Photo Credit: Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP
by Chris Asbrock and Kyle Phillips
The time has finally come for hockey fans.
The puck officially drops on the 2017/2018 NHL season Wednesday night, as there are four games that will wet the appetite of hockey fans. With the Stanley Cup going to the Eastern Conference the last two seasons, one question remains, will the West reclaim the cup? Unlike in years past, the Stanley Cup could be heading to Canada for the first time since 1993. The Canadian teams are poised to rise up and make a serious run at Lord Stanley’s Cup, led by the Edmonton Oilers.
The league is filled with a load of young stars, players the NHL can market and build on for many years to come. With Conor McDavid at the forefront, the Oilers gained that much needed playoff experience last season and will look to build off a solid playoff run. With the expansion west in Las Vegas, the league is in a great position.
Myself and colleague Kyle Phillips look ahead to this upcoming season. Below are our predictions for the season, including our award winners.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Metropolitan Division
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
3. New York Rangers
4. Washington Capitals / New York Islanders (Kyle)
5. New York Islanders / Washington Capitals (Kyle)
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. Philadelphia Flyers
The Metropolitan Division has been the class of the East since the NHL decided to realign the conferences. The Metro is loaded with some of the best talent in the game. With names like Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin and Tavares calling the Metro home, it is a total meat grinder to make it through to the playoffs each season. The defending Stanley Cup champion, Pittsburgh Penguins will once again be challenging to hoist the cup for the third straight season. With Crosby and Malkin leading the way, the Penguins will surely be there in the end. The Columbus Blue Jackets provide the most intrigue in this division, as they once again come back with a loaded team and a brick wall of a goaltender. Can the talent and experience of the Blue Jackets be enough to knock the Penguins off their perch?
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Montreal Canadiens / Florida Panthers (Kyle)
4. Ottawa Senators
5. Boston Bruins / Montreal Canadians (Kyle)
6. Buffalo Sabres
7. Florida Panthers / Boston Bruins (Kyle)
8. Detroit Red Wings
The Atlantic Division isn’t as loaded with talent like the Metro but they are certainly no slouch. Steven Stamkos is the class of this division and will look to take his Tampa Bay Lightning to the top of the East once again. Stamkos has been feared as one of the most potent goal scorers in the NHL and will certainly be at the top once again. Fighting for the top spot are the Toronto Maple Leafs. Led by phenom Auston Matthews and coach Mike Babcock, the Leafs will be fighting with Tampa for the top spot in the Atlantic. The other two Canadian teams, Montreal and Ottawa will find themselves in the playoff hunt all season but will the lack of scoring be enough to dash their playoff hopes. The Buffalo Sabres will be a team to watch in the division. With Jack Eichel fully healthy, look for him to be at the top of the scoring race. If Eichel can stay off the injury list, the Sabres could make that push and overtake one either Montreal or Ottawa.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Pacific Division
1. Edmonton Oilers
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Calgary Flames
5. Los Angeles Kings / Arizona Coyotes (Kyle)
6. Vancouver Canucks / Los Angeles Kings (Kyle)
7. Arizona Coyotes / Vancouver Canucks (Kyle)
8. Vegas Golden Knights
The Pacific Division is truly a two horse race. The battle between Edmonton and Anaheim will be a fun one to watch all season. The Oilers will look to avenge their playoff loss to the Ducks last season. The experience will only benefit the Oilers and Conor McDavid. Leon Draisaitl is the perfect player to play along side McDavid and is the one who carried the Oilers in the playoffs. The Ducks will once again be a serious player in the West. The battle for the third spot in the division will be interesting as the Flames, Kings and Sharks should all battle it out to make the playoffs. The Flames just signed 45 year-old Jaromir Jagr and will hope he can help propel them into the playoff hunt. Jagr won’t be enough but his leadership and experience should help the youthful Flames in moving forward. At the bottom of the division will be the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas scored a lot of goals this preseason and will be competitive this season. With the hype in Vegas, one can only hope the Golden Knights will help satisfy the hunger for hockey in the desert.
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars / Nashville Predators (Kyle)
2. Minnesota Wild / Dallas Stars (Kyle)
3. St. Louis Blues / Chicago Blackhawks (Kyle)
4. Chicago Blackhawks / Minnesota Wild (Kyle)
5. Winnipeg Jets / St. Louis Blues (Kyle)
6. Nashville Predators / Winnipeg Jets (Kyle)
7. Colorado Avalanche
Along with the Metro, the Central Division can stake claim to the toughest division in hockey. With seven of the last twelve Cup winners coming from the West, it has been the Blackhawks who have claimed three of those Cups. The Blackhawks will certainly be in the playoffs once again but will likely battle it out for one of the two wild card playoff spots. The Dallas Stars come into this season as the favorite in the Central. With Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza leading the offense, the Stars will look to make a serious push for a birth in the Stanley Cup Finals. Under Bruce Boudreau, the Minnesota Wild will be one of the teams looking to take home the division title. From top to bottom, the Central is loaded and can be won this season by six teams. The Nashville Predators look to be the odd team out this season but the losses of Mike Fisher, James Neal and Colin Wilson, the Predators will feel those departures a lot more than expected. With the Colorado Avalanche looking to regroup from a tough couple of seasons, the Avalanche should only be dormant for a short time and the division will only get stronger.
Chris’ Eastern Conference Final: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Kyle’s Eastern Conference Final: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Chris’ Western Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars
Kyle’s Western Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers vs. Nashville Predators
Chris’ Stanley Cup Final: Edmonton Oilers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Kyle’s Stanley Cup Final: Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Chris’ Stanley Cup Champion: Edmonton Oilers
Kyle’s Stanley Cup Champion: Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL TROPHY WATCH:
Art Ross
Chris: Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay)
Kyle: Conor McDavid (Edmonton)
Hart Trophy
Chris: Conor McDavid (Edmonton)
Kyle: Conor McDavid (Edmonton)
Norris Trophy
Chris: Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay)
Kyle: Erik Karlsson (Ottawa)
Vezina Trophy
Chris: Sergei Bobrovsky (Columbus)
Kyle: Craig Anderson (Ottawa)
Rocket Richard
Chris: Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay)
Kyle: Alexander Ovechkin (Washington)
Jack Adams
Chris: Todd McClellan (Edmonton)
Kyle: Mike Babcock (Toronto)
Calder
Chris: Charlie McAvoy (Boston)
Kyle: Nico Hischier (New Jersey)
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