7 bold predictions for the 2025-26 season

Hockey fans, you’ve made it. The summer is finally over and the NHL season is starting. Before things get going, I have to publish my annual season predictions article.

I’ve done this, in one form or another, every year since the pandemic. I typically hit one home run, one or two singles and strike out on the rest. Last year was no different:

• Home run: Lane Hutson wins the Calder Trophy
• Single: Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s goal record that season
• Strike one: Utah steals Winnipeg’s playoff spot
• Strike two: Connor Ingram finishes top-five in Vezina Trophy voting
• Strike three: Dallas beats Toronto in the Stanley Cup Final

Here’s what I’m thinking for this year. And remember, these are bold predictions. It’s no fun to make easy picks.

Bold NHL predictions 2025-26

Sam Rinzel wins the Calder Trophy

Everyone and their dog has Ivan Demidov capturing the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year — the same way they predicted Macklin Celebrini to win it last year. But I’m going to go with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Sam Rinzel.

In nine games last year — the only ones he’s ever played in the NHL — Rinzel scored five points. And remember, he’s a defenseman.

Scoring isn’t the only factor in judging a player (especially a defenseman), but it was the main reason Hutson got the trophy last year and it will be a major reason Rinzel gets consideration this year.

He’s a big guy and he played a huge role for the University of Minnesota the last two seasons. With the number of open spaces on the Blackhawks’ roster, expect him to solidify himself as a major part of that young team.

You expect a first-pairing NHL-caliber player to dominate a prospect exhibition...and that's exactly what Sam Rinzel does here: pic.twitter.com/o5E5rsIxa3

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) September 14, 2025

Evgeni Malkin gets traded to Florida

With all the noise around a potential Sidney Crosby trade, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ other franchise player has completely flown under the radar.

Evgeni Malkin is no longer winning Hart and Art Ross Trophies the way he used to, but he still had 50 points in 68 games last year while playing on a non-playoff team.

Here’s why a Malkin-to-Florida trade would make sense:

• Florida needs a top-six center now that Alex Barkov is out long term.
• Malkin was rumored to be signing with Florida in 2022.
• He spends his summers at his condo on Fisher Island, about an hour and a half south of Amerant Bank Arena. He has a no-movement clause, so he’s not going anywhere he doesn’t want to go.
• His current deal expires this summer, and he’s reportedly not interested in re-signing with Pittsburgh; the rebuilding Penguins would be smart to get something for him.
• Pittsburgh would likely be willing to retain 50% of his contract for the right price — and both teams could benefit from it.
• Florida had great success prying longtime Boston Bruin Brad Marchand away from his team. Malkin could be the next Marchand in that regard.

Stanley Cup Final: Vegas over Toronto

The last two Stanley Cup Finals have indicated that there’s a clear best team in each conference, at least when it comes to playoff success. It would be lazy to pick the same two teams to make it there for a third time in a row, so I’m not going to pick either one.

Instead, I’m picking the Vegas Golden Knights to triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs. It would be an incredible story: Toronto not only finally gets out of the second round, but it has to face Mitch Marner in the Final.

The Maple Leafs are in a position right now that most of the recent Stanley Cup champions faced before their victories: lots of playoff appearances, but can’t seem to figure it out in the middle rounds. That experience tends to build until they either get over the hump or their window of opportunity closes.

As for the Golden Knights, they’ve already won somewhat recently, so you know they have it in them. Adding Marner is huge, and although their defense group got weaker with Alex Pietrangelo’s injury, they probably have what it takes to do it again.

Bold Utah Mammoth predictions 2025-26

Doubling down on Keller and Utah

Last year, I predicted Clayton Keller to score 100 points and the Mammoth to make the playoffs. I’m thinking now that maybe I wasn’t completely wrong — maybe I was just early.

With Keller’s determination to make Team USA’s Olympic roster, look for him to come out of the gate swinging. He hit an incredible 90 points last year, so 100 is not out of his realm of capability. And to sneak another prediction in here, I think he makes the Olympic team.

CLAYTON KELLER 🚨

He scores in the final minute of regulation to give the @utahhockeyclub the victory! pic.twitter.com/xLqbEH1oaL

— NHL (@NHL) December 15, 2024

The team’s goal is to make the playoffs this year, and I think it will. The young stars are each a year older, and their production should increase in a way that reflects that. The Mammoth also added JJ Peterka to the mix and got deeper on the back end.

They’re a better team than they were last year — and last year they were only four regulation wins from a playoff berth. They also struggled at home last year, with several players pointing to the intimidation factor of playing in such a loud building, which they didn’t have in Arizona. Now that they’re accustomed to it, they should be able to play better at the Delta Center.

In the spirit of making bold predictions, I’m going to say that they don’t just squeak in through a wild card spot. I think they’ll push someone out of the third spot in the Central Division.

Logan Cooley scores more points than anyone else born in 2004 or later

Being a contract year for Logan Cooley, he’s going to want to prove his value as a top center. I think he’ll score more than anyone else born in 2004 or later.

That means he’ll have to be ahead of the likes of Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and Lane Hutson.

Bedard had two points more than Cooley last season and Hutson had one more. Everyone else was below him. Had Cooley played the full season like those two did, he probably would have accomplished this task last year.

Even having not skated in the last week, Logan Cooley is unreal.#TusksUppic.twitter.com/WdPR2oCy07

— Brogan Houston (@houston_brogan) September 30, 2025

Mikhail Sergachev finishes top-five in Norris Trophy voting

Last year, Zach Werenski went from good to really good — at least in the eye of the public. This year, I think Mikhail Sergachev will do the same.

He told the Deseret News at the beginning of training camp that he wants to improve offensively this year.

“I think I can be a little bit more involved in the offensive side of things, join the rush more,” he said. “Just depends how we play and how many penalties we take, but I’ll try to be a little bit more offensive. Not necessarily taking more risks, but just be more involved.”

He had a really strong preseason on both sides of the puck, including a three-point period against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

It would take a lot to pry the Norris Trophy away from the consensus top-two defensemen, Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, but a top-five finish is attainable.

Thoughts?

We’d love to know what you think. Post your predictions — bold or otherwise — in the comments.