After a long couple of months, the NHL finally returns tonight! While the Columbus Blue Jackets do not officially open their season until Friday night when they host the New York Islanders, a slew of games kicks off the season tonight. The marquee matchup involves the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins raising their banner against the St. Louis Blues (don’t watch this game).
For now, however, we can speculate on the standings and who will win the various trophies. My predictions are as follows:
Metro:
Pittsburgh Penguins
Columbus Blue Jackets
Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
New Jersey Devils
Atlantic:
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tampa Bay Lightning
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Florida Panthers
Detroit Red Wings
Central:
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Dallas Stars
Colorado Avalanche
Pacific:
Edmonton Oilers
Anaheim Ducks
LA Kings
Calgary Flames
San Jose Sharks
Arizona Coyotes
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Eastern Wild Cards
WC1: Carolina Hurricanes
WC2: Ottawa Senators
Western Wild Cards:
WC1: Calgary Flames
WC2: St. Louis Blues
Jack Adams: Bill Peters, Carolina
Calder: Alex DeBrincat, Chicago
Vezina: Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota
Hart: Connor McDavid, Edmonton
Norris: Erik Karlsson, Ottawa
I also believe that this is the year the Blue Jackets finally win a playoff series.
What are your predictions for the season? Let us know!