NHL 2021-22 PREDICTIONS

SportsBeat!

Written by Aaron Cantin

Anyone else's head in a pretzel when forecasting the first full (let's hope) NHL season in three years? Divisions, conferences, point totals — what was normal is now abnormal after two shortened years threw the hockey world out of its regular cadence. But here we are and man it’s a great feeling.

This will be one of the most difficult seasons to predict as longevity and endurance will be put to the test for the first time in a while. Let’s give it a go though. Below I make my division and play-off predictions plus some bold predictions to make it that much more fun.

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Division and Postseason Predictions

• Atlantic Division: (1) Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs

• Metropolitan Division: New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers

• Eastern Conference Wild Cards: Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils

• Central Division: (1) Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets

• Pacific Division: Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers

• Western Conference Wild Cards: Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues

Eastern Conference Final: Islanders def. Panthers

Western Conference Final: Golden Knights def. Jets

Stanley Cup champion: New York Islanders

Why the Islanders? Other than Tampa, no team over the last three seasons has played more playoff games than the Islanders. As currently constructed, they are one of the few proven and voraciously unsatisfied postseason squads. That's a dangerous combination for anyone who stands in their way. New York is the team that can finally solve the Lightning and can win the franchise's fifth Stanley Cup 39 years after its last.

Bold Predictions

1. McDavid destroys the regular season, collects 150 points

Mario Lemieux was the last NHLer to record 150 points, doing so in 1995-96 when he put up an absurd 161 in 70 games. Connor McDavid, who's in the prime of his career at 24years old, is more than capable of hitting 150 if he can play all 82. This is the year. I don think people realize the historical relevance of his 2020-21: McDavid's 105 points in 56games sits ninth all-time on Hockey Reference's era-adjusted ranking. A regular offseason with no rehab will help. The cross-checking crackdown will, too. Having puck retrieving wizard Zach Hyman on his wing won't hurt. Most of all, McDavid has been getting progressively more pissed off every time the Edmonton Oilers are bounced early from the playoffs. He's on a mission here. Speaking of the Oilers, they may not be better overall after a busy offseason but the forward group is unquestionably deeper. Which, again, will help McDavid in his quest for 150.

2. Theodore wins Norris Trophy

Shea Theodore has never finished higher than sixth in Norris voting, so this prediction is relying heavily on the Vegas Golden Knight's upward trajectory. Theodore, who's 26 years old and entering his sixth NHL season, has the prototypical modern defenseman's toolkit, plus size. His mobility and vision are elite. He's levelled up the past two seasons in terms of point production and his ice time is slowly creeping up to the 25-minute mark. Yes, Cale Makar, Dougie Hamilton, Victor Hedman, and a few others might have better betting odds for the Norris. But Theodore's a guy who still has another gear or two.

3. Laine gets traded - again

Patrik Laine is coming off the worst statistical season of his career. Yet he's too young (23) and too dazzling to be labelled a bust. This year, he should garner plenty of ice time on a talent-light Columbus Blue Jackets team. New coach Brad Larsen is a breath of fresh air after John Tortorella. Time to showcase Laine, who's still chasing down a spot on the Finnish Olympic team. If all goes well, how does Laine, a pending restricted free agent, not get flipped ahead of the trade deadline? He doesn't scream "Columbus lifer" and the rebuilding Jackets can easily retain salary.

4. Cringeworthy race to the bottom of standings

With Connor McDavid up for grabs in the 2015 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres and ArizonaCoyotes took tanking to the extreme. The race for last culminated when Sabres fans cheered for the visiting Coyotes during a late-season matchup. It wasn't a great look, to say the least. This coming season, with the Coyotes, Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and to a lesser extent, Columbus Blue Jackets, all actively trying not to win, expect a similar vibe down the stretch. The grand prize in 2021 is Shane Wright, another can't-miss center prospect.

5. Avalanche thrive in net despite losing Grubauer

In one of the offseason's biggest splashes, Philipp Grubauer left Colorado and signed a six-year deal with the expansion Seattle Kraken. Avalanche GM Joe Sakic reacted by trading for Arizona Coyotes netminder Darcy Kuemper, who's entering the final season of a two-year deal. Not only will the Avs survive the perceived downgrade in goal (remember, Grubauer is a reigning Vezina Trophy finalist), but they'll thrive with Kuemper between the pipes. The Avalanche are underrated defensively. They are absolutely capable of insulating Kuemper, who through 242 NHL games has mustered an impressive save percentage of .917. Kuemper's issue has been nagging injuries, not performance. Here's to a clean bill of health for the Saskatchewan native because he's now in the goalie-friendly environment that helped lift Grubauer.

6. Leafs pursue proven goalie midseason

Look, the Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltending tandem of Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek could be fine, even good. Those are two netminders who have shown flashes of being a quality NHL starter. But is there enough reliability and security? There is simply too much riding on this Leafs season for so many people in the organization - namely GM Kyle Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe - to be gambling, in any way, on the most important position. It won't be easy from a salary cap perspective, but the names John Gibson (Anaheim), Tuukka Rask (free agent), and Anton Khudobin/Ben Bishop (Dallas) come to mind immediately as possible upgrades, assuming their respective situations allow for a change of scenery. If 2020-21 was "All or Nothing" for Toronto, 2021-22 is "Win or Big Changes." Dubas must do everything he can to ice the best possible squad heading into the playoffs, and that includes goaltending.

7. Eichel resolution farther away than it appears

Nobody really knows when the months-long staredown between the Buffalo Sabres and Jack Eichel will end. Pat Brisson, Eichel's new agent, is one of the most powerful figures in hockey, so this thing should be headed in the right direction. That said, because of the risks inherent in acquiring an injured $10-million player, I have a hunch this complex situation drags on all the way past the Beijing Olympics and bumps up against the trade deadline. By then, hopefully, Eichel has finally healed (whether through surgery or rehab) and can be showcased for a handful of games in a Sabres uniform. The former captain last played this past March. He might not get traded until March 2022.

8. Senators finish higher than Canadiens in Atlantic Division

It's fair to say the Montreal Canadiens' run to the Stanley Cup Final was a half mirage. They ran hot after finishing 18th in the league standings. Now, they're starting the 2021-22 season without No. 1 goalie Carey Price while captain Shea Weber is expected to miss the whole year. The Habs have decent fill-ins (Jake Allen for Price; David Savard for Weber) and could score more goals with the emergence of Cole Caufield. However, the Ottawa Senators are rising and the potent mixture of a nothing-to-lose mentality and growth among a promising young core could very well vault them above Montreal in a top-heavy division. It will be super close - I'm not predicting a playoff spot for the Sens - but Ottawa is primed to surpass the Habs in points.

9. Coyotes flip Kessel early in the season

Only seven of 23 players on the NHL roster are under contract for the 2022-23 season, and just three of those seven (Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Jakob Chychrun) are committed for 2023-24 and beyond. It's remarkable what GM Bill Armstrong is doing, stripping the team down to the studs. And forward Phil Kessel, at a $6.8-million cap hit, should be the next asset flipped for futures. Timing is the unpredictable part. There's a case to be made for an early-season Kessel trade, however. Give him a month to strut his stuff, then get on with it. The acquiring club gets a proven sniper for the vast majority of the season and Arizona can facilitate by retaining half of his salary. There's absolutely no reason to wait until the trade deadline next March.

10. Toews plays his way into Olympic conversation

Predicting Jonathan Toews' inclusion on Team Canada would be the truly bold take. Given Canada's enviable forward depth and how far Toews must come over the next few months just to be in the conversation for an Olympic roster spot, it's simply a bridge too far after the Chicago Blackhawks captain missed all of last season. That said, I'm willing to predict hockey Canada will strongly consider him. The 33-year-old has looked fantastic in preseason action. Kirby Dach's emergence as Chicago's No. 1 center will give Toews easier matchups, and there's a compelling case for selecting a two-time Olympian like Toews, even if it's in a depth/leadership role. At any rate, let's hope Toews' health continues to hold up so he can reach the 1,000-game milestone (he's 57 games shy) and earn a Bill Masterton Trophy nomination.