Lottery Penguins, Playoff Sabers and more

And here we go.

The 2024-25 NHL season is just getting underway. There's no telling exactly how things will turn out. But that doesn't mean we can't already have gut feelings about certain teams or players.

So, dear roundtable members, Raise your flag by declaring your gut feeling for the 2024-25 season.

MATT LARKIN: I swear I felt this even before the Game 1 humiliation: The Pittsburgh Penguins are a lottery-level hockey team. General manager Kyle Dubas took a team with consecutive playoff failures and made only depth additions in the offseason. In addition, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson miraculously played every single game Last season. There is almost no chance of something like this happening again. The Pens lack depth, their best players are also their oldest players, and I expect them to finish with their lowest point percentage since 2005-06, Crosby's rookie year.

STEVEN ELLIS: The Buffalo Sabers will not only make the playoffs, but they will also play spoiler and win their first round matchup. I know they're off to a bad start, but something has to give here. They have talent, they can score and I like their goaltending. It's time to go all out with Lindy Ruff and take a real step forward. Tage Thompson needs to find his game again, Owen Power needs to find another step in his game and they need to give the kids a chance whenever there is space to fill. The Sabers have all of their draft picks for the next three years, which is pretty special. Mix that with some potential trade bait (Isak Rosen? Noah Ostlund? Viktor Neuchev?) and maybe they can land a big fish before the NHL trade deadline. It also helps them have about $6.2 million in cap space.

PAUL PIDUTTI: The Winnipeg Jets are the team of fate in the Western Conference. That's a tall order… aside from beating Edmonton in the tricky COVID season playoffs, the Jets last won a round in 2018. But with all the pressure on Edmonton, Dallas, Colorado, Vancouver, Nashville and Vegas, the Jets will manage enough to quietly make the playoffs. From there, it's an ideal group to go onto the underdog list. No, their best players are not at an age where we can expect major progress. But this group has what it takes to surprise. World-class goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck is firmly under contract and is ready to find a new playoff equipment. Scott Arniel is particularly motivated to make the most of his second chance as an NHL head coach. Additionally, the Jets have a balanced, experienced group with minimal star strength and modest expectations. It's all a recipe for the famous Winnipeg Whiteout fans to witness a strong playoff run, helping to address the franchise's worrisome attendance figures.

ANTHONY DI MARCO: Even though the Nashville Predators “won” the offseason, like last season, they will be eliminated in the first round. The Predators are undoubtedly better on paper, but their additions won't make enough of a difference to make them a Stanley Cup favorite. And in a division that includes the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche — arguably two of the season's five biggest Stanley Cup favorites — getting out of the first round means being a Cup contender. Their lack of depth in the middle of the ice is a concern and I'm skeptical about their blue line beyond Roman Josi; Can a second pair of Skjei-Schenn keep up?

SCOTT MAXWELL: The Minnesota Wild will miss the playoffs because they focus on the Marc-Andre Fleury Retirement Tour for too long. Fleury has had a long career with many ups and downs, but since his Vezina Trophy-winning season in 2021, there have been mostly downs. He's gotten worse over the last few years, and while that's to be expected for a goalie who turns 40 at the end of November, that doesn't mean the Wild should keep playing him if he gets worse. Goaltending was a big problem for their team last year that ultimately led to them missing the playoffs, and I think that will be a problem again this season – for Fleury. I expect a resurgent season from Filip Gustavsson, so that will certainly steady the ship, but I think one decision that could ultimately cost the Wild's playoff chances will be whether they trade Fleury for Jesper Wallstedt if Fleury gets his age-related decline looks worse. It makes sense to keep him given his career so far and how outstanding he is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it hurts the Wild's season as well.

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