It’s that time of year again! Time for our writers to make some BOLD predictions about the upcoming hockey season. If you haven’t experienced this series before, our writers break into groups of three or four, and each make five BOLD predictions for the 2018-19 season. We then respond to our other group members’ predictions.

Last year, Sara (helmerroids) blew everyone away with a perfect five-for-five showing! You can relive our Bold Predictions Awards Show here.

Because the games started last night, I just wanted to point out that all the predictions were made by Tuesday, October 2nd.

Feel free to put your own predictions in the comments and/or respond to our predictions in the comment sections.

Today’s group is Mike B, John C, Lauren (redwinger43) and, Sara.

Enjoy their predictions, and come back tomorrow for our second and final group of picks!

Sara:

1. At least 12 different defenseman will see ice time with the Wings

Mike: Do Kronwall’s knees count as separate skaters? Because they might be falling off his body by April.

John: Why not a baker’s dozen?

Lauren: It’s Jake Chelios’ big chance!

2. Dylan Larkin has more penalty minutes than Justin Abdelkader

Mike: Abdelkader wins the Lady Byng

John: And is shockingly revealed to be Luke Witkowski in a Dylan Larkin mask in Scooby-Doo fashion.

Lauren: *With the Red Wings, because the only way this happens is if Abdelkader is traded at the end of October

3. Gustav Nyquist plays all 82 games for the Wings

Mike: So the Goose will not be loose at the trade deadline?

John: If he’s not traded, sure, why not?

Lauren: And is shockingly revealed to be Filip Zadina in a Gustav Nyquist mask in Scooby-Doo fashion. How many masks do these guys have?

4. Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Bernier both post SV% of .910 or better

Mike: I really want to see the Wings team where both this and your next prediction are true.

John: Then quickly decline after the All-Star Break.

Lauren: I’m sure they can pull that off at least once. Oh wait, you mean cumulatively?

5. The Wings have a 7 game losing streak at least once

Mike: Come on, Sara. These are supposed to be BOLD predictions.

John: Absolutely.

Lauren: And it’ll be all one-goal losses.

Mike:

1. Nyquist is reunited with Tatar at the trade deadline.

Sara: When he picks Tatar up from the train station and drives him to the unemployment office

John: Ew.

Lauren: *incoherent sobbing*

2. The Wings are in three line-brawls this season.

Sara: You gotta fight. For your right. To not be sent back to Grand Rapids for lack of GRIT

John: Sign me up!

Lauren: Is Abdelkader just his own line now?

3. Niklas Kronwall skates in 82 games. Every. single. one.

Sara: I for one look forward to the debut of the new Red Wings mascot: Noble Swedish Falcon

John: The boldest of the bold.

Lauren: At which point he turns off NHL19 and goes to tighten the bolts holding his legs together.

4. Cholowski is in the Calder conversation for the first half of the season.

Sara: That conversation is limited to Red Wings Twitter and then the fanbase turns on him

John: It’s a comforting thought, perhaps.

Lauren: He could be a candidate the entire season and still lose out to some rando. But that’s worked out well so far for us.

5. Darren Helm and Nick Jensen are traded during the season.

Sara: And I won’t realize Nick Jensen was traded for at least 2 weeks after the fact, despite him suiting up to play against us and scoring a goal

John: After a desperate GM wins $3.8 Milion on a scratch off ticket.

Lauren: Is it 2016 again?

John:

1. Michael Rasmussen leads the Wings in power-play points.

Sara: ELITE NET FRONT PRESENCE AND TINY LARGE SON RASMUSSEN

Mike: One dimensional power play specialist rumors intensify.

Lauren: And he’d have even more if Abdelkader would get out of the freakin’ way.

2. The Wings PP unit will finish in the top 20.

Sara: Because the team is taken over by head coach Dan Bylsma in January

Mike: In Fortnite.

Lauren: You mean everything won’t be fixed by adding another Michigan native in Dan Bylsma?

3. Toronto will score 300 total team goals in 2018-19.

Sara: and Auston Matthews will score 50 goals before finishing his transformation into Robert Z’Dar

Mike: What will Torontonians do then? They can’t complain about their hockey team.

Lauren: And let in 315.

4. Tampa will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Sara: because Steven Stamkos refused to stop and ask for directions on the way to the golf course

Mike: On a field trip to watch Winnipeg vs. Toronto.

Lauren: Where they’ll promptly lose to the Sharks when they score a total of three goals.

5. Filip Zadina will spend more time in Grand Rapids than Detroit.

Sara: But will spend the most time living rent free in Habs Twitter

Mike: I eagerly anticipate the MLive reactions.

Lauren: Easy to do when the Griffins can actually play in a long postseason.

Lauren:

1. Evgeny Svechnikov will hit 15 goals and 40 points.

Sara: In Grand Rapids

Mike: That’s a funny way to spell Andrei.

John: In a perfect world, yes.

2. Thomas Vanek will not be traded at the deadline.

Sara: Because he will be injured

Mike: Which is a shame, because Ottawa was ready to give up their first for him.

John: Seems legit, but think of the draft picks

3. Recycled from two years ago: We will see the Tiny Terrors defense pairing in at least one game this season.

Sara: After the game, Kronwall will hand each of them a juicebox and a baggie of goldfish crackers, but not letting them cross the street to the bus without holding his hand.

Mike: And afterwards, Saarijarvi and Hicketts hit up the karaoke bar.

John: Fee-fi-fo-fum, here comes Jonathan Ericsson

4. Dylan Larkin leads the league in short-handed goals.

Sara: That’ll be tough considering any goal scored by Joe Hicketts is a short-handed goal.

Mike: Witkowski, in his own and very special way, will be the true hero if this prediction comes true.

John: Luke Glendening and Darren Helm accept your challenge.

5. Anthony Mantha gets in five fights and definitively wins all of them, despite never setting foot in a boxing ring.

Sara: Mickey Redmond comments about “the long reach of Mantha” and calls him “a tough kid” every single time

Mike: The only opponent he can’t beat IS HIMSELF. Cause like, the alleged mental weakness and stuff.

John: But how many fingers will he break in the process?