It’s that time of year: let’s predict the standings with nothing to go on except for the preseason, finalized rosters, and player projections.
SB Nation did their own projections – see those here and check out the three major questions facing each of the 31 teams going into this season.
Below, you’ll find the Fear the Fin crew’s own projections. Spiciness of takes not guaranteed.
(For a mobile friendly version of the following tables, view and download a PDF of them here.)
Atlantic Division
| Rankings | Sie Morley | Mark.Weber | Jordan Ball | Lakshya Jain | Dylan Whitehead | rznolan | Leivo32 | Erik Johnsgard | efowle15 | East Bay Ry | cat_hong | Haley Van Horn | joemcuevas | orionredgrave | Logan Stark | KYLEDEMETRIUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa | Ottawa | Ottawa | Ottawa | Toronto | Tampa Bay | Toronto | Tampa Bay | Montreal | Toronto | Tampa Bay | Toronto | Ottawa | Toronto | Toronto | Tampa |
| 2 | Toronto | Tampa Bay | Toronto | Toronto | Tampa Bay | Toronto | Tampa Bay | Montreal | Boston | Tampa | Montreal | Ottawa | Tampa | Tampa Bay | Montreal | Toronto |
| 3 | Tampa Bay | Toronto | Montreal | Tampa Bay | Montreal | Ottawa | Ottawa | Toronto | Toronto | Montreal | Ottawa | Boston | Boston | Ottawa | Boston | Montreal |
| 4 | Montreal | Boston | Boston | Montreal | Ottawa | Montreal | Boston | Boston | Tampa Bay | Boston | Toronto | Tampa | Toronto | Boston | Buffalo | Florida |
| 5 | Boston | Montreal | Tampa Bay | Boston | Boston | Boston | Montreal | Ottawa | Ottawa | Buffalo | Boston | Montreal | Montreal | Montreal | Detroit | Ottawa |
| 6 | Buffalo | Florida | Florida | Buffalo | Florida | Florida | Florida | Buffalo | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | Ottawa | Boston |
| 7 | Florida | Buffalo | Detroit | Florida | Detroit | Buffalo | Buffalo | Florida | Buffalo | Ottawa | Buffalo | Buffalo | Buffalo | Buffalo | Florida | Buffalo |
| 8 | Detroit | Detroit | Buffalo | Detroit | Buffalo | Detroit | Detroit | Detroit | Detroit | Detroit | Detroit | Detroit | Detroit | Detroit | Tampa Bay | Detroit |
Metropolitan Division
| Rankings | Sie Morley | Mark.Weber | Jordan Ball | Lakshya Jain | Dylan Whitehead | rznolan | Leivo32 | Erik Johnsgard | efowle15 | East Bay Ry | cat_hong | Haley Van Horn | joemcuevas | orionredgrave | Logan Stark | KYLEDEMETRIUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | Washington | Pittsburgh | Columbus | Washington | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Washington | Washington | Washington | Washington | Pittsburgh | Washington |
| 2 | Columbus | Pittsburgh | Washington | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Columbus | Colombus | Carolina | Washington | Washington | Pittsburgh | Columbus | Pittsburgh | Columbus | Washington | Pitsburgh |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | Columbus | Columbus | Washington | NYR | Washington | Washington | Washington | Columbus | Carolina | NY Rangers | Pittsburgh | Carolina | Pittsburgh | Columbus | Philadelphia |
| 4 | Carolina | NY Rangers | NY Rangers | Carolina | Columbus | NY Rangers | NY Rangers | Columbus | Carolina | Columbus | Columbus | NY Rangers | NY Rangers | NY Rangers | New Jersey | Carolina (WC) |
| 5 | Philadelphia | Carolina | Philadelphia | NY Rangers | Philadelphia | Carolina | Philidelpia | Philadelphia | NY Rangers | NY Islanders | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Columbus | Philadelphia | NY Rangers | Columbus (WC) |
| 6 | NY Rangers | Philadelphia | Carolina | Philadelphia | Carolina | Philadelphia | Carolina | NY Rangers | NY Islanders | NY Rangers | NY Islanders | Carolina | NY Islanders | Carolina | Philadelphia | NY Rangers |
| 7 | NY Islanders | NY Islanders | NY Islanders | NY Islanders | NYI | NY Islanders | New Jersey | NY Islanders | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Carolina | NY Islanders | Philadelphia | NY Islanders | NY Islanders | NY Islanders |
| 8 | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | NY Islanders | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey | Carolina | New Jersey |
Central Division
| Rankings | Sie Morley | Mark.Weber | Jordan Ball | Lakshya Jain | Dylan Whitehead | rznolan | Leivo32 | Erik Johnsgard | efowle15 | East Bay Ry | cat_hong | Haley Van Horn | joemcuevas | orionredgrave | Logan Stark | KYLEDEMETRIUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | Minnesota | Chicago | Minnesota | Nashville | Chicago | Minnesota | Minnesota | Minnesota | Minnesota | Chicago | Dallas | Dallas | Minnesota | Dallas | St Louis |
| 2 | Dallas | Nashville | Minnesota | Dallas | Minnesota | Nashville | Chicago | Nashville | St. Louis | St Louis | St. Louis | Minnesota | Minnesota | Dallas | Chicago | Nashville |
| 3 | St. Louis | St. Louis | Nashville | Nashville | Chicago | Minnesota | Dallas | Chicago | Nashville | Dallas | Nashville | Nashville | Nashville | Nashville | Nashville | WInnipeg |
| 4 | Nashville | Dallas | St. Louis | St. Louis | Dallas | Dallas | Nashville | Winnipeg | Dallas | Winnipeg | Minnesota | Winnipeg | St Louis | St. Louis | St. Louis | Minnesota (WC) |
| 5 | Chicago | Chicago | Winnipeg | Chicago | Winnipeg | Winnipeg | St Louis | St. Louis | Winnipeg | Nashville | Dallas | St. Louis | Chicago | Winnipeg | Minnesota | Dallas |
| 6 | Winnipeg | Winnipeg | Dallas | Winnipeg | St. Louis | St. Louis | Winnipeg | Dallas | Chicago | Chicago | Winnipeg | Chicago | Winnipeg | Chicago | Colorado | Chicago |
| 7 | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Winnipeg | Colorado |
Pacific Division
| Rankings | Sie Morley | Mark.Weber | Jordan Ball | Lakshya Jain | Dylan Whitehead | rznolan | Leivo32 | Erik Johnsgard | efowle15 | East Bay Ry | cat_hong | Haley Van Horn | joemcuevas | orionredgrave | Logan Stark | KYLEDEMETRIUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anaheim | Anaheim | Edmonton | Edmonton | Edmonton | Anaheim | Edmonton | Anaheim | San Jose | Edmonton | Anaheim | Edmonton | Anaheim | Anaheim | San Jose | Edmonton |
| 2 | San Jose | San Jose | Anaheim | San Jose | San Jose | Edmonton | Anaheim | Edmonton | Anaheim | San Jose | Edmonton | Anaheim | Edmonton | San Jose | Edmonton | Anaheim |
| 3 | Edmonton | Edmonton | San Jose | Anaheim | Anaheim | Calgary | San jose | Calgary | Edmonton | Anaheim | San Jose | San Jose | San Jose | Edmonton | Los Angeles | San Jose |
| 4 | Los Angeles | Calgary | Los Angeles | Calgary | Calgary | San Jose | Calgary | San Jose | Los Angeles | Calgary | Calgary | Los Angeles | Calgary | Los Angeles | Anaheim | Calgary (WC) |
| 5 | Vegas | Vegas | Calgary | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Arizona | Arizona | Arizona | Calgary | Arizona | Los Angeles | Calgary | Los Angeles | Calgary | Calgary | Beat LA |
| 6 | Calgary | Los Angeles | Vegas | Arizona | Vancouver | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Arizona | Los Angeles | Arizona | Vancouver | Vancouver | Vegas | Vancouver | Arizona |
| 7 | Arizona | Arizona | Vancouver | Vegas | Arizona | Vegas | Vegas | Vegas | Las Vegas | Vancouver | Las Vegas | Arizona | Arizona | Vancouver | Vegas | Vancouver |
| 8 | Vancouver | Vancouver | Arizona | Vancouver | Vegas | Vancouver | Vancouver | Vancouver | Vancouver | Vegas | Vancouver | Vegas | Vegas | Arizona | Arizona | Las Vegas |
Stanley Cup Final
| Rankings | Sie Morley | Mark.Weber | Jordan Ball | Lakshya Jain | Dylan Whitehead | rznolan | Leivo32 | Erik Johnsgard | efowle15 | East Bay Ry | cat_hong | Haley Van Horn | joemcuevas | orionredgrave | Logan Stark | KYLEDEMETRIUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | Tampa Bay | Ottawa | Pittsburgh | Ottawa | Washington | Pittsburgh | Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay | Montreal | Toronto | Tampa Bay | Ottawa | Ottawa | Washington | Pittsburgh | Washington |
| West | Dallas | Anaheim | Chicago | Dallas | Edmonton | Anaheim | Edmonton | Nashville | Minnesota | Edmonton | Anaheim | Edmonton | Minnesota | Dallas | Edmonton | St Louis |
| Winner | Dallas | Anaheim | Pittsburgh | Dallas | Edmonton | Anaheim | Tampa Bay | Nashville | Montreal | Toronto | Tampa Bay | Edmonton | Minnesota | Dallas | Pittsburgh | Washington |
NHL Awards
| Rankings | Sie Morley | Jordan Ball | Lakshya Jain | Dylan Whitehead | rznolan | Leivo32 | Erik Johnsgard | East Bay Ry | efowle15 | cat_hong | Haley Van Horn | joemcuevas | orionredgrave | Logan Stark | KYLEDEMETRIUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hart | Connor McDavid | Sidney Crosby | Connor McDavid | Alex Ovechkin | Sidney Crosby | Connor Mcdavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDaivd | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Sidney Crosby | Sidney Crosby |
| Vezina | Scott Darling | Carey Price | Braden Holtby | Devan Dubnyk | John Gibson | Cam Talbot | John Gibson | Carey Price | Carey Price | Braden Holtby | Cam Talbot | Devan Dubnyk | Braden Holtby | Cam Talbot | Carey Price |
| Calder | Nolan Patrick | Nolan Patrick | Nico Hischier | Tyson Jost | Alex DeBrincat | Clayton Keller | Clayton Keller | Brock Boeser | Kailer Yamamoto | Nico Hischier | Charlie McAvoy | Josh Ho-Sang | Nolan Patrick | Nico Hischier | Matt Barzal |
| Norris | Erik Karlsson | Erik Karlsson | Erik Karlsson | Brent Burns | Erik Karlsson | Erik Karlsson | Erik Karlsson | Victor Hedman | Victor Hedman | Erik Karlsson | Erik Karlsson | Ryan Suter | Erik Karlsson | Brent Burns | Victor Hedman |
| Selke | Mikko Koivu | Jonathan Toews | Patrice Bergeron | Mikko Koivu | Patrice Bergeron | Patrice Bergeron | Jonathan Toews | Patrice Bergeron | Jordan Staal | Patrice Bergeron | Patrice Bergeron | John Tavares | Patrice Bergeron | Jonathan Toews | Patrice Bergeron |
| Art Ross | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Sidney Crosby | Auston Matthews | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDaivd | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Connor McDavid | Sidney Crosby | Connor MCDavid |
| Jack Adams | Ken Hitchcock | Mike Babcock | Mike Babcock | Todd McLellan | Jon Cooper | Mike Babcock | Bill Peters | Rick Tocchet | Ken Hitchcock | Mike Babcock | Ken Hitchcock | Mike Yeo | Ken Hitchcock | Mike Sullivan | Bill Peters |
| Rocket Richard | Auston Matthews | Auston Matthews | Auston Matthews | Auston Matthews | Patrik Laine | Sidney Crosby | Patrik Laine | Auston Matthews | Nikita Kucherov | Auston Matthews | Auston Matthews | Auston Matthews | Auston Matthews | Sidney Crosby | Vladimir Tarasenko |
In true Fear the Fin fashion, not one of us predicted that the Sharks will make it to the Stanley Cup Final this year.
What do you think?
As many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our