The business of making predictions in professional sports can be quite a messy affair, including when it comes to determining what's going to happen in the NHL. In many respects it's a thankless task, with the chances of getting it right not exactly the most likely outcome.
Not that this stops anyone trying, with it also usually proving to be a fun exercise and certainly likely to draw attention from sports fans of the league in question. And so it is, that we come to NHL.com's predictions for the upcoming season.
A panel of 15 NHL.com writers and editors have come together, to offer their opinions on how things are going to play out over the next eight/nine months. And it certainly makes for interesting reading if you're a Vancouver Canucks fan.
NHL.com voters have a collective faith in the Canucks
As you'd expect, opinion on where the Canucks will finish in the Pacific Division standings is mixed. However, one thing all 15 NHL.com staff members do agree on, is that Vancouver's team will be in the playoffs come the conclusion of the 2024-25 regular season.
This speaks volumes about how highly regarded the Canucks organisation is, and how far they've come under general manager Patrik Allvin and head coach Rick Tocchet. Last season saw them total the third-most posts in team history, while also win their first division title since the 2012-13 season.
To really highlight the rejuvenation of the franchise, consider where the Canucks stood just three years earlier. In 2020-21 they suffered the indignity of finishing bottom out of all seven Canadian NHL teams in the temporary North Division, which was created to deal with the fallout from COVID-19.
Now, you're looking at a team on the rise and this is backed by how favourably NHL.com's panel of writers and editors view their chances in 2024-25. At the same time, opinion is split on where the Canucks will finish in the Pacific Division standings.
Predicted to be an automatic playoff qualifier
However, even here it's not exactly a negative, with all 15 panel members picking the Canucks to finish in one of the top three positions, i.e. meaning automatic qualification for the playoffs. Six in the panel have them finishing third, eight predict they will be second and just one has them outright winning the Pacific Division.
That one person picking the Canucks to secure their division for a second consecutive season, is deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman. However, even Kimelman doesn't envision them going on to play in the Stanley Cup Final.
Along these lines, seven panel members pick the Edmonton Oilers to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final, while another six have plumped for the Dallas Stars. The Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators have also both received one vote of confidence.
The panel members who have selected the Avalanche and Predators, also predict they will complete the job and win the Final once there. As for the rest, the Oilers and Stars have each received six votes, while one person has picked the Florida Panthers to secure a second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Returning to the Canucks specifically, fans must be happy with the new level of confidence sports media outlets such as NHL.com have in their team. Now, it's a case of if they can pleasantly surprise those some media outlets for a second consecutive season, which would this time mean a trip to at least the Western Conference Final.