The NHL season is back. Oh, what a feeling.
The cup runneth over in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights will seek to be the first Western Conference to repeat since the Detroit Red Wings in 1998.
The start of the NHL regular season brings new opportunities for some. We are starting with the Pittsburg Penguins, where the most significant off-season trade brought in James Norris Memorial Trophy winner Erik Karlsson.
“He is a special player,” Penguins Center Sidney Crosby said.
Will Karlsson be the piece that turns the Penguins back to title contenders?
On opening night, the Penguins host the Chicago Blackhawks, facing a steep climb back to prominence.
Blackhawks are ready to unleash No.1 overall pick Connor Bedard. What will we expect from the 18-year-old labeled “once in a generation.”
Questions continue for other teams. Can the Boston Bruins rebound after a record-setting campaign ended in a playoff heartbreak by the Florida Panthers?
Will Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers prove last year’s playoff magic was no fluke?
The Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings are running it back with the same core. Do they have what it takes for a deep run in the postseason?
Let’s take a moment for Connor McDavid, who finished with 153 points last season. It was the NHL’s first 150-point season since 1996.
Can McDavid add to those individual achievements by bringing a Stanley Cup to Edmonton? Those questions and more will be answered this season.