The puck drops on the 2025-26 NHL campaign in less than a week’s time.
Be it players looking to rebound from tough years, youngsters poised for big breakouts, or the best player in the world wanting to get back to old ways, let’s dive into five NHL picks you should make for the upcoming season.
Alexis Lafreniere 20+ goals
Alexis Lafreniere fell a little short of this plateau a season ago, but he’s only a year removed from a 28-goal breakout campaign.
New head coach Mike Sullivan has made it no secret getting Lafreniere back to the top of the game is a priority, and giving him some reps on the top power play unit “is an essential part of it.”
#NYR head coach Mike Sullivan says Alexis Lafrenière will get PP1 time:
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) September 27, 2025
“If we’re going to get the best version of Laf, I think we got to provide a pathway to try to give him an opportunity to capture his very best game. I think some power play time on that top unit is an…
That means more ice time in advantageous offensive situations with elite distributors like Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox, which can only lead to good things.
It’s also worth noting Lafreniere ranks second to Panarin in 5-on-5 goals among New York Rangers players over the last two seasons.
He can contribute consistently in that area and — even near the end with an underwhelming roster — Sullivan always coached potent even-strength offenses with the Penguins.
I would not be surprised if Lafreniere clears this line with plenty of room to spare.
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Leo Carlsson to record 50+ points
Leo Carlsson spent his first two seasons playing for horrendous teams that lost a ton of games and rarely scored. The Anaheim Ducks ranked 29th in goals, 30th in power-play goals, and 30th in points percentage from 2023 to 2025.
Despite the ineptitude of Anaheim, Carlsson still produced at a healthy rate. He averaged more than 46 points per 82 games, which is a solid output for a teenager on a bad team.
Carlsson appears poised to take a healthy step forward this year. He’s been practicing on the top line with Chris Kreider and Troy Terry. The former is a high-end net-front finisher, while Terry has ranked first or second on the Ducks in points in each of his first four full seasons. Good running mates.
Carlsson is also a key cog on the team’s No. 1 power play unit, which should be improved with the additions of Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund; not to mention a new coaching staff led by Joel Quenneville.
Given Carlsson’s role, improved surroundings, and the usual improvement expected from a high draft pick in his early 20s, Carlsson is a real threat to go clear this total by double digits.
Macklin Celebrini Over 67.5 points
This is a very strange line to hang for Macklin Celebrini. He hit the ground running as a rookie, producing at a 74-point pace over 82 games. One small injury is the only thing that held him back from besting this total at 18.
While the San Jose Sharks are still in the early stages of their rebuild and are unlikely to be competitive this season, they boast a wealth of high-end young talent at the top of their roster, including Celebrini, William Eklund, and Will Smith, among others.
Celebrini is going to play a lot of minutes — oftentimes with at least one of those players by his side — and produce plenty of offense along the way.
If Celebrini stays healthy, I don’t think it’s far-fetched that he clears 80 points. He has so much talent, plays such a big role, and will have plenty of motivation trying to play his way onto Team Canada’s Olympic roster.
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Dylan Guenther 30+ goals
Dylan Guenther is very quickly emerging as one of the better shooters in the NHL, potting 27 goals last season despite missing 12 games due to injury.
As a 22-year-old with only one full season under his belt, there's still plenty of meat on the bone and room to grow further.
He'll play a massive role with the Utah Mammoth, skating on the top line while also serving as the go-to shooter on a dangerous power play.
The Mammoth are expected to contend for a playoff spot this year, trading as -125 to make the dance at DraftKings. Guenther’s goal scoring will be a big part of any success they have.
Connor McDavid 40+ goals
Connor McDavid is the best and most talented player in the sport. He can do anything he wants on the ice, and this year, he said it’s a priority for him to score more goals. Who are we to go against that?
McDavid potted 64 goals — yes, 64 — a couple of years ago, so clearly he’s capable of much, much, more than what he did last season.
Not to mention, he scored at a 33-goal pace (over 82 games) last year despite playing through some injuries and taking a back seat in terms of shooting. It’s not like he was that far off.
Quite frankly, these odds are disrespectful for the best player in the league, who has blown past this number in the past and made it no secret he wants to get back to his scoring ways.
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