2019-20 NHL Regular Season Predictions

It would be hard for the 2019-20 National Hockey League season to turn out any more crazily than last year. After all, the Stanley Cup winners (the St. Louis Blues) had not been to a final since their first year of existence, a year when their entire conference was made of expansion teams. The Blues were in last place in the Western Conference at the start of 2019, but then they went on an historic tear that did not stop until they hoisted the storied chalice. The Tampa Bay Lightning are the odds-on favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year, but that was also true last year — and they got swept out of the first round of the playoffs by Columbus. What can we expect to see this year? See if our predictions can help you figure out your NHL betting for the coming campaign.

2019-20 NHL Regular Season Predictions

A global game. By The Numbers: 2019-20 Season-Opening Rosters: https://t.co/gJVH6aMzpM #NHLStats #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/agy6kgZWsN

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 2, 2019

Goals on attack-zone face-offs will increase significantly

This year, teams can choose with side of the ice face-offs will take place on, when those face-offs come after icing, at the beginning of a power play, after unintentional dislodging of the net by a defensive skater, or a shot from outside the red line (center ice) that the goalie freezes. Historically, the choice has always been a judgment call by the officials. Now, this lets teams line up their best face-off men and their best snipers — which should make for more goals after these stoppages.

Toronto will either win the Stanley Cup or miss the playoffs

The Maple Leafs are paying four forwards a combined total of more than $40 million. John Tavares is a franchise center, and center Auston Matthews will be one of the biggest NHL names over the next decade (assuming he finds his way through these latest allegations). Few teams can match the offense that the Leafs can bring. They opened the vault for 22-year-old Mitch Marner to solidify that attack. They also added Tyson Barrie to the defense, putting a rock on the blue line. Coach Mike Babcock is now on the hot seat after delivering (at least to this point) on a rebuild of the historically woeful Leafs. Can he get them to the promised land? Or is it time for another rebuild? Marner is seen by some as a potential scoring title winner. The Leafs locked him up with a deal that will last at least six years, and in his first season as a Leaf, he was 11th in the NHL in scoring. He returns with Tavares as center, and their chemistry is just going to improve.

Calgary wins the Pacific Division…or misses the playoffs

Calgary swapped James Neal to the Edmonton Oilers for Milan Lucic. Neal has shown all kinds of promise in his career, whether playing for Dallas, Nashville and Calgary, but that promise never came to fruition. Now he is an Oiler, who basically swapped Lucic for him in an exchange of unhappy performer. Can Lucic deliver in Calgary? Few teams have the high ceiling that the Flames do, but few teams can fall off the table as quickly and surprisingly as the Flames either. Calgary has Johnny Gaudreau, and for this prediction to pay off, he will need to see his scoring take off. That means breaking the 100-point mark and dominating the Hart Trophy voting.

What about the Hart Trophy winner?

It could be Connor McDavid. A year ago, he was just the fifth player in the history of the NHL to play a part in more than 50 percent of his team’s goals. That certainly makes him a valuable player. It could also be Nathan MacKinnon, who was second two years ago and sixth two years ago. He has emerged as one of the league’s top offensive threats.