Puck drop on the season is hours away, so all there's left to do is throw darts at the board and call them predictions, hoping at least one finds the bullseye. Or triple-20.
Here goes: five bold predictions for the upcoming NHL season:
Bishop trade bites Bolts
For his executive master class (sorry, Nikita Kucherov signed for what!?), Steve Yzerman's Tampa Bay Lightning have the look of a Stanley Cup champion. But there's still one piece of business left in Tampa: the imminent departure of netminder Ben Bishop. Yzerman will find a trade partner, because he's not the type to simply relinquish an asset, but he'll wish he hung on when Andrei Vasilevskiy can't match Bishop's standard and the Lightning crash out in the Eastern Conference Final for a second straight season.
McDavid, and no one else, hits triple digits
Let's revisit what it took to hit the 100-point threshold. Patrick Kane used the longest point-scoring streak in more than two decades, scoring 16 goals and 40 points in 26 games, just to get on pace. From there on, the longest he went without registering a point was three games, and yet he still needed six points over his final five contests (he would register 12) to hit the century mark. Connor McDavid will need to produce far beyond the 1.07 points per game he scored as a rookie, but he'll do it, becoming the only player to hit triple digits this season.
Preds produce 2 Norris finalists
A little trivia: What was the last pair of teammates to earn nominations for the Norris Trophy in the same season? Answer: Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger, who were tabbed back in 2007 while anchoring the Anaheim Ducks' championship run. This season, Roman Josi and P.K. Subban of the Nashville Predators will each be acknowledged, though we're not willing to promise the title those Ducks delivered.
Friction in Ottawa
On the topic of Norris candidates, let's check in on Erik Karlsson. We're not suggesting a Subban-sized rift will manifest itself in Ottawa, but there oughta be some sort of adjustment period between the world-class defender and Guy Boucher. The new Ottawa Senators coach was hired specifically to overhaul a system that allowed the most shots per game and the fifth-most goals. Problem is, this fix means Karlsson - the team's best, most dangerous offensive weapon - might have to change his style the most to accommodate Boucher.
Neuvirth challenges for Vezina
On the strength of an impressive preseason, it appears the Philadelphia Flyers will roll with Steve Mason out of the gates. But Michal Neuvirth, who enjoyed a fabulous first season with Philadelphia last year, has been on the pine for too long. Last spring, he stopped 103-of-105 postseason shots. With a contract to compete for, as well as opportunities in Las Vegas and other free-agent markets, it's Neuvirth who'll lead the Flyers back into the playoffs with Vezina-like numbers.
Extras
- The Red Wings miss the postseason for the first time since 1990, joining the Wild and Panthers (who suffered a major, major blow with Jonathan Huberdeau now out) as the three postseason teams that fail to return.
- They're replaced by Colorado, Boston, and Montreal - Canada's lone representation in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- The Kings, Ducks, Blues, Rangers, and Islanders are among other teams that take a step back, but do cling to their playoff lives.
- Nothing bold here: Carey Price wins the Vezina, Auston Matthews the Calder, and Alex Ovechkin his fifth straight Rocket Richard.
- Washington defeats Nashville in the Stanley Cup Final after advancing past the Lightning and Sharks, respectively.
- Oh, and an investigation into Robidas Island reveals no wrongdoing.
