The Athletic has reside protection of Connor Bedard’s debut and the Blackhawks vs. Penguins matchup
It’s prediction season.
Despite being a die-hard Cowboys fan, I predicted a Bills-49ers Super Bowl earlier than the NFL season started, and I’m sticking with it, hoping the Cowboys show me unsuitable. It’s truly the third yr in a row I’ve picked a San Fran-Buffalo Super Bowl. Surely 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 Final with the Oilers successful Game 7 on the street. It’s truly the identical Cup closing prediction I had final April earlier than the playoffs.
I just like the Stars and Hurricanes to finish the Final Four image, and both a type of groups might simply find yourself in the Final.
This isn’t click-bait on the Leafs. I simply suppose that with Tampa Bay and Florida preventing key accidents to start out the season and Boston shedding 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 little bit sandpaper — however sandpaper in the type of talent, too.
I bear in mind when lots of people lastly give up on choosing the Capitals after they misplaced out but once more to the Penguins in the second spherical of the 2016-17 playoffs. Their Cup-contending years appeared over. Then they lastly broke by in 2017-18.
Read extra: NHL 2023-24 awards predictions: McDavid’s high Hart Trophy challenger? Plus the large Hellebuyck commerce query
I may be bought on that sort of journey for the Leafs this season.
My Hockey Hall of Fame colleague Eric Duhatschek had extra guts than me, truly choosing the Leafs to really win all of it.
I’m choosing Connor McDavid’s Oilers to high them, although, bringing Canada its first Cup win since 1993. The Oilers are prepared after shedding to the eventual Cup winners every of the previous two seasons, Vegas in 2023 and Colorado in 2022. And this preseason, the Oilers’ high gamers sound so much to me just like the Avalanche’s gamers did earlier than they lastly gained two years in the past.
Is this the yr Connor McDavid wins his first Stanley Cup championship? (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
It is a tall order at 18, to make sure, however put me down for 80 points 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 this point in his younger profession. I feel he’s greater than prepared for this.
“I don’t want to put words into his mouth, but he seems like he was born for it,” Blackhawks linemate Taylor Hall mentioned on our Got Yer Back podcast not too long ago. “He seems like a guy that doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. He wants it. And he wants to be the best player on the ice.”
Bedard coaching with McDavid this previous summer time and spending time with Sidney Crosby on the Biosteel camp isn’t by chance.
“He wants to be one of these guys,” Hall mentioned. “He wants to be mentioned in that category. And I think watching him for the first few days of camp, he’s got the game 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 motive to consider that streak continues. For my cash, Cale Makar is the perfect defenseman in the world, and let’s be actual: He’s the perfect guess to win the Norris this season, and it wouldn’t shock me if he had 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 in the dialog, and Roman Josi is way from achieved.
But I’m going to exit on a limb and predict Heiskanen delivers the sort of all-around season on a Cup-contending crew that provides 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 shocked in making the playoffs final season, however additionally 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 in the West, and I see a crew just like the Flames, for instance, bouncing again. I additionally suppose a number 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 well for longer-term sustainability — however I might see this season being a minor step again and lacking out by a degree or two.
Senators make it
And we get the Battle of Ontario in the primary spherical! How a lot enjoyable would that be?
But sure, the time has arrived for the Senators to punch their ticket to the postseason for the primary time since reaching the convention closing in 2017. It was a protracted rebuild, however Brady (*80*) will lead the Senators to the promised land. I’m not 100% bought on Joonas Korpisalo, however he doesn’t have to steal that many video games. Just give the Senators common goaltending, and that needs to be wonderful.
Can Brady (*80*) lead the Senators to their first playoff look since 2017? (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
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 could possibly be sacrificed.
But I additionally suppose Hughes, who completed tied for second in D scoring final season with 76 points, will push his personal totals increased this season. For one, I see the Canucks’ Eleventh-ranked PP from final season ending up high 5 this yr, in order that in itself will increase Hughes’ numbers.
Word of warning, although, colleague Thomas Drance, who covers the Canucks for The Athletic, not too long ago wrote about Vancouver’s energy play having a drastically new strategy, and there’s at all times danger in betting on a brand new system or look.
But 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 coming into the league in 2008-09 — which is stunning given all of the contenders he’s guided, particularly in San Jose and Vegas.
And perhaps it is a unhealthy decide as a result of folks anticipate the Stars to be excellent, and most frequently voters lean towards coaches whose groups shocked or surpassed expectations.
But I feel the Stars are going to have the sort of wire-to-wire, first-place season that can lastly get DeBoer acknowledged. I’m choosing him for the Jack Adams outright.
Kane indicators in … Florida?
Going to his hometown Sabres makes a number of sense, however my prediction is that Patrick Kane finally ends up with the Panthers.
One would suppose Florida can be extra anxious about its blue line, my sense is that the Panthers really feel they will hold in till Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour return. Panthers common supervisor Bill Zito had Kane at a world hockey championship, the place Zito made him captain.
Can you think about Kane taking part in on a line with Aleksander Barkov? I definitely can.
The key for Florida is to not lose an excessive amount of floor early in 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 listing.
(Top photograph of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews: Kevin Sousa / NHLI through Getty Images)
Discussion about this post