22 Predictions for the 2022-23 NHL Season

The 106th NHL season started this week and hockey fans are excited for the new season to be underway.

The 2022-23 NHL Season started this week and already there has been some great moments. Hockey fans should be excited for this season.  One of the biggest stories in the NHL this past season was the increase in viewers in the league’s first year of its television contracts with ESPN and TNT in the US. The league also saw strong growth in female and younger fans.  The NHL is appealing to younger fans.  Recent data released from the NHL states that 40% of all fans are under the age of 50.  Easy to see when we have seen a youth movement in the NHL over the past few years.  With superstars like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Auston Matthews all in their mid-twenties and up and coming talent like Trevor Zegras and Cale Makar, it’s easy to see the appeal of the younger audience.

With the start of the season, The Hockey Fanatic wanted to share 22 predictions for this season.

22 Predictions for the 2022-23 NHL Season

Ok so predictions are just that, forecasting something that we expect to happen during the upcoming season.  Some of the predictions are based on previous trends others are based on “gut feeling”.  With that here is a look at our predictions for the 2022/23 NHL season.


There you have it, twenty-two predictions for the 2022-23 NHL season. Follow us on Twitter and share your predictions for the season as well.

  1. The Colorado Avalanche will lead all teams in the regular season and again capture the President’s trophy.  In our 2022-23 NHL Division predictions, we have the Avs capturing 58 wins and finishing up with 122 points in the Central Division.  The Avs wouldn’t be a bad bet for winning consecutive Stanley Cup championships.

  2. Patrick Kane will be traded to the New York Rangers.  The Rangers have quickly become a top team in the NHL.  They have one of the best goaltenders in the league and have a solid forward and defensive lineup.  Artemi Panarin will be reunited with Patrick Kane in late January/ early February prior to the NHL trade deadline.

  3. Connor McDavid will win the Art Ross, the Hart and the Ted Lindsey trophies.  He should have won all three last year, so he might just have a little something to prove.  Conversely look for McDavid to lead the Oilers again into the playoffs.  He’s finally surrounded with a decent supporting cast.  Expect Connor to put up 130-136 points this season.
    Connor McDavid

  4. Bruce Boudreau will NOT be the first coaching casualty of the season.  While the Canucks will be better, not sure if they have enough to make the playoffs this season, but then again, they have Thatcher Demko between the pipes who could again play in 60+ games this season.  The one thing about Boudreau is that all he does is win.  He had a .649 winning percentage with the Canucks after taking the helm last season.  If the Canucks indeed make the playoffs look for Boudreau to be a finalist for the Jack Adams award as coach of the year.

  5. The Rocket Richard winner will score 55 goals this season.  That player?  Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers.
    Leon Draisaitl goal celebration
  6. The Calgary Flames will amass 52 wins and lead all Canadian teams in terms of pointsCalgary Flames logo
    In our Division predictions we suggested that the Flames will put up 112 points this season good for fourth overall in the NHL.  Darryl Sutter’s teams work hard and the Flames will be a tough opponent each and every night.

  7. The Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks will fight it out in the battle of the cellar dwellers and the “fail hard for Connor Bedard” and earn the best potential to select Connor Bedard first overall in next year’s NHL entry draft.

  8. Alex Ovechkin will score 33 goals.  Age may be catching up with the “Great 8” as he will miss a number of games due to injury and as such will limit his production to 33 goals this season which will put the captain of the Capitals at 81 goals behind the GOAT Wayne Gretzky for the all-time lead.

  9. The New Jersey Devils will be the first ones to fire their coachNew Jersey Devils logo Lindy Ruff is a good hockey man, but the Devils will get out to a slow start and will replace Ruff with Devils assistant coach Andrew Brunette (who was hired by the Devils on July 15th).  This could happen as soon as US Thanksgiving.

  10. Tyler Seguin will be the NHL’s comeback player of the year.  Dallas is an interesting team.  Not sure if they are a contender yet, but will a solid playoff round last season and with Seguin being healthy for the first time in a while, look for him to have a solid season. (Don’t look know but Seguin had three assists in the Stars season opener).

  11. Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings will be the first big name player to be traded.  Potential destinations for Larkin?  Philadelphia, Nashville and Vegas.

  12. Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks will finish second in Vezina trophy voting.  If the Canucks make the playoffs or are even close, look for Demko to win a few games by himself as the Canucks push for post-season birth.
    Thatcher Demko Vancouver Canucks

  13. The Ottawa Senators will miss the playoffs by 5 pointsOttawa Senators logo A much-improved Sens team will play good hockey all year and will show a lot of promise, but injuries to the backend and goaltenders will cost the teams a playoff birth.

  14. The Philadelphia Flyers will lead the league in penalties and feature more grit under John TortorellaPhiladelphia Flyers logo The Flyers will not make the playoffs, but they will work hard and take a step in the right direction to get back to winning ways.

  15. Cale Makar again wins the Norris trophy as top defensemanColorado Avalanche Logo It will again be a tight race with Roman Josi and Victor Hedman, but the youngster Makar will continue to impress and will win back to back Norris trophies.

  16. Connor McDavid scores 50 goals for the first time.  McDavid will end up with 51 goals this season, marking the firs time he hits the 50 goal threshold. The Oilers will have two fifty goal scorers this season, as mentioned above we predict Leon Draisaitl will win the Rocket Richard trophy with 55 tallies.
  17. Marc-Andre Fleury starts in 52 games for Minnesota and falls nine games shy of 1,000 career games. Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo are French-Canadian trio of goaltenders who are the only tenders to have appeared in 1,000 career NHL games.  Fleury comes close but will have to wait until next season to hit that mark.

  18. Matthew Beniers of the Seattle Kraken will win the Calder trophy as the NHL rookie of the yearSeattle Kraken logo Others that will push for rookie of the year honors include Mason McTavish (Anaheim) and Owen Power (Buffalo) Dark-horse contenders include Dylan Holloway of the Edmonton Oilers.  Andrei Kuzmenko of Vancouver would be a consideration as well but at 26, he is not eligible for the Calder trophy (To be considered a rookie, a player who is at least 26 years of age (by September 15th of that season) is not considered a rookie).

  19. Pierre-Luc Dubois will be traded from the Winnipeg Jets to the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline.  The Jets will need to regroup and determine if they ae a true contender or need to re-tool for a couple of seasons.

  20. The New York Islanders surprise everyone and finish second in the Metro DivisionNew York Islanders logo A rejuvenated Matthew Barzal has a solid season and the Isles quietly string together a 100-point season.

  21. The Toronto Maple Leafs will win a playoff series for the first time since 2004Toronto Maple Leafs logo
    Providing the Leafs stay injury free they should have a strong regular season and it will be Mitch Mariner (not Auston Matthews) who leads the Leafs out of the first round of the playoffs this season.

  22. One of the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes or New York Rangers will win the Stanley Cup. There are some really good teams this season, but the regular season is a long haul, injuries happen, slumps happen and you need a good draw in the playoffs to go al of the way.  Teams like Florida, Toronto and Edmonton could push, but it’s not quite their time.

There you have it, twenty-two predictions for the 2022-23 NHL season. Follow us on Twitter and share your predictions for the season as well.