Browsing: predictions

The Baltimore Orioles missed the playoffs in 2025, a feat that can be attributed to an injury list a mile long and the same starting pitching woes that have plagued them for years.

Dean Kremer was the ironman of the Orioles’ rotation, pitching 171.2 innings and accumulating a 4.19 ERA. Tomoyuki Sugano was so-so in his first season with a 4.64 ERA, Zach Eflin was injured more than not, and Cade Povich did Cade Povich things by allowing 65 earned runs.

Trevor Rodgers proved to be an ace in his 18 appearances, throwing 109.2 innings for an ERA of 1.81, but also faced injuries.

The team may have its star in Rodgers but it still badly needs another starter to go along with Kremer and Sugano, even more so considering Eflin is a free agent this offseason.

Nightengale reported that the Orioles “will be the most aggressive team looking for pitching this winter.”

The team has a young nucleus in the form of Sam Basallo, Gunner Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holiday, Coby Mayo, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, and Dylan Beavers. Adding a piece or two to the rotation, or improving the bullpen, would go a long way in re-establishing the O’s as a legitimate title contender.

Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, and Zac Gallen headline the free agent market this offseason and while any of them would be welcome additions in Baltimore and the type of player that would inspire excitement within the fan base, Mike Elias and the Orioles’ front office tend to like to look toward the second or third tiers to find their answers.

Chris Bassitt of Toronto, Tyler Mahle or Merrill Kelly of Texas, or Nestor Cortes of Milwaukee would fit their tendencies, as we saw last offseason with the signing of Charlie Morton.

Prediction: Orioles land a new starter and two bullpen pieces

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Team that that will be most missed from the playoffs

The Piratesmay have been abysmal again but have remained appointment viewing thanks to Paul Skenes, whose highlight reels make you question physics. Itâ€s not just his raw pace, throwing 100mph+ deep into games, but his mastery of late-moving variations that mean batters canâ€t pick whether itâ€s a sweeper or a splinker until itâ€s already behind them. Alan Evans

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The Astros.Theyâ€d made the playoffs for nine straight years, winning a couple of World Series, four American League pennants and seven AL West titles. Sure, they were villains on merit, but gravity-defying dynasties like Houstonâ€s only make for richer postseason narratives. Bryan Armen Graham

Well, these days, itâ€s hard to miss any team because just under half of them make the playoffs. That said, the Orioles have great young talent and a fanbase starving for a winner. When Camden Yards is full and buzzing itâ€s one of the best atmospheres in North American sports. Their 2025 has to be considered one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory, unless youâ€re a Mets fan of course. David Lengel

High seed at risk of going out early

The Brewers surged to the best record in baseball (96-65) with an astonishing summer after having been 25-28 on 24 May. But their momentum slowed in September, and with the new extended wildcard format giving the best teams a five-day break, that may be enough to knock them off their rhythm and send them home early. AE

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The Brewers could be vulnerable. The NL Central champions have come back to earth after the 14-game win streak that vaulted them to the best record in baseball. There are questions over the fitness of closer Trevor Megill and theyâ€ll have a tricky NLDS draw with the Padres or Cubs after a five-day layoff. BAG

That has to be the Tigers, who are facing a Guardians team that came out of nowhere to capitalize on a historic Detroit collapse. Clevelandâ€s recent stretch of allowing just 32 earned runs in 19 games was otherworldly, and itâ€s helped earn them three home games v Detroit. Thereâ€s only one Tarik Skubal pitching for the Tigers, so that means theyâ€re in trouble. DL

Dark horse to win

The Padres are used to being overlooked in favor of their more glamorous neighbors in Los Angeles, but they have a dangerous core led by Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr, and the bullpenâ€s 3.06 ERA is by far the best in baseball. If they can keep games close early on, they will be hard to shake off. AE

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The Mariners are the lone major league team to have never reached a World Series much less won one. They have a strong chance of finally breaking that hoodoo thanks to the emergence of rookie sensation Cal Raleigh and proven October commodity Randy Arozarena. BAG

The Red Sox have come out of this dormant phase, won back their temporarily apathetic fan base and are quite good, and importantly, well-rounded. They do everything well, and despite the loss of rookie phenom Roman Anthony, probably have enough to oust the Yankees this round, and more. They have the ace in Garrett Crochet and two Comeback Player of the Year candidates in Trevor Story and Aroldis Chapman. Donâ€t be surprised if they pull of their fifth title of the century. DL

Most important factor this postseason/offseason

The Dodgers already have the best – and best-paid – lineup in baseball, but are still likely to give Kyle Tucker a megacontract this offseason. If that does happen, calls will grow for a long-overdue look at competitive balance and the rules about salary deferrals. This wonâ€t stop the Dodgers winning 100+ games a year for the next decade, but it could shape the outcome of the collective bargaining agreement due after next season. AE

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Bullpen upgrades. In todayâ€s game, the difference between winning and losing in October often comes down to late-inning arms in high-leverage situations. Any team that can lock down seventh-to-ninth inning relief dominance will head into 2026 with a huge competitive edge. BAG

Well, so much of the pitching world surrounds bullpens these days, with starters having trouble going deep into games. LAâ€s relief core has struggled, but now that their starters are healthy, and the pen can breathe a little, the Dodgers are well placed to use their core more effectively. San Diegoâ€s bullpen, with Mason Miller is terrifying. On the flip side, expect the Yankees bullpen to let them down at just the wrong time. DL

NLCS

Dodgers over Padres. AE

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Phillies over Brewers. BAG

Dodgers over Brewers. DL

ALCS

Yankees over Mariners. AE

Mariners over Yankees. BAG

Mariners over Blue Jays. DL

Your World Series champions will be …

The Dodgers may be facing injury struggles, most notably catcher Will Smithâ€s fractured hand, but no team has a deeper roster. They have the best player in the world in Shohei Ohtani, an experienced batting lineup who know how to win in the postseason, and the potentially powerful storyline of retiring team hero Clayton Kershaw being used as a super-reliever if they make the World Series. His teammates would love to send him off with another championship, and they have the quality and consistency to dominate any opponent. AE

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The Phillies boast one of the most balanced rosters in baseball, even without ace Zack Wheeler. Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo headline a rotation that can carry games deep, sparing a top-heavy bullpen. Jhoan Duran, electrifying in the ninth, has turned Citizens Bank Park into a theater of intimidation. Offensively, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper – two of the generationâ€s best October sluggers – anchor a lineup bolstered by Rob Thomsonâ€s platoons and a supporting cast with eight double-digit homer hitters. Harper feels destined for a World Series MVP run after 2022â€s near-miss, while Schwarber (56 homers) has generally thrived under pressure. The X-factor? Trea Turnerâ€s return from a hamstring injury. If he finds his rhythm, Philadelphiaâ€s combination of power, depth, and home-field magic makes them the most compelling case to win it all in 2025. BAG

The Mariners were born in 1977 and have never won the big one. Nearly 50 years later, theyâ€re ready to shock the Dodgers and finally bring that elusive title to the northwest corner. It wonâ€t be a shock, because Seattle have the talent and theyâ€re peaking at the right time. With should-be MVP Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena, their lineup is beefy. But itâ€s the pitching rotation, with depth from Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo and Logan Gilbert thatâ€s found elite form over the last month, combining with a pen in top gear that make them so formidable. Yes, they really can match LA, and if they can somehow strikeout a little bit less, theyâ€ll pip the Dodgers in seven. DL

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Six experts from Yahoo Sports predicted the postseason, and their strongest hunch was no different than the CBS crew: Phillies over the Mariners in the final round. They did take things a step further and predicted World Series MVPs, pointing to three different winners for Philadelphia: Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Cristopher Sánchez.

One more expert picked the Phillies to make the final round, only to fall to the New York Yankees in six games. In a bit of a surprise, this prediction pegged Giancarlo Stanton as the World Series MVP. It’d be interesting to know, though, whether that pick had more to do with Stanton’s play style or Aaron Judge’s career struggles in the postseason (.205/.318/.450 slash line over 58 outings).

For the non-math majors in the audience, that leaves two predictions on the board, and they both featured the same champion: The Milwaukee Brewers. That feels more notable than it should for the Major League-leader in both wins (97) and run differential (plus-172), but this is a franchise that has only reached the World Series once and never won it.

The Brewers aren’t built around household names, and the MVP predictions here reflect as much. One went with Brice Turang, a third-year player with a career .257/.325/.368 slash line. The other crowned Andrew Vaughn, a former top prospect who fizzled out with the Chicago White Sox and was traded to Milwaukee at midseason for journeyman starter Aaron Civale and cash.

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We made it, baseball fans. It was a chaotic sprint to finish the regular season, but with 162 games on the books, it’s time to kick off the postseason with the wild-card round.

Four best-of-three series begin Tuesday, so let’s jump in. Here’s what you need to know about the wild-card matchups, including projected starters, X-factors and series predictions.

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Yahoo’s picks for the first round of the postseason. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)

No. 6 Detroit Tigers vs. No. 3 Cleveland Guardians

Projected starters

Game 1: Tarik Skubal (DET) vs. Gavin Williams (CLE)

Game 2: Jack Flaherty (DET) vs. Tanner Bibee (CLE)

Game 3: Casey Mize (DET) vs. Slade Cecconi (CLE)

How they got here

Tigers: For most of the first half, Detroit looked like the No. 1 team in the American League. The Tigers entered the All-Star break with baseballâ€s best record, dominating like a souped-up version of the 2024 club that improbably snuck into the postseason. Tarik Skubal was sensational, the other pitching was good enough, the offense of interchangeable pieces was producing. Javy Baéz even made the All-Star team. All was well.

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Then the bottom fell out. Detroit went 28-37 after the break, the worst second-half record of any playoff team. And when the Guards got hot in September, the Tigers couldnâ€t right the ship, coughing up the division crown over the seasonâ€s final week. Only a similarly catastrophic collapse from the Astros kept Detroit in the playoff field. But now the Tigers are in, and they still have the best pitcher on the planet.

Guardians: On the morning of Sept. 5, the Guards were 11 games behind the division-leading Tigers, wallowing in third in the AL Central. Their playoff odds, according to FanGraphs, were 2.9%. Their division odds, understandably, were even lower, comically so, at 0.1%. The last few weeks seemed destined to be a forgettable epilogue to a tumultuous season that included two players being placed on administrative leave as part of a gambling investigation.

Instead, history happened.

Clevelandâ€s pitching staff caught fire, and the Guardians rode their unique brand of crisp defense, aggressive baserunning and unflappable, José Ramírez-style moxie to a comeback of historic proportions. The club finished the season 19-4 over its final 23 games to catch and pass the flailing Tigers.

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Belief is a dangerous thing, and these Guardians have quite a surplus right now.

X-factors

Tigers: Riley Greene

At the break, Greeneâ€s .879 OPS ranked 15th among qualified hitters. Heâ€d seemingly emerged as a young star, the face of Detroitâ€s otherwise anonymous lineup. That earned him the honor of hitting second for the American League in the Midsummer Classic, directly in front of Aaron Judge.

But since the break, Greene has a .694 OPS, a mark that ranks 117th among qualified hitters. This dude is supposed to be this teamâ€s best hitter, its best offensive player, and for the past two months, as the season started to crumble, he turtled. The best version of Greene is dangerous, imposing, a real power threat. The Tigers need that guy to reappear if theyâ€re going to survive one last trip to Cleveland.

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Guardians: Jhonkensy Noel and José Ramírez

The man delightfully known as “Big Christmas†is the only active Guardian to have ever hit a home run off Tarik Skubal. Playoffs included, Clevelandâ€s roster has a collective .311 career slugging percentage in 145 plate appearances against the reigning AL Cy Young. For reference, Clevelandâ€s light-hitting backup catcher, Austin Hedges, has a career .313 slugging percentage.

The righty-hitting Noel is probably going to face Skubal three times in Game 1. Whether he gets a hold of one — and how many runners are on base if and when that happens — could dictate the outcome of the entire series.

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That said, itâ€s really all about Ramírez. Every time he steps to the plate, he exudes swagger and confidence, the flavor of which has spread to the entire Guardians club over the past few weeks. Heâ€s the sparkplug, the heart and soul, the be-all and end-all for this team.

How they win

Tigers: Skubal dominates, and crucially, this time he doesnâ€t longsnap the game away through his legs. Even though Cleveland won the two most recent Skubal showdowns, both of which happened in the past 10 days, the Cy Young-in-waiting allowed just two earned runs across those outings while punching out 17. Itâ€s more than conceivable that the American Leagueâ€s best pitcher storms into Progressive Field, silences the crowd and changes the narrative.

Then what?

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Well, baseball is silly, and Clevelandâ€s offense remains relatively mediocre. The Guardians ranked 14th in OPS while they were chasing down the Tigers in September. Skubal plus a bad day for the Guards†lineup could easily push Detroit through to the ALDS.

Guardians: The way theyâ€ve been winning, baby. That recipe is great starting pitching, mistake-free defense, a few electrifying J-Ram moments, an infield hit or five, and the good graces of the hard-ball gods. Being a Cleveland Guardian right now seems like the most fun, heart-warming job in the entire world. They reaffirm every last cliché about “playing for one another†and “doing the little things right.†And theyâ€re still playing with house money.

Series prediction: Guardians in three

Skubal carves in Game 1, but the Guardians win the next two to keep their magical ride rolling.

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— Mintz

No. 5 Boston Red Sox vs. No. 4 New York Yankees

Projected starters

Game 1: Garrett Crochet (BOS) vs. Max Fried (NYY)

Game 2: Lucas Giolito (BOS) vs. Carlos Rodón (NYY)

Game 3: Brayan Bello (BOS) vs. Cam Schlittler (NYY)

Note: Boston hasnâ€t announced the order itâ€ll roll out Giolito and Bello, but Giolito has been better recently. The Yankees also havenâ€t announced a Game 3 starter; their other two options are Luis Gil and Will Warren.

How they got here

Red Sox:What a roller coaster.

Hereâ€s an incomplete list of notable things that happened to the 2025 Red Sox: They traded away the face of the franchise, Rafael Devers, after a very avoidable, very public kerfuffle about his defensive position. That situation escalated the way it did only because the teamâ€s presumed first baseman of the future, Tristan Casas, suffered a season-ending knee injury on May 2. Big-ticket free agent Alex Bregman missed two months due to a quad issue. A trio of top prospects debuted and then either disappointed (Kristian Campbell) or got hurt (Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony). Garrett Crochet, who will finish second for the AL Cy Young, went to the zoo and saw some pandas. The team appeared magically tethered to .500 before a nine-game winning streak leading into the All-Star break propelled them back into playoff contention.

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It feels like the 2025 Red Sox played five seasons this season. Now they have to play another one.

Yankees: This is the best offense in baseball. The Bombers lead MLB in runs, homers, slugging percentage and OPS. Aaron Judge is either going to win MVP or almost win MVP. Giancarlo Stanton returned from a bizarre series of elbow issues and spent much of the summer putting fans in the outfield at risk. Jazz Chisholm Jr. solidified himself as one of the best second basemen in the sport. Ben Rice and Trent Grisham broke out. Cody Bellinger found his groove. Besides the mysterious capitulation of Anthony Volpe, things were really good for Yankee hitters this year.

The same was true for the rotation, which stepped up big-time after ace Gerrit Cole went down with a torn UCL in spring training. Max Fried was brilliant in his debut season in the Bronx. Carlos Rodón evolved his game, delivering a crucial bounce-back season. Two rookies, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren, emerged as stalwarts. Weâ€ll, uh, talk about the bullpen later.

The Yankees struggled versus playoff-caliber clubs for much of the season before a solid stretch in September against Houston, Toronto, Boston and Detroit. There are still concerns about the defense and the baserunning — those pesky buggers that doomed New York in the 2024 World Series — but this team is playing well at the right time.

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X-factors

Red Sox: The lefty-mashing specialists: Romy González and Rob Refsnyder

New Yorkâ€s two best starters, Fried and Rodón, both throw with their left arm. In 42 plate appearances this season against lefty Yankees, González and Refsnyder are a combined 13-for-35 with six extra-base hits and seven walks. Thatâ€s a .371/.476/.629 line. The other main righty bats in Bostonâ€s lineup — Trevor Story, Alex Bregman, Carlos Narvaez — will be crucial as well, but how Romy and Rob do against Fried and Rodón could swing this series.

Yankees:The bullpen

This has been the clubâ€s weak link all season, and it could be its Achilles†heel in October. David Bednar, acquired from Pittsburgh at the deadline, has been great in the closer role. But the bridge between him and the starters has been shaky at times. The Luke Weaver/Devin Williams tandem hasnâ€t lived up to expectations. Another deadline add, sidewinding righty Camilo Doval, has shown flashes of dominance but doesnâ€t foster supreme confidence. The same is true for Fernando Cruz, whose splitter baffled hitters in the first half but hasnâ€t been as effective recently.

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The names are big, the pedigrees are impressive, but when it gets late and tense in October, does this Yankees ‘pen have what it takes?

How they win

Red Sox: Crochet shoves in the opener, and the Sox win a low-scoring game thanks to a few solo shots off Fried and the Yanks†pen. Then Boston pounces on Game 2 starter Rodón, who struggled in his three starts against the Sox this year, with 10 earned runs in 15â…” innings. Just like that, done and dusted, the Sox send the Yankees on an early vacation while reinvigorating baseballâ€s most historic rivalry.

Yankees: By bludgeoning Boston into submission. The Yankees†lineup is better than the Red Soxâ€s lineup by a pretty significant margin. Of course, anything can happen in a short series, but New Yorkâ€s firepower up and down the lineup feels like a game-changer.

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Series prediction: Yankees in two

Fried keeps it close enough with Crochet in Game 1 for New Yorkâ€s lineup to explode late. The Red Sox canâ€t bounce back and fizzle out quietly in Game 2.

— Mintz

The postseason begins with two rivalry matchups in Tigers vs. Guardians and Red Sox vs. Yankees. (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports)

No. 6 Cincinnati Reds vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers

Projected starters

Game 1: Hunter Greene (CIN) vs. Shohei Ohtani (LAD)

Game 2: Nick Lodolo (CIN) vs. Blake Snell (LAD)

Game 3: Andrew Abbott (CIN) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)

How they got here

Reds: When you hire Terry Francona to be your manager, which the Reds did this past offseason, youâ€re making a statement to your fan base and your organization that expectations are going to be higher. But it appeared for most of the 2025 season that a postseason appearance wasnâ€t in the cards for Cincinnati.

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That is, until the New York Mets left the door open for the third NL wild-card spot. The Reds were able to outplay New York over the final three months of the regular season, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and their first time in a 162-game season since 2013.

Dodgers: We all went into this season believing the Dodgers would run roughshod through the league after a winter in which they added ace Blake Snell, closer Tanner Scott and international free agent Roki Sasaki. But baseball doesnâ€t work that way, and things were not easy for the Dodgers in 2025. On offense, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman struggled in a way the team couldnâ€t have anticipated, but the good news for L.A. is Shohei Ohtani more than makes up for others†flaws, hitting a franchise-record and career-high 55 home runs and likely winning his third consecutive MVP Award while returning to the mound.

As in the past several seasons, injuries plagued L.A.â€s starting rotation in the first half. But the Dodgers got healthier in the second half, with a rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani coming into view. In the end, like theyâ€ve done 12 times in the past 13 seasons, the Dodgers found a way to capture the NL West title.

X-factors

Reds: Hunter Greene

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If the Reds win this series against the Dodgers, it will be because their ace gets them off on the right foot and helps them get a critical Game 1 victory. When Greene is at his best, like he showed when he nearly tossed a no-hitter against the Cubs on Sept. 18, he is a true difference-maker. If Greene is great in L.A., the Reds have a chance.

Dodgers: Roki Sasaki

We didnâ€t know if we would see Sasaki again this season, as he missed most of the season due to a right shoulder impingement. Even when he was healthy, he didnâ€t show much consistency. But the rookie right-hander has looked like a different pitcher since his recent return to the big leagues in a relief role, with his fastball looking unhittable and his signature splitter keeping hitters off-balance.

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What makes Sasaki the ultimate X-factor is that where the Dodgers are most vulnerable right now is in their bullpen, particularly in high leverage. When heâ€s right, Sasaki probably has the filthiest stuff on the Dodgers†roster, and with Blake Teinen and Tanner Scott both struggling, the Dodgers could make Sasaki their closer this postseason.

Even though Sasakiâ€s stuff has looked electric, the pressure of the postseason is a different animal. But fortune favors the bold, and the Dodgers might not have a better option.

How they win

Reds:Pitching. Pitching. And more pitching. The Reds reached the postseason behind strong starting pitching, and if they hope to beat the juggernaut Dodgers, it will have to be their starters who once again carry them. And Cincinnati will roll out its best in Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo against L.A. If thereâ€s anything that can stop a world-class lineup like the Dodgers, itâ€s the arms on the Reds.

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Dodgers:Thereâ€s no secret sauce to the Dodgers†success. When their superstars are playing at their best, they are almost impossible to beat. The combination of Ohtani, Betts and Freeman gives them a trio that few teams in MLB history could rival. If just one of them has a big series, that could be enough to carry this team into the next round. But L.A.â€s bullpen is its weak link going into October. The Dodgers will need length from their starters to keep that leaky bullpen from being exposed.

Series prediction: Dodgers in three

The Dodgers are better than the Reds in terms of elite talent, but the equalizer in this series could be the starting pitching. Greene has shown down the stretch that he can be one of the elite aces in baseball, and the Reds have enough to win a 3-2 or 2-1 game. Ultimately, the Dodgers†high-powered offense will be the difference in this series. When you have players like Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández hitting in the bottom of the order, thatâ€s nearly unbeatable lineup depth.

— Dorsey

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No. 5 San Diego Padres vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs

Projected starters

Game 1: Nick Pivetta (SD) vs. Shota Imanaga (CHI)

Game 2: Dylan Cease (SD) vs. Matthew Boyd (CHI)

Game 3: Yu Darvish (SD) vs. Jameson Taillon (CHI)

How they got here

Padres:San Diegoâ€s path to the postseason was different than in years past. Usually, itâ€s the offense led by Manny Machado and Co. that drives the Padres. This time around, it was the pitching, as San Diego finished the season top-three in baseball in team ERA and first in bullpen ERA. One of the big turning points for San Diego was the trade deadline, when it made arguably the biggest move in the sport, acquiring fireballer Mason Miller from the Aâ€s. President of baseball operations AJ Preller once again cashed in his chips on a lights-out bullpen — one built to thrive in October.

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Cubs: For the first time since 2018, the Cubs reached the playoffs in a full season, recording their most wins since that year. With a first-half offense that was the best in baseball and breakout years from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch, the Cubs surged early this year. But after an impressive first half, the second half saw Chicago have to grind to get into the postseason. The offense sputtered, and the Cubs had to lean on their pitching to secure a wild-card spot. But they made it with room to spare, and the Cubs will have an opportunity to face their division rivals in the NLDS if they can get through San Diego.

X-factors

Padres: Jackson Merrill

It hasnâ€t been the easiest sophomore season for Merrill, coming off a phenomenal rookie season. He began the season by signing a massive, seven-year extension, but shortly after, he landed on the injured list due to a hamstring strain. But fast-forward to September, and the 22-year-old not only looks fully healthy but also has locked in at the perfect time, with a .938 OPS and seven homers this month. Merrill hitting in the cleanup spot behind Fernando Tatis Jr. and Machado makes the Padres dangerous when the trio is firing on all cylinders.

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Cubs:Michael Busch

You can make a case that Busch has been the most underrated offensive player in baseball this season. With his 34 home runs, the first baseman has done something that not even Anthony Rizzo did in his time in Chicago, and his tally is the most by a Cub since Kyle Schwarber hit 38 in 2019. Busch has been the most consistent offensive player in the Cubs†lineup, and whichever way he goes, usually Chicagoâ€s offense follows. Busch having a big series vs. San Diego would be huge for Chicagoâ€s hopes to advance.

How they win

Padres:San Diego will advance to the NLDS for the second straight year if its stars come through. Preller built his lineup and roster around star power, and with Machado, Tatis and Merrill leading the way, San Diego has plenty of offensive firepower. Plus, beyond the Padres’ starting pitchers, the power arms in their bullpen become the equalizer. If the Padres can get to the fifth inning with a lead, itâ€ll be difficult for the Cubs to record hits, let alone score, against Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejón, Mason Miller and Robert Suarez.

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Cubs: If the Cubs rediscover the offense from the first half that made them one of baseballâ€s best teams, they can and will get to the NLDS. Chicago has shown glimpses of that with its surge over the last week of the regular season, especially from Seiya Suzuki, who seems to have rediscovered his power stroke. If the Cubs can come through with some clutch hits, theyâ€ll get past San Diego and face Milwaukee in the NLDS.

Series prediction: Padres in two

The biggest blow for Chicago is that it will be without NL Rookie of the Year candidate Cade Horton, who was placed on the injured list due to a rib fracture on Saturday. Horton wouldâ€ve been the Cubs†likely Game 1 starter. Instead theyâ€ll turn to a combination of Imanaga, Boyd and Taillon.

Postseason experience matters, and if thereâ€s one huge advantage for San Diego here, itâ€s that the Padres have been in the playoffs every year since 2022. After they were eliminated in the NLDS last year, when they believed they were the best team in baseball, itâ€s difficult to imagine them getting knocked out early a second straight year. San Diego‘s ability to shorten games with its bullpen gives it the edge in a short series.

— Dorsey

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It feels like India’s golden opportunity with a World Cup mostly on home soil, and with the benefits of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) – its franchise T20 tournament – starting to shine through.

The Indian grounds being used for the group stages (Guwahati, Indore and Visakhapatnam) are unfamiliar to them but they should enjoy the advantages of home crowds.

They outplayed England over the summer, particularly impressing with how much they have improved in the field and their athleticism.

Harmanpreet Kaur is a very experienced leader, their batting is beautifully led by Smriti Mandhana, and they were boosted by the return of seamer Renuka Singh Thakur during the Australia series.

But one of the most exciting talents to emerge against England was 22-year-old quick Kranti Goud, who overcame a nervous start on debut to finish with nine wickets in three matches including 6-52 in the series decider at Chester-le-Street.

“You can expect some inconsistency from Goud because she is still so raw, but her early impact has been so promising,” said Hartley.

“She’s got a really strong action, gets good seam movement and I love her confidence. The other teams won’t know much about her yet, as we saw her take England by surprise, which could also be a key factor.”

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  Tim BontempsSep 26, 2025, 07:20 AM ET

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  Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

On Thursday, ESPN’s expert panel completed its 15th annual ranking of the NBA’s best players.

In response, we reached out to scouts, coaches and executives across the league to get their feedback on our new top 100 for 2025-26, including comments on where they agreed and disagreed with our rankings.

Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest questions and points of contention from our latest edition of NBA Rank, including how long Denver Nuggets star center and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic will remain atop the heap, whether any American players could eventually supplant him in that top spot, and just how much longer active legends LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry can keep themselves among the league’s elite stars.

How long will No. 1 stay No. 1?

The consensus from conversations is that Jokic, who has been the definitive top player or at least in the conversation for the past several years, has at least two more runs at No. 1 before he’s likely to start sliding down this list. “That might seem low,” an East executive told ESPN, “but we never account for how fast things change in the league.”

But Jokic’s stay atop this list, at least according to league insiders, will be as much about how his game should age as the pack trying to catch up. And for a player who doesn’t rely on speed or leaping ability to make an MVP impact, aging gracefully into the end of his prime shouldn’t be a problem.

“There’s no reason his game will slow down,” an East scout said.

“It’s all about his motivation to stay in shape,” another said.

Which players could jump into the top 10 next season?

Some answers naturally pointed to a player who is a top-10 lock — if he was healthy: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who is coming off a fourth consecutive All-NBA First Team selection but will miss at least the majority of the season after tearing his right Achilles in May.

NBA Rank: The league’s top 100 players

• Nos. 10-1: Who’s No. 1?
• Nos. 50-11: Who just missed the top 10?
• Nos. 100-51: Flagg’s debut ranking
• Picks for 2026: Pelton’s 10 players to watch
• Roundtable: Biggest snubs and surprises from the new top 100

Tatum had plenty of company. Multiple people tabbed Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (No. 11), Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (No. 12), Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (No. 15) and Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (No. 17) as candidates.

The case for Williams builds off him helping Oklahoma City win the NBA title this past spring, including scoring 40 points in Game 5. Cunningham, meanwhile, earned praise for his growth last season in leading Detroit to its best season in a decade, and for his ability to keep expanding his game.

“He’s got size, playmaking, shooting, he can guard,” one East executive said. “He checks a lot of boxes.”

For Mitchell and Banchero, the case was rooted in a similar logic: Both lead teams that have a chance to break through in a truly wide-open conference. A top-10 spot could be theirs if either can spark a deep playoff run or reach the NBA Finals.

“If [Banchero] comes in and plays the right way, and they do what they are supposed to do,” an East assistant coach said, “I could absolutely see him in there next year.”

What is your top five for this season?

For the second straight year, every person asked rattled off four names right away: Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic.

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Several players, however, earned at least one vote for fifth, including Victor Wembanyama, Curry, Anthony Edwards, Durant and Mitchell.

“[Wembanyama] was already good,” one West scout said, “and now he’s got guys around him and they’re trying to win.”

“[Edwards] just continues to grow,” another said.

“[Mitchell] doesn’t get enough credit for how he’s lifted that franchise,” an East scout said, “and for how he’s changed his game to mesh with the guys they had.”

Do LeBron, Steph and KD still belong in the top 10?

It’s remarkable that three players who will be 37 or older by the time the 2025-26 season starts — James will be the oldest player in the league for a consecutive season — remain inside the top 10 in these rankings. And, in large part, league insiders agreed with the assessment. Some argued that one or two of them is a borderline selection, but no one said this trio’s rankings were out of bounds.

“They should be there,” a West assistant coach said. “They’re just not top-five guys anymore.”

“They are for sure [top 10] as long as they are healthy,” an East scout said, “but that’s no sure thing at this point.”

“They’re moving down for sure,” an East executive said, “but they should still be there.”

Flagg or bust? Will an American player become No. 1 any time soon?

With there now being seven straight international picks as the league’s MVP, the top five guys on this list all being international players and the biggest young star in the sport being France’s Wembanyama, the most popular answer to this question, for a second straight year, was no.

But now that he has successfully made it to the NBA, there was a healthy amount of respect for No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, and his ability to eventually make a run at the spot last held by Durant in 2021.

“You don’t go to Team USA [last summer] and do what he did,” one East assistant coach said, “and not have a chance.”

Other players who received mentions: Edwards, Banchero and Tatum.

Where will Flagg rank ahead of 2026-27?

The consensus on Flagg is that he will make a solid leap up this list next season.

“Top 25,” one West assistant coach said. “He’ll be a borderline All-Star and the conversation will be about whether he should make it as a second-year guy or not.”

Several others had Flagg inside the top 30 in next year’s rankings, which was the consensus answer. The only questions posed about Flagg’s potential didn’t center around his game, but rather the Dallas Mavericks’ veteran-heavy roster, which league insiders feared could provide an awkward fit, at least initially.

“I just don’t like the role for him on that team,” said a West assistant, who had Flagg inside the top 50 next season, rather than higher.

Virtually everyone said that, when healthy, the Philadelphia 76ers’ MVP big man is a top-10 or top-15 player. But, given that NBA Rank is a combination of quantity and quality of play for the upcoming season, and that Embiid is coming off playing only 19 games last season, where could they see him landing?

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A few league insiders said they couldn’t see him on the list at all. “I just don’t think he’ll play enough,” a West executive said.

Most, though, said they would rank Embiid somewhere inside the top 40, with a few elevating him into the top 25. “The upside is just too great to have him much lower than that,” an East scout said.

Which group would you rather have for this season: the Knicks (seven players in the top 100) or the Cavs (four players in the top 50)?

Given how these franchises are the two favorites in the East, and that there’s no consensus as to which is better at the moment, it wasn’t shocking that this question led to what basically amounted to a 50-50 split. Those who favored the Knicks pointed to the team’s superior depth, while those who picked the Cavaliers opted for the team’s concentration of more top-end talent.

“They’re more battle-tested,” one West scout said of the Knicks, who reached Game 7 of the conference finals last season.

“[The Cavs] are more athletic, they have better defensive potential and a higher ceiling,” an East scout said.

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Sep 25, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

With less than a week remaining until the start of the 2025 MLB playoffs, our baseball insiders are ready to break down the biggest questions, latest news and notable October buzz across the industry — even before the final 12-team postseason field is set.

What is the boldest prediction we’ve heard from an MLB exec? How confident — or concerned — should fans of last year’s World Series participants, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, be? Will the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers turn stellar regular seasons into deep playoff runs? And which under-the-radar players and teams are scouts raving about? Here’s the latest intel our MLB experts are hearing as Jeff Passan, Buster Olney, Jesse Rogers, Jorge Castillo and Alden Gonzalez empty their notebooks.

What is the boldest prediction you’ve heard from an MLB exec or scout?

Passan:The Seattle Mariners are going to win the World Series. Perhaps at this point that does not register as bold, but let’s not forget the Mariners are 49 years into their existence and they’ve yet to make a World Series, let alone win one.

Three weeks ago, this would have been laughable, as Seattle had lost 15 of 21 and found itself 3½ games behind Houston. Now, the Mariners have a three-game cushion, plus the tiebreaker in the AL West, and are in possession of a first-round bye.

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The home-field advantage would be decidedly advantageous to the Mariners, who are 48-27 at home. Lining up their excellent front-line starting pitching and giving some rest to well-worked regulars — especially Cal Raleigh — could do the Mariners good. And with the highest-scoring offense in the big leagues in September and a bullpen that has some of the best stuff in baseball, the Mariners have the ingredients to conquer a wide-open AL and hang with the star-studded rosters in the NL.

Olney:We always hear how the bullpen and bench are difference-makers in the postseason, and one evaluator sees a clear delineation between the Padres’ bullpen and the rest of the field. The Mariners’ have played well down the stretch, but their relief corps is taxed; the Dodgers will be MacGyvering to make their bullpen rubble work; the Phillies will be without Jose Alvarado; the Yankees’ group can be wildly inconsistent. The San Diego bullpen, on the other hand, is solid, even without Jason Adam.

Is that evaluator, then, ready to say the Padres will win the World Series, or even the National League? “Are you f—ing kidding me?” he replied. “I don’t think we can count anybody out this year. Even the Tigers — they’ve got [Tarik] Skubal.”

How much faith does the industry have in the Blue Jays and Brewers turning potential No. 1 seeds into World Series appearances?

Olney:The feedback I’m getting is that execs see reasonable paths through October for all of the contenders with perhaps the exception of the Astros, who are wrecked by injuries to Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena and Josh Hader.

As the case is made for the Blue Jays and Brewers, there is a consistent theme: these are teams that get guys on base, put the ball in play and pressure defenses. One evaluator said: “The Brewers just don’t play bad games — they might lose, but they are in every game.”

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Rogers:There’s belief in both teams, but nobody is ready to declare either the favorite even as a potential top seed. Bo Bichette’s injury came up in conversation as a detriment to the Blue Jays’ chances, and the latest pitching injuries were reasons to look elsewhere when it came to the Brewers. And this was the discussion among insiders beforeBrandon Woodruff was placed on the IL on Sunday.

Another talking point is that whichever team ends up with the best record in each league will do so by just a handful of wins — not enough to declare anyone the odds-on favorite next month.

Do MLB insiders think the Dodgers will turn it on in October again, as they did last season?

Gonzalez:They seem mixed. There are some — both inside and outside the Dodgers — who will tell you this group is deeper and more talented than the one that won it all last year. That their rotation is far superior. That their bullpen has the ability to be just as good, even if that hasn’t necessarily been the case during the regular season. That their lineup is probably still the best in the sport when it’s clicking.

But then there are those who continue to point out the obvious: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will go into October not knowing who to turn to for the final three outs of a game on any given night. It has gotten so bad — with Tanner Scott struggling, Blake Treinen reeling, Michael Kopech a mess, Kirby Yates unreliable, Brock Stewart hurt and few others outside of Alex Vesia stepping up — that Roki Sasaki is genuinely being considered for a high-leverage role. Just as much of a concern is the status of catcher and middle-of-the-order hitter Will Smith, who sustained a hairline fracture in his right hand near the end of arguably his best offensive season.

Passan:Everything Alden says is correct. And yet the absence of another team stepping into the vacuum the Dodgers have created allows them, in the minds of many, to maintain their status as the favorite.

Shohei Ohtani has been the best hitter in the sport in September, to say nothing of his 14â…” shutout innings this month, including five hitless in a Sept. 16 start against the Philadelphia Phillies. Mookie Betts, who has not looked like Mookie Betts for much of the season, looks like Mookie Betts again. His home run stroke is back, and he’s tied with Juan Soto for the MLB lead in RBIs this month with 21.

In September, Dodgers hitters are tied for second in home runs and third in wOBA. The offense is a mammoth, even without Smith, and for all of the pitching questions Los Angeles carries, what resides in that clubhouse is enough talent to overcome them. This is the value of a deep team. There’s still enough to win another ring.

Do those in the game think the Yankees will make another deep October run?

Castillo:Yes, because the American League is wide open and the Yankees just might have the most talented roster, top to bottom, in the field. A National League front-office executive recently said he believes the Yankees are the favorite to win the pennant again because of their blend of talent, experience and ability to inflict damage on opposing pitchers. The Yankeeslead the majors in runs scored and home runs. Their starting rotation has the second-lowest ERA in baseball since the trade deadline. Their bullpen is filled with relievers with real track records. The pieces are there for a run.

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Olney:I think that’s easily envisioned, not only because the Yankees played in the last week of October just last year, but because the field is so wide open. But there are two problems cited constantly by evaluators with other teams.

No. 1: “They are a terrible defensive team,” said one AL coach, and he’s hardly alone in feeling that way. The Yankees push back on that notion, but that is certainly a perception. And No. 2: Their bullpen performance this year has been so erratic. The closer’s role has been passed around — what, a half-dozen times? — and Devin Williams’ performance can range from pure dominance to total meltdown.

I bet if you gave truth serum to those in the Yankees’ organization, the general sentiment would be that they have no idea what to expect from this group in the playoffs.

Who do those in the game think could be this October’s most dangerous teams?

Rogers:The Mariners aren’t exactly flying under the radar anymore considering their recent win streak and series win in Houston, but some believe their pitching staff is just starting to peak, while others simply think they have prime-time players such as Randy Arozarena who have October upside. And that’s the word heard most often with the Mariners: They have tons of upside.

In the NL, the Chicago Cubs are starting to garner sleeper status. One executive mentioned that although their strengths don’t wow you at first glance, there’s no weakness to any part of their game. “If it’s the Cubs and Brewers in the division series,” he said, “can you pick a winner?”

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Gonzalez:A current player who has been around awhile was trying recently to describe what it’s like being on the field at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for a playoff game and couldn’t. The noise, he said, is deafening, unlike anything he had experienced anywhere else. His point was that the Phillies’ home-field advantage in October is more real than anybody else’s. And if there’s one team outside the reigning-champion Dodgers and the MLB-leading Brewers that sticks out in the minds of evaluators and players this coming month, it’s that one.

Even with Zack Wheeler out, the Phillies’ three lefty starters — Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo — are good enough to get it done. Their closer, Jhoan Duran, is considered almost impossible to hit. And then there’s the lineup littered with stars who have experience on the big stage and know this might be their best opportunity to win it all. The Phillies’ roster might be too expensive to be considered under the radar, but in what many consider to be a wide-open field, they’re the ones that come up in conversation most often as the most dangerous.

Who are some under-the-radar players with industry buzz as potential postseason stars?

Passan:None of the Reds’ elite young talent has postseason experience, and facing the Dodgers would be one hell of an introduction for shortstop Elly De La Cruz, right-hander Hunter Greene and left-hander Andrew Abbott. The latter two provide a whale of a one-two punch, especially in a best-of-three series, and if the Reds can hold off the Mets and Diamondbacks, the pitching matchups against Los Angeles would be tantalizing, regardless of whom the Dodgers choose among Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Clayton Kershaw. The first five have combined for a 1.69 ERA in September.

How Toronto chooses to use rookie Trey Yesavage in the postseason will be fascinating to see. The rare player to spend time at Low-A, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A and the big leagues in the same year, the 22-year-old right-hander, chosen 20th in the 2024 draft out of East Carolina, followed a dominant debut against Tampa Bay with a pedestrian outing against Kansas City. He has a mid-90s fastball that plays well high in the zone and a splitter that’s a gnarly complement.

Yesavage probably won’t start, but Toronto could piggyback him with a starter, slot him in a bulk role after an opener, deploy him as a multi-inning leverage weapon or have him eat an inning at a time. Whatever Toronto does, Yesavage, who has worked out of the bullpen in the minor leagues in anticipation of this, will be ready.

Castillo:Cal Raleigh — rightfully so — has attracted the shine in the Pacific Northwest this season, but the Mariners need their other All-Star position player to deliver in October if they’re going to play for the franchise’s first World Series title. And Julio Rodriguez has delivered since the All-Star break. Another slow start marred the center fielder’s overall numbers, but Rodriguez is slashing .295/.333/.570 with 17 home runs in the second half. His .903 OPS and elite defense registers as MVP-level production. Rodriguez was around for the Mariners’ last trip to the postseason in 2022, but the charismatic 24-year-old will have a chance to cement himself as one of the game’s superstars with a deep October run.

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The 45th Ryder Cup tees off in a matter of hours. Few events in sports can match the levels of talent and intensity offered by a Ryder Cup. While we await the announcement of the opening foursomes, lets take a quick glance at the event and both Team USA and Team Europe along with a few of the available betting markets.

Tournament Details and How to watch the 45th Ryder Cup

• Date: Friday, September 26 – Sunday, September 28, 2025
• Opening Tee Time: 7A ET Friday
• Site: Bethpage Black Course
• City: Farmingdale, NY
• TV/Streaming: NBC/Peacock

Ryder Cup Odds

The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:

• Moneyline: Team USA (-150), Team Europe (+170)
• Tie: +1000

Be sure to check out DraftKingsfor all the latest tournament odds and player props for every matchup this weekend!

Power will help at Bethpage Black’s 9th hole

Johnson Wagner analyzes the details on the ninth hole of Bethpage Black and the Live From desk discusses what holes Bryson DeChambeau should start.

Team USA

Justin Thomas is the veteran of this team making his 4th appearance in the Ryder Cup. His record overall in the competition is 7-4-2 including a perfect 3-0-0 in Singles. Scottie Scheffler (2-2-3 overall), Xander Schauffele (4-4-0), Patrick Cantlay (5-2-1), Colin Morikawa (4-3-1) and Bryson DeChambeau (2-3-1) are each playing in their 3rd Ryder Cup. The experience of those six veterans will be counted on heavily to help the younger players navigate the mental and physical toll the tournament takes on each golfer. Harris English (1-2-0) and Sam Burns (1-2-0) are making their second appearance in the Ryder Cup. Russell Henley, J.J. Spaun, Ben Griffin and Cameron Young are making their first Ryder Cup appearances.

Previous records in the Ryder Cup aside, the United States is led by World #1 Scheffler. He has been so dominant the past two years that anything short of securing four or five points for the Stars and Stripes (+190 to be Team USA’s top point producer) will make it difficult for the Ryder Cup to be wrestled away from Europe. Fan Favorite Bryson DeChambeau (+450) has played plenty this week with Justin Thomas (+1400). That emotional pair may well lead things off for Captain Keegan Bradley on Friday morning.

Team Europe

This is Rory McIlroy’s 8th Ryder Cup. His record is 16-13-4 through his first seven. Justin Rose (14-9-3) has experienced six Ryder Cups. He is especially strong in Foursomes sporting a record of 7-2-1. Jon Rahm (6-3-3), Tyrrell Hatton (5-4-2), Tommy Fleetwood (7-3-2), and Matthew Fitzpatrick (1-7-0) have all competed in three Ryder Cups. Victor Hovland (3-4-3) and Shane Lowry (2-3-1) have battled against the United States on a couple of occasions. Making their second appearance in a Ryder Cup but their first on American soil are Ludvig Aberg (2-2-0) Sepp Straka (1-2-0) and Robert MacIntyre (2-0-1). Rasmus Højgaard is making his first Ryder Cup appearance.

Europe’s unquestioned leader is McIlroy (+280 to be Team Europe’s top point producer). John Rahm (+360) is a close second. The fiery Spaniard is 4-0 in Foursomes and could well be sent out in that first group Friday to try and quiet the crowd and steal momentum for Europe. The winner of The TOUR Championship just one month ago, Tommy Fleetwood is also 4-0-0 in Foursomes.

Rotoworld Best Bets

Ben Griffin Total Points OVER 2 points (-110)

A rookie at this event but no one outside of McIlroy and Scheffler is playing currently as well as Griffin. Would be no shock at all if he is the breakout star from this year’s Ryder Cup.

Matthew Fitzpatrick Total Points UNDER 1.5 (-135)

The former U.S. Open Champion has struggled in this event securing just one point in eight matches in his three Ryder Cups. He will be battling as much for Europe as he will to remove his name from the list of all-time worst Ryder Cup records. Here’s betting his issues continue.

Bryson DeChambeau (-115) vs. Jon Rahm (-110)

This is a fun bet featuring two of the most emotional players in this year’s Ryder Cup. If he can keep his ball on the course, his length and the emotional charge he will give the crowd should pay dividends for Team USA and for bettors.

Team USA to WIN the Ryder Cup (-150)

You’ll have to pay a little juice, but it is extremely difficult to win a Ryder Cup on foreign soil. The opening foursomes will tell much of the story. If you are inclined to bet Team USA, it is best to do so now as opposed to in play because if the United States holds their own Friday morning, you will pay more to back them at that point due to their traditional dominance in the Sunday Singles.

The Ryder Cup is tremendous theater. Tune in to NBC and Peacock and watch the best in the world compete for one of the most coveted prizes in golf.

Image credit:
Roch Cholowsky (Photo by Eddie Kelly/ ProLook Photos)

Itâ€s far too soon to plant a flag, but it isnâ€t too soon to start the conversation.

Today, we’re dishing out some “way too early” national award predictions. The names we’ve settled on below may well end up mirroring the picks we ultimately land on before the season begins, but theyâ€re more about laying down a baseline before we learn more about the stars who will define 2026.

Still, the exercise has value. Looking at the early field for major awards gave us a chance to test our process, weigh resumes and tools against projection and highlight the players already standing out months before first pitch.

With that in mind, here are our initial predictions for 2026 Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year. We’ve also included one darkhorse selection who could perform well enough to make noise on the national scene.

Player Of The Year

Jacobâ€s Pick: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA

It feels risky to make a call this early. Fall practices are only just beginning in some places, and Opening Day is still more than four months away. But if any player looks like a secure choice to carry preseason award momentum into February, itâ€s Cholowsky. Simply put: This is his award to lose.

Cholowsky enters 2026 chasing history. Last year he became just the sixth non-draft-eligible player to win Player of the Year, joining Robin Ventura, John Olerud, Mike Kelly, Mark Teixeira and Anthony Rendon. No one has ever gone back-to-back. Cholowsky has every chance to be the first.

The numbers speak loudly: .353/.480/.710 with 23 home runs, 19 doubles, 45 walks and only 30 strikeouts in 2025. He pairs them with the polish of a defender whose actions at shortstop are as smooth as any in the country. Now, as the centerpiece of what might be the nationâ€s most talented roster, Cholowsky was the simplest of early selections for Player of the Year. Nothing about that feels likely to change.

Peterâ€s Pick: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA

One of the most complete college shortstops in quite some time, Cholowsky heads into 2026 looking to build off of an ultra-impressive 2025 campaign in which he set new career highs in every major statistical category. He took home a smattering of postseason awards and was a unanimous first-team All-American.

The reigning national player of the year has impressive tools on both sides of the baseball. Heâ€s a well-rounded hitter whoâ€s armed with an exciting hit-power combination, making for a whole lot of “this is what it looks like†at shortstop. On top of his raw tools, Cholowsky is a natural leader, something that is evident both in the clubhouse and on the field.

With UCLA entering 2026 with sky-high expectations, Cholowsky will look to guide the Bruins to their first national championship since 2013.

Pitcher Of The Year

Jacobâ€s Pick: Dax Whitney, RHP, Oregon State

Even in a crowded field of college arms, Whitney rises above. His freshman season suggested a trajectory similar to Cholowskyâ€s—talent so undeniable that draft-eligible peers may struggle to keep pace in the awards race.

Whitney struck out 120 hitters in 76.2 innings as a freshman in 2025. That dominance secured him first-team Freshman All-America honors and a spot on Team USAâ€s Collegiate National Team.Â

Whitney’s fastball lives in the mid 90s and climbs to 98 mph with riding life. His secondary offerings are no less punishing: a top-down curveball and sweeping slider that averaged more than 17 inches of horizontal break while producing a 42 percent whiff rate last spring. Even with that kind of power mix, he filled the zone, walking only 37 batters.

Floridaâ€s Liam Peterson, Coastal Carolinaâ€s Cameron Flukey, UC Santa Barbaraâ€s Jackson Flora and TCUâ€s Tommy LaPour, among others, all warranted consideration. But Whitney, with his blend of stuff, polish and poise, was too difficult to overlook.

Peterâ€s Pick: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina

Fresh off a College World Series final appearance, Flukey will once again anchor Coastal Carolinaâ€s rotation. After showing plenty of flashes as a freshman, Flukey last season took his game to new heights and pitched to a 3.19 ERA with 118 strikeouts to just 24 walks across 101.2 innings en route to a first-team all-conference selection.

The 6-foot-6 righthander relies primarily on his mid-to-upper-90s fastball that has plus carry through the zone. His mid-70s curveball was also a revelation last spring and generated an impressive 49 percent miss rate. Flukey completes his arsenal with an effective mid-to-upper-80s slider that flashes two-plane tilt and a mid-to-upper-80s changeup that’s an intriguing fourth pitch.

Armed with a deep arsenal and an impressive combination of strike-throwing and stuff, Flukey is well on his way to putting together another dominant season and looks the part of a future first-round pick.

Freshman Of The Year

Jacobâ€s Pick: Brock Ketelsen, OF/LHP, Stanford

Of the three awards, this one is the hardest to pin down in September. Freshman impact is notoriously difficult to project before fall roles are sorted out. Still, the mere fact that Ketelsen made it to campus gives him a chance to shape a Stanford team eager for a step forward.

Ketelsen placed himself firmly among the breakout players of the summer when he slashed .328/.467/.458 with two home runs, five doubles, three triples and 34 stolen bases and pitched to a 1.04 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 8.2 relief innings with the Corvallis Knights in the West Coast League. His most immediate influence at Stanford should come with the bat, but his versatility on the mound only adds to the intrigue.

Only 18 years old as of late July, Ketelsen already plays with the polish of an older contributor. That maturity, paired with his across-the-board tools, makes him a strong early pick for Freshman of the Year.

Peterâ€s Pick: Carson Brumbaugh, INF, Arkansas

As Jacob noted, this award is the hardest to predict at the moment. Freshmen across the country are vying for roles on their respective teams, and thatâ€s something that doesnâ€t get sorted out until the days leading up to Opening Day.

One freshman whoâ€s making plenty of noise, however, is Brumbaugh. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound infielder ranked No. 156 on the final iteration of the BA 500 and boasts a litany of exciting tools. He has thunderous bat speed and intriguing power potential to go along with a plus arm on the dirt. Heâ€s been hammering the ball all fall and could earn a spot in Arkansas†opening day starting nine.

On top of his offensive tools, Brumbaugh has serious arm speed on the mound. He features a fastball thatâ€s been up to 96 mph, as well as a solid low-80s slider. While heâ€s undoubtedly a hitter long term, thereâ€s a chance he could log a handful of innings in relief this spring.

Brumbaughâ€s toolset allows him to impact the game in a number of ways, and heâ€s on track to do exactly that in his freshman season.

Darkhorse National Performer

Jacobâ€s Pick:Daniel Lopez, RHP, Kansas

Kansas coaches celebrated in July when the Orioles signed outfielder Slater de Brun for $4 million—$1.37 million over slot—as it was money that ultimately kept them from also landing Lopez, a 12th-round pick out of Odessa (Texas) College. For the Jayhawks, the bonus fallout became a recruiting coup. Recruiting coordinator Jon Coyne even bought a de Brun jersey to mark the occasion.

So far, the enthusiasm looks justified. Lopez has sat 94-96 mph this fall and touched 97 with carry through the zone. He backs up the fastball with a low-80s 12-to-6 curveball, a changeup with late dive and a newly-added mid-80s downer slider. In short, Kansas may have stolen an impressive middle-round selection from Baltimore. The kicker? He isnâ€t draft eligible again until 2027.

All that being said, Lopez has yet to throw a Division I pitch, which keeps him in darkhorse territory. But if early signs hold, he has the stuff to anchor a weekend rotation and help Kansas push for back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history.

Peterâ€s Pick: Lance Davis, RHP, TCU

After not logging a single inning this spring at Arkansas, Davis opened eyes on the Cape by pitching to a 4.08 ERA with 24 strikeouts to just four walks across 17.2 innings en route to an all-star selection. He pitched his way into being a coveted portal target and eventually announced his commitment to TCU, where he figures to log meaningful innings.

The 6-foot-4 righthander relies heavily on his fastball-slider combination. Davis†fastball sits in the 92-95 mph range but has been up to 97 with run and sink, while his low-to-mid-80s slider flashes two-plane tilt. Davis rounds out his arsenal with a mid-to-upper-80s changeup that is a solid third option against lefthanded hitters.

TCU enters 2026 with a loaded roster, and Davis is in line to have a key role. The Horned Frogs have “Omaha or bust†expectations and coach Kirk Saarloos will look to guide his team back to the College World Series for the first time since 2023.Â

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  Greg WyshynskiSep 24, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

With the 2025-26 NHL season nearly here, it’s time to make some bold predictions about what will and will not happen on the way to handing out the Stanley Cup.

How many of these predictions will become reality? At the risk of straining my arm while patting myself on the back, potentially half of them. That was my hit rate in last season’s bold predictions. Seth Jones was traded. Jim Montgomery was fired. Lane Hutson was a Calder finalist. But every silver lining has a cloud: The Sabres missed the playoffs, and the Hurricanes very much made them. I didn’t say they were good predictions. Just bold ones.

That established, here are bold predictions for the NHL’s 32 teams in the 2025-26 season. These educated guesses range from statistical achievements to awards predictions to coach firings to Stanley Cup playoffs prognostications. Enjoy, and welcome back, hockey!

Jump ahead to your team

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Atlantic Division

Bruins will trade Pavel Zacha

The “bah” is pretty low in Boston for the Bruins to improve on last season’s last-place finish in the Atlantic with a .463 points percentage. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman has had a proper training camp. Last season’s key injuries on the blue line have healed. David Pastrnak showed he can have a 106-point season during turbulent times that included coach Jim Montgomery being fired and the stunning trade of captain Brad Marchand.

But even if the Bruins creep back to relevance, they aren’t a contender. To get back there means finding ways to augment this roster the way they did at the most recent deadline by making aggressive trades. Zacha has been a real find in Boston after being acquired from New Jersey in 2022. I’m not sure how much trade chatter is teams calling GM Don Sweeney than vice versa. But with two years left on his deal with a terrific cap hit ($4.75 million per year) and limited trade protection, he could be a coveted two-way center for a contender.

Rasmus Dahlin is a Norris Trophy finalist

The Norris Trophy loves newbies. Ten of the past 14 defenseman voted best in the NHL were first-time winners. Four of the past six seasons had at least one first-time finalist: Zach Werenski (2025), Quinn Hughes (2024), Adam Fox and Cale Makar (2021), and Roman Josi and John Carlson (2020).

Dahlin finished sixth for the Norris last season. He’s on the radar. The 25-year-old needs a few things to break his way to get into the Norris top three for the first time. Dahlin probably needs at least 70 points and to finish as a plus player. He needs the analytics community to rally for his case. And he needs voters to either find the greatness of his game — or sympathy for his lot in life — while playing for the Sabres.

There are some other players seeking their first Norris nomination, most notably Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley of the Stars as well as Boston’s Charlie McAvoy, perennially on the cusp. But provided Dahlin hits his marks — and with another season next to Bowen Byram, he should — this might be his turn.

Steve Yzerman fails upward

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The challenge in bringing back a franchise icon to run said franchise is figuring out what to do if things go sideways. The Oilers faced that challenge for years when 1980s dynasty names such as Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish were managing to diminishing returns. The Red Wings now face that challenge as Yzerman, beloved captain and three-time Stanley Cup winner in Detroit, oversees a Red Wings team that couldn’t find the playoffs with a sherpa and using Google Maps.

If Todd McLellan finds a way to coach the Red Wings into the postseason for the first time since 2016 (!), Yzerman will be safe and sound. If he doesn’t, then the pressure will be on to make some kind of organizational change.

The Red Wings aren’t going to fire Yzerman. The concept is inconceivable. So, they’ll do what teams do in this situation: bump Yzerman up to president of hockey operations and slide either Kris Draper or Shawn Horcoff, both assistant general managers, into the big job. Or just go all-in on “franchise icon as managerial savior” and turn the keys over to VP of hockey operations Nicklas Lidstrom.

Bobrovsky gets a “Marchand” deal

Sergei Bobrovsky is in the final year of one of the most controversial contracts of the past decade: His seven-year deal, signed as a free agent in 2019, carries a $10 million annual cap hit. There were times when it was called a disaster. There were times many wondered if Florida would buy him out.

Then there were those three times he backstopped the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final, winning twice, and that criticism was drowned out by thumping beats at Elbo Room championship parties.

For a while, it appeared Spencer Knight might succeed him, before he was traded to Chicago. Daniil Tarasov, a 26-year-old reclamation project from Columbus, is his backup this season. Unless the Panthers’ Department of Goaltending Excellence has another move in mind, running it back with Bob beyond this season seems like the best option.

My prediction: He gets a contract that looks similar that of Brad Marchand, another 37-year-old, which carries a $5.25 million cap hit until he’s 43. But to hear the Panthers tell it, having Bob play well into his early 40s wouldn’t surprise them.

Kaiden Guhle earns leaguewide appreciation

Whenever burgeoning contenders become contenders, there’s always some level of discovery by the hockey community at large. A lot of, “people don’t appreciate how good this guy is!” moments. I think we’re headed to one with Guhle, a 23-year-old Canadiens defenseman.

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He’s not exactly a diamond in the rough, having been drafted No. 16 in 2020. But he’s not always listed among the foundational players in Montreal like Juraj Slafkovsky or Ivan Demidov; and the blue line has bigger names drawing attention like the recently acquired Noah Dobson and reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson.

Guhle had time with Hutson last season and could be his partner again, given how coach Marty St. Louis fancies Mike Matheson and Dobson as a pairing, at least in the preseason. That’ll raise his profile. He’s 6-3, plays physically and might have some untapped offensive upside. Alexandre Carrier likened Guhle to Jaccob Slavin, a former “people don’t appreciate how good this guy is!” player. That’s a good indication of how he’s viewed by teammates — and after this season, by the rest of the league if the Habs keep progressing.

Provided he can stay away from freak injuries. Rare is the NHL player who has an emergency appendectomy and lacerated quadriceps in the same season, but that was Guhle in 2024-25. Ouch.

Dylan Cozens sets new career highs

I didn’t hate the Cozens trade from Buffalo’s perspective, because I understood the logic behind it: turning a “maybe” into Josh Norris, an established NHL center — albeit one apparently made of porcelain.

But as I noted, Cozens could end up on a growing list of players who leave Buffalo and immediately relocate their game elsewhere. He offered a tease last season, with 16 points in 21 games for the Sens after the trade. Most likely in the middle of David Perron and Drake Batherson, Cozens could top his 68 points and 31 goals from the 2022-23 season.

Lightning will win the Atlantic Division

While Jon Cooper’s troopers have made the Stanley Cup playoffs for eight straight seasons — including back-to-back Stanley Cups and three total trips to the Final — they actually haven’t finished first in the Atlantic Division since 2018-19. Blame the ascendence of the Florida Panthers, and the regular-season dominance of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

But things set up well for the Lightning to take the Atlantic, what with the Leafs learning about life without Mitch Marner and the dynastic Cats going Matthew Tkachuk-less for a spell while pacing themselves after playing for the Cup in three straight postseasons.

Leafs will retain Nick Robertson

This could be Timothy Liljegren 2.0. Please recall when the Leafs traded the defenseman in his sixth year with the franchise after Liljegren never really secured his spot in the lineup. Robertson, a talented 24-year-old, is also entering Year 6, having signed a one-year extension ahead of salary arbitration. He requested a trade last season. When recently asked if he still wanted to be in Toronto, Robertson answered, “Right now, I’m here.”

And yet, he’s there.

The Leafs have him competing for time in their forward group, clearly believing he can add offense to a group that’ll need to generate more of it with Mitch Marner in Vegas. The obvious call is that Robertson is gone sooner than later. So, we’ll take the bolder path and say he finds a role and thrives enough to make everyone happy for at least this season.

Metropolitan Division

Canes will win the Eastern Conference

Look, some of my whiffs last season were close ones and some were emphatic enough to power a sailing yacht. Claiming the Hurricanes would miss the playoff cut was admittedly one of my worst calls, what with coach Rod Brind’Amour’s team advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.

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This prediction is not a make-good to my friends in Raleigh. I just think the Hurricanes have smartly constructed a championship team through patience and creative thinking. The Mikko Rantanen trade didn’t end up giving them Mikko Rantanen, but it added Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall, and gave Carolina a first-rounder that helped them acquire K’Andre Miller from the Rangers. The money that would have gone to Rantanen helped pay for Miller’s new deal and the free agent contract that Nikolaj Ehlers signed to be their latest top-line winger who can hopefully create that one extra goal they’ve needed in playoff series.

They got veteran impact players and a talented next wave in forward Jackson Blake and especially defenseman Alexander Nikishin. They also have oodles of cap space and draft capital beyond this season for GM Eric Tulsky to continue to add.

We’ve been waiting years for the Hurricanes to play for the Cup. Maybe the goaltending still isn’t good enough — and again, this is something they can remedy. Maybe the Brind’Amour style is still too demanding and conservative to break through to the Final. Or maybe this is the season for Hurricanes hockey.

Jet Greaves takes over the crease

For the third consecutive season, Elvis Merzlikins played at a below-expected level in goal for the Blue Jackets, with a sub-.900 save percentage. He has kept his gig thanks to a contract Columbus can’t move — $5.4 million AAV, partial no-trade clause and two years remaining — and a lack of alternatives.

But over the past two seasons, 24-year-old Jet Greaves has shown he is that alternative. He was 7-2-2 last season in 11 games, with an astonishing 14.5 goals saved above expected in that span, per Money Puck. He has also played great hockey in the AHL. The past isn’t always prologue with goalies, but Greaves is the guy. It’s just a matter of time before Elvis has left the crease, if not the building.

Jack Hughes plays 82 games

The Devils’ star center has played 70 games in a season just once in his career, topping out at 78 games in 2022-23 when he had 99 points. Take out that season, and Jack has averaged just 58 games per campaign.

Some feel Hughes is destinated to be this guy. Some feel he can train his way out of injury peril, which is something Hughes takes issue with. “At the end of the day, if you go into the end wall a million miles an hour, you’re going to get hurt no matter what you do in the summer,” he said last week.

So, we’re making the boldest of the bold predictions here with Hughes playing all 82 games … and if he does, he’s certain to become the first player in Devils history to crack 100 points.

Patrick Roy coaches his last season on Long Island

When Mathieu Darche took over as Islanders GM in May, he said Patrick Roy would remain his coach because “Patrick is a winner.” Last season, he wasn’t: 35 wins, 35 losses and 12 overtime losses for a playoff-less season.

When Lou Lamoriello hired Roy in January 2024, he reportedly gave him a three-year deal that covered the rest of that season and two additional ones. Which means Roy could be in a lame-duck season for a team that’s likely to miss the playoffs — with a general manager itching to bring in his own guys behind the bench at some point, which is what new general managers generally do. Whether it’s in-season or in the offseason, Saint Patrick will be voted off the Island.

Rangers return to the playoffs

The Rangers’ success this season is entirely dependent on whether the toxicity levels in the dressing room have normalized. Which might be a weird thing to say when J.T. Miller was just named captain, based on all the mess in Vancouver, but the point stands. The entire 2024-25 season was played under a cloud of uncertainty that was created by GM Chris Drury’s drastic reshaping of the roster, including waiving Barclay Goodrow before trading captain Jacob Trouba, and then eventually the beloved Chris Kreider and young defenseman K’Andre Miller.

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The end result? He has reshaped the core. It’ll be good enough to earn a return to the playoffs.

This is assuming bounce-back seasons for star defenseman Adam Fox, goalie Igor Shesterkin (not bad in 2024-25, but not always dominant) and especially Mika Zibanejad, who recaptured his game on Miller’s wing late last season. It’s also assuming the progression of impactful young players like Will Cuylle and Gabe Perreault, who can energize the lineup while free agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov fortifies it. And it’s also assuming Mike Sullivan and his staff can fix the chaos that pervaded Peter Laviolette’s tenure.

It’s assuming a lot. But when I look at the rest of the division beyond the Canes, Devils and Capitals, I’m assuming the Rangers will be able to build a points cushion and make the postseason cut.

Flyers win the Gavin McKenna draft lottery

When Canadian junior phenom Gavin McKenna took his talents to Penn State, it became the most overworked joke in hockey to say that he’d now be closer to the NHL team that’ll draft him next summer: The Pittsburgh Penguins, who have “miraculously” won the lottery before when they’re in their darkest hour and there’s a generational player available.

So, imagine, dear friends, the utter outrange and disbelief when that other NHL team in the Keystone State has the balls bounce their way next spring. Imagine seeing the best-laid plans for the Penguins’ rebuild set ablaze by their archrivals. Imagine having the Philadelphia Flyers restored to their proper place as one of the league’s greatest antagonists at the dawn of the Gavin McKenna era, as he joins a growing collection of talents like Matvei Michkov to make Philly a perennial contender, while the Penguins waddle aimlessly across the state.

Imagine all of this and shudder at the reality of it happening.

Sidney Crosby plays somewherein the playoffs this season

I floated this theory to Crosby himself at this month’s NHL player media tour in Las Vegas. As expected, he was diplomatic.

“That’s still my goal. I think it’s easy when everyone’s doing the preseason rankings and Pittsburgh’s at the bottom to think, ‘Oh yeah, [we’re] just going to settle for that.’ I still have the mentality that I want to go out there and try to win. And I really hope we still have that mentality,” he said. “I think that with maybe going younger, or going that direction, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to lose.”

The Penguins are projected to finish below the 80 points they mustered last season, their third straight campaign outside the playoffs. Crosby hasn’t been to the second round since 2018. These aren’t the Washington Capitals, who circled back to contention in Alex Ovechkin’s twilight years thanks to departing veterans opening up cap space, audacious trades that paid off and a dependable prospect pipeline. This is a gut demolition waiting to happen.

The smart money remains on Crosby making this kind of decision in the offseason, but why wait? He’ll have a good sense of the playoff picture after returning from the Olympics. No need to delay as more grains of sand slip through the hourglass: Take the advice of those around you, have that heart-to-heart with GM Kyle Dubas and get back in the playoff spotlight, for the betterment of the NHL and your sanity, Mr. Crosby.

Ovechkin breaks another Gretzky record

Whether Alex Ovechkin plays beyond this season in the NHL is contingent on how much fuel remains in the Russian Machine‘s tank. As one Capitals’ source told me: “If he scores another 40 goals this season, why not run it back?”

Ovechkin scored 44 goals last season despite being limited to 65 games after breaking his leg, which remains the most ludicrous footnote to the Capitals star breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record. With that record shattered, there’s another Gretzky mark within breaking distance for Ovechkin: 1,016 goals combined between the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs.

While Gretzky’s 122 postseason goals might be untouchable, Ovechkin needs 43 goals between the regular season and the playoffs to beat that mark. While he doesn’t have the same sized carrot in front of him as he did last season, Ovechkin’s still going to score as Ovechkin does. And with the Capitals likely playoff-bound again, the combined total will erase another record by The Great One from the books.

Central Division

Frank Nazar doubles his points total

Sidney Crosby had Evgeni Malkin. Connor Bedard has Frank Nazar.

OK, neither of those comparisons should be taken at face value, because we’re not trying to crush these young Blackhawks’ spines with the weight of expectations. But from a team-building perspective, every franchise center needs his second-line star to take advantage of matchups and juice power-play numbers together.

It took a bit last season, but Nazar ended up making a strong case that he’s that guy for Bedard — especially with his IIHF world championships performance that saw him score 12 points in 10 games to lead Team USA to its first gold since 1960. He had 26 points in 53 games last season for Chicago. His points total in 2025-26 should be higher than both of those numbers, provided he’s healthy.

Avs win the Western Conference

Weird one last year in Denver, eh?

They nuked their goaltending early in the season, only to find an unexpected solution in Mackenzie Blackwood. The Mikko Rantanen trade was a shock to the system from which the Avalanche never really covered. They went all-in at the trade deadline, acquiring players like Brock Nelson. Then Gabriel Landeskog made his miraculous return in the playoffs … only to have the Dallas Stars eliminate the Avs in seven games.

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This season will be more serene … and successful: The Avalanche are going to win the West.

The foundation of this team — Nathan MacKinnon, Landeskog, Cale Makar and Devon Toews — remains one of the sturdiest in the West. Nelson gives them the second-line center they’ve lacked since Nazem Kadri walked to Calgary. Martin Necas had a strong final few months of the season after arriving in the Rantanen trade. But I’m most excited about who isn’t there yet. The Avalanche have cap space and a general manager in Chris MacFarland who takes Aaron Judge-level swings at the deadline. I’m not saying there’s a Cole Harbour reunion in the offering. But I’m not not saying it.

Am I worried about Blackwood’s health, as he’s already injured this preseason? Of course, and ditto Sam Girard on defense. Am I concerned the Avs can’t seem to advance past the Stars? Absolutely, as at last check the NHL hasn’t changed its playoff format. I do have concerns, but this’ll be four seasons since Colorado won the Stanley Cup. Nate’s starving again. Time to satiate that hunger with a trip to the Final.

Matt Duchene regresses

Duchene is the confused Travolta GIF. He looks one way and sees Mikael Granlund in Anaheim. He looks the other way and sees Mason Marchment in Seattle. Those two had a massive impact on Duchene during his remarkable 82 points in 82 games season … but so did a 19.7% shooting percentage, the highest of his career.

The last time he had a breakout shooting season was in 2021-22 with Nashville, when he scored 43 goals with an 18% shooting percentage. The next season his numbers normalized (22 goals, 13.1%). Given that history, the lineup turnover and the fact he turns 35 in January, and Dutchy is a prime regression candidate for 2025-26.

Zeev Buium outscores Brock Faber

The decline in Faber’s offensive output went a bit unnoticed outside of Minnesota and fantasy hockey leagues. He had 47 points in finishing second for the Calder Trophy in 2023-24. Last season, his point total dropped to just 29 in 78 games, including a 20-assist decline season-over-season. Faber’s output in 2025-26 should be somewhere in between those two extremes … and end up slightly behind what Buium posts in his rookie season.

The former University of Denver star made his debut with the Wild in the postseason. He probably slots next to Jared Spurgeon at 5-on-5, a dependable veteran hand who will allow the rookie’s offense to flourish. A lot of this prediction depends on Buium being handed the keys to the Wild’s top power-play unit. Minnesota’s power play dropped from 10th to 20th last season while Faber, its quarterback, saw his power-play points decline by six. It’s there for Zeev’s taking.

Andrew Brunette keeps his job

There aren’t many coaches on the hot seat to start the season, but Brunette has to be shuffling uncomfortably. He oversaw an abject disaster last season and enters this season with a Predators team expected to finish outside the playoffs again.

And yet, I expect Brunette will coach through the 2025-26 season. I anticipate the Preds will be better than a .415 points percentage this season, because players such as Juuse Saros are due to bounce back, and frankly because they can’t be much worse.

But let’s say the season does end up uglier than Broadway at 3 a.m. on a Friday night. Brunette signed a four-year deal in 2024, with the last season an option year. Would Nashville really want to pay a guy not to stand behind the bench if the season is a bust? Here’s saying he lasts the season, although perhaps not behind that.

Jimmy Snuggerud, Calder Trophy finalist

Here’s the method to my madness. This is going to be an absolutely stacked rookie class among defensemen. You have 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames) ready for stardom. Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild), Alexander Nikishin (Carolina Hurricanes) and Sam Rinzel (Chicago Blackhawks) are going to play significant roles on their teams.

As we’ve seen in the past, the deepest pool of rookies at a certain position can drain support from one another because of comparison, which can open lanes for contenders at other positions. Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov is an offensive dynamo and the Calder favorite. But Snuggerud looked as if he were already an NHL vet in 14 games last season (seven regular season, seven playoffs) with the Blues.

He might have to outshine Demidov to make the Calder top three, but I’ll take my chances with a 21-year-old who could ride shotgun with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich this season.

The Mammoth make the playoff cut

After the 4 Nations Face-Off last season, Utah went 14-8-4. The problem was that the Blues went 19-4-3, finishing seven points ahead of the Hockey Club for the final wild-card spot in the West. But the now-Mammoth showed impressive potential thanks to the maturation of young stars (Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther), the best season of Clayton Keller’s career and clutch goaltending from Karel Vejmelka.

They run it back with a roster that added Sabres standout JJ Peterka to a forward group that has offensive flourish and veteran grit in guys such as free agent pickup Brandon Tanev. Their defense is deeper than last season, when injuries to John Marino and Sean Durzi really broke that group, including the addition of Panthers veteran (and beaming light of positivity) Nate Schmidt. Vejmelka has more help too, with the addition of another ex-Panther in Vitek Vanecek.

The team finally has a name. It has the players. It has a state-of-the-art practice facility with a “Top Chef”-level kitchen. It hasn’t played a Stanley Cup playoff game in Salt Lake City. That’ll change next April.

Kyle Connor stays, makes Marner money

The Jets have been very fortunate that players such as Mark Scheifele ($8.5 million AAV), Connor Hellebuyck ($8.5 million AAV) and Neal Pionk ($7 million) have all signed team-friendly contracts that acknowledge the internal economics of the Jets and the fiscal restraint needed to keep the roster together.

Connor is 13th in goals scored (153) over the past four seasons, four fewer than Nathan MacKinnon. If he hit unrestricted free agency next summer, he’d see slightly more interest than a ChatGPT IPO. The Jets understand this. They want him to stay. Connor has given no indication he wants to leave. But if Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen are $12 million AAV players under this season’s cap, so too will Kyle Connor under next season’s cap — and Winnipeg has the space to add it.

Pacific Division

Ducks are a final week elimination

I can’t quite get there with Anaheim as a playoff team this season. The Ducks are probably still a year away. But boy, are they close.

Leo Carlsson is on the brink of superstardom. Cutter Gauthier could hover around 30 goals. Jackson LaCombe is going to be a special defenseman, if he isn’t already. Lukas Dostal, with Petr Mrazek and Ville Husso behind him, is better goaltending than most teams can offer. If restricted free agent Mason McTavish is a part of it, great; if not, whatever he brings back in trade will only add to the mix. I’m not sure if the slew of veteran additions over the past year — Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund — will do anything more than augment the young core, but that could be all they need to do.

All that said, new head coach Joel Quenneville and his staff have some work to do here in getting these Ducklings to defend at a playoff-worthy level. They were the worst team in the NHL at expected goals and high-danger shot attempts against last season, among challenges in other defensive metrics. So, let’s call it a 10-point improvement over last season in the standings and a “final week” elimination from the wild-card race. Then, in 2026-27, watch these Ducks fly together.

Nazem Kadri will be traded

The Flames obviously value Kadri. So does the rest of the league that’s searching for a No. 2 center with the 200-foot game and the kind of snarl that Kadri brings. All of those teams chasing a Sam Bennett type of player would probably love to be in the Nazem Kadri business. He has a $7 million annual cap hit and is signed through 2028-29.

Another thing about that contract: Kadri has a full no-movement clause until next summer, when it becomes a 13-team limited no-trade clause, per Puck Pedia. Which means this season is the last one in which Kadri would have total control over a trade. If the right suitor came calling, perhaps he waives before that total no-move disappears? And if that suitor makes an offer the retooling Flames can’t ignore, does he move?

Connor McDavid signs a team-friendly, three-year extension

There’s no prediction I want to turn out wrong more than this one.

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I want the unprecedented chaos of the best player in the world to go to the open market in his prime. I want “The Decision,” except instead of LeBron it’s Connor and his miniature bernedoodle, Lenny. I want all the speculation and consternation about where McDavid could end up next — could you imagine what would happen if he side-eyed Toronto, if even for a moment? Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria.

But I still think the smart money is on McDavid giving it another few years to win a Stanley Cup with Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton. A three-year extension would mean his contract would be up in the same season as that of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. It puts a timer on GM Stan Bowman to build a championship roster around this core — which is why McDavid will sign a contract that allows that flexibility.

Win or lose, McDavid strolls to free agency as a 32-year-old, where he’ll still set NHL contract records.

Eliminate the Oilers in the first round

As they say, the fifth time is the charm. Anze Kopitar gets a retirement season sendoff by doing something he has never done as a member of the Kings: eliminate the Oilers in the playoffs, having lost four straight seasons in the first round to Connor McDavid & Co.

What’s different this time? Not much on paper. Jim Hiller is still the head coach after a horror show series against Edmonton last season. New GM Ken Holland didn’t do much to augment the roster in his first offseason. So we’re putting our faith in new Kings winger Corey Perry providing inside information and knowing how to get his former mates off their game; the storybook of Kopitar’s final season ending with a playoff victory; and the law of averages. Admittedly, not the sturdiest argument, but bold!

Macklin Celebrini hits 90 points

Asking a 19-year-old, second-year NHL player to improve by 27 points season-over-season is asking a lot. But Celebrini has already proved to be exceptional beyond his years. The offensive talent keeps increasing in San Jose, with veteran winger Jeff Skinner and rookie Michael Misa the latest players to join Tyler Toffoli, Will Smith and William Eklund.

Celebrini will need a power play that ranks better than 26th to hit this mark, but I’m not worried about him at 5-on-5. The Sharks aren’t quite at the point in their maturation where they’re going to pull the reins on their young offensive stars. Get ready for 90 points, a minus-25 and another star-making season for Celebrini.

Kraken are the trade deadline’s top seller

It’s probably in the Kraken’s best interests at this point to maximize their lottery odds. They’ve got a nice pipeline of prospects — Berkly Catton and Jake O’Brien among them — and would be smart to engage in, ahem, “creative roster management” to add to that group through the draft. (Because there’s no such thing as tanking in the NHL, you see.) Better that than existing in the mushy middle in the West.

They can expedite that process by offloading some veterans on their roster, something the Kraken are poised to do at the NHL trade deadline should they choose this path. Forwards Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Mason Marchment and Eeli Tolvanen are all on expiring contracts; ditto defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. Forward Jared McCann and defenseman Vince Dunn both have two years remaining on their deals.

It’s time to get crackin’ on a new direction for the franchise, Seattle.

Elias Pettersson cracks 30 goals again

Pettersson’s embarrassing offensive output last season — 15 goals and 30 assists in 64 games in the first year of a $92.8 million contract extension — was too easily chalked up to the high school drama involving J.T. Miller. But just as significant was the fact that Pettersson’s offseason training in 2024 was interrupted by injury, which contributed to a slow start; and then knee tendinitis limited him during the season, where he had a stretch of seven points in 21 games.

Now, he’s healthy. Now, he’s happy, not only because his tormentor is in New York and his former coach is in Philadelphia, but because he got married in the offseason.

Now, he’s ready to reclaim his status as an elite offensive player … provided he can shoot at least 16% again, and is reunited long term with Brock Boeser on his line.

Knights make the conference finals

The Golden Knights are projected to finish in the top two of the Pacific Division — it’s either Vegas or Edmonton atop the group by most prognostications. Either way, the playoff path for Vegas will be through the division like last season … when the Oilers dropped them in five games in the second round.

Things will be different for Vegas this postseason. The Golden Knights go three outstanding lines deep. The loss of Alex Pietrangelo on the back end is obviously a concern, but you can do worse than have Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin anchoring your top two pairings.

The Knights return to the conference finals. And Mitch Marner can finally tell his friends in Toronto what that’s like.

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