Leon Draisaitl makes good on goal-scoring prophecy as NHL's strangely cryptic 2024-25 projections unravel

Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl was one of the rare bright spots among a sea of inaccurate 2024-25 NHL predictions. Every season, the offbeat tradition of giving each team strangely specific predictions lends flavor to the league's story. But at the end of the season, accuracy is an accounting. The predictions for this season—everything from ridiculously elaborate to oddly convincing—were aa mix of humorous misses as well as accurate hits. Washington Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois nearly hit a preseason prediction on the nose, forecasting that he would have exactly four points—a goal and three assists—on his former teams: the Columbus Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets, and Los Angeles Kings. Pierre-Luc Dubois came very close to completing those eight games with one goal and four assists, missing a statistical target by a heartbreaker.Though most predictions ventured far from fact, Edmonton Oilers sensation Leon Draisaitl flew higher than expectations and was awarded the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy with 52 goals. In defiance of oddsmakers' favoring Auston Matthews, Draisaitl's steady prowess quieted detractors and served as a novel victory in the 2024-25 prophecy list. William Nylander, closest in pursuit, trailed by seven markers. The Vegas Golden Knights were also included in a rare predictive victory. Having lost games with exactly three days of rest in the past, the team bucked that trend in October with decisive wins over the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators. Although not a news-breaker in scale, the victory broke a strange streak and demonstrated the merit of in-depth analysis. From forecasting Anaheim Ducks players traded following overtime goal-winners (none were traded) to predicting a wraparound Seattle Kraken goal against the incorrect opponent, the season was an education in futility, comedically. Connor Bedard failed to score at the Winter Classic. Joel Hanley, perpetually the candidate for optimistic goalscoring proclamations, scored two times rather than once. Meanwhile, New York Rangers supporters did not have much to cheer, as a projected sixth-place final standing became a fall to 22nd. One of the closest misses came from the Toronto Maple Leafs' camp, where Mitch Marner was predicted to finish precisely 20 points clear of William Nylander. The actual tally? Marner at 102 and Nylander at 84—a margin of 18. Also read: “Refs rigging this game!” Leon Draisaitl scores an OT goal and wins Game 2, Round 2 against the Vegas Golden KnightsUltimately, the NHL's strangely precise prediction ritual is less about getting it right and more about the unpredictable allure of the game. Cheers to next year's edition of impossibly perfect hopes—and possibly, just maybe, a handful more perfect shots.