Hello There, We're On the Air, It's Hockey Night Tonight

Hockey season really kind of sneaks up on you.  It's been less than four months since the Golden Knights' six-year plan came to fruition and they skated the Stanley Cup around the T-Mobile Arena ice.  Now it's already time for a new season, which Vegas will begin by raising its banner to the rafters.  Will they end it by becoming repeat champions?  Or will we see the first Canadian Stanley Cup winner in more than 30 years?  And will the Prince of Wales Trophy leave the state of Florida?

Of course, Vegas isn't the only team entering the season with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations.  It's even hard to say who would be a "favorite" as the season starts.  Because there are so many strong teams across the NHL, especially in the Eastern Conference.  There are probably 11 or 12 Eastern Conference teams that realistically could make the playoffs, so it's gonna be a dogfight for those eight spots.

Atlantic Division: The Atlantic Division will still be dominated by the Big Three--Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay.  The Bruins are out for some redemption after a record-setting regular season that was followed by a first-round playoff loss last year.  They lost a lot through free agency and retirement, though, so I don't think they'll be nearly as dominant in 2023-24.  Toronto very well could be, though.  Now that the Leafs have gotten that first round playoff monkey off their backs, look for them to do big things this season.  And the Lightning will do what they always do.  They've been one of the most consistent teams in the league for a few seasons now.

Oh, yeah, the defending conference champions also play in the Atlantic Division.  Florida won the President's Trophy in 2021-22, then barely made the playoffs last season before getting all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.  So, I have no idea how their 2023-24 will play out.  The Sabres have gotten better and have an outside playoff shot, but the East is simply too deep.

Detroit, too, will make some noise but ultimately end up on the outside looking in.  The team I'm curious about, though, is Ottawa.  The Senators have gotten their ownership situation figured out.  Without that hanging over them, can they make a run?  The one Atlantic Division team I'm fairly certain won't go on a run is Montreal.  The Canadiens might be the worst team in the league.

Metropolitan Division: There are six Metropolitan Division teams that I can see making the playoffs.  At least one of them definitely won't.  And of those six, I think three are real contenders.  The Met hasn't had a team make the Final since Washington won the Cup in 2018, but I can definitely see that changing this year.

Carolina isn't going anywhere.  Neither are the Rangers.  They're probably the two best teams in the division.  The Devils won't catch anybody by surprise this season, but have enough talent to be just as good.  The Islanders are the team I'm really curious about, though, mainly because they have different personnel.  If anybody's gonna crack that top three, it'll be them.  Or, they could just as easily fall out of the playoffs entirely.

Then there's Pittsburgh and Washington.  The Penguins don't blow a game against the Blackhawks at the end of the season last year, the Panthers don't even make the playoffs.  And the Capitals missed the playoffs mainly because they had so many injuries to deal with.  Either one is capable of a rebound.  So, really, the Flyers and Blue Jackets are the only teams in the Met whose playoff chances can be described as "slim to none."

Central Division: Out West, there are a bunch of good teams that sort of blend into each other.  None of them really stands out as significantly better than the rest, but it also wouldn't be a surprise to see somebody assert themselves.  Especially in the Central Division, where I can even see Connor Bedard leading Chicago to the playoffs.

Will he lead the Blackhawks back to the Kane-Toews glory days of a decade ago when they won three Cups in six years?  No.  Will he make them much more entertaining and relevant?  Yes.  Will they be a playoff team?  Questionable.  I can see them getting close, but ultimately, I think the answer is "No."  Not in a division that includes Colorado, Winnipeg and Dallas.

Let's not forget, the Avalanche are only one year removed from winning the Cup.  If they're healthy, they can easily be in the discussion again.  Winnipeg has one of the best goalies in the game in Conor Hellebuyck.  And Dallas is another sneaky good team with loads of talent.  The Stars will either win the division or barely make the playoffs.  Minnesota's ready to pounce, too, and if the Wild get in, they can be a tough out.  It'll be close, but no cigar for Nashville and St. Louis.  And the Coyotes are still playing in Arizona, so they've at least got that going for them.

Pacific Division: This is, far and away, the most confusing division in hockey.  There are some really bad teams (Anaheim, Vancouver, San Jose), teams that will either be really good or really bad (Calgary, LA, Seattle), and two elite clubs that have Stanley Cup aspirations (Edmonton, Vegas).  The Pacific Division also almost never plays out as expected, so why should this season be any different?

Edmonton is a sleeping giant.  The Oilers keep getting closer, and they're gonna put it together eventually.  Once they do figure it out, they could be the team that ends that Canadian Cup drought.  The Knights won't vacate their throne that easily, though.  And the Kraken, after a respectable expansion year, won a playoff round last season.  They appear to be the most vulnerable of the three, though, especially if the Kings assert themselves.

After finishing second in the division two years ago, the Flames really regressed last season.  That had a lot more to do with the free agents they lost than an absence of talent.  They're the only one of those bottom four teams who has a chance to squeak into the playoffs.  The Sharks and Canucks certainly don't, and the Ducks are more likely to be in a three-way battle with Montreal and Arizona for the worst record in the league.

While preseason predictions are an inexact science at best, they're probably harder to get right in hockey than any other sport.  Just look at how hard it is at the beginning of the playoffs!  But I'll give it a shot anyway.  And I really think we'll see that Canadian Stanley Cup drought end.  Because I don't just think there'll be a Canadian team in the Final.  I think there'll be two.

My Stanley Cup Final prediction is Edmonton over Toronto.  Is it a crazy pick?  Probably.  But I think the Oilers and Maple Leafs are both teams on the brink.  And I see them finally breaking through.  Connor McDavid joins Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, two absolute legends of the game, as captains to lead Edmonton to the Stanley Cup.  Its first since 1990 and sixth overall.