Speculation: Standings Predictions 2024 - 2025 Season

[Drumman44]

While the ink is barely dry on most of today's free agency contracts, there have been a lot of deals handed out. I'd like to start a thread to speculate how our beloved Blackhawks and our other compatriots at the bottom of the standings will fare next year.

As a reminder, here's how the bottom 5 teams drafted in June of 2024.

Season	Pick #	Team	Wins	Losses	OT Losses	Points
2023 - 2024	1	San Jose	19	54	9	47
2023 - 2024	2	Chicago	23	53	6	52
2023 - 2024	3	Anaheim	27	50	5	59
2023 - 2024	4	Columbus	27	43	12	66
2023 - 2024	5	Montreal	30	36	16	76

Taking a look at San Jose, Chicago, Anaheim, Columbus, and Montreal it seems that 3 out of the 5 have been pretty aggressive in both trades and free agency today, with Anaheim and Montreal not doing a whole lot, but how will that translate into success next season?

San Jose
Additions:

Macklin Celebrini (Drafted, I'm assuming he jumps right into the NHL)
Tyler Toffoli (Free Agent)
Alexander Wennberg (Free Agent)
Jake Walman (Trade)
Ty Dellandrea (Trade)

Chicago
Additions:

Ilya Mikheyev (Trade)
Patrick Maroon (Free Agent)
Teuvo Teravainen (Free Agent)
Craig Smith (Free Agent)
Tyler Bertuzzi (Free Agent)
Laurent Brossoit (Free Agent)
Alec Martinez (Free Agent)

Anaheim
Additions:

Maybe Cutter Gauthier makes the jump to the NHL full time? Other than that, it looks like more of the same

Columbus
Additions:

Yegor Chinakhov (Free Agent)
Sean Monahan (Free Agent)

Montreal
Additions:

Nothing that I can see recently.



I'm going to guess that San Jose and Chicago each take a pretty big step forward due to free agent acquisitions and trades while Anaheim, Columbus, and Montreal all have a bit of a better season next year due to further development of their younger players.

I am going to guess that "a rising tide raises all boats" and that generally speaking each of the five bottom feeder teams gets better without impacting the final seeding too much for next year.

Season	Pick #	Team	Wins	Losses	OT Losses	Points
2024 - 2025	1	San Jose	30	47	5	65
2024 - 2025	2	Anaheim	32	44	6	70
2024 - 2025	3	Chicago	35	43	4	74
2024 - 2025	4	Columbus	34	40	8	76
2024 - 2025	5	Montreal	35	39	8	78

That being said, am I missing out on my analysis? Is there another team that's ready to tear it down and take? Calgary?

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[Wally1112pac]

I wouldn't be surprised if we finished any where from 2nd to 5th worst overall.

Our D is still very thin. Martinez is pretty much Zaitzev. Korchinski should take the next step. Murphy is always injured. After that it's Jones, Vlasic and one of Kaiser, Phillips or EDM. Hopefully Allan plays some games too. The D will look a lot better with a Levshunov in it. Maybe another vet is signed in the next few days.

Our forwards have gotten a lot better. There's is a lot more sand paper and scoring punch compared to last years team. Bertuzzi and Maroon can stand in front of the net. Teuvo hopefully plays with Bedard and sets him up a ton. Taylor Hall is in a contract year so he will be doing his best to put up points. We actually have 8 top 9 forwards on the team not including Reichel and Nazar. That is a huge improvement from last year's band of AHLers up front.

Mrazek is a wild card. Two years ago he was trash. Last year he was fabulous and cost us last overall with his great play. Which Petr shows up next year?

Brossoit is light years better than Soderblom. That alone will net us at least 5 more wins next year.

I think our win total will be in the low 30's.

CBJ should be better. The aren't starting the year with the babcock drama like they did last year.

Do they ducks take a step forward? They have a lot of good, young talent on the team. Dostal is entering a contract year so his numbers should improve.

Montreal should be a bit better too. Hopefully Dach doesn't get blown up 9 minutes into the season.

I don't think phili will fall very much. The flames might drop in the standings by a position or 2.

San Jose will probably be the worst team again. They will have a healthy Couture this season. Toffoli and Wennberg signed. I don't know how much the young trio of Will Smith, William Eklund and Celebrini will produce. They could get 50-60 points a piece. Who knows. Their D is terrible though. The only thing that could pull them from the gutter is their goaltending. Blackwood and Vanecek are both UFA's. A goalie playing for a contract is a scary thing.

 

[Kevin Musto]

We getting out of the bottom 5

 

[Taze em]

I donno. But I’ll tell you a secret. Bedard gonna score 100 pts. 45G 55A +3

 

[Wally1112pac]

I donno. But I’ll tell you a secret. Bedard gonna score 100 pts. 45G 55A +3

He'll score 219.

Break Gretzky's record.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Somewhere between 3-8 I think.

 

[Joemoe]

Don't think enough teams got worse/the Hawks got so much better to get them out of bottom five finish but this should be a far more entertaining on ice product than the last two seasons, especially last year.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I think the Flames are gonna crater pretty hard next season.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Hawks 82-0

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Still top 10 pick next season but not #1 or #2 unless we get really lucky.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Still top 10 pick next season but not #1 or #2 unless we get really lucky.

 

[Taze em]

Look at Blues lineup. Look at our lineup.

Could we realistically not finish last in the Central ?!

 

[ClydeLee]

Look at Blues lineup. Look at our lineup.

Could we realistically not finish last in the Central ?!

I haven't noticed them adding anyone, I kinda don't pay attention to them. But Binnington was actually good the 2nd half of the year last year, like he hasn't been since the cup year. If that goes back to his average self, yeah they could be baaad.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Finish between 5-9 is my guess

Maybe slightly better if Bedard takes major steps in development (And stays healthy) while some of the kids make major stride/breakthrough (Nazar/Korchinski)

At end of day though Luke will lose them some games with his coaching and is likely to be problem yet again

 

[Dr Salt]

There's ceiling to finish in the high 70s points but I expect us to pick in the top 5. I'm more concerned with the performances of Bedard, Korchinski, Nazar, and potentially Lev than I am of the team's standings finish.

 

[WarLax]

Doesn't matter where we finish as long as we are a lotto team.

We are 2 for 2 with Rooh and Taylor Hall on the case, already have it locked in boys.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Same as my prediction last year. We'll be better than the Coyotes, and this time I'll be right.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Same as my prediction last year. We'll be better than the Coyotes, and this time I'll be right.

Who the f*** are the Coyotes?

 

[dj Mahoney]

I'm more concerned with how the Ice Hogs do. That is truly our future not these free agents . My guess is 75 points this year .

 

[statswatcher]

dunno. i’ll be happy if they can finally place higher in the central than the mild again.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Who the f*** are the Coyotes?

Exactly.

 

[HawksDub89]

Guessing we’ll finish somewhere between 5-9.

 

[TheFridge]

We finished last in the Central by 25 points last year. They’ve obviously bridged the gap but this is very likely still a last or 2nd last place team in the division. I can see them at around 74 points though.

 

[hockeydoug]

I would be surprised if they finish below anyone in the Atlantic. PHI, WAS, Pit, or CLB could implode, Hawks may finish ahead of 2 of them. I think Hawks will finish ahead of SJ and CGY. They aren't passing anyone in their division imo.

If they can get the young players that matter better and still finish in the bottom 5, that's a good offseason.

This roster is alot better, and much better suited to slot some of the young players on the big team and Rockford, but it's definitely not tank proof giving so many injury risks and slow players.

I have a tough time putting them higher than 28th, I like it.

 

[ndgt10]

Hopefully bad enough to get a top 3 pick otherwise we will become the Bulls