The 2024-25 season is just around the corner as the preseason, and the action that came with it, is starting to wind down. That's when fans and experts alike start making some predictions. One of the things to watch out for is the top five offenses in the NHL. The offense doesn't change much from one season to the next but there will be changes and this project allows us to look at what offenses we should pay attention to next season.
Related: NHL Rebuild Rankings: 2024-25 Preseason Edition
For reference, these were the top five offenses last season.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning (3.51 goals per game)
4. Edmonton Oilers (3.56 goals per game)
3. Dallas Stars (3.59 goals per game)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs (3.63 goals per game)
1. Colorado Avalanche (3.68 goals per game)
Of the five teams last season, three of them entered this season's list and two were skipped. So, let's take a look at what the best offenses in the league, give or take, will look like.
5. Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks finished last season in the top five, averaging 3.40 goals per game. There's a good argument to be made that they overachieved and everything went well so this season they will regress, especially after losing Elias Lindholm in free agency. However, most of the roster remains strong and the loss of Lindholm isn't that big of a deal considering he scored just six goals and six assists in 26 regular season games after being acquired from the Calgary Flames.
They have a great team that can take this offense one step further. Rounding out the top six are JT Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser, a trio that scored 111 goals and added 154 assists. Then there's Jake DeBrusk to help with the top six on the wing.
Then there's the defensive unit with Norris Trophy-winning linebacker Quinn Hughes leading the charge with his play from the point. Hughes finished his game as a passer and can impact the game in many ways and it was evident in the season where he scored 17 goals and 75 assists. Bonus is Filip Hronek who also opens the case from the point; it's the duo that takes this case to the top.
A lack of depth could hold the Canucks back (acquiring Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov at the 2024 Trade Deadline and removing depth skaters and future assets from the program won't help the cause going forward.) Similarly, Boeser fell behind in a 40-goal season. it will hurt the case. Otherwise, this is a team that is sure to compete for points with many teams this season.
4. New Jersey Devils
All went wrong for the New Jersey Devils last season. Injuries piled up, the team fell behind in the standings, and at the end of the season, they were forced to fire coach Lindy Ruff. The following offseason was filled with many changes behind the bench and in the lineup. With the hiring of Sheldon Keefe, it is easy to believe that the offense will be held and not reach the top as he is a coach focused on defense and structure.
The outlook heading into this season isn't great, but the Devils should return to their 2022-23 form, when they had one of the best offenses in the league. It all starts with Jack Hughes. He is a star who can light up teams when he runs and makes everything work. With Hughes back on the roster for the full season, the Devils have plenty of power in their forward unit with Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Nico Hischier leading the charge.
The same question about whether Hughes can stay healthy applies to the defense, specifically, the team's top defender. The Devils need Dougie Hamilton on the roster for a full season as he gives them a lift on the offensive end and his ability to handle the puck on the ice. Put him in the middle with the mature Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, two young defensemen who aren't great skaters, and the defensive unit will be a force on the offensive end as well.
Last season was a tough one for the Devils and it should be seen when they will come back. Sure, Keefe will focus more on fixing the defense, a unit that allowed 3.43 goals per game last season, but the speed and ability on the offensive end will be huge. 2024-25 should be a season where Hughes and Bratt continue to exploit teams with pass rush and cap space, making opponents pay.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs
Even with the coaching changes and all the speculation that the Maple Leafs will look different after their playoff exit (a captaincy change should do it), this team looks the same. Every season, there are certain things you can expect from the Maple Leafs. One of them is strong guilt.
Auston Matthews is one of the NHL's leading goal scorers and is sure to hit 60 or 70 this season. William Nylander will continue to impact games in many ways as he will create scoring opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net himself. Mitch Marner remains with the team despite all the offseason trade speculation and will create scoring opportunities with his passing ability. Then there is John Tavares, who is no longer the captain but who is still playing at the highest level.
Of course, depth is a question mark and the Maple Leafs haven't made many big additions to change that. That said, with Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson developing into starters, they could solidify the depth at the end of the season. On top of that, the offense will get a boost on defense with Morgan Rielly as the leading tackler and Jake McCabe also helping out.
The Maple Leafs look the same or similar to last season. With that in mind, they should also have one of the best offenses in the NHL during the regular season. The playoffs may be a different story but look to dominate the weak teams in the Eastern Conference all season long.
2. Dallas Stars
The Stars are a very good team: they have talent throughout the system and even with the loss of some skaters, they are destined to have one of the best offenses of the NHL. They had eight skaters score 20 or more goals last season, speaking volumes for the elite talent and depth they had, and they're just looking to build on that.
The first thing that comes to mind is the top athletes, especially the top two skaters in the NHL who are often overlooked because they play in the southern market. Jason Robertson is a fantastic player in all aspects of the game and recorded a team high 80 points last season. Wyatt Johnston emerged as one of the NHL's leading young goal scorers, scoring 32 goals in the regular season and 10 in the playoffs. Then there is the remaining unit forward.
Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Matt Duchene are the best players still playing at a high level. Then there are skaters like Mason Marchment, Roope Hintz, and prospect Logan Stankoven who play throughout the forward unit. On top of that, the Stars have defensemen who help the offense, especially Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley, both in their early 20s.
The Stars lost Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter in the offseason, two veterans who were part of the roster. Other than that, this team looks like the juggernaut of recent seasons and is expected to contend for the Stanley Cup with one of the best, if not the best, offense in the league.
1. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers had the best offense in the NHL in 2022-23 (although, a historically strong power play helped the cause) and were ranked in the top five last season. It will be better for the team that will come back this season and look to beat this team. Most of the pieces are the same and few changes have been made for improvements.
Connor McDavid is the best player in the world and that's what he said. In this case, it's as much about McDavid as there are star players on the ice. Leon Draisaitl is one of the best skaters in the game and if he has a place to work on the offensive end, he's sure to go one way or another. Zach Hyman is a prolific scorer who burst onto the scene last season with 54 goals during the season and 16 in the playoffs. Evan Bouchard is one of the two best young defensemen in the game and will continue to fuel the offense on the blue line.
So how does this case get better and take a step forward? They added Jeff Skinner in the offseason, another veteran who still has goals in him. When they traded Ryan McLeod to the Buffalo Sabres, they got Matthew Savoie, a small forward with more upside. Pair that with an Oilers team that already has plenty of depth (Ryan Nugent Hopkins has 55 goals and 116 assists over the past two seasons and is the fourth-leading scorer) and there's no going down.
The Oilers came off the heels of winning the Stanley Cup, losing to the Florida Panthers in a hard-fought seven-game series. They enter this season looking to get the job done and will do so with a balanced team, something they ended up having with Kris Knoblauch sitting on the bench. The offense looks to take a step forward and fill teams all season and will be the reason the Oilers are back in the Cup conversation.
Teams That Just Missed the Cut
The Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning had top-five offenses last season but are looking to downsize next season. The two teams playing in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals have significantly different rosters than they did a few seasons ago. While the star players are still there, both teams lack depth and it will hurt them for the rest of the season on the ice and in general.
The Sabers had an explosive offense the past two seasons with Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens leading the way. With the core still strong, it's easy to see this offense bounce back and become the league's top unit again. Accordingly, the Carolina Hurricanes may enter the top five this season with Sebastian Aho and rising star Seth Jarvis leading the way. However, the Hurricanes are led by defense and should find some replacements on the wing, especially Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei.
The Nashville Predators had the top 10 offense last season and were the biggest spenders in the offseason. They put Steven Stamkos in the top six and the expectation is that they will have an offense that is hard to stop. However, the biggest unknown is to see how all the new skaters mesh with the main players already on the roster and whether or not they will build chemistry.
Which cases do you think will end up in the top five? Let us know in the comment section below!
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