Projecting Every NHL Team’s Assist Leader for the 2024-25 Season

Robertson is a bona fide star at the top of the Dallas lineup and has become one of the most exciting and entertaining players in the NHL.

His combination of speed, vision, creativity and playmaking makes him a must-see player every time he steps on the ice, and all of that comes together for one of the most productive forwards in the NHL.

He has led the Stars in assists two years in a row and even though he had just two through his first eight games it would be a mild upset and surprise if he did not end up at the top of the Stars’ leaderboard again this season.

The Detroit Red Wings rebuild is taking longer than most people would like to see, and there are still some very real concerns here as it relates to their ability to prevent goals. They do still have a few really good young players to build around, and Raymond has become one of them.

His play was one of the few bright spots for the team during the 2023-24 season, and he looks like he should be well on his way toward being one of their cornerstone building blocks.

He set career highs across the board in 2023-24 and could do so again in 2024-25. Especially if the team around him gets better.

There are some of these that you do not really need to overthink.

This is one of them.

As long as Connor McDavid is healthy enough to play something close to a full season he is going to lead the Oilers in assists, points and be one of the top players in the NHL in both categories.

McDavid has 40 more assists than any player in the NHL since the start of the 2021-22 season. The most dominant offensive player in the world.

Do not overthink it.

Tkachuk is known for his goal-scoring, physical play and role as a pest, but he is also a sensational playmaker. He is the total package as a top-line forward in the NHL.

When it comes to his playmaking he has topped the 60-assist mark in each of the past three seasons, and has led the Panthers in assists in his first two full seasons with the team.

He should make it three in a row this season while also scoring 30 goals, driving possession and getting under the skin of every opponent he plays. Truly one of the best overall players in the entire league.

Taking a little bit of a leap of faith with this one.

The Kings have some outstanding proven players on their roster and some excellent playmakers. Anze Kopitar is a future Hall of Famer. Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala have turned into bona fide top-line scorers.

But I am going to do a little bit of projection here and go with Byfield as the Kings’ leading assister when this season is completed.

He took a huge step forward in 2023-24 with 35 helpers, and I just think he is ready to take an even bigger step forward this season. He has the talent, he is getting better and he has a good supporting cast around him. Do not be discouraged by his slow start. He is the real deal.

Kaprizov is, at worst, the second-best offensive player the Wild have ever had, and it is getting close to being a coin flip between him and Marian Gaborik (prime Gaborik was incredible, in case you have forgotten).

At the moment, he is without question the best player on the Wild roster and one of the best players in the entire league.

He scores goals, he sets up goals, and he is the engine that completely drives their offense.

He is also off to a sensational start with 11 assists in the Wild’s first eight games through play on Saturday. He has topped 50 assists in two of the past three seasons and is on pace to easily top that number this season.

Nobody on the Wild is going to match him.

The Canadiens do not have a lot going for them at the moment, but they do have the makings of a sensational top line with Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky.

The Suzuki-Caufield connection is already clicking this season, with Caufield leading the team with seven goals through Saturday and Suzuki leading the team with seven assists.

It is a good foundation to build around, and with both players starting to hit their peak years in the NHL they should be able to team up for quite a few goals this season.

Caufield is the finisher. Suzuki is the playmaker. It is going to make some magic, even if the rest of the team does not.

Suzuki had 44 assists a year ago (second on the team only to defenseman Mike Matheson) but with the talent around him on the top line 50 or 60 is not out of the question this season.

Josi is one of the best offensive defensemen of his era and is currently in the middle of a stretch that has seen him lead the Predators in assists five years in a row.

There are only a handful of defenders in the league who can move the puck and drive an entire offense the way he can, and he really has not shown many signs of slowing down. The Predators got off to a slow start this season, but there is too much talent on this roster for that to continue.

They have already started to pick it up with three consecutive wins entering the week.

Josi is an elite player with fantastic playmaking skills, and now his roster has a couple of proven 40-goal scorers (Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault) added to it. Assuming he plays enough games, 50 or 60 assists should be the expectation for him this season and another year at the top of the Predators’ team leaderboard.