Twenty years ago or more, hockey columnists made their preseason predictions . It was common practice. Somehow, we’ve evolved into a society where predictions aren’t enough. They don’t raise eyebrows or gather much attention, especially the chalk projections. Predictions aren’t enough. There must be bold predictions.
They must one-up the columnist at the other platforms and get crazier by the day to the point where there’s no chance they happen, and the goal isn’t to be correct. Instead, the goal is to be crazy and catch the attention of the viewer. For the season ahead, there are not only a few predictions that can be made but a variety of bold predictions under different themes and ideas (and hey, maybe you’ll have a few ideas after reading this to impress your hockey friends).
The Lukewarm Prediction: Flames Make The Playoffs
The Calgary Flames were tied in the standings with the St. Louis Blues last season and missed the playoffs because of a tiebreaker. Saying they’ll make the playoffs or similarly, saying that Dustin Wolf will lead them and have another great season, is about as unbold as it gets.
At the same time, there aren’t a lot of people picking the Flames to get in with their issues on offense standing out. In the Pacific Division, the Anaheim Ducks are the new hot team, and the Vancouver Canucks are expected to bounce back. So, this is still bold but only slightly.
The Up-The-Ante Bold Prediction
This is where a prediction starts out as wild and then goes wild. The Flames making the playoffs, for example, starts becoming bold when they are predicted to be higher in the standings. Another example is picking the Colorado Avalanche to have a great season (that’s not out of the ordinary) and then saying they’ll win the Presidents’ Trophy. They can be a great team with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar leading the way, and then with Gabriel Landeskog coming back and Brock Nelson stepping up at the second line center spot makes them a juggernaut. It’s that extra step that makes this a hot take.
The Specific Hot Take
Will there be a 70-goal scorer this season? Possibly. That’s a bold pick even with Auston Matthews being close in 2023-24. However, saying that the 70-goal scorer this season will be Connor McDavid is where things get interesting. It’s that extra layer of specificity that makes it the ideal bold prediction.
The good thing about these takes is that they are hot takes that are also defendable takes. Sure, they are bold, yet they have backing, and it’s easy to map out a scenario where the prediction happens. In McDavid’s case, this can be a contract year, and he puts together his best season while everyone wonders what happens next for the star.
The Contrarian Prediction
This is a win-win situation. Everyone is picking one thing to happen, so naturally, you pick the opposite. If the prediction is right, you look like a genius. If it’s wrong, then it’s easy to shrug off since it wasn’t the popular pick anyway.
Look at Utah. Everyone expects them to make the playoffs and take a step forward. So, naturally, it’s easy to make a bold prediction and say they take a step back. This also opens the door to exposing the issues with the team that other people are glossing over.
The same logic can be used for the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and other rebuilding teams, about which everyone is optimistic. Usually, rebuilds don’t work out, so being the contrarian here usually bodes well.
The Bold Prediction Parlay
What’s great about this one is that each leg of the prediction isn’t bold. However, once they are added together, it becomes a crazy prediction.
The one that comes to mind is about the Montreal Canadiens. Not only do they make the playoffs, but they also end up with the best record in the Atlantic Division and find a way to acquire Sidney Crosby to become a juggernaut. Saying that Crosby will be traded to the Canadiens isn’t bold but when grouped together with the other things, it turns into one.
Another example is that the Columbus Blue Jackets make the playoffs, which they were close to doing last season, so it’s not too crazy. Then, adding that Zach Weresnki wins the Norris Trophy (he was a finalist last season) and Adam Fantilli scores 40 goals (he scored 31 last season). The point here is that each prediction alone isn’t bold but there’s enough within one team to make it such.
The Bold Hedge
The last version to touch on is the hedge or the one that has a contingency attached to it. When it doesn’t happen, there’s something to point to and explain why. It’s bold to pick the Toronto Maple Leafs to reach the Eastern Conference Final but to hedge it, you say they only make it if they don’t face the Florida Panthers, the team that will likely face and defeat them.
The other version of the hedge is saying the classic line “If they are healthy,” and then making the prediction. It’s the safe way to go since players, and more accurately, teams, will battle injuries.
Now go out there and make some bold predictions!
