Predicting the next Stanley Cup champion and major award winners

Heading into the 2021 regular season, theScore's Mike Dickson, Josh Gold-Smith, Brandon Maron, John Matisz, Sean O'Leary, Matt Teague, and Josh Wegman make their picks for division champs, major award winners, and the Stanley Cup Final.

North Division

The Leafs are the betting favorites to win the North, and our voters seem to agree. The team is loaded with high-end talent and fortified its defensive corps, which has been a weakness for years. However, the division will be tightly contested as every club outside of the rebuilding Senators has a real chance to finish No. 1.

East Division

The East is the toughest to call. Five teams in the division finished top 11 in the overall standings last season, but the Capitals appear to be the favorites again. Washington has finished atop the Metropolitan in five straight campaigns and has won its division in 10 of 15 seasons since Alex Ovechkin entered the league in 2005-06.

Central Division

The Central is composed of the lonely Red Wings, a bunch of middling clubs, and two clear favorites in last season's champions and the budding Hurricanes. Even without star winger Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning are in good shape to win the division, but Carolina likely won't make it easy for them.

West Division

There's a glaring imbalance in competition in the West, and it'll likely be a three-team race for the division title. Our voters like the Avalanche and Golden Knights, but it wouldn't be a total surprise to see the St. Louis Blues claim the top spot.

'Rocket' Richard Trophy

Matthews ranks second among all players in goals per game since entering the league in 2016-17, and with David Pastrnak on the shelf to start the year, his window to win the Rocket is that much wider. The 23-year-old also has a dominant track record against several divisional opponents. Matthews has netted 25 goals in 29 games against the Canadiens and Senators, who make up 34% of the Leafs schedule in 2020-21.

Art Ross Trophy

Though there are several worthy candidates, our voters believe the Art Ross Trophy race will be between a pair of generational superstars in McDavid and MacKinnon. The former is the unanimous top player in the world, while the latter is right on his heels for the title. Both superstars should amass worthy numbers, but in a league with so much elite talent, there are a handful of others who could take the award as well.

Calder Trophy

Seven Russian-born players have claimed rookie of the year honors, and that number could increase this season. Shesterkin was outstanding in his brief stint in 2019-20, while Kaprizov was arguably the top talent in the world that wasn't playing in the NHL until now. Lafreniere, the 2020 first overall pick, should also rack up his fair share of points while playing within a dynamic top-six forward group for the Rangers.

Vezina Trophy

The Vezina will likely be the most difficult trophy to decide during the shortened season. Most clubs will use a platoon system between the pipes thanks to the condensed schedule, making it hard for some to separate themselves from the pack. Lehner has been arguably the league's best goalie over the past two campaigns, and the Swedish puck-stopper feels due for the award and will play behind the loaded Golden Knights.

Norris Trophy

It's crazy to think Hedman has only earned one Norris Trophy nod. The 30-year-old looks primed to rack up several more awards over the second half of his career. Pietrangelo is the league's best rearguard who has yet to win the trophy and begins his new chapter as the Golden Knights' defensive backbone. Josi is certainly a threat to repeat, and Makar could be in contention after racking up a historic rookie campaign.

Hart Trophy

As is the case for the Art Ross Trophy, the 2020-21 league MVP is seen as a tight race between McDavid and MacKinnon. MacKinnon, a two-time runner-up for the award, will be the focal point of what many believe is the league's best team in the Avalanche. At the same time, McDavid feels due for his second career Hart after a mid-season injury halted his chances in 2019-20.

Stanley Cup Final

Most of our voters have the Avalanche capturing their first Stanley Cup in 20 years, with the Golden Knights and Leafs also being selected. The Islanders' defensive approach proved to work in the bubble and have the potential to make a deep run again, while the Lightning are perennially in the mix.