. Clark: Oilers
Rachel Doerrie: Oilers
Ray Ferraro: Oilers
Emily Kaplan: Oilers
Tim Kavanagh: Golden Knights
Hilary Knight: Oilers
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Oilers
Steve Levy: Oilers
Vince Masi: Oilers
Victoria Matiash: Oilers
Sean McDonough: Oilers
Mark Messier: Oilers
Mike Monaco: Oilers
Arda Öcal: Oilers
Kristen Shilton: Oilers
Bob Wischusen: Oilers
Greg Wyshynski: Oilers
Totals: Oilers (21), Kings, (1), Golden Knights (1)
Stanley Cup champ
Sean Allen: Stars
John Buccigross: Oilers
Ryan Callahan: Stars
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Oilers
Sachin Chandan: Oilers
Ryan S. Clark: Stars
Rachel Doerrie: Stars
Ray Ferraro: Stars
Emily Kaplan: Oilers
Tim Kavanagh: Stars
Hilary Knight: Bruins
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Oilers
Steve Levy: Maple Leafs
Vince Masi: Stars
Victoria Matiash: Oilers
Sean McDonough: Oilers
Mark Messier: Rangers
Mike Monaco: Oilers
Arda Öcal: Oilers
Kristen Shilton: Oilers
Bob Wischusen: Oilers
Greg Wyshynski: Stars
Totals: Oilers (11), Stars (8), Bruins (1), Maple Leafs (1), Rangers (1)
Hart Trophy (MVP)
Sean Allen: Connor McDavid
Blake Bolden: Connor McDavid
John Buccigross: Connor McDavid
Ryan Callahan: Connor McDavid
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Connor McDavid
Sachin Chandan: Auston Matthews
Ryan S. Clark: Matthew Tkachuk
Rachel Doerrie: Nathan MacKinnon
Ray Ferraro: Connor McDavid
Emily Kaplan: Nathan MacKinnon
Tim Kavanagh: Jack Hughes
Hilary Knight: Connor McDavid
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Connor McDavid
Steve Levy: Connor McDavid
Vince Masi: Connor McDavid
Victoria Matiash: Connor McDavid
Sean McDonough: Connor McDavid
Mark Messier: Auston Matthews
Mike Monaco: Connor McDavid
Arda Öcal: Connor McDavid
Kristen Shilton: Auston Matthews
Bob Wischusen: Connor McDavid
Greg Wyshynski: Connor McDavid
Totals: McDavid (16), Matthews (3), MacKinnon (2), Tkachuk (1), Hughes (1)
Art Ross Trophy (points leader)
Sean Allen: David Pastrnak
Blake Bolden: Connor McDavid
John Buccigross: Connor McDavid
Ryan Callahan: Connor McDavid
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Nathan MacKinnon
Sachin Chandan: Connor McDavid
Ryan S. Clark: Connor McDavid
Rachel Doerrie: Connor McDavid
Ray Ferraro: Connor McDavid
Emily Kaplan: Connor McDavid
Tim Kavanagh: Nathan MacKinnon
Hilary Knight: Nikita Kucherov
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Nathan MacKinnon
Steve Levy: Connor McDavid
Vince Masi: Connor McDavid
Victoria Matiash: Artemi Panarin
Sean McDonough: Connor McDavid
Mark Messier: Connor McDavid
Mike Monaco: Connor McDavid
Arda Öcal: Connor McDavid
Kristen Shilton: Connor McDavid
Bob Wischusen: Connor McDavid
Greg Wyshynski: Connor McDavid
Totals: McDavid (17), MacKinnon (3), Pastrnak (1), Kucherov (1), Panarin (1)
Rocket Richard Trophy (goals leader)
Sean Allen: David Pastrnak
Blake Bolden: Auston Matthews
John Buccigross: Auston Matthews
Ryan Callahan: Auston Matthews
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Auston Matthews
Sachin Chandan: Mikko Rantanen
Ryan S. Clark: Kyle Connor
Rachel Doerrie: Auston Matthews
Ray Ferraro: Auston Matthews
Emily Kaplan: Auston Matthews
Tim Kavanagh: David Pastrnak
Hilary Knight: Auston Matthews
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Auston Matthews
Steve Levy: David Pastrnak
Vince Masi: David Pastrnak
Victoria Matiash: Auston Matthews
Sean McDonough: Auston Matthews
Mark Messier: Auston Matthews
Mike Monaco: Auston Matthews
Arda Öcal: Connor McDavid
Kristen Shilton: Auston Matthews
Bob Wischusen: Auston Matthews
Greg Wyshynski: David Pastrnak
Totals: Matthews (15), Pastrnak (5), Rantanen (1), Connor (1), McDavid (1)
Norris Trophy (best defenseman)
Sean Allen: Dougie Hamilton
Blake Bolden: Miro Heiskanen
John Buccigross: Charlie McAvoy
Ryan Callahan: Cale Makar
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Cale Makar
Sachin Chandan: Josh Morrissey
Ryan S. Clark: Charlie McAvoy
Rachel Doerrie: Cale Makar
Ray Ferraro: Cale Makar
Emily Kaplan: Miro Heiskanen
Tim Kavanagh: Miro Heiskanen
Hilary Knight: Cale Makar
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Cale Makar
Steve Levy: Cale Makar
Vince Masi: Miro Heiskanen
Victoria Matiash: Roman Josi
Sean McDonough: Cale Makar
Mark Messier: Cale Makar
Mike Monaco: Cale Makar
Arda Öcal: Roman Josi
Kristen Shilton: Cale Makar
Bob Wischusen: Cale Makar
Greg Wyshynski: Roman Josi
Totals: Makar (12), Heiskanen (4), Josi (3), McAvoy (2), Hamilton (1), Morrissey (1)
Vezina Trophy (best goaltender)
Sean Allen: Jake Oettinger
Blake Bolden: Igor Shesterkin
John Buccigross: Igor Shesterkin
Ryan Callahan: Jacob Markstrom
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Igor Shesterkin
Sachin Chandan: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Ryan S. Clark: Ilya Sorokin
Rachel Doerrie: Igor Shesterkin
Ray Ferraro: Igor Shesterkin
Emily Kaplan: Igor Shesterkin
Tim Kavanagh: Jake Oettinger
Hilary Knight: Sergei Bobrovsky
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Ilya Sorokin
Steve Levy: Jacob Markstrom
Vince Masi: Igor Shesterkin
Victoria Matiash: Juuse Saros
Sean McDonough: Igor Shesterkin
Mark Messier: Igor Shesterkin
Mike Monaco: Igor Shesterkin
Arda Öcal: Jacob Markstrom
Kristen Shilton: Igor Shesterkin
Bob Wischusen: Jeremy Swayman
Greg Wyshynski: Igor Shesterkin
Totals: Shesterkin (12), Markstrom (3), Oettinger (2), Sorokin (2), Vasilevskiy (1), Bobrovsky (1), Saros (1), Swayman (1)
Calder Trophy (rookie of the year)
Sean Allen: Matvei Michkov
Blake Bolden: Matvei Michkov
John Buccigross: Logan Stankoven
Ryan Callahan: Macklin Celebrini
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Matvei Michkov
Sachin Chandan: Logan Stankoven
Ryan S. Clark: Macklin Celebrini
Rachel Doerrie: Matvei Michkov
Ray Ferraro: Matvei Michkov
Emily Kaplan: Matvei Michkov
Tim Kavanagh: Dustin Wolf
Hilary Knight: Macklin Celebrini
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Matvei Michkov
Steve Levy: Cutter Gauthier
Vince Masi: Logan Stankoven
Victoria Matiash: Matvei Michkov
Sean McDonough: Macklin Celebrini
Mark Messier: Matvei Michkov
Mike Monaco: Macklin Celebrini
Arda Öcal: Matvei Michkov
Kristen Shilton: Logan Stankoven
Bob Wischusen: Matvei Michkov
Greg Wyshynski: Macklin Celebrini
Totals: Michkov (11), Celebrini (6), Stankoven (4), Wolf (1), Gauthier (1)