by Matt Kennedy
It’s officially hockey season in North America as the 2016-2017 NHL season begins this month. This is always an exciting time of year and this season is coming in with high expectations.
The defending Stanley Cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, had a mellow offseason as they avoided the tricky waters of free agency and kept most of their players from last year’s championship run.
Penguins’ star, Sidney Crosby, just finished his time in the World Cup for Team Canada and he looks to work off of the momentum from last year and elevate his already amazing career.
Crosby was the playoffs MVP last season as well as the World Cup MVP. He put up 36 goals and 49 assists in the 80 regular season games he played last season. The first half of the season he was unproductive on the ice, but the rust came off in December and he went on to lead the league in scoring with 30 goals and 33 assists from December to the end of the season.
The Penguins face off against Capitals on Oct. 13 for their first regular season game.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the preseason ranked number one team according to ESPN as well as the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. General manager Steve Yzerman has done an excellent job keeping the team intact by resigning Victor Hedman and captain Steven Stamkos to long term deals.
The Lightning had their season end in the Eastern Conference Finals last year in a heartbreaking game seven loss against Pittsburgh. Even though they finished sixth in the Eastern Conference during the regular season last year, Tampa Bay gained important postseason experience as they almost reached their second straight Stanley Cup Final.
The two young stars, Jonathan Drouin and Slater Koekkoek, will have full-time roles for the first time in their careers as both the top line and defense are upheld by both men. Head coach, John Cooper, highly expresses his approval of the two and constantly praised their efforts in the postseason last year.
Tampa Bay was 28 in power plays last year and needs to improve in other fields in order to make the playoffs yet again. Management brought in Todd Richards, former coach of the Blue Jackets, to help with the offense and assist in other struggling elements.
The Eastern Conference once again looks strong with Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay out in front. Florida appears to be another contender this year as they added the big-time free agents, Keith Yandle and Jason Demers. The Panthers got knocked out of the playoffs in the first round last season by the Islanders but are now considered contenders because of the strong roster additions.
The Western Conference consists of the 2015-2016 runner-ups, The San Jose Sharks, as the favorites to be the leader in their division. History is not always kind to second place in the past and it is always hard to come back after a disappointing loss and start over again; however, the Sharks are confident after a long offseason.
Head coach, Peter DeBeor, is entering his second full year with the team which adds a level of heightened comfort level to the organization. A long playoff run showed a lack of depth in the organization, which was a dynamic factor in the Stanley Cup Finals loss. The team addressed this issue in the offseason adding Mikkel Boedker, who will bring them a faster and tougher force to the team’s forwards.
Other teams to look out for in the West consist of the Saint Louis Blues, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators. All three teams made the playoffs and despite losing significant players in the offseason, they will once again be attempting to make a run at the Stanley Cup.
Week one of the regular season is approaching, Wednesday, Oct. 12, four games open the season. The Maple Leafs will square off against the Senators in Ottawa in the first game of the season. The Saint Louis Blues face the Chicago Blackhawks. The Oilers take on the Calgary Flames at their new home venue, Rogers Place. Finally, the L.A. Kings battle the Sharks in San Jose.
The hard-hitting action is back the United States and Canada, and the question remains of who will take home the Stanley Cup in the 2017 season.
