The Athletic has dwell protection of Connor Bedard’s debut and the Blackhawks vs. Penguins matchup
It’s prediction season.
Regardless of being a die-hard Cowboys fan, I predicted a Payments-49ers Tremendous Bowl earlier than the NFL season started, and I’m sticking with it, hoping the Cowboys show me flawed. It’s truly the third yr in a row I’ve picked a San Fran-Buffalo Tremendous Bowl. Absolutely I’ll be proper ultimately.
Oh wait, I cowl hockey for a residing. All kidding apart, listed here are some 2023-24 NHL predictions, most of which you as readers will have the ability to throw in my face in a number of months.
Stanley Cup decide
Give me a Toronto-Edmonton Stanley Cup Remaining with the Oilers profitable Sport 7 on the street. It’s truly the identical Cup last prediction I had final April earlier than the playoffs.
I just like the Stars and Hurricanes to finish the Remaining 4 image, and both a kind of groups might simply find yourself within the Remaining.
This isn’t click-bait on the Leafs. I simply assume that with Tampa Bay and Florida preventing key accidents to start out the season and Boston dropping its heart-and-soul captain, it opens a path for the Leafs to run away with the Atlantic Division. I actually just like the Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi additions, too. The second-round loss to Florida uncovered the Leafs’ necessity so as to add a bit sandpaper — however sandpaper within the type of talent, too.
I bear in mind when lots of people lastly stop on selecting the Capitals after they misplaced out but once more to the Penguins within the second spherical of the 2016-17 playoffs. Their Cup-contending years appeared over. Then they lastly broke via in 2017-18.
Learn extra: NHL 2023-24 awards predictions: McDavid’s prime Hart Trophy challenger? Plus the large Hellebuyck commerce query
I will be bought on that form of journey for the Leafs this season.
My Hockey Corridor of Fame colleague Eric Duhatschek had extra guts than me, truly selecting the Leafs to really win all of it.
I’m selecting Connor McDavid’s Oilers to prime them, although, bringing Canada its first Cup win since 1993. The Oilers are prepared after dropping to the eventual Cup winners every of the previous two seasons, Vegas in 2023 and Colorado in 2022. And this preseason, the Oilers’ prime gamers sound rather a lot to me just like the Avalanche’s gamers did earlier than they lastly gained two years in the past.
Is that this the yr Connor McDavid wins his first Stanley Cup championship? (Ronald Martinez / Getty Photographs)
It’s a tall order at 18, to make sure, however put me down for 80 factors for Connor Bedard in his rookie NHL season. No 18-year-old has been extra prepared for this stage since McDavid.
He’s answered the bell at each problem to date in his younger profession. I believe he’s greater than prepared for this.
“I don’t need to put phrases into his mouth, however he looks as if he was born for it,” Blackhawks linemate Taylor Corridor stated on our Bought Yer Again podcast just lately. “He looks as if a man that doesn’t draw back from the highlight. He needs it. And he needs to be the most effective participant on the ice.”
Bedard coaching with McDavid this previous summer season and spending time with Sidney Crosby on the Biosteel camp isn’t by chance.
“He needs to be one in all these guys,” Corridor stated. “He needs to be talked about in that class. And I believe watching him for the primary few days of camp, he’s obtained the sport to do it.”
Miro Heiskanen hasn’t even been nominated but for the Norris Trophy not to mention gained one.
And I get it that there’s cause to consider that streak continues. For my cash, Cale Makar is the most effective defenseman on this planet, and let’s be actual: He’s the most effective wager to win the Norris this season, and it wouldn’t shock me if he have been one of many three Hart Trophy finalists.
Erik Karlsson had a ridiculous offensive season in 2022-23 and has higher teammates to work with now, former winner Adam Fox is at all times within the dialog, and Roman Josi is much from carried out.
However I’m going to exit on a limb and predict Heiskanen delivers the form of all-around season on a Cup-contending workforce that offers Makar a run for his cash in an in depth vote. Heiskanen can be the first-ever Stars participant to win the Norris.
Kraken miss the playoffs
The Kraken not solely stunned in making the playoffs final season, however in addition they knocked out the defending Stanley Cup champs for good measure. So why am I being an fool and saying they’re going to overlook out this season?
For one, it’s about wanting round them within the West, and I see a workforce just like the Flames, for instance, bouncing again. I additionally assume a variety of issues went proper for Seattle final season, together with getting such deep, committee scoring all through the lineup. I’m not satisfied that’s there once more. I like the place the Kraken are headed long-term — being constructed neatly for longer-term sustainability — however I might see this season being a minor step again and lacking out by some extent or two.
Senators make it
And we get the Battle of Ontario within the first spherical! How a lot enjoyable would that be?
However sure, the time has arrived for the Senators to punch their ticket to the postseason for the primary time since reaching the convention last in 2017. It was a protracted rebuild, however Brady Tkachuk will lead the Senators to the promised land. I’m not one hundred pc bought on Joonas Korpisalo, however he doesn’t must steal that many video games. Simply give the Senators common goaltending, and that needs to be positive.
Can Brady Tkachuk lead the Senators to their first playoff look since 2017? (Steph Chambers / Getty Photographs)
Quinn Hughes tops defensemen in scoring
It begins with Karlsson coming again all the way down to earth after a ridiculous 101-point 2022-23 season in San Jose. With the video games mattering extra in Pittsburgh this season some offense may very well be sacrificed.
However I additionally assume Hughes, who completed tied for second in D scoring final season with 76 factors, will push his personal totals greater this season. For one, I see the Canucks’ Eleventh-ranked PP from final season ending up prime 5 this yr, in order that in itself will increase Hughes’ numbers.
Phrase of warning, although, colleague Thomas Drance, who covers the Canucks for The Athletic, just lately wrote about Vancouver’s energy play having a drastically new method, and there’s at all times threat in betting on a brand new system or look.
However I’m sticking with it.
Peter DeBoer wins the Jack Adams
Not solely has veteran coach Peter DeBoer by no means gained the Jack Adams, however he’s by no means even been a finalist since getting into the league in 2008-09 — which is stunning given all of the contenders he’s guided, particularly in San Jose and Vegas.
And possibly this can be a unhealthy decide as a result of folks count on the Stars to be superb, and most frequently voters lean towards coaches whose groups stunned or surpassed expectations.
However I believe the Stars are going to have the form of wire-to-wire, first-place season that may lastly get DeBoer acknowledged. I’m selecting him for the Jack Adams outright.
Kane indicators in … Florida?
Going to his hometown Sabres makes a variety of sense, however my prediction is that Patrick Kane finally ends up with the Panthers.
One would assume Florida can be extra apprehensive about its blue line, my sense is that the Panthers really feel they’ll dangle in till Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour return. Panthers normal supervisor Invoice Zito had Kane at a world hockey championship, the place Zito made him captain.
Are you able to think about Kane taking part in on a line with Aleksander Barkov? I definitely can.
The important thing for Florida is to not lose an excessive amount of floor early within the season. The plan for Kane and agent Pat Brisson is to take a look at the panorama one month into the season and begin making a shortlist. The Panthers should keep in it to make that checklist.
(Prime picture of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews: Kevin Sousa / NHLI through Getty Photographs)
