Here is the result in plain text:
We can admit it. We were wrong.
Well, mostly wrong. When The Athletic first asked its NHL staff for their bold predictions, it was a different time. One week into the season, we heard about everything from breakout players to trades to offer sheets to 40-goal scorers.
Two months later when we revisited our preseason prognostications, some writers were ready to take a victory lap, while others needed a mulligan.
Now, with less than three weeks of the regular season remaining, some are holding up well, while others look to have been a bit too bold.
This week, our staff revisited their 2024-25 NHL season bold predictions for a final time. Which ones get a pass, fail or incomplete?
Anaheim Ducks
Preseason bold prediction: Trevor Zegras will not be traded this season
Pass
Trevor Zegras will not be traded this season.
Boston Bruins
Preseason bold prediction: Jeremy Swayman will struggle early
Pass
Swayman missed all of camp because of his contract negotiations and had to adjust to being the go-to goalie after Linus Ullmark was moved, so early struggles were predictable.
Buffalo Sabres
Preseason bold prediction: Owen Power will double his previous high goal total
Incomplete
Power has seven goals, so he needs five more for this prediction to hit.
Calgary Flames
Preseason bold prediction: Jonathan Huberdeau will crack the 80-point plateau
Incomplete
Unless Huberdeau goes on a monster points streak, he won’t reach 80 points.
Carolina Hurricanes
Preseason bold prediction: Seth Jarvis will get a shot at center
Fail
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour had plenty of opportunities to give Jarvis a shot at center this season, but the coach has seemingly settled into letting the team’s emerging star settle in as Sebastian Aho’s running mate on the top line.
Chicago Blackhawks
Preseason bold prediction: The Blackhawks will finish 25 points better than last season
Fail
The Blackhawks will finish with more points than they had last season, but it won’t be by nearly as much as expected.
Colorado Avalanche
Preseason bold prediction: Cale Makar will have 100 points
Fail
This prediction still has a chance to be true, but it would take a monstrous final nine games from Makar.
Colorado Avalanche
Preseason bold prediction: Andrei Vasilevskiy will be a Vezina Trophy finalist
Incomplete
Last time we checked in with these bold predictions, Vasilevskiy’s level was only slightly above average. He has seriously picked it up since and looks like his usual elite self.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Preseason bold prediction: Mitch Marner will score 40 goals
Fail
Big swing and a miss. Marner is going to end up right around 30 goals in all likelihood, but well short of 40.
Utah Hockey Club
Preseason bold prediction: Utah will finish as one of the NHL’s highest-scoring teams
Fail
The Coyotes were tied for 16th in scoring a year ago and made some decent additions after the move to Utah, so this felt possible, especially with their promising young talent up front.
Vancouver Canucks
Preseason bold prediction: Elias Pettersson will bounce back and lead the team in scoring
Fail
Elias Pettersson did not bounce back, as Canucks fans know, and he will not lead the Canucks in scoring.
Vegas Golden Knights
Preseason bold prediction: Pavel Dorofeyev will finish second on the team in goals
Pass
We still have 10 games to go, but for now, I’ve nailed this one.
Washington Capitals
Preseason bold prediction: The Pierre-Luc Dubois deal will pay off
Pass
The Dubois for Darcy Kuemper deal took a lot of heat at the time, but this trade has seriously paid off for both sides.
Winnipeg Jets
Preseason bold prediction: Nikolaj Ehlers will play out the season and then walk as a UFA
Incomplete
Winnipeg kept Ehlers through the trade deadline, helping my preseason prediction clear its lowest available hurdle.
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