The second half of the NHL season will begin this week and there are many players and teams with a lot to play for as the Stanley Cup playoffs near.
With the trading deadline less than a month away, we could very well see some huge and exciting trades that will have large effects on the playoff races in both conferences.
It will be interesting to see if stars of the first half, such as Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul, can keep up their strong play for the entire season.
Let's look at 50 shocking predictions for the second half of the season.
Both Shea Weber and Ryan Suter Don't Get Traded
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Nashville Predators defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are both free agents in the summer and it would be shocking if both remained in Nashville after the trade deadline since the team would risk losing one or both in the summer as free agents.
I honestly believe the Predators will want to make a deep playoff run and will hold onto both star D-men.
Phil Kessel Will Score 50 Goals
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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel has 26 goals right now and has under 40 games to go to reach 50, but I think he might do it.
He's played very well this season, and with the Maple Leafs fighting for the playoffs, the star winger will elevate his game and carry the team offensively in the second half of the year.
Zach Parise Will Not Be Traded
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The New Jersey Devils need a lot more talent before they are ready to contend for the Stanley Cup again, and with captain Zach Parise able to become a free agent in the summer, the team should move him and acquire proven talent.
But losing Parise would be a huge blow to the fanbase, and the Devils will try everything to convince the star winger to remain with the team long term.
John Tavares Will Reach 95 Points
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New York Islanders star center John Tavares is playing as good as anyone in the NHL right now. He's scored 49 points in 48 games.
Tavares is a point-per-game pace, and if he can remain consistent offensively, he will reach 95 points by the end of the year.
St. Louis Blues Will Win Central Division
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The St. Louis Blues have been a surprise team this season, but with good goaltending and fantastic coaching, they will overcome the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks to win the Central Division.
Florida Will Win the Southeast Division
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The Florida Panthers have shocked many hockey fans this season by leading the Southeast Division for most of the year, but despite some recent struggles, they will finish ahead of the Washington Capitals in the division.
Marian Gaborik Will Score 50 Goals
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The New York Rangers winger scored a hat trick in the All-Star Game and won MVP for that performance, and it will give him some confidence heading into the second half of the season.
Gaborik has scored 25 goals thus far, and playing on a talented team will help him reach 50 by year's end.
Teemu Selanne Will Be Traded to Winnipeg Jets
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Teemu Selanne began his career with the Winnipeg Jets almost two decades ago, and being traded to the city where his NHL career began would be a fitting way to end his career. The Jets also need his offensive ability to climb back into the playoff race.
Jarome Iginla Will Be Traded
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The Calgary Flames are three points out of a playoff spot, but they don't have enough talent to beat out several more talented teams ahead of them in the standings.
When they fall out of the playoff race near the trading deadline, they will rightly trade veteran winger Jarome Iginla to a Stanley Cup contender so he can win his first career championship.
Columbus Will Not Finish with the Worst Record
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have the worst record in hockey but have too much talent to be atrocious for an entire season. Expect star offensive players Rick Nash and Jeff Carter to raise their games and finish the season strongly for the Blue Jackets.
Jimmy Howard Will Win the Vezina
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With several goaltenders having remarkable seasons, Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings is not getting the praise he deserves. The NHL's leader in wins with 30 will win the Vezina Trophy at the end of the season.
Patrice Bergeron Will Win Selke Trophy
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Patrice Bergeron is one of the most underrated players in the NHL, and because of his great two-way ability, he will win the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward.
Toronto Will Not Acquire a Superstar Player Before Trading Deadline
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Even though Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke is always looking at ways to make his team better, Toronto will not overpay in terms of prospects and draft picks to acquire a superstar talent before the February 27 trading deadline.
The Wild Will Miss the Playoffs
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The Minnesota Wild started off the season very well but have since gone from first place in the Western Conference standings to eighth. They are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and will shockingly miss the playoffs.
Sidney Crosby Returns to Penguins This Season
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Despite battling concussion symptoms throughout the last year or so, Pittsburgh Penguins star center Sidney Crosby will return to the team before the playoffs and play exceptionally.
Jaroslav Halak Will Be Traded
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The St. Louis Blues have found a No. 1 goalie in Brian Elliott, and when they realize they need another proven NHL player to make a deep playoff run, they will trade goaltender Jaroslav Halak to a team desperate for a goaltender at the trade deadline.
The Ducks Will Make the Playoffs
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The Anaheim Ducks have the third worst record in the Western Conference but are only 12 points out of a playoff spot, and with the offensive firepower they have, there's no reason making the postseason isn't a realistic goal.
Alexander Ovechkin Won't Reach 70 Points
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Washington Capitals star forward Alexander Ovechkin has been a major disappointment this season and has only scored 39 points in 49 games. The Russian star will not reach 70 points this season.
Maple Leafs Will Miss the Playoffs
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will not end their playoff drought this season, primarily because their goaltending is too inconsistent and some of their stars of the first half, such as Joffrey Lupul, have overachieved thus far.
Unless they make a big trade before the deadline, the Leafs won't make the postseason.
Sabres Finish with Worst Record in East
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The Buffalo Sabres are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and with injuries and underachieving stars plaguing the team, they will not make the playoffs this season.
No Star Players Will Suffer Concussions
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The NHL has been hit hard this season with some of its best players suffering concussions, but heightened awareness and the fear of being suspended by Brendan Shanahan will help keep players safer.
The Islanders Will Compete for a Playoff Spot in April
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John Tavares will lead the New York Islanders up the Eastern Conference standings and the team will compete for a playoff spot up until the last day of the season. With a veteran goaltender like Evgeni Nabokov, the Islanders could make a real run.
Vincent Lecavalier Will Be Traded
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The Tampa Bay Lightning have the third-worst record in the NHL right now and need to get young and better between the pipes, and moving Vincent Lecavalier's contract is a great way to get a franchise goaltender.
Patrick Kane Will Score 30 Goals
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Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane has 11 goals in 50 games played, but he will heat up in the second half and reach 30 goals by the end of the year. He is too talented to score less than 30 goals every year, no matter if he is at center or on the wing.
Sean Couturier Will Win the Calder Trophy
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Philadelphia Flyers rookie Sean Couturier had a great first half of the season, but with the team fighting for playoff position, his offense will explode in the second half and help him win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Rick Nash Will Be Traded
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The Columbus Blue Jackets need a star goalie for the future, and trading Rick Nash is the only way the team can acquire an elite goaltender.
Ilya Bryzgalov Will Dominate
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Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has struggled this season and has been inconsistent all year. However, he will be spectacular for the Flyers in the second half and prove he was worth the large contract Philly gave him in the summer.
Kris Versteeg Will Reach 85 Points
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Florida Panthers forward Kris Versteeg has been awesome this season and will use wrongly being snubbed for the All-Star Game as motivation to have an even better second half and reach 85 points scored.
Jamie Benn Will Score 30 Goals
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Dallas Stars star forward Jamie Benn has scored 13 goals in 43 games due to time missed because of an emergency surgery.
However, when he returns this week, he will have an amazing second half and score at least 30 goals by year's end.
The Rangers Will Make a Major Trade
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The New York Rangers are first in the Eastern Conference, but injuries or just the need to improve will cause the team to make a major trade and commit for a Stanley Cup run.
Pittsburgh Will Finish 7th in the East
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The Penguins have had their struggles this season and have battled injuries to key payers all year. They cannot expect Evgeni Malkin to be consistently dominant and must have other players step up offensively or they will finish with the seventh seed.
Pavel Datsyuk Will Win Hart Trophy
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Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk will win the Hart Trophy as league MVP this season not only because of his phenomenal offensive play, but more importantly, because of the defensive aspects of his game.
Ryan Getzlaf Will Be Traded
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The Anaheim Ducks need to make a move to improve their club and address some of their weaknesses, one of which is getting more scoring from their bottom lines.
They will find a contending team, like the Maple Leafs, who will overpay to acquire star center Ryan Getzlaf.
Washington Will Miss the Playoffs
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The Washington Capitals are tied for the least amount of points among playoff teams in the East, but they are tied for the Southeast Division lead as well. When Florida overtakes them in the division, they will fall out of the playoff race and miss the postseason altogether.
The Canadiens Will Make a Major Trade for a Forward
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Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier will make a final attempt to save his job by acquiring a big-time forward before the trading deadline.
Scott Hartnell's Production Will Decline
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Scott Hartnell has scored 44 points in 48 games for the Philadelphia Flyers this season, but in the second half of the year, his production will decline. He has overachieved thus far.
The Kings Will Make the West Finals
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When the Los Angeles Kings start the second half of the season, they will find their groove and head into the playoffs on fire. With their offensive talent and goaltending strength with Jonathan Quick, they are a team built to succeed in the playoffs.
Tuukka Rask Will Be Only Vezina Nominee from Bruins
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Bruins backup goaltender Tuukka Rask is going to get a lot of playing time as the team rests Tim Thomas for the playoffs, and he will take advantage of the opportunity and play well enough to be nominated for the Vezina Trophy.
Dennis Wideman's Production Will Plummet
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Washington Capitals defenseman Dennis Wideman has overachieved tremendously this season and has scored 34 points thus far. Don't expect him to keep at that pace for the remainder of the season.
Eric Staal Will Be Traded
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The Carolina Hurricanes have so many areas to improve in, and instead of acquiring more young talent by trading goaltender Cam Ward, they will trade captain Eric Staal in a bold move.
The Canucks Will Not Make the West Finals
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The Vancouver Canucks will not make the Western Conference Finals again this season because they will lose in the West semifinals to a team like the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings or San Jose Sharks.
Marian Hossa Will Win Art Ross Trophy
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Currently third in the NHL in scoring, Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks will have a great second half for his team and explode offensively to lead the league in scoring and win the Art Ross Trophy.
Steven Stamkos Will Score 65 Goals
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Steven Stamkos is the best goal scorer in the game and leads the NHL with 32 thus far. Expect the Lightning star to have an even better second half and dominate the league by scoring 65 goals by year's end.
Jimmy Howard Will Win 50 Games
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The Red Wings goaltender leads the NHL in wins with 30, and with the team not having a reliable backup, Howard will be asked to carry the team to a win each night.
He will respond in a big way by winning 50 games.
The Rangers and Bruins Will Not Meet in the East Finals
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The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins will not meet in the Eastern Conference Finals despite having the two best records in the conference. One of these teams will be beaten by a rival in the second round and fall short of their expectations.
St. Louis Blues Will Win Presidents' Trophy
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I predicted earlier that the St. Louis Blues would win the Central Division, and if they do that, they will have the best record in the NHL and earn the Presidents' Trophy.
Brian Elliott Will Not Lead NHL in Save Percentage
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Brian Elliott will not lead the league in save percentage this season despite leading in that category heading into the break. The Blues would be smart to get backup goalie Jaroslav Halak more playing time, and it's unfair to expect Elliott to keep up his amazing first-half stats.
Jonathan Toews Will Not Be Nominated for Hart Trophy
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Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is having an awesome year, but he won't be nominated for the Hart Trophy because of the seasons Evgeni Malkin, Claude Giroux, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Lundqvist are having.
Cory Schneider Will Start in Playoffs for Canucks
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Cory Schneider handles big-game pressure better than No. 1 goalie and teammate Roberto Luongo, and because of this, he will start for the Vancouver Canucks in the playoffs right away, or a few games in.
Schneider's big win in Boston this season proves he's ready to lead the Canucks in the postseason. He doesn't get rattled on the big stage.
A Team Will Come Back from an 0-3 Playoff Deficit
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Over the last three years, several teams have forced a Game 7 of a playoff series after trailing 3-0 in the series, with the Philadelphia Flyers completing the comeback in 2010 against the Bruins.
One team will come back from an 0-3 deficit and win a playoff series this postseason.
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