Bold NHL Predictions for the 2025-26 Season: Surprises Await!

The puck is about to drop on another NHL season, and the slate has been wiped fresh. Every season brings chaos, breakout players, unexpected flops, and nothing ever seems to stick to the proverbial script. Forget the safe predictions, here are five bold predictions for the 2025-26 season that will either age like a fine wine. Or stink like a hockey bag left in the trunk of a hot car. 

Columbus Blue Jackets Eye 2025-26 NHL Playoffs Return

The Blue Jackets have the ingredients to sneak into the playoffs for the first time since the unusual COVID-19 bubble version of the 2020 NHL Playoffs. The betting market disagrees, hanging them around +200 to make it, but it's what makes this prediction bold.

For several years, Columbus has been doomed by some of the worst 5-on-5 goaltending in the league. Elvis Merzlikins has consistently carried a negative Goals Saved Above Expected, and the team's save percentage has routinely found itself in the league's bottom half. With Ivan Fedotov and Jet Greaves pushing for playing time this season, there's suddenly a three-person battle in the crease, and even a climb to league-average goaltending could swing several points in the standings.

On the blue line, Zach Werenski remains the anchor and has a legitimate chance to play his way into Norris Trophy conversations once again. Bringing back Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro helps strengthen the Columbus back-end. Up front, Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood add the grit and forechecking bite to the middle six, bringing much-needed experience and forward depth. Then we have all the young kids. In a small sample size, Kent Johnson's lines generated elite expected goal rates north of 60 percent. At just 22 years old with an early first-round pedigree, that might be the tip of the iceberg for the young center. When you mix in the likelihood for better goaltending, a deeper forward attack, continued youth development and Werenski once again anchoring the back end, this young Columbus squad looks like a much tougher out in the crowded Eastern Conference.

Matthew Savoie Poised for Calder Trophy Success

Savoie has the look of a Calder Trophy finalist, and with any amount of good fortune, he'll find himself finishing in the top three without much debate. The former ninth overall pick has never struggled on the offensive end, piling up gaudy point totals at every stop. Last season in Bakersfield, he scored 19 goals and added 35 helpers in just 64 games. That level of production doesn't just vanish when you reach the NHL, especially when the landing spot is Edmonton. The Oilers are always searching for complementary weapons around McDavid and Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman's injury recovery (he'll miss at least the first several weeks) only opens the door for Savoie even further.

If Savoie earns even a sliver of ice time in the top-6, the soon-to-be 22-year-old could find himself sprinting out of the gate while playing alongside two of the league's best playmakers. Fantasy managers know how quickly Edmonton linemates can become waiver-wire gold. Savoie is more than a fill-in, though; he's been labeled as their prized prospect for the better part of the last two years. When you put his skill set in the middle of an Oilers power play that already causes opposing goalies sleepless nights, you've got a recipe for a rookie season that grabs national attention. The Calder field is deep, but it's not hard to imagine Savoie piling up points in bunches, becoming the waiver-wire gem of October, and then riding that wave all year until he's sitting and waiting to hear his name called for some hardware at the NHL Awards Ceremony next summer.

Nikolaj Ehlers Targets Top 10 Goal Scorer Spot

Ehlers has always teased elite scoring ability, but 2025-26 sets up as the year where he finally puts it all together. Now 29 years old, Ehlers is firmly in the prime of his career. What makes this year different is his new home in Carolina, where he's projected to ride shotgun with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. That duo provides the perfect mix: Aho's vision and elite puck distribution paired with Svechnikov's physicality and attention-drawing presence should give Ehlers plenty of clean looks on net. Historically, he's hovered in the 20-29 goal range but has been held back by streaky usage and untimely injuries. However, in a Hurricanes system that emphasizes puck possession, his quick release will be a valuable weapon early and often. With steady top-line minutes and a #1 power-play role all but certain, Ehlers isn't just a candidate for his first 30-goal season; he'll likely shatter it. It won't be shocking to see him push past the 40-goal mark and establish himself as one of the league's most dangerous finishers.

Historically, he's hovered in the 20-29 goal range but has been held back by streaky usage and nagging injuries. However, in a Hurricanes system that emphasizes pace and puck possession, his quick release will be weaponized to its fullest potential. Locked into steady top-line minutes and a prime role with the top power-play unit, Ehlers isn't just a candidate for his first 30-goal season; he'll likely shatter it. It won't be shocking to see him push past the 40-goal mark and establish himself as one of the league's most dangerous finishers.

John Gibson's Fantasy Renaissance in Detroit

Gibson has every tool to re-emerge as a top-10 fantasy goalie now that he's found new life in Detroit. Anaheim's defensive collapse over the last several seasons skewed his stat line beyond recognition. In 2022-23, the Ducks ranked last in expected goals against per 60 at 5-on-5 and followed it up by coughing up more than 32 shots against per game in 2024-25. Regardless of his performance, that environment was a recipe that decimated Gibson's win totals and ballooned his GAA. However, a closer look at last season's numbers reveals some signs of improvement. In 29 games, he registered a solid 2.77 GAA and .912 save percentage. More importantly, his shot-quality numbers turned positive again: he finished with a Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) above zero for the first time in five years. 

Believe it or not, Detroit offers a dramatic upgrade compared to what he's seen over the last half-decade in Anaheim. The Seider-Edvinsson pairing allowed only 1.44 goals against per 60 at 5-on-5, the third-best mark among pairings with 400+ minutes. Combine that duo with a more balanced (and very deep) forward group, and Gibson should see fewer high-danger events while simultaneously benefiting from improved offensive support to help reward him with wins. 

Gibson's ceiling is proven, and he has just turned 32 this summer. The three-time All-Star posted seasons with a .924 and .926 save percentages earlier in his career, along with a +20 GSAA season in 2018-19. Those peaks show what he's capable of when the structure in front of him holds. With Detroit trending upward defensively and Gibson already flashing a rebound in his underlying numbers, the path to top-10 fantasy status is clear.

Connor Bedard Set for Breakout NHL Season

Bedard hasn't quite lived up to the unreasonable expectations that were placed upon him when he entered the league as an 18-year-old two years ago. However, with 128 points in 150 games to start his career, it's still evident that he's one of the game's next mega-super stars. This is the season it all clicks, and it will also be the last time this decade you'll be able to select him outside of the top five picks in fantasy drafts. Bold prediction: 34 goals and 58 assists; good for top-10 in the NHL in scoring.