Two weeks ago, we asked you to dream of the NHL’s 30 best players in the Year 2030.

In part two of the series, we’re taking the future a step further. This time, the fates of the league’s 32 franchises are on display. With player projections, we have recent data and comparable trajectories to provide some goal posts. With teams, it’s more challenging. Forecasting how a complete roster might perform brings more variables and possibilities.

Will rebuilds in Chicago and Montreal come full circle? How long can Florida and Edmonton remain powerhouses? Will Philadelphia and Buffalo finally get off the mat? There’s no shortage of captivating questions when it comes to the future.

Which NHL teams will be the best and worst in 2030? We’re counting down franchises from #32 to the most likely Stanley Cup winner five years from now.

🔮 The Approach

Between draft picks working up the depth chart, free agency, trades, and retirements, rosters can completely turn over in five years. Front offices can change course or be replaced. Coaches today are turfed faster than Superman working on the Staal family sod farm.

But what do we know today?

Current rosters and contract statuses, including which players are under team control through 2030
Prospect pools, expertly covered here by Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis
Where teams are likely to place in the short term, affecting access to new draft talent
Current ownership groups, general managers, and coaching staffs, including strengths and weaknesses
The projected salary cap through 2027-28 for future cap management
Insight into franchise turnaround timelines from my recent deep dive into rebuilds
A general understanding of typical player aging curves

While speculation is inevitably part of the exercise, we have a solid foundation in the present. All 32 teams will be tiered and ranked: Rebuilders (32nd to 25th); Outsiders (24th to 17th); Competitors (16th to 9th); and Contenders (8th to 1st). The rankings represent the forecasted NHL standings for the 2029-30 season, with the top-ranked team the de facto pick for the 2030 Stanley Cup.

A few takeaways from the research and timelines of the teams and players involved before we begin:

In many cases, a team’s current best players — especially those in their late 20s or older today — won’t be their best players in 2030. Even rare players that age like fine wine deliver declining value.
A lot of elite players are not under contract through 2030. Given negotiations have begun with Connor McDavid, we’ll assume he’s an Oiler in 2030. But with Auston Matthews or Quinn Hughes, for example, their team’s ranking will consider the shaky status of their franchise players.
A team’s best prospects today may not be established yet, let alone gamebreakers in 2030. A 2025 draft pick is only 22 or 23 years old in 2030. For perspective, Anton Lundell was Florida’s only player under 25 years old who dressed in five-plus games in their recent Cup run. Incredibly, only seven of the top 51 playoff point leaders were under 25.
Teams will add many new faces over a five-year window. While we can’t know whom they will acquire, the GM’s track record in free agency, trades, and drafts — as well as ownership’s willingness to spend — naturally influences the franchise’s outlook.

For each team, we’re listing three notable players that are: 1. under contract through 2029-2030; and 2. not under contract past 2029.

⏳ Tier 4: Rebuilders

#32. Los Angeles Kings

2030 Controlled Core: Brandt Clarke, Mikey Anderson, Liam Greentree
No Longer Under Contract: Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala

A 2019 retool successfully extended the competitive window of the Anze Kopitar/Drew Doughty era. But it also shows the pitfalls of injecting only a few years of high-end draft capital. The Kings have lost in the first round in four consecutive seasons and appear worse on paper after a summer of adding well-aged parts. By 2030, Los Angeles will be in a race to the NHL’s bottom. A barren farm system plus few young, controlled assets should lead to a teardown in a few years’ time.

#31. Pittsburgh Penguins

2030 Controlled Core: Rutger McGroarty, Harrison Brunicke, Ville Koivunen
No Longer Under Contract: Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell

Kyle Dubas is trying to rebuild the franchise as quickly as possible. He’s doing the right things these days: trading established talent for futures; drafting often and aggressively; signing short-term deals. But it’s inevitably going to take a very long time. Five years from now, it’s possible that not a single player on the current NHL roster is a Penguin. Some good bounces in short-term draft lotteries may move the pace along, but by 2030 this projects to be one of the league’s youngest franchises on a gradual upward ascent.

#30. Vancouver Canucks

2030 Controlled Core: Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Filip Hronek
No Longer Under Contract: Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, Filip Chytil

Quinn Hughes’ 2027 free agency looms large over the future. Whether you believe he’ll walk, sign short-term to sync up with his brothers, or commit to Vancouver, it may not matter. While the Canucks finished 6th in the standings only two seasons ago, that’s been their only playoff appearance in five years. Even if Pettersson and Demko return to form, it’s a team without a clear path to the top — mid in most areas, no clear short-term help on the way, and heavily committed to eight veterans through at least 2029.

#29. Winnipeg Jets

2030 Controlled Core: Connor Hellebuyck, Gabriel Vilardi, Brayden Yager
No Longer Under Contract: Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Cole Perfetti

By June 2030, franchise cornerstones Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele will both be 37. If they can retain Josh Morrissey (three years remaining) and Kyle Connor (one year remaining), the pair will be 35 and 33, respectively. So, if it wasn’t clear already: it’s Winnipeg’s win-now window. Say that three times fast. There are no surefire stars in the prospect pipeline and as the recent Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Jets won’t add any short-term high draft picks. This will be a team in heavy transition by 2030.

#28. Toronto Maple Leafs

2030 Controlled Core: Matthew Knies, William Nylander, Easton Cowan
No Longer Under Contract: Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Joseph Woll

Toronto has iced a league-high nine straight playoff teams. But the Leafs’ best team on paper is in the rearview mirror. The good news? Their solid blueliner trio of Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, and Morgan Rielly is locked in through 2030. The bad news? They’ll be 40, 36, and 36 years old, respectively. With or without Matthews (2028 free agent), Toronto has a paper thin prospect pool and only Knies, Nylander, and the aforementioned defensemen under contract in 2030. It could be ugly in five years.

#27. Nashville Predators

2030 Controlled Core: Filip Forsberg, Juuse Saros, Brady Martin
No Longer Under Contract: Roman Josi, Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos

Last season’s disastrous 30th-place finish capped a frustrating year after risking it all during Summer 2024. Nashville should win more games this season. But renewed hope — and a lower draft slot — might be the worst thing for the franchise long-term. They’ve added some exciting prospects, however eight of their 10 best are still teenagers. Their current team is led by 31 to 35 year olds, leaving a seismic 10-plus year talent gap. The Predators are building the foundation to be a threat again, but it will be after 2030.

#26. Boston Bruins

2030 Controlled Core: David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman
No Longer Under Contract: Pavel Zacha, Henri Jokiharju, Casey Mittelestadt

It was startling to see a team with Pastrnak, McAvoy, and Swayman in their primes bottom out last year. The tough season delivered a potential star in James Hagens at seventh overall. While the Bruins are popular bounce-back candidates, big commitments to Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and now Tanner Jeannot irreversibly set the franchise’s course for the next five years: ALL IN. With few future NHL fixtures in their system, the B’s will be a very old team with several albatross contracts on the books by 2030.

#25. Florida Panthers

2030 Controlled Core: Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart
No Longer Under Contract: Sergei Bobrovsky, Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola

To be clear, Florida remains loaded — a dangerous, confident Cup contender for the next few seasons. Bill Zito has artfully kept the band together and we should continue to believe in him. But five years from now, the Cats will have the following nine players under contract: Brad Marchand (42 years old); Seth Jones (35); Carter Verhaeghe (35); Barkov (34); Reinhart (34); Sam Bennett (34); Aaron Ekblad (34); Gustav Forsling (34); Tkachuk (32). Long-term pain is inevitable, but it’s a necessary price to pay.

⛔ Tier 3: Outsiders

#24. New York Rangers

2030 Controlled Core: Igor Shesterkin, J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafreniere
No Longer Under Contract: Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, Will Cuylle

There are red flags in the Rangers’ future. Miller and Mika Zibanejad will be 37 and still under contract when the 2030 Cup is handed out. Gabe Perreault and Scott Morrow should help transition the roster, but there are no blue-chip prospects to save the day. Underappreciated weapon and New York native Adam Fox is a good bet to re-sign beyond 2029, but that’s no guarantee. Shesterkin will still be guarding MSG’s crease at 34, which helps bump the Blueshirts ahead of similar teams built more for 2023 than 2030.

#23. New York Islanders

2030 Controlled Core: Mat Barzal, Ilya Sorokin, Matthew Schaefer
No Longer Under Contract: Adam Pelech, Maxim Tsyplakov, Jonathan Drouin

GM Mathieu Darche has acted swiftly to reset the direction on Long Island. Winning the draft lottery and the Noah Dobson return were quick wins for a franchise recently lost at sea. The future is starting to take shape. But the long, puzzling contracts from the Lou Lamoriello era will limit flexibility for many years. As far as 2030 goes, New York’s old guard will have vacated their peaks and their prospects won’t be ready for prime time yet. Shedding some bad deals will be critical to accelerating a return to relevance.

#22. Buffalo Sabres

2030 Controlled Core: Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Owen Power
No Longer Under Contract: Ryan McLeod, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Bowen Byram

I want to believe in Buffalo, I really do. Finishing between last place and 18th in the standings for 14 consecutive years makes that difficult. The Sabres’ talented trio of Dahlin, Thompson, and Power is controlled through 2030. That’s encouraging. But the list of challenges is long: attracting free agents; ownership without vision; a revolving door of management and coaches; player development issues. A single playoff spot between 2026 and 2030 feels like it would be a win right now.

#21. Calgary Flames

2030 Controlled Core: Matt Coronato, Mackenzie Weegar, Zayne Parekh
No Longer Under Contract: Dustin Wolf, Nazem Kadri, Connor Zary

Led by a sizzling rookie season from Dustin Wolf, the Flames tied the NHL record for most points (96) when missing the playoffs. It was a bad beat. Ninety-six points may be a challenge to repeat, however, as Calgary finished 29th in goals without any clear offensive injections. Wolf, signed through 2029, may shape the next half-decade for a franchise without a franchise player. But the Flames will need to make some shrewd adds and find more organizational depth to avoid being a mid kind of team both short and long term.

#20. Tampa Bay Lightning

2030 Controlled Core: Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel
No Longer Under Contract: Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy

Tampa’s future is murky as Hall of Fame locks Hedman (38 years old in 2030), Kucherov (37), and Vasilevskiy (35) may not be active or productive players. The 2030 keys will belong to Point, Hagel, Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, and Erik Cernak, all of whom will also be on the wrong side of 30. GM Julien BriseBois is agile and cutthroat and won’t be afraid to aggressively retool should the franchise tread water. Otherwise, Tampa runs the risk of being the 2022-25 Penguins where the names still pop but aren’t the right age for playoff hockey.

#19. St. Louis Blues

2030 Controlled Core: Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud
No Longer Under Contract: Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Jordan Binnington

On the strength of bold offer sheets to Holloway and Broberg, the Blues jumped to 14th place and secured their first postseason berth since 2022. If both former Oilers are extended, Joel Hofer replaces Binnington, Thomas and Kyrou age well, and some prospects hit, the Blues should be in the mix for playoff hockey for a while. A few too many ifs, perhaps. On the flip side, if the Jim Montgomery bump proves temporary and an organization without star power can’t continue to develop players, a reset will be underway by 2030.

#18. Seattle Kraken

2030 Controlled Core: Matthew Beniers, Shane Wright, Berkly Catton
No Longer Under Contract: Vince Dunn, Jared McCann, Kaapo Kakko

After a 100-point sophomore season in 2022-23, life in the fast lane hit the Kraken hard. Beniers and Wright may not ultimately be Seattle’s saviors — and that’s okay. Help is on the way. The Seattle prospect pipeline is deep and one of the NHL’s best. It’s just going to take a lot longer to marinate. In 2030, Catton will be 24, Jake O’Brien will be 23, and a bevvy of solid prospects will join them. Why isn’t Seattle higher? The group lacks a prime-aged superstar in 2030 and has a fistful of concerning veteran deals on the books to navigate.

#17. Colorado Avalanche

2030 Controlled Core: Nathan MacKinnon, Mackenzie Blackwood, Devon Toews
No Longer Under Contract: Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Artturi Lehkonen

This may seem low for the Avalanche. Any team with MacKinnon and (likely) Makar on the roster can’t fail, right? But dynamic duos have less runway than we think. The last playoff series win for Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in Chicago? 10 years ago — when both were 26. The last time Pittsburgh won a playoff round (2018) Crosby was 30 and Malkin 31. MacKinnon and Makar will be 34 and 31, respectively, by the time 2030 arrives. With an ordinary prospect pool light on star potential, savor the competitive Avs while you can.

✅ Tier 2: Competitors

#16. Vegas Golden Knights

2030 Controlled Core: Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore, Adin Hill
No Longer Under Contract: Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Pavel Dorofeyev

In eight seasons of existence, Vegas has made the postseason a remarkable seven times. By 2030, their contracted core will be geriatric for hockey: Tomas Hertl (36 years old); Theodore (34); Hill (34); Marner (33); Noah Hanifin (33). The fivesome will earn just shy of $40 million. If Eichel is re-signed, he’ll be 33 and earn at least Marner’s $12 million. Their farm system offers no future star power. But with a rising salary cap, the front office’s ability to attract talent and get creative earns them an improbable spot in this tier.

#15. Philadelphia Flyers

2030 Controlled Core: Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, Travis Sanheim
No Longer Under Contract: Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster

The Flyers are a franchise on the rise. How quickly that rise happens hinges on a few factors. The ceilings of dynamic 20-year-old Michkov and 2025 draft pick Martone will affect future decisions. The team’s cap situation isn’t as clean as most rebuilds: long-term pacts with Sean Couturier (five years left), Travis Konecny (seven) and Owen Tippett (eight) are potential roadblocks. Finding capable goaltending also remains an evergreen issue in Philly. More patience is needed, but the Flyers are capably stockpiling talent for 2030.

#14. Washington Capitals

2030 Controlled Core: Ryan Leonard, Jakob Chychrun, Logan Thompson
No Longer Under Contract: Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, Dylan Strome

Early results from head coach Spencer Carbery and GM Chris Patrick have been incredible — from 24th to 17th to 2nd in three years. Despite few high draft picks, the Caps retooled via sound player development and tidy acquisitions. But risk exists on many current deals, including Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson, Matt Roy, Martin Fehevary, Chychrun, and Thompson. The Caps are well set up to be contenders the next few years. By 2030, there may be a few too many graybeards on the payroll to remain a threat. Retooling over rebuilding often has this outcome — a shorter wait but a shorter competitive run (see #32 and #24 on this list).

#13. Edmonton Oilers

2030 Controlled Core: Leon Draisaitl, Isaac Howard, Matthew Savoie
No Longer Under Contract: Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Draisaitl is locked through 2033. Bouchard has signed through 2029. McDavid is a near-certainty to be extended for at least a handful of seasons. With Zach Hyman (three more years), Nugent-Hopkins (four) and Darnell Nurse (five), the Oilers’ main men are in place a while longer. Short term, expect more of the same… a dangerous core and revolving cast of free agents, rentals, and buy-low candidates seeking to be Edmonton’s elixir. If it hasn’t happened by 2030, however, this will be a very old group clinging to the talent of McDavid (maybe?), Draisaitl, and Bouchard (maybe?). Think the 2020-22 Penguins.

#12. Columbus Blue Jackets

2030 Controlled Core: Adam Fantilli, Ivan Provorov, Luca Del Bel Belluz
No Longer Under Contract: Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson

The Jackets have a lot of young, talented players on the roster and a few more likely to arrive from their healthy farm system. Why only 12th? Well, Columbus’ best chance at contention is sooner than 2030. Seven of their most valuable skaters are UFAs before 2030: Werenski, Johnson, and Dmitri Voronkov (2028); Marchenko, Sean Monahan, and Dante Fabbro (2029); and Boone Jenner (will be 37 years old). Extending many of these players is no certainty without showing them the team is legit. It’s time to level up in Ohio.

#11. Detroit Red Wings

2030 Controlled Core: Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin
No Longer Under Contract: Alex DeBrincat, John Gibson, Patrick Kane

I’m a believer that Seider and Raymond can be the best defenseman and forward on a Stanley Cup winner. Larkin’s wheels should allow him to average 30 goals for another half-decade. Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, and solid goaltending prospects will be part of the future Motown core. This franchise is peaking toward 2030. Their relatively low slot here is two-fold: 1. Absent a game-breaking, 100-point stud, the Wings will need to be deeper than other teams; and 2. Respected GM Steve Yzerman’s free agency gambles have mostly flopped. Adding outside talent efficiently will be critical to chase Cups.

#10. New Jersey Devils

2030 Controlled Core: Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Jesper Bratt
No Longer Under Contract: Nico Hischier, Dougie Hamilton, Dawson Mercer

Just three seasons ago, the Devils were a 112-point team. While that proved an anomaly, it offered a glimpse of the group’s capability. Signed through 2030, a healthy Jack Hughes is the biggest wildcard. He’s missed 20 games each of the last two seasons, as well as the 2025 postseason. Hughes, Bratt, and three 21-year-old defensemen — brother Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Seamus Casey — are what deliver optimism for 2030. Whether the franchise can find the depth and goaltending for Cup runs gives pause.

#9. Utah Mammoth

2030 Controlled Core: Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, JJ Peterka
No Longer Under Contract: Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Barrett Hayton

After a dizzying move from Arizona to Utah, the Mammoth enter 2025-26 with some stability. Buoyed by an engaged ownership, excited fan base, and a lot of young talent, the team is primed to take another step forward. Cooley, Guenther, and Peterka figure to be enter their primes soon, so 2030 fits their timeline nicely. Utah’s ranking is limited by their defensemen. Sergachev is only 27, but the team will need to find more blueline help over the next few seasons as their present and future top players are forward-heavy.

👑 Tier 1: Contenders

#8. Ottawa Senators

2030 Controlled Core: Jake Sanderson, Tim Stutzle, Leevi Merilainen
No Longer Under Contract: Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Thomas Chabot

Not unlike Columbus’, Ottawa’s timeline is tighter than you might expect. Sanderson could be a top-five defenseman and Stutzle a top-10 forward in 2030. However, captain and heartbeat Tkachuk has only three seasons until he’s a UFA. If Tkachuk walks in 2028, this team looks and feels a lot different. All the Senators’ best prospects have already graduated to the big club, so there doesn’t figure to be much internal high-end help on the way. Ottawa’s best Cup hopes could lean more 2027 than 2030.

#7. Anaheim Ducks

2030 Controlled Core: Leo Carlsson, Lukas Dostal, Cutter Gauthier
No Longer Under Contract: Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Chris Kreider

The Ducks have struggled for quite a while now. That’s seven straight years finishing between 23rd and 32nd. It’s allowed them to assemble a deep pipeline of players both on the roster and a few years away from contributing. Carlsson’s upside and Dostal’s emergence remain Anaheim’s biggest reasons for hope. However, McTavish’s future remains murky, Troy Terry is already 27, and past building blocks Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale are long gone. The Ducks will be strong in 2030 but not the best bet among rebuilding teams.

#6. Carolina Hurricanes

2030 Controlled Core: Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, Logan Stankoven
No Longer Under Contract: Andrei Svechnikov, Pyotr Kochetkov, Shayne Gostisbehere

GM Eric Tulsky has gotten creative and aggressive, making long-term, lower-dollar bets on his young talent. While this front office isn’t afraid to wheel and deal (see Mikko Rantanen trades), their 2030 team is clearer than most: Jarvis, Aho, Stankoven, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jackson Blake, and Kotkaniemi upfront; K’Andre Miller and (36-year-old) Jaccob Slavin on defense. A rock solid, well-rounded core. Having won at least one playoff series seven straight years, the Canes will win a lot of games for a long time. Absent a typical superstar, delivering consistently strong teams into the postseason buys more raffle tickets for the Cup.

#5. San Jose Sharks

2030 Controlled Core: Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, Sam Dickinson
No Longer Under Contract: Yaroslav Askarov, Tyler Toffoli, Timothy Liljegren

The Sharks are going to be very good one day. But Bay Area fans will continue to have their patience tested. The impressive collection of talent continues to grow, making them a sexy long-range team these days. With overwhelming future depth at forward (Celebrini, Misa, Smith, Eklund, Musty), San Jose’s blueline prospect list is lighter in comparison beyond Dickinson. The Sharks’ pipeline is still so young and their active roster so mediocre that 2030 may be the first year the franchise launches into the contender’s group chat.

#4. Chicago Blackhawks

2030 Controlled Core: Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel
No Longer Under Contract: Spencer Knight, Ryan Donato, Teuvo Teravainen

Chicago is a little further along its long and winding road to competitiveness than San Jose. GM Kyle Davidson has amassed picks and has continuously layered future NHL talent. Here’s the potential Hawks’ depth chart with their respective ages in June 2030: forwards Bedard (25), Nazar (26), Anton Frondell (23), Oliver Moore (25), Sacha Bosivert (24), and Nick Lardis (24); defensemen Sam Rinzel (26); Levshunov (24); Alex Vlasic (29); and Kevin Korchinski (26). Another elite player in the much-anticipated 2026 draft will add a weapon. Ongoing development and veteran reinforcements will be necessary to elevate this youth movement, but Chicago is well-positioned for 2030 and beyond.

#3. Minnesota Wild

2030 Controlled Core: Matthew Boldy, Zeev Buium, Brock Faber
No Longer Under Contract: Kirill Kaprizov, Filip Gustavsson, Marco Rossi

Rare is the modern Cup contender relying heavily on players in their mid-20s. It’s why the Wild figure to be in better shape in five years than the rebuilding franchises at #4, #5, and #7 on this list. Boldy and Faber will be in their late-20s. Rossi is on the same timeline if a long-term deal can be struck. You’d have to imagine Minnesota will retain Kaprizov (33 in 2030) at all costs given how crucial he is to their plans. Exciting talent in defensemen Buium, David Jiricek, and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt make the Wild a rare franchise with both a promising present and future. Owner Craig Leipold has never been shy to spend or pursue free agents — welcome attributes in a rising cap world.

#2. Dallas Stars

2030 Controlled Core: Jake Oettinger, Wyatt Johnston, Mikko Rantanen
No Longer Under Contract: Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson

It might seem curious to have the team that lost in the Conference Finals three straight seasons as the best Western Conference team five years from now. But if the stars align (pun intended) and three-time reigning GM of the Year Jim Nill keeps most of the band together, this franchise will remain elite for a decade. A Harley-Heiskanen-led blueline with prospect Lian Bischel coming up is a great start. Oettinger, only 26, is a potential perennial Vezina candidate. Rantanen should cede the alpha-forward role to Johnston by 2030, and 2028 UFA Robertson could tap into Tyler Seguin’s outgoing contract dollars. This group has 2014-2019 Tampa Bay energy where controllable talent knocked on the door for years, tweaked on the edges, and broke through with back-to-back Cups. With fellow Western kings Edmonton, Vegas, and Colorado long in the tooth by 2030 and up-and-coming franchises Chicago, San Jose, and Anaheim still green by 2030, there’s a unique opportunity for Dallas to reign supreme.

#1. Montreal Canadiens: 2030 Stanley Cup Champions

2030 Controlled Core: Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov
No Longer Under Contract: Sam Montembault, Patrik Laine, Brendan Gallagher

After meticulously working through the prospects, contracts, and timelines of 32 franchises, one stood above the rest. Congratulations to the 2030 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. Okay, let’s pump the brakes. Forecasting anything five months from now, let alone five years, has major limits. But the Habs will be loaded…

Controlled Forwards (age in June 2030): Demidov (24); Suzuki (30); Juraj Slafkovsky (26); Cole Caufield (29); Zack Bolduc (27); Michael Hage (24); Owen Beck (26); Oliver Kapanen (26)
Controlled Defensemen: Hutson (26); Noah Dobson (30); David Reinbacher (25); Kaiden Guhle (28)
Controlled Goaltenders: Jacob Fowler (25); Jakub Dobes (29)

Now, the above players won’t all reach their potential and may not even be solid NHL players (or Canadiens) in 2030. Any contending team seeks outside talent or moves depth areas or futures for win-now pieces. Who had lifelong Bruin Marchand as a Conn Smythe candidate on Florida five years ago? But it’s clear Montreal will have a wealth of players in their peak years in 2030. That’s essential to this projection. Demidov growing into a star and Hutson transitioning into a #1 defenseman thriving against elite competition are the most necessary developments over the next five years. Both are realistic.

In a rabid hockey market with stable leadership in GM Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis, the Canadiens should continue to move steadily forward, peaking in 2030… if not sooner.

Follow @AdjustedHockey on X; visit www.adjustedhockey.com
Data from Hockey-Reference; Contract data from PuckPedia