By Rafay Desautels
It’s the beginning of the NHL season, so it's time for the Stanley Cup predictions. Get your bets in because the league has some talented teams, and the Montreal Canadiens. I will tell you my predictions for who will be taking the cup.
Starting in the Atlantic Division, I think the Leafs have geared up enough to be the first Canadian team to take home the cup for the first time since 1993. Last year in the playoffs the Leafs broke the curse and made it to the second round. This offseason the Leafs acquired a first-line winger, Tyler Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi is a strong guy who can also be skillful in deekeing and shooting. He will be playing with Auston Mathews and Michell Marner on the first line. Want even more muscle? The Leafs also got Ryan Reaves, a big 6’1” 225-pound power forward known for his big hits. Reaves is a great asset for the Leafs considering how they got outmuscled in the playoffs by the Florida Panthers. Since Toronto’s backup goalie, Mat Murry, is out because of surgery they got Martin Jones, a veteran goalie. Toronto also acquired a new centerman, Max Domi, from the Dallas Stars. Domi is one of the rare NHL players who also has diabetes. He wears a monitor on his tricep and an insulin pump on his glute. Both devices stay active even during games. Mathew Knies is the Leafs’ new young gun. He played a little bit in the playoffs last year, but during pre-season, his offensive production has been outstanding.
Now let's move west to the Metropolitan Division. My pick for the Metro Division is the New Jersey Devils. Jack Hughes has become a much better center, and Dougie Hamilton has only exceeded expectations. The Devils are also starting to play Jack’s brother, Luke Hughes. Luke is a defenseman who still has to prove himself to management and to the fans. Last postseason the Devils beat the stacked Rangers (They had Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Vladimir Teresanko, Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin, Jacob Trouba, Kappo Kakko, Vincent Trochek, and Mika Zibanajad) in a tense game 7. The Devils went on to round two where they were halted by the Carolina Hurricanes. Since then the Devils have only improved their roster with Tyler Toffoli, an offensive producer. A lot of people have picked the Devils to get close to the cup this season.
I think the Central Division has 2 absolute powerhouses. The Colorado Avalanche and the incredibly underrated Dallas Stars are both amazing teams. Colorado has Nathan MacKinnon, a truly unstoppable force. MacKinnon is easily a top 3 center in the league, potting 111 points in 71 games. Another outstanding player on the Avalanche is Mikko Rantanen, who scored 105 points in 82 games. Rantanen can really snipe pucks, and his crisp passes to his teammates lead to pucks in the back of the net. The Colorado Avalanche’s best player in my opinion is Cale Makar. Makar is the cover athlete of the NHL 24 video game and was the runner-up for the James Norris Memorial Trophy. Cale also won the Conn Smythe Trophy back in 2022 when his team won the Stanley Cup. The Dallas Stars also have a great lineup full of young players. One of them being Jason “Robo” Robertson. Last season Robo put up 109 points in 82 games. Robertson went far in the playoffs last season, and I think he can do it again. The Stars also have a great centerman, Roope Hintz. Hintz is a center with Robertson and Joe Pavelski on his wings. Hintz is fast and agile while also being a strong player. Speaking of strong players, it's time to talk about old Joe Pavelski. Pavelski is 39 years old. This could very well be his last season. What way would be better to retire than off a cup win? Pavelski may be old but he can still deliver bone-crushing hits making his opponents fear him. Now let's talk about possibly the most underrated player, Miro Heiskenen.
Heiskenen even at defense can still get points up. Last season Heiskenen had 79 games played and amassed 73 points. His speed, acceleration, deekeing, and crisp passes make his teammates love him. Not only can he dangle but he can also bend check. His checking and defensive awareness make him one of the top 8 defensemen in the entire league. Last but not least, the Dallas Stars have a top 5 goalie (top 5 now that Vasilevsky is out for a couple of months to have surgery) Jake Oettinger. Oettinger is a great goaltender with a 2.37 Goals Against Average (GAA) and a .919 save percentage.
Last but not least, let's take a look at the Pacific Division. My pick for the Pacific has got to be the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have 2 of the best players in the NHL. Connor McDavid is the best player in the league. Last season McDavid put up 153 points and won the Hart Trophy. Draisital, McDavid’s Linemate is very skilled. Last year during the playoffs he scored from behind the goal line. Even though Draisital is skilled it's pretty easy to put on points when all you have to do is pass the puck to McDavid. Zach Hyman also plays for the Oilers. He is a skilled player who can be successful but won’t be the most skilled guy. Last and certainly least Edmonton has Stewert Skinner. Skinner is a rookie but he is not good, he is backed up by Campbell, who is not great either. On the Oiler's first game of the season, they lost 1 - 8. This has got to be a joke. If the Oilers fix their goaltending situation then they could easily win multiple Stanley Cups.
Overall I’d say that Toronto has the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup. Toronto has a solid lineup and good goaltending. Do you have a different Opinion? Sign up for the Times of Boston on the “Writers” section of the website and write an article about why I am wrong.