The NHL season for 2024-25 started with a bang as the New Jersey Devils faced off against the Buffalo Sabres in Czechia. Other teams are gearing up to start their games this week, and everyone is buzzing about who will make it to the playoffs. Sixteen teams will celebrate while the others will have to wait until next year.
The Detroit Red Wings had a rough ending last season, missing out on playoffs due to a tiebreaker. This time around, they’re determined to end their eight-year playoff drought. While Steve Yzerman didn’t make massive changes in free agency, he added Cam Talbot, Erik Gustafsson, and Vladimir Tarasenko to fill some gaps. With Patrick Kane back and young stars like Lucas Raymond shining bright , they might just make it.
The New Jersey Devils were let down last year by injuries and poor goaltending. Jack Hughes was sidelined midseason and Dougie Hamilton was out all year long. They brought in Jacob Markstrom for better defense between the posts. If Hughes and Hamilton stay healthy alongside Nico Hischier’s stellar performance, fans believe there’s hope for them yet again.
Teams on the Rise:
Seattle Kraken surprised everyone by making it into the playoffs during their second season but fell short of a fairy tale run like Vegas Golden Knights’. Last season saw them drop significantly in points but new signings Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson bring fresh energy under head coach Dan Bylsma’s guidance—plus Jessica Campbell makes history as an assistant coach! Fans think this could be an exciting journey back into playoff land.
Minnesota Wild usually finds themselves among playoff contenders but missed out last time due to injuries galore! Jared Spurgeon barely played while goalies struggled with low save percentages . With health restored plus Marc-Andre Fleury aiming high again alongside Kirill Kaprizov’s magic touch—they’re ready for another shot at glory!
Challenges Ahead:
New York Islanders squeezed into playoffs after battling fiercely against other teams; however Lou Lamoriello didn’t shake things up much during free agency except signing Anthony Duclair & Mike Reilly which might not suffice if Ilya Sorokin doesn’t bounce back strong enough amidst fierce Metropolitan Division competition.
Los Angeles Kings made quick strides post-rebuild entering postseason since 2022 but suffered first-round exits twice now versus Edmonton Oilers prompting Rob Blake’s decision-making overhaul including trading Pierre-Luc Dubois away within one year itself! Viktor Arvidsson left too while Cam Talbot joined Red Wings leaving Darcy Kuemper filling his shoes instead…yet without Drew Doughty (month-to-month), young guns must step up big-time else postseason dreams may fade fast!
What do you think? Will these teams rise or fall?
