The initial wave of off-season chaos has come and gone. The marquee names have been snagged. And the blockbusters — for the most part — have been swung. Now, the focus has drifted down the line, all eyes turning to the eventual arrival of the 2024-25 season, to see how all those machinations could play out when the league’s 32 clubs finally return to the ice.
With a host of franchise-altering moves taking hold across the league — highlighted by the upending of Tampa Bay’s core and the building of a new one in Nashville — fans now have months to mull how their club’s fortunes might shift in the wake of the movement. At its most granular level, that excitement is aimed at the combinations that will hop over the boards together, the hypotheticals of new arrivals teaming up with old faithfuls, of familiar stars in unfamiliar sweaters.
Taking into account the business we’ve seen so far, here’s a look at some new combinations we’ll be watching for when the puck finally drops on 2024-25:
Tampa Bay Lightning: Jake Guentzel — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov
The Nashville Predators took the crown as the story of the off-season with their hefty July 1 spending spree, but it’s the club on the other side of that equation that could wind up with the most intriguing new trio when both clubs take the ice. The loss of captain and franchise icon Steven Stamkos will surely sting in Tampa Bay, but the Bolts faithful no doubt have something to look forward to in the arrival of two-time 40-goal-scorer Jake Guentzel. The savvy sniper, and Cup winner, figures to fit right in with his fellow former champs, but it’s how exactly he’ll fit in that figures to draw some eyeballs — all signs point to the former Penguin lining up alongside Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, forming a trio that could be downright filthy, and should stack goals and points at an absurd rate.
Nashville Predators: Steven Stamkos — Tommy Novak — Jonathan Marchessault
And then there’s Nashville. The Preds might not have been the club most would’ve tabbed as Stamkos’s preferred destination back when leaving Tampa was still just a hypothetical. But now he’s there, in Predators gold, set to suit up with a new supporting cast for the first time in his big-league career. Alongside him is Jonathan Marchessault, his old Bolts teammate, who moves on from Vegas after a trophy-stuffing run as a Golden Knight. And it seems likely the new Preds duo will line up side-by-side — last season, the club’s top line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist feasted when it took the ice, so there’s a fair chance head coach Andrew Brunette keeps that trio intact. That would mean slotting Stamkos and Marchessault in on either side of Tommy Novak, who has enough facilitating skill to get the two 40-goal vets their goals. Or, maybe Brunette drops O’Reilly in between the newcomers for an all-vet, all-Cup-champ line. Either way, Nashville’s top six should make some noise in 2024-25.
Vancouver Canucks: Jake DeBrusk — Elias Pettersson — Daniel Sprong
There was little mystery involved in the Canucks’ decision to bring in Jake DeBrusk this off-season. The winger was signed to play alongside Elias Pettersson, to help Vancouver’s $11.6-million man unlock the full weight of his playmaking ability. GM Patrik Allvin suggested as much after the deal was announced, saying he envisions DeBrusk starting with No. 40, and praising the newest Canuck’s versatility up front. At this point, there’s no questioning Pettersson’s immense potential for greatness — the glimpses he showed early in his career were brought to the fore by a dominant 102-point effort a year ago. But after a slight step back last season, and a difficult playoff run, the goal for the coming campaign will be consistency. Throwing in DeBrusk, a three-time 25-goal-scorer who’s had years of experience alongside exceptional playmakers in Boston, should aid in that effort. And adding in the newly acquired Daniel Sprong — who put up just under 40 goals over the last two seasons — on the other side should, too. If it clicks as hoped, Vancouver should be primed to build on its sterling 2024, and take another step.
Edmonton Oilers: Jeff Skinner — Leon Draisaitl — Viktor Arvidsson
The Oilers had a pretty memorable 2024 themselves, of course, their storybook run carrying them within a hair of a historic title. After coming that close to the championship summit, they would’ve been forgiven for standing pat this summer, and running it back — instead, the Oilers brass opted for some key upgrades, bringing in Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson to beef up the team’s secondary scoring. The Oil’s top six is hardly starved for talent, but throwing in Skinner — a year removed from a 35-goal resurgence — and Arvidsson — a two-time 30-goal-scorer himself — should still move the needle. But how exactly will they fit into this club’s talented group? Given how dominant Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman looked together last season, the expectation is that sticks as Edmonton’s leading line. That opens up an opportunity for both Skinner and Arvidsson to debut alongside Leon Draisaitl, an arrangement that would give the former Hart Trophy winner the type of established, dynamic talent he could’ve used alongside him during that Cup run.
Boston Bruins: Pavel Zacha — Elias Lindholm — David Pastrnak
Few top-tier contenders have had the type of questions at centre that the Boston Bruins have navigated over the past few seasons. The losses of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci set the B’s back. Now, they head into 2024-25 with a chance of leaning on a bona fide No. 1 pivot once again, with the club bringing in Elias Lindholm to fill that role. A resurgence is far from a sure thing, though — it’s been a tumultuous couple seasons for Lindholm, with his form dropping off in Calgary, and even a run with a better squad in Vancouver doing little to bring it back. But in Boston, he’ll have the chance to line up alongside perhaps the best winger he’s ever played with in David Pastrnak. The Czech phenom has grown into one of the most dominant scorers in the game, amassing 108 goals and 223 points over the last two seasons alone, and netting those totals with seemingly limitless highlight-reel ability. Add in the skilled Pavel Zacha, who has some experience playing opposite Pastrnak, and the setup could be all Lindholm needs to rediscover the 40-goal, 80-point form he showed when he was at his best.
Calgary Flames: Jonathan Huberdeau — Nazem Kadri — Anthony Mantha
No mission is more important in Calgary than figuring out the Jonathan Huberdeau situation. After a 115-point outburst a few years ago, the ex-Panther’s tenure in Flames colours has been a rollercoaster. Year 1 was written off as a coaching issue, with Darryl Sutter arguably misusing the once-elite playmaking winger. But a new voice in Year 2 didn’t bring much change, the veteran’s numbers in fact taking a slight step back in his second Calgary season. While the club is a long way from making any serious noise in the post-season, the fact remains that Huberdeau is earning top-tier money — seven more years at $10.5 million per season — which means putting him in position to find success again is crucial. Enter … Anthony Mantha The three-time 20-goal-scorer has shown flashes of top-tier skill at different points in his career, but he’s been a mercurial talent himself, one that three clubs — most recently Vegas — have chosen to move on from. Now, he and Huberdeau — his fellow Quebec native, and summer training partner — are teaming up for a dice-roll that could benefit them both. The Flames newcomer will surely be plenty motivated, with Mantha on a one-year deal, hungry to prove himself and earn more security. Throw in Nazem Kadri’s playmaking skill between them, and Calgary could find a combination that finally clicks for No. 10.
Chicago Blackhawks: Tyler Bertuzzi — Connor Bedard — Teuvo Teravainen
The first year of Connor Bedard’s big-league career brought a fine showing from the teenaged phenom, a 22-goal, 61-point effort that earned him a Calder Trophy. You could argue he did it with less-than-stellar pieces around him for the majority of the season, with rebuilding Chicago teaming him up with the likes of Nick Foligno, Philipp Kurashev and Tyler Johnson over the course of the year. But a few off-season acquisitions from the club’s brass should give Bedard more to work with in his sophomore season, Chicago signing former Maple Leafs top-liner Tyler Bertuzzi, and bringing Teuvo Teravainen back to the club he began his big-league career with. And then there’s Taylor Hall, who missed the majority of last season with a torn ACL, but should be back in the mix for 2024-25. Between Hall, Bertuzzi and Teravainen, Chicago’s collected some interesting pieces to send over the boards with Bedard as he aims for a new level in his second go-around. After a year to settle into the league, a rookie effort that proved he can hang with the game’s best, all eyes will be on No. 98 and just how high he can raise his ceiling in Year 2.
San Jose Sharks: Tyler Toffoli — Macklin Celebrini — Fabian Zetterlund
Out west, Macklin Celebrini finds himself in a similar spot. After the Boston University standout was tabbed by San Jose with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the wait is on for the talent-hungry club to debut its new talisman on the NHL stage. As with Bedard, Celebrini will face a familiar pressure in his debut, the hockey world keen to see how his skill-set holds up against the world’s best. And also like Bedard, the lineup around him in Year 1 — should it come this season — won’t exactly be a recipe for reeling off W’s. Still, while the Sharks remain firmly in rebuild mode, they did go out and snag an offensive upgrade in reliable vet Tyler Toffoli. The eight-time 20-goal-scorer — who’s topped 30 in each of the past two seasons and has a Cup to his name — should be a steady leader for young Celebrini to lean on off the ice, and a solid trigger man for the young centreman to work with on it. The other wing will likely feature Fabian Zetterlund, who broke out with a 24-goal, 44-point effort on a struggling Sharks team last season, and should give Celebrini another quality outlet. Can the duo help San Jose’s new franchise cornerstone reach the bar set last season by Chicago’s?
Columbus Blue Jackets: Johnny Gaudreau — Sean Monahan — Kirill Marchenko
For those outside of Ohio, it’s tough finding much excitement in anything Blue Jackets-related these days, the club making more headlines for its off-ice tumult than its on-ice displays. But new Jackets GM Don Waddell did spark a bit of intrigue this off-season by inking Sean Monahan to a five-year pact. The deal, of course, reunites Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, the pair who teamed up as linemates in Calgary to lead a Flames era that lasted nearly a decade. It’s been a long, long time since Monahan and Gaudreau were tearing up the West together in Flames colours, and the end of their time in Calgary saw their partnership begin to fall flat. Still, for at least a little while, there will be some welcome nostalgia in seeing the two former running mates paired up again south of the border, rekindling that old chemistry and trying to lead a new struggling club back to the post-season, now as wily vets. After a breakout sophomore season, Kirill Marchenko should find himself slotted in alongside the duo, injecting some youth and added skill into the mix.
Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but it would be a welcome sight to see it again. It’s been two years since Gabriel Landeskog last took the ice in the NHL, that spin coming on the night his Colorado Avalanche lifted the 2022 Stanley Cup. A knee injury forced the Avs captain to the sidelines for the entirety of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. But it appears No. 92 could finally be nearing a return to the lineup in 2024-25. Regardless of how he performs when he does return, or how long it takes to recover his elite form, the hockey world at large should be glad to see the talented winger finish what’s been an arduous journey back to NHL ice. A healthy, thriving Landeskog would be a crucial addition for the Avalanche’s hopes of finding their own past form, too, the former champs having struggled to stitch together another deep run since the one that ended in banners and rings. Should Landeskog return to the lineup next season, there must be at least some run give to the old trio that used to wreak havoc on the league — Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The band back together, after far too long a wait.