It’s that time of year when hockey fans, experts, and everyone in between are preparing for the NHL season. The puck hasn’t dropped on opening night, and plenty is still unknown, but that won’t stop anyone from making a few predictions. 

But of course, in the hockey world, it’s not just about making predictions. That’s not fun or eye-catching. It’s about making bold predictions. Even better, it’s about upping the ante on the next person’s prediction. 

If someone predicts a 30-goal season for Jack Hughes, why not one-up them and say that Hughes will score 40 goals? So, with all this in mind, it’s a good time to make some bold predictions for the New Jersey Devils and look at bold prediction culture. 

Predicting the Devils to make the playoffs isn’t bold for many people. It’s a lukewarm or mild prediction. The Devils are expected to bounce back and be in the playoff picture. The only question is whether they can win the arms race in a jumbled-up Metropolitan Division.

What makes this prediction bold is predicting a series victory. While it’s not hard to see them pull one off, the Devils have won only one series in the past decade: their 2023 First Round victory over the New York Rangers. 

So why not take this prediction, which is a bit bold, and make it bolder? The Devils make the playoffs but go a bit further. 

Now this is bold because a few things must happen. The Devils must make a deep playoff run and, specifically, defeat the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are the defending Stanley Cup champs and have faced the Devils in recent playoff matchups, defeating them in the 2023 Second Round and the 2025 First Round. 

That said, the stars could align for this to happen. If the Devils go on a playoff run, they’ll likely run into the Hurricanes at some point. If the Devils are a Cup-caliber team, they must prove it by beating a team like the Hurricanes. 

This is the other side of things, which is popular among some bettors. It’s the emotional hedge of a cynical fan who roots for the Devils but bets against them. For the fan, it’s a win-win scenario. If the bet hits, they’ll be happy they won a lot of money; if it doesn’t, they’ll be happy the Devils had a great season. 

And there are future bets and odds for all those cynical fans out there (courtesy of DraftKings; odds are subject to change). 

What’s good about this bold prediction is that it hinges on the Devils making the playoffs. If they don’t, it’s as if the prediction never happened. Would Jack Hughes lead the team in playoff goals? I guess we’ll never know. 

If the Devils make the playoffs, it’s not the boldest prediction. While Hughes was injured in 2025, he led them in goals during the 2023 run with six goals. The only catch is that in the playoffs, the opponents will match their lines and attempt to take Hughes out of the game. 

So that could add another layer to this prediction: forecasting who will come up clutch in the playoffs. Maybe Nico Hischier or Timo Meier are built for playoff hockey. Or Evan Rodrigues, who won two Stanley Cup titles with the Florida Panthers, kicks things into another gear come playoff time. Those predictions are more of a reach, but Hughes is the right bet for the contingency and for those who don’t want to overthink anything. 

This goes against the grain, or the zig when everyone zags. Everyone expects big things from Luke Evangelista, including first-time general manager Sunny Mehta, who made the move to acquire him. So, predicting a season where he struggles or has a drop in production is bold, as it goes against the public perception of him. 

The contrarian prediction is also something a fan can talk themself into. Evangelista struggling, for example, is possible considering he’s joining a new team and is an unknown in the Devils system. Sure, he had 44 assists last season and can become a playmaker in the top six, but this could be an adjustment year for the 24-year-old forward, and he could take a step back. 

One prediction in a vacuum isn’t crazy. However, added together with a few predictions, it becomes a bold prediction. Like this one below. 

The Devils are buyers at the trade deadline. So they acquire Connor Hellebuyck, who overcomes his playoff demons to lead the Devils to the Stanley Cup and win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Will the Devils buy at the deadline? It’s likely. Will they acquire Hellebuyck? They are one of the teams on the shortlist, but there are many teams that can put together great offers to add the star goaltender. 

There are also the playoff woes Hellebuyck has had in the past, where he’s struggled and let the Winnipeg Jets down. So, for him to put it all together and lead any team to the Cup would be something. Add it all up with the Devils, and now there’s a bold prediction to hang the hat on. 

Then there are some predictions that allow the fans to sit back and enjoy them as the season plays out. If you’re going to make a bold prediction, you might as well have some fun, right? Plus, every time the Devils win or a goal is scored, there’s that extra layer of joy that comes with it. 

Here are some which fans can bet on: 

What’s your bold prediction? Let us know in the comments section below!