Ovi breaks another Gretzky record? A draft lottery surprise? Bold predictions for every NHL team
-
Greg Wyshynski
With the 2025-26 NHL season nearly here, it’s time to make some bold predictions about what will and will not happen on the way to handing out the Stanley Cup.
How many of these predictions will become reality? At the risk of straining my arm while patting myself on the back, potentially half of them. That was my hit rate in last season’s bold predictions. Seth Jones was traded. Jim Montgomery was fired. Lane Hutson was a Calder finalist. But every silver lining has a cloud: The Sabres missed the playoffs, and the Hurricanes very much made them. I didn’t say they were good predictions. Just bold ones.
That established, here are bold predictions for the NHL’s 32 teams in the 2025-26 season. These educated guesses range from statistical achievements to awards predictions to coach firings to Stanley Cup playoffs prognostications. Enjoy, and welcome back, hockey!
Atlantic Division
Bruins will trade Pavel Zacha
The “bah” is pretty low in Boston for the Bruins to improve on last season’s last-place finish in the Atlantic with a .463 points percentage. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman has had a proper training camp. Last season’s key injuries on the blue line have healed. David Pastrnak showed he can have a 106-point season during turbulent times that included coach Jim Montgomery being fired and the stunning trade of captain Brad Marchand.
But even if the Bruins creep back to relevance, they aren’t a contender. To get back there means finding ways to augment this roster the way they did at the most recent deadline by making aggressive trades. Zacha has been a real find in Boston after being acquired from New Jersey in 2022. I’m not sure how much trade chatter is teams calling GM Don Sweeney than vice versa. But with two years left on his deal with a terrific cap hit ($4.75 million per year) and limited trade protection, he could be a coveted two-way center for a contender.
Rasmus Dahlin is a Norris Trophy finalist
The Norris Trophy loves newbies. Ten of the past 14 defenseman voted best in the NHL were first-time winners. Four of the past six seasons had at least one first-time finalist: Zach Werenski (2025), Quinn Hughes (2024), Adam Fox and Cale Makar (2021), and Roman Josi and John Carlson (2020).
Dahlin finished sixth for the Norris last season. He’s on the radar. The 25-year-old needs a few things to break his way to get into the Norris top three for the first time. Dahlin probably needs at least 70 points and to finish as a plus player. He needs the analytics community to rally for his case. And he needs voters to either find the greatness of his game — or sympathy for his lot in life — while playing for the Sabres.
There are some other players seeking their first Norris nomination, most notably Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley of the Stars as well as Boston’s Charlie McAvoy, perennially on the cusp. But provided Dahlin hits his marks — and with another season next to Bowen Byram, he should — this might be his turn.
Steve Yzerman fails upward
The challenge in bringing back a franchise icon to run said franchise is figuring out what to do if things go sideways. The Oilers faced that challenge for years when 1980s dynasty names such as Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish were managing to diminishing returns. The Red Wings now face that challenge as Yzerman, beloved captain and three-time Stanley Cup winner in Detroit, oversees a Red Wings team that couldn’t find the playoffs with a sherpa and using Google Maps.
If Todd McLellan finds a way to coach the Red Wings into the postseason for the first time since 2016 (!), Yzerman will be safe and sound. If he doesn’t, then the pressure will be on to make some kind of organizational change.
The Red Wings aren’t going to fire Yzerman. The concept is inconceivable. So, they’ll do what teams do in this situation: bump Yzerman up to president of hockey operations and slide either Kris Draper or Shawn Horcoff, both assistant general managers, into the big job. Or just go all-in on “franchise icon as managerial savior” and turn the keys over to VP of hockey operations Nicklas Lidstrom.
Bobrovsky gets a “Marchand” deal
Sergei Bobrovsky is in the final year of one of the most controversial contracts of the past decade: His seven-year deal, signed as a free agent in 2019, carries a $10 million annual cap hit. There were times when it was called a disaster. There were times many wondered if Florida would buy him out.
Then there were those three times he backstopped the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final, winning twice, and that criticism was drowned out by thumping beats at Elbo Room championship parties.
For a while, it appeared Spencer Knight might succeed him, before he was traded to Chicago. Daniil Tarasov, a 26-year-old reclamation project from Columbus, is his backup this season. Unless the Panthers’ Department of Goaltending Excellence has another move in mind, running it back with Bob beyond this season seems like the best option.
My prediction: He gets a contract that looks similar that of Brad Marchand, another 37-year-old, which carries a $5.25 million cap hit until he’s 43. But to hear the Panthers tell it, having Bob play well into his early 40s wouldn’t surprise them.
Kaiden Guhle earns leaguewide appreciation
Whenever burgeoning contenders become contenders, there’s always some level of discovery by the hockey community at large. A lot of, “people don’t appreciate how good this guy is!” moments. I think we’re headed to one with Guhle, a 23-year-old Canadiens defenseman.
He’s not exactly a diamond in the rough, having been drafted No. 16 in 2020. But he’s not always listed among the foundational players in Montreal like Juraj Slafkovsky or Ivan Demidov; and the blue line has bigger names drawing attention like the recently acquired Noah Dobson and reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson.
Guhle had time with Hutson last season and could be his partner again, given how coach Marty St. Louis fancies Mike Matheson and Dobson as a pairing, at least in the preseason. That’ll raise his profile. He’s 6-3, plays physically and might have some untapped offensive upside. Alexandre Carrier likened Guhle to Jaccob Slavin, a former “people don’t appreciate how good this guy is!” player. That’s a good indication of how he’s viewed by teammates — and after this season, by the rest of the league if the Habs keep progressing.
Provided he can stay away from freak injuries. Rare is the NHL player who has an emergency appendectomy and lacerated quadriceps in the same season, but that was Guhle in 2024-25. Ouch.
Dylan Cozens sets new career highs
I didn’t hate the Cozens trade from Buffalo’s perspective, because I understood the logic behind it: turning a “maybe” into Josh Norris, an established NHL center — albeit one apparently made of porcelain.
But as I noted, Cozens could end up on a growing list of players who leave Buffalo and immediately relocate their game elsewhere. He offered a tease last season, with 16 points in 21 games for the Sens after the trade. Most likely in the middle of David Perron and Drake Batherson, Cozens could top his 68 points and 31 goals from the 2022-23 season.
Lightning will win the Atlantic Division
While Jon Cooper’s troopers have made the Stanley Cup playoffs for eight straight seasons — including back-to-back Stanley Cups and three total trips to the Final — they actually haven’t finished first in the Atlantic Division since 2018-19. Blame the ascendence of the Florida Panthers, and the regular-season dominance of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But things set up well for the Lightning to take the Atlantic, what with the Leafs learning about life without Mitch Marner and the dynastic Cats going Matthew Tkachuk-less for a spell while pacing themselves after playing for the Cup in three straight postseasons.
Leafs will retain Nick Robertson
This could be Timothy Liljegren 2.0. Please recall when the Leafs traded the defenseman in his sixth year with the franchise after Liljegren never really secured his spot in the lineup. Robertson, a talented 24-year-old, is also entering Year 6, having signed a one-year extension ahead of salary arbitration. He requested a trade last season. When recently asked if he still wanted to be in Toronto, Robertson answered, “Right now, I’m here.”
And yet, he’s there.
The Leafs have him competing for time in their forward group, clearly believing he can add offense to a group that’ll need to generate more of it with Mitch Marner in Vegas. The obvious call is that Robertson is gone sooner than later. So, we’ll take the bolder path and say he finds a role and thrives enough to make everyone happy for at least this season.
Metropolitan Division
Canes will win the Eastern Conference
Look, some of my whiffs last season were close ones and some were emphatic enough to power a sailing yacht. Claiming the Hurricanes would miss the playoff cut was admittedly one of my worst calls, what with coach Rod Brind’Amour’s team advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.
This prediction is not a make-good to my friends in Raleigh. I just think the Hurricanes have smartly constructed a championship team through patience and creative thinking. The Mikko Rantanen trade didn’t end up giving them Mikko Rantanen, but it added Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall, and gave Carolina a first-rounder that helped them acquire K’Andre Miller from the Rangers. The money that would have gone to Rantanen helped pay for Miller’s new deal and the free agent contract that Nikolaj Ehlers signed to be their latest top-line winger who can hopefully create that one extra goal they’ve needed in playoff series.
They got veteran impact players and a talented next wave in forward Jackson Blake and especially defenseman Alexander Nikishin. They also have oodles of cap space and draft capital beyond this season for GM Eric Tulsky to continue to add.
We’ve been waiting years for the Hurricanes to play for the Cup. Maybe the goaltending still isn’t good enough — and again, this is something they can remedy. Maybe the Brind’Amour style is still too demanding and conservative to break through to the Final. Or maybe this is the season for Hurricanes hockey.
Jet Greaves takes over the crease
For the third consecutive season, Elvis Merzlikins played at a below-expected level in goal for the Blue Jackets, with a sub-.900 save percentage. He has kept his gig thanks to a contract Columbus can’t move — $5.4 million AAV, partial no-trade clause and two years remaining — and a lack of alternatives.
But over the past two seasons, 24-year-old Jet Greaves has shown he is that alternative. He was 7-2-2 last season in 11 games, with an astonishing 14.5 goals saved above expected in that span, per Money Puck. He has also played great hockey in the AHL. The past isn’t always prologue with goalies, but Greaves is the guy. It’s just a matter of time before Elvis has left the crease, if not the building.
Jack Hughes plays 82 games
The Devils’ star center has played 70 games in a season just once in his career, topping out at 78 games in 2022-23 when he had 99 points. Take out that season, and Jack has averaged just 58 games per campaign.
Some feel Hughes is destinated to be this guy. Some feel he can train his way out of injury peril, which is something Hughes takes issue with. “At the end of the day, if you go into the end wall a million miles an hour, you’re going to get hurt no matter what you do in the summer,” he said last week.
So, we’re making the boldest of the bold predictions here with Hughes playing all 82 games … and if he does, he’s certain to become the first player in Devils history to crack 100 points.
Patrick Roy coaches his last season on Long Island
When Mathieu Darche took over as Islanders GM in May, he said Patrick Roy would remain his coach because “Patrick is a winner.” Last season, he wasn’t: 35 wins, 35 losses and 12 overtime losses for a playoff-less season.
When Lou Lamoriello hired Roy in January 2024, he reportedly gave him a three-year deal that covered the rest of that season and two additional ones. Which means Roy could be in a lame-duck season for a team that’s likely to miss the playoffs — with a general manager itching to bring in his own guys behind the bench at some point, which is what new general managers generally do. Whether it’s in-season or in the offseason, Saint Patrick will be voted off the Island.
Rangers return to the playoffs
The Rangers’ success this season is entirely dependent on whether the toxicity levels in the dressing room have normalized. Which might be a weird thing to say when J.T. Miller was just named captain, based on all the mess in Vancouver, but the point stands. The entire 2024-25 season was played under a cloud of uncertainty that was created by GM Chris Drury’s drastic reshaping of the roster, including waiving Barclay Goodrow before trading captain Jacob Trouba, and then eventually the beloved Chris Kreider and young defenseman K’Andre Miller.
The end result? He has reshaped the core. It’ll be good enough to earn a return to the playoffs.
This is assuming bounce-back seasons for star defenseman Adam Fox, goalie Igor Shesterkin (not bad in 2024-25, but not always dominant) and especially Mika Zibanejad, who recaptured his game on Miller’s wing late last season. It’s also assuming the progression of impactful young players like Will Cuylle and Gabe Perreault, who can energize the lineup while free agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov fortifies it. And it’s also assuming Mike Sullivan and his staff can fix the chaos that pervaded Peter Laviolette’s tenure.
It’s assuming a lot. But when I look at the rest of the division beyond the Canes, Devils and Capitals, I’m assuming the Rangers will be able to build a points cushion and make the postseason cut.
Flyers win the Gavin McKenna draft lottery
When Canadian junior phenom Gavin McKenna took his talents to Penn State, it became the most overworked joke in hockey to say that he’d now be closer to the NHL team that’ll draft him next summer: The Pittsburgh Penguins, who have “miraculously” won the lottery before when they’re in their darkest hour and there’s a generational player available.
So, imagine, dear friends, the utter outrange and disbelief when that other NHL team in the Keystone State has the balls bounce their way next spring. Imagine seeing the best-laid plans for the Penguins’ rebuild set ablaze by their archrivals. Imagine having the Philadelphia Flyers restored to their proper place as one of the league’s greatest antagonists at the dawn of the Gavin McKenna era, as he joins a growing collection of talents like Matvei Michkov to make Philly a perennial contender, while the Penguins waddle aimlessly across the state.
Imagine all of this and shudder at the reality of it happening.
Sidney Crosby plays somewhere in the playoffs this season
I floated this theory to Crosby himself at this month’s NHL player media tour in Las Vegas. As expected, he was diplomatic.
“That’s still my goal. I think it’s easy when everyone’s doing the preseason rankings and Pittsburgh’s at the bottom to think, ‘Oh yeah, [we’re] just going to settle for that.’ I still have the mentality that I want to go out there and try to win. And I really hope we still have that mentality,” he said. “I think that with maybe going younger, or going that direction, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to lose.”
The Penguins are projected to finish below the 80 points they mustered last season, their third straight campaign outside the playoffs. Crosby hasn’t been to the second round since 2018. These aren’t the Washington Capitals, who circled back to contention in Alex Ovechkin‘s twilight years thanks to departing veterans opening up cap space, audacious trades that paid off and a dependable prospect pipeline. This is a gut demolition waiting to happen.
The smart money remains on Crosby making this kind of decision in the offseason, but why wait? He’ll have a good sense of the playoff picture after returning from the Olympics. No need to delay as more grains of sand slip through the hourglass: Take the advice of those around you, have that heart-to-heart with GM Kyle Dubas and get back in the playoff spotlight, for the betterment of the NHL and your sanity, Mr. Crosby.
Ovechkin breaks another Gretzky record
Whether Alex Ovechkin plays beyond this season in the NHL is contingent on how much fuel remains in the Russian Machine‘s tank. As one Capitals’ source told me: “If he scores another 40 goals this season, why not run it back?”
Ovechkin scored 44 goals last season despite being limited to 65 games after breaking his leg, which remains the most ludicrous footnote to the Capitals star breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record. With that record shattered, there’s another Gretzky mark within breaking distance for Ovechkin: 1,016 goals combined between the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs.
While Gretzky’s 122 postseason goals might be untouchable, Ovechkin needs 43 goals between the regular season and the playoffs to beat that mark. While he doesn’t have the same sized carrot in front of him as he did last season, Ovechkin’s still going to score as Ovechkin does. And with the Capitals likely playoff-bound again, the combined total will erase another record by The Great One from the books.
Central Division
Frank Nazar doubles his points total
Sidney Crosby had Evgeni Malkin. Connor Bedard has Frank Nazar.
OK, neither of those comparisons should be taken at face value, because we’re not trying to crush these young Blackhawks’ spines with the weight of expectations. But from a team-building perspective, every franchise center needs his second-line star to take advantage of matchups and juice power-play numbers together.
It took a bit last season, but Nazar ended up making a strong case that he’s that guy for Bedard — especially with his IIHF world championships performance that saw him score 12 points in 10 games to lead Team USA to its first gold since 1960. He had 26 points in 53 games last season for Chicago. His points total in 2025-26 should be higher than both of those numbers, provided he’s healthy.
Avs win the Western Conference
Weird one last year in Denver, eh?
They nuked their goaltending early in the season, only to find an unexpected solution in Mackenzie Blackwood. The Mikko Rantanen trade was a shock to the system from which the Avalanche never really covered. They went all-in at the trade deadline, acquiring players like Brock Nelson. Then Gabriel Landeskog made his miraculous return in the playoffs … only to have the Dallas Stars eliminate the Avs in seven games.
This season will be more serene … and successful: The Avalanche are going to win the West.
The foundation of this team — Nathan MacKinnon, Landeskog, Cale Makar and Devon Toews — remains one of the sturdiest in the West. Nelson gives them the second-line center they’ve lacked since Nazem Kadri walked to Calgary. Martin Necas had a strong final few months of the season after arriving in the Rantanen trade. But I’m most excited about who isn’t there yet. The Avalanche have cap space and a general manager in Chris MacFarland who takes Aaron Judge-level swings at the deadline. I’m not saying there’s a Cole Harbour reunion in the offering. But I’m not not saying it.
Am I worried about Blackwood’s health, as he’s already injured this preseason? Of course, and ditto Sam Girard on defense. Am I concerned the Avs can’t seem to advance past the Stars? Absolutely, as at last check the NHL hasn’t changed its playoff format. I do have concerns, but this’ll be four seasons since Colorado won the Stanley Cup. Nate’s starving again. Time to satiate that hunger with a trip to the Final.
Matt Duchene regresses
Duchene is the confused Travolta GIF. He looks one way and sees Mikael Granlund in Anaheim. He looks the other way and sees Mason Marchment in Seattle. Those two had a massive impact on Duchene during his remarkable 82 points in 82 games season … but so did a 19.7% shooting percentage, the highest of his career.
The last time he had a breakout shooting season was in 2021-22 with Nashville, when he scored 43 goals with an 18% shooting percentage. The next season his numbers normalized (22 goals, 13.1%). Given that history, the lineup turnover and the fact he turns 35 in January, and Dutchy is a prime regression candidate for 2025-26.
Zeev Buium outscores Brock Faber
The decline in Faber’s offensive output went a bit unnoticed outside of Minnesota and fantasy hockey leagues. He had 47 points in finishing second for the Calder Trophy in 2023-24. Last season, his point total dropped to just 29 in 78 games, including a 20-assist decline season-over-season. Faber’s output in 2025-26 should be somewhere in between those two extremes … and end up slightly behind what Buium posts in his rookie season.
The former University of Denver star made his debut with the Wild in the postseason. He probably slots next to Jared Spurgeon at 5-on-5, a dependable veteran hand who will allow the rookie’s offense to flourish. A lot of this prediction depends on Buium being handed the keys to the Wild’s top power-play unit. Minnesota’s power play dropped from 10th to 20th last season while Faber, its quarterback, saw his power-play points decline by six. It’s there for Zeev’s taking.
Andrew Brunette keeps his job
There aren’t many coaches on the hot seat to start the season, but Brunette has to be shuffling uncomfortably. He oversaw an abject disaster last season and enters this season with a Predators team expected to finish outside the playoffs again.
And yet, I expect Brunette will coach through the 2025-26 season. I anticipate the Preds will be better than a .415 points percentage this season, because players such as Juuse Saros are due to bounce back, and frankly because they can’t be much worse.
But let’s say the season does end up uglier than Broadway at 3 a.m. on a Friday night. Brunette signed a four-year deal in 2024, with the last season an option year. Would Nashville really want to pay a guy not to stand behind the bench if the season is a bust? Here’s saying he lasts the season, although perhaps not behind that.
Jimmy Snuggerud, Calder Trophy finalist
Here’s the method to my madness. This is going to be an absolutely stacked rookie class among defensemen. You have 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames) ready for stardom. Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild), Alexander Nikishin (Carolina Hurricanes) and Sam Rinzel (Chicago Blackhawks) are going to play significant roles on their teams.
As we’ve seen in the past, the deepest pool of rookies at a certain position can drain support from one another because of comparison, which can open lanes for contenders at other positions. Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov is an offensive dynamo and the Calder favorite. But Snuggerud looked as if he were already an NHL vet in 14 games last season (seven regular season, seven playoffs) with the Blues.
He might have to outshine Demidov to make the Calder top three, but I’ll take my chances with a 21-year-old who could ride shotgun with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich this season.
The Mammoth make the playoff cut
After the 4 Nations Face-Off last season, Utah went 14-8-4. The problem was that the Blues went 19-4-3, finishing seven points ahead of the Hockey Club for the final wild-card spot in the West. But the now-Mammoth showed impressive potential thanks to the maturation of young stars (Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther), the best season of Clayton Keller‘s career and clutch goaltending from Karel Vejmelka.
They run it back with a roster that added Sabres standout JJ Peterka to a forward group that has offensive flourish and veteran grit in guys such as free agent pickup Brandon Tanev. Their defense is deeper than last season, when injuries to John Marino and Sean Durzi really broke that group, including the addition of Panthers veteran (and beaming light of positivity) Nate Schmidt. Vejmelka has more help too, with the addition of another ex-Panther in Vitek Vanecek.
The team finally has a name. It has the players. It has a state-of-the-art practice facility with a “Top Chef”-level kitchen. It hasn’t played a Stanley Cup playoff game in Salt Lake City. That’ll change next April.
Kyle Connor stays, makes Marner money
The Jets have been very fortunate that players such as Mark Scheifele ($8.5 million AAV), Connor Hellebuyck ($8.5 million AAV) and Neal Pionk ($7 million) have all signed team-friendly contracts that acknowledge the internal economics of the Jets and the fiscal restraint needed to keep the roster together.
Connor is 13th in goals scored (153) over the past four seasons, four fewer than Nathan MacKinnon. If he hit unrestricted free agency next summer, he’d see slightly more interest than a ChatGPT IPO. The Jets understand this. They want him to stay. Connor has given no indication he wants to leave. But if Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen are $12 million AAV players under this season’s cap, so too will Kyle Connor under next season’s cap — and Winnipeg has the space to add it.
Pacific Division
Ducks are a final week elimination
I can’t quite get there with Anaheim as a playoff team this season. The Ducks are probably still a year away. But boy, are they close.
Leo Carlsson is on the brink of superstardom. Cutter Gauthier could hover around 30 goals. Jackson LaCombe is going to be a special defenseman, if he isn’t already. Lukas Dostal, with Petr Mrazek and Ville Husso behind him, is better goaltending than most teams can offer. If restricted free agent Mason McTavish is a part of it, great; if not, whatever he brings back in trade will only add to the mix. I’m not sure if the slew of veteran additions over the past year — Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund — will do anything more than augment the young core, but that could be all they need to do.
All that said, new head coach Joel Quenneville and his staff have some work to do here in getting these Ducklings to defend at a playoff-worthy level. They were the worst team in the NHL at expected goals and high-danger shot attempts against last season, among challenges in other defensive metrics. So, let’s call it a 10-point improvement over last season in the standings and a “final week” elimination from the wild-card race. Then, in 2026-27, watch these Ducks fly together.
Nazem Kadri will be traded
The Flames obviously value Kadri. So does the rest of the league that’s searching for a No. 2 center with the 200-foot game and the kind of snarl that Kadri brings. All of those teams chasing a Sam Bennett type of player would probably love to be in the Nazem Kadri business. He has a $7 million annual cap hit and is signed through 2028-29.
Another thing about that contract: Kadri has a full no-movement clause until next summer, when it becomes a 13-team limited no-trade clause, per Puck Pedia. Which means this season is the last one in which Kadri would have total control over a trade. If the right suitor came calling, perhaps he waives before that total no-move disappears? And if that suitor makes an offer the retooling Flames can’t ignore, does he move?
Connor McDavid signs a team-friendly, three-year extension
There’s no prediction I want to turn out wrong more than this one.
I want the unprecedented chaos of the best player in the world to go to the open market in his prime. I want “The Decision,” except instead of LeBron it’s Connor and his miniature bernedoodle, Lenny. I want all the speculation and consternation about where McDavid could end up next — could you imagine what would happen if he side-eyed Toronto, if even for a moment? Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria.
But I still think the smart money is on McDavid giving it another few years to win a Stanley Cup with Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton. A three-year extension would mean his contract would be up in the same season as that of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. It puts a timer on GM Stan Bowman to build a championship roster around this core — which is why McDavid will sign a contract that allows that flexibility.
Win or lose, McDavid strolls to free agency as a 32-year-old, where he’ll still set NHL contract records.
Eliminate the Oilers in the first round
As they say, the fifth time is the charm. Anze Kopitar gets a retirement season sendoff by doing something he has never done as a member of the Kings: eliminate the Oilers in the playoffs, having lost four straight seasons in the first round to Connor McDavid & Co.
What’s different this time? Not much on paper. Jim Hiller is still the head coach after a horror show series against Edmonton last season. New GM Ken Holland didn’t do much to augment the roster in his first offseason. So we’re putting our faith in new Kings winger Corey Perry providing inside information and knowing how to get his former mates off their game; the storybook of Kopitar’s final season ending with a playoff victory; and the law of averages. Admittedly, not the sturdiest argument, but bold!
Macklin Celebrini hits 90 points
Asking a 19-year-old, second-year NHL player to improve by 27 points season-over-season is asking a lot. But Celebrini has already proved to be exceptional beyond his years. The offensive talent keeps increasing in San Jose, with veteran winger Jeff Skinner and rookie Michael Misa the latest players to join Tyler Toffoli, Will Smith and William Eklund.
Celebrini will need a power play that ranks better than 26th to hit this mark, but I’m not worried about him at 5-on-5. The Sharks aren’t quite at the point in their maturation where they’re going to pull the reins on their young offensive stars. Get ready for 90 points, a minus-25 and another star-making season for Celebrini.
Kraken are the trade deadline’s top seller
It’s probably in the Kraken’s best interests at this point to maximize their lottery odds. They’ve got a nice pipeline of prospects — Berkly Catton and Jake O’Brien among them — and would be smart to engage in, ahem, “creative roster management” to add to that group through the draft. (Because there’s no such thing as tanking in the NHL, you see.) Better that than existing in the mushy middle in the West.
They can expedite that process by offloading some veterans on their roster, something the Kraken are poised to do at the NHL trade deadline should they choose this path. Forwards Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Mason Marchment and Eeli Tolvanen are all on expiring contracts; ditto defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. Forward Jared McCann and defenseman Vince Dunn both have two years remaining on their deals.
It’s time to get crackin’ on a new direction for the franchise, Seattle.
Elias Pettersson cracks 30 goals again
Pettersson’s embarrassing offensive output last season — 15 goals and 30 assists in 64 games in the first year of a $92.8 million contract extension — was too easily chalked up to the high school drama involving J.T. Miller. But just as significant was the fact that Pettersson’s offseason training in 2024 was interrupted by injury, which contributed to a slow start; and then knee tendinitis limited him during the season, where he had a stretch of seven points in 21 games.
Now, he’s healthy. Now, he’s happy, not only because his tormentor is in New York and his former coach is in Philadelphia, but because he got married in the offseason.
Now, he’s ready to reclaim his status as an elite offensive player … provided he can shoot at least 16% again, and is reunited long term with Brock Boeser on his line.
Knights make the conference finals
The Golden Knights are projected to finish in the top two of the Pacific Division — it’s either Vegas or Edmonton atop the group by most prognostications. Either way, the playoff path for Vegas will be through the division like last season … when the Oilers dropped them in five games in the second round.
Things will be different for Vegas this postseason. The Golden Knights go three outstanding lines deep. The loss of Alex Pietrangelo on the back end is obviously a concern, but you can do worse than have Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin anchoring your top two pairings.
The Knights return to the conference finals. And Mitch Marner can finally tell his friends in Toronto what that’s like.
Sports
At a place known for Franco Harris and Saquon Barkley, RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen doing record things
-
Jake Trotter
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — On the field, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen complement one another out of the Nittany Lions’ backfield like a scoop of cookies-n-cream from Penn State‘s Berkey Creamery.
Off the field, the star rushing duo and longtime roommates see few differences. They’re both quiet, soft-spoken and football junkies.
“He’s like my twin,” Allen said. “We down near like the same person, just in different bodies.”
In their final season together, the two seniors have an opportunity to make history — in multiple ways.
According to ESPN Research, Singleton and Allen are the first Power 4 running back duo to each rush for 750-plus yards in three consecutive seasons since at least 1996. (Indiana’s Antwaan Randle El and Levron Williams matched the feat from 1999-2001, but Randle El was a quarterback).
Singleton and Allen are well on their way to making it a fourth straight year.
Allen has rushed for 273 yards while averaging 8.0 yards per carry; Singleton is at 179 yards and 4.4. The two have combined for eight touchdowns.
Even more impressively, each is within striking distance of breaking Penn State’s career rushing record.
“Penn State’s got an unbelievable history at the running back position,” Nittany Lions coach James Franklin said of an illustrious alumni group that includes reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley, Pro Football Hall of Famer Franco Harris and 1995 No. 1 draft pick Ki-Jana Carter. “Great, great players. And yet these guys have shared carries their entire careers. … So that’s a crazy stat.”
Evan Royster (2007-10) holds the record with 3,932 yards. Barkley is second at 3,843. Allen (3,150) and Singleton (3,091) are each within 900 yards of passing Royster with nine regular-season games left.
“Finishing 1 and 2 at Penn State would be crazy,” Singleton said. “We want to leave here with a legacy. But our [main] goal is to win a national championship.”
Penn State hasn’t won a national championship since 1986.
But with a backfield featuring Singleton, Allen and veteran quarterback Drew Allar, the Nittany Lions believe this is the year they can finally get over the hump.
On Saturday, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town, No. 3 Penn State faces sixth-ranked Oregon before a prime-time “White Out” crowd (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC) with a golden opportunity to jump-start its title quest.
“This is going to be a statement game for our season,” Allen said.
Statements have eluded the Nittany Lions in recent history. Singleton and Allen each rushed for more than 100 yards in last year’s Big Ten title game, but the Ducks prevailed 45-37.
The Nittany Lions still made the College Football Playoff.
But under Franklin, Penn State is 4-20 against AP top-10 opponents. Singleton and Allen have only two career wins against top-10 teams — Utah in the Rose Bowl following the 2022 season and Boise State in last year’s CFP quarterfinals.
After falling in the CFP semifinals on Notre Dame’s game-winning field goal to end their junior seasons, Singleton and Allen both considered leaving for the NFL draft. Multiple NFL scouts told ESPN last winter that they viewed the two backs as potential second- or third-round picks.
But neither wanted to end their college careers on such a crushing loss. They also wanted one more season playing and living alongside one another.
“We both came in together,” Singleton said. “Now, we want to finish this off the right way.”
Allen and Singleton first met during a recruiting visit in 2021 when Penn State played Auburn. Because neither talks much, it took time for them to get to know one another well. But while vying for carries as freshmen, the two developed a friendship — instead of a rivalry.
“It was never about trying to go against each other,” Allen said. “We were both trying to take advantage of our opportunities, helping each other out and pushing one another. That’s my brother. We’ve both just been trying to help each other reach our goals.”
When Singleton found a new two-bed apartment before their sophomore season, he asked Allen to room with him.
Now, the two are virtually inseparable.
They claim that they’ve never had a fight or argument. They’re both neat and so low-key, they never bother one another. They also share almost everything, including groceries.
“He’s such a humble guy, a really good roommate and an even better person,” Singleton said. “I can go talk to him about anything. … And he makes sure he does everything right.”
They’ve also made each other better players, keeping one another fresh late in games and late in the season. Combined, they’ve missed only one game – Singleton against UCLA last year.
“The season is long,” Singleton said. “A lot of running backs are getting 20-30 carries a game and they take a beating. We split carries and that keeps us healthy.”
Their complementary skill sets have also given Penn State one of the nation’s most effective rushing attacks. Since they arrived in 2022, the Nittany Lions rank ninth among Power 4 teams in rushing yards per game (190.6) and fourth in yards per rush after contact (3.07).
Singleton and Allen see themselves as college football’s version of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who powered the Detroit Lions to a 15-2 record and top seed in the NFC last year.
Like Gibbs, Singleton brings the speed, with reliable hands to haul in passes out of the backfield. Like Montgomery, Allen brings the power, with the vision to exploit open running lanes between the tackles. Franklin said the “combination” of what they can do is what makes them “such a problem” for defenses.
“Nick has been one of the most consistent players in terms of his preparation that I’ve been around,” Franklin said. “Kaytron is faster, stronger and more explosive than he’s ever been.”
In turn, Singleton and Allen have given the Nittany Lions reason to believe this could finally be their season — and make this one final ride even more special.
“We ain’t never going to get this moment back,” Allen said. “So we’re just trying to make the most of it.”
One of the most anticipated weekends on the 2025 college football calendar is upon us.
The headliner comes Saturday night when No. 6 Oregon visits No. 3 Penn State. A potentially season-defining occasion, the clash of Big Ten powers, will test quarterbacks Drew Allar (Penn State) and Dante Moore (Oregon), Nittany Lions coach James Franklin and the Ducks’ backbone as they step into the hostile confines of Beaver Stadium in Week 5.
Elsewhere, eyes will fall on a trio of juicy SEC matchups: Alabama–Georgia, Auburn–Texas A&M and Ole Miss–LSU, all of which could hold significant implications for the conference title race and the College Football Playoff field.
Ahead of a series of high-level games, our college football reporters deliver their insights on keys to the weekend’s biggest matchups, five quarterbacks putting themselves on the map this fall and the best quotes so far from Week 5. — Eli Lederman
Jump to:
Georgia-Alabama | Quarterbacks to know
Key conference matchups
Quotes of the Week
What does each team need to capitalize on to win?
Georgia: If the Bulldogs are going to defeat the Crimson Tide for only the second time in the past 11 meetings, they’ll have to avoid getting themselves in another big hole — and take advantage of playing Alabama at home for the first time in nearly 10 years.
In last season’s 41-34 loss in Tuscaloosa, the Bulldogs trailed by three touchdowns before the end of the first quarter and by 28 points less than 18 minutes into the game. Georgia put together a furious rally in the fourth quarter, scoring three straight touchdowns to grab a 34-33 lead.
The Crimson Tide won on Jalen Milroe‘s 75-yard scoring pass to Ryan Williams with 2:18 to go.
Georgia had a similar slow start in its 44-41 victory in overtime at Tennessee on Sept. 13. The Volunteers scored touchdowns on their first three possessions to take a 21-7 lead, and the Bulldogs had to come from behind on the road. They were fortunate that Tennessee missed a 43-yard field goal attempt to take the lead near the end of regulation.
The Bulldogs didn’t do a good job of containing Milroe last season. He threw for 374 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 117 yards with two scores, including several long runs to keep drives alive. New Tide quarterback Ty Simpson isn’t as fast as Milroe, but he also isn’t a statue standing in the pocket.
Williams burned Georgia’s secondary on some big plays last season, finishing with six catches for 177 yards. The Bulldogs had similar problems against Tennessee’s fast-paced offense, and they’ll have to shore up those mistakes and play better on the back end. Getting pressure on Simpson would also help; the Bulldogs had only four sacks in their first three games this season.
On offense, Georgia needs to do a better job of protecting quarterback Gunner Stockton, who took too many hits at Tennessee. The Bulldogs need to find more ways to get the ball into the hands of Zachariah Branch, and tight ends Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie also need to get their share of touches. Shoring up the right side of the offensive line, which has been a trouble spot, will allow them to be more involved in the passing game. — Mark Schlabach
Alabama: It has not been pretty for Alabama on the road under Kalen DeBoer. Alabama is 2-4 since he became head coach, including a 31-17 loss to Florida State to open the season. In that loss, the Crimson Tide looked lethargic at times and ended up being beaten up front on both sides of the ball. So to give themselves any chance against Georgia, their first road game since Week 1, they simply must play better on the offensive and defensive lines. Getting defensive lineman Tim Keenan III back from an ankle injury will be huge in that respect. Alabama has struggled to rush the passer without him, and has only four sacks on the season. Georgia has done a nice job using Gunner Stockton in the run game when needed, so slowing him down is also going to be key. That is also an area in which Alabama struggled against the Seminoles.
On the other side of the ball, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said it would continue to rotate its starting offensive line unit to find the right combination. Getting Jam Miller back at running back is also is a big addition, not only because of his running ability but his presence as a pass blocker in the backfield. But more than anything, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said the team was eager to prove it has learned how to handle adversity in-game, something that cost it in the opener.
“There’s a difference when you have to go on the road, particularly in the SEC and in a hostile environment and respond to adversity,” Wommack said. “At times, we have been a team that has been reactionary to adversity, and we’ve got to be more responsive. It’s at the forefront of our minds, and I expect to see a very responsive football team on Saturday.” — Andrea Adelson
Five quarterbacks who are putting themselves on the map
Curt Cignetti found a gem via the transfer portal yet again. Mendoza was solid at Cal the past two years, but he was surrounded with little talent and playing in an offense that probably didn’t maximize his skill set. Turned loose at Indiana, he has looked like a genuine Heisman Trophy candidate, including a dominant five-touchdown performance in a win over Illinois. For the season, Mendoza has 14 touchdown passes without an interception.
When Castellanos talked smack about Alabama this summer, it became a national punchline. When he backed it up with a win over the Tide in Week 1, he had the last laugh. Through three games, Castellanos’ 91.6 Total QBR ranks third nationally, though he’ll be in for a test the next two weeks — a road trip to Virginia on Friday for what could be a shootout and then a showdown against rival Miami. If Castellanos takes down another top-five team, the Heisman might be his to lose.
A part of the same class as Drew Allar, Pribula wasn’t able to get onto the field with any regularity at Penn State. He entered the portal and landed at Missouri, but he didn’t win the starting job there until just before the opener. And yet, once he was given his chance to shine, Pribula has looked like a star. He has racked up 11 TDs so far this season and has the Tigers undefeated and trending up in the rankings.
The sixth-year senior has been through his share of growing pains. He was a well-regarded recruit at Colorado but was part of the brutal 2021 season that led to the arrival of coach Deion Sanders, then transferred to Nevada, where his team struggled again. Now he has found the right fit at Memphis, where he has the Tigers 4-0 and well positioned to snag the Group of 6’s playoff spot.
North Texas is 4-0 and Mestemaker has 10 TD passes and no picks. It’d be a great story if that was all there was to it. But this rags-to-riches tale goes much deeper. Mestemaker wasn’t even the starter at his high school and arrived at UNT as a walk-on. He got the start in last year’s bowl game after Chandler Morris entered the portal, then beat out Reese Poffenbarger for the starting job this fall. He has rewarded the Mean Green’s belief with a red-hot start to the season. — David Hale
Biggest things that need to happen in these matchups
Auburn-Texas A&M: This series has been a strange one since 2021. The Aggies won twice at home, both times by 17 points. Auburn won twice at home, by three in 2022 and then two last year, in a 43-41 upset in four overtimes. This game, in College Station, will be another interesting one. The Aggies are coming off a bye week after their upset of Notre Dame, their first nonconference road win against an AP top-10 team since 1979. Auburn lost 24-17 at Oklahoma and is 0-5 under Hugh Freeze against ranked teams on the road. For the Tigers, they’ll first need to shore up an offensive line that gave up eight sacks on Jackson Arnold from a standard pass rush. But Auburn will look to move the ball with its rushing attack (198 yards per game, 5.0 yards per carry) against the Aggies, who are giving up 139 yards per game on the ground and are 102nd nationally in scoring defense at 28.7 points. But if the Aggies can get Arnold into being one-dimensional and having to play from behind, that will give them an advantage. They can do so by utilizing the dynamic duo of Mario Craver, the SEC’s leading receiver with 443 yards, even with the bye week (he had seven catches for 207 yards against Notre Dame), and KC Concepcion, who had four catches for 82 yards against the Irish. — Dave Wilson
LSU-Ole Miss: Last season’s showdown went to overtime in Baton Rouge. Expect another tight battle that comes down to details and who capitalizes on opportunities. Third-down conversions are going to be essential. Ole Miss’ offense is 5-of-17 on third and medium (3 to 7 yards) this season, and LSU’s defense is getting stops on 14 of 22 chances in that spot. This is where Lane Kiffin’s decision at QB becomes even more critical. Trinidad Chambliss is averaging 12.3 yards per carry on third downs and has yet to take a third-down sack. Can he be efficient in those high-pressure moments against the best defense he has faced? For LSU’s offense, the big question is injured running back Caden Durham‘s availability and finding answers in the run game so Garrett Nussmeier isn’t frequently stuck in third-and-long. The Tigers’ average third-down distance this season has been 7.9 yards, which ranks 114th in FBS, according to ESPN Research. — Max Olson
Oregon-Penn State: Quarterback Drew Allar needs to be a reason — perhaps the reason — why the Nittany Lions notch a signature win in a game in which they have most of the advantages. Allar wasn’t overly sharp in his past two performances, completing fewer than 58% of his passes against both Villanova and Florida International. He will need to be sharper against a talented but quite young Oregon defense, and start to change his big-game rep. Oregon must show it can handle one of the toughest environments in college football, Beaver Stadium at night in a White Out. The game marks a big growth opportunity for Ducks quarterback Dante Moore, a first-year starter, and also promising young players such as wide receiver Dakorien Moore and defensive backs Brandon Finney Jr. and Aaron Flowers. The Ducks visited Michigan and Wisconsin in 2024, but they haven’t faced an elite Big Ten opponent on the road until now. — Adam Rittenberg
Quotes of the Week
“We need this place rocking,” Penn State coach James Franklin said ahead of the Nittany Lions’ White Out game against No. 6 Oregon. “Need to have a distinct home-field advantage. We always do, but I’m expecting this to be an environment like no one has ever seen.”
“We’ll do everything we can to be prepared for that environment for sure,” said Oregon’s Dan Lanning, who was also asked about the song “Mo Bamba”, which has become a fixture of No. 3 Penn State home games. “I don’t love that song.”
“I would say he’s probably the hottest quarterback right now in all of college football,” Georgia’s Kirby Smart said of Alabama’s Ty Simpson ahead of the Bulldogs’ Week 5 visit from the No. 17 Crimson Tide. “His two last outings, I don’t know [if] I’ve seen an incompletion. The ball does not hit the ground. He’s been accurate. He’s been quick with the ball. They’re really hard to defend because of their skill. They’ve got tremendous skill — receivers, backs, tight ends. But you got to have a trigger guy that can get those guys the ball and they do.”
“We ain’t with that get-back stuff,” Colorado’s Deion Sanders said as his team prepares to face No. 25 BYU nine months after the Cougars blew out the Buffaloes in the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl. “I ain’t with that get-back stuff. I’m with that let’s-get-them stuff. They played their butts off, kicked our butts in the bowl game. Now we have a whole new team.”
“I always love when you guys say that, like, ‘Oh, OK, now we’ll go actually, like, try and game-plan really hard,” Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin said with the Rebels set to host No. 4 LSU on Saturday. “It’s OK. My boss says the same things when we play Arkansas. ‘Hey, I really need this one.’ Oh, OK, well then we’ll actually, like, try this week. We were just going to not try.”
“Is it hot in here or is it just me every week?” Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy speaking to reporters three days after the Cowboys 19-12 loss to Tulsa and less than 24 hours before he was fired Tuesday morning after his 21st season in charge of the program.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment12 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024