Last season, several teams surprised the league and played significantly better than anyone had thought going into 2024-25. Some teams that fall into that classification include the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals and even the Montreal Canadiens.
However, there is a new upcoming season that will provide a fresh batch of surprise teams. Here are three teams that could surprise everyone next season – in a good way.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins were one of the worst teams in the NHL last season, and no one expected a drop-off that bad. They struggled to stick to a playoff position in the regular season, and once the trade deadline came around, GM Don Sweeney decided that it was time to become a seller.
However, despite a disappointing end to last year, the Bruins could still surprise the NHL and improve from their 28th-place finish. As much as they could be considered as excuses, there are a few factors that held Boston back last season.
First, they missed defenseman Hampus Lindholm for the majority of the campaign due to a kneecap injury. He played 17 games last season, with his last of the year coming on Nov. 12.
In addition to losing Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy also suffered a season-ending injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off. That forced the Bruins to finish the second half of the season without their top D-pairing.
Finally, goaltender Jeremy Swayman and the team had a lengthy holdout in terms of agreeing to a contract extension. Because of that, the 26-year-old missed training camp, and that set him up for a poor season.
Nonetheless, all these instances could be flipped in this upcoming campaign. McAvoy told 32 Thoughts that he’s confident in his group.
“We’re a playoff team every day of the week,” he told Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas at the player media tour. “We have everything we need on this roster to be that.”
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are looking to end several years of rebuilding with a push to make the post-season. With every passing season for the last three years, the Ducks have shown growth and improvement.
Anaheim made a big hire in a new head coach, Joel Quenneville, in the off-season. Quenneville is a three-time Stanley Cup champion as a coach for the Chicago Blackhawks between 2008-09 and 2018-19.
He’s also the second-most winningest coach in NHL history with 969 wins under his belt. His veteraness behind the bench can help the Ducks’ young core reach new heights.
Speaking of the young core, if Anaheim want to seek the potential success of sniffing around a playoff spot, GM Pat Verbeek and company will have to find a way to secure center Mason McTavish.
McTavish is a key member of the Ducks, but remains an RFA seeking a contract extension. If the Ducks can lock him up to a number that is team and player-friendly, then look out for Anaheim.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild were one of the league’s best teams last season, up until superstar Kirill Kaprizov received a massive blow that kept him sidelined for over two months.
From the start of last season to Jan. 1, the Wild were a top-five team in the NHL. In addition, when December hit, Minnesota were the league’s No. 1 team.
With Kaprizov coming into next season healthy, who’s to say that the Wild can’t recreate this hot start, and even carry it into the later months of 2025-26? Not to mention their young stars in Brock Faber, Zeev Buium, Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi, who have another year of experience and growth under their belts.
However, Minnesota’s season will be overshadowed by Kaprizov’s expiring contract status, unless he inks an extension soon.
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