Bold Predictions for the 2017-18 NHL Season

On Wednesday, the puck drops to kick off the 2017-18 NHL season.

Over the next nine months, the league's 31 teams will fight it out—first for a chance to reach the playoffs, then for the coveted Stanley Cup.

In many ways, the only thing that's predictable about the NHL is its unpredictability. The league is known for its parity. That's why it's so tough to project what will come to pass in the days and months that lie ahead.

But that doesn't mean we can't try.

Check out these bold predictions for the upcoming season: which teams will push into the playoff ranks, which ones will be left behind, the top scorers, the first coach fired and, of course, this year's Stanley Cup champion.

You may or may not agree, but that's why it's fun to go out on a limb. For a little while longer, nobody's wrong.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Will Win Their 3rd Straight Stanley Cup

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It might seem like a safe bet to pick the reigning champions to defend their Stanley Cup title next spring, but there's nothing easy about winning three straight titles in the NHL.

Not only are the Pittsburgh Penguins the first club in nearly 20 years to even win two in a row, other impressive repeat champions over the past 30 years couldn't win three straight titles—even in the years before the salary cap was introduced.

That elite group includes the Penguins team that was led by the organization's current owner, Mario Lemieux, back in 1991 and 1992. It was knocked out in the second round by the New York Islanders in 1993.

Considering they also won a title back in 2009, returning Penguins Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang already have three titles compared to Mario's two. Another Cup in 2018 would make the current incarnation of the Penguins unequivocally the best in franchise history. It would also move Crosby and Company into the ranks of the league's top dynasties.

Four Cups in a decade is impressive at any point in league history. It's even more amazing now, with the league bigger than ever and the salary cap keeping most teams in the competitive mix.

It's easy to imagine one of those 30 other clubs getting on a roll that could take them all the way to a Stanley Cup, but it's tough to bet against a determined Sidney Crosby. Get ready to watch them carve out a spot in the history books this year.

Jamie Benn Will Win His 2nd Art Ross Trophy

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Last spring, Connor McDavid captured his first NHL scoring title and MVP award in just his second NHL season. After moving so quickly into the conversation as one of the league's best players, it's easy to assume that the precocious 20-year-old will stay there for the next decade or more.

But just like it's hard for teams to keep winning Stanley Cups, there's also plenty of competition among players.

Since the salary-cap era began in 2005-06, 10 different players have taken home the Art Ross Trophy as the top scorer over 12 years. There have been only two two-time winners: Sidney Crosby in 2006-07 and 2013-14 and teammate Evgeni Malkin in 2008-09 and 2011-12.

The closest thing we've had to a back-to-back winner in the salary-cap era was the consecutive wins by the Sedin twins from the Vancouver Canucks in 2010 and 2011—it's almost like they're the same person! In truth, the last player to actually win consecutive scoring titles was the otherworldly Jaromir Jagr, who won four in a row with the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1998 and 2001.

So don't be too quick to assume that McDavid will be able to stack another stellar season on top of the one he just completed. Odds are something will block his way.

That could very well be Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn. After winning his first Art Ross in 2014-15 with 87 points, he actually improved by two points the following season but finished second behind Patrick Kane.

Last year, Benn backslid to 69 points as he dealt with injuries. This fall, he's healthy and should be ready to shine on a Stars team that made some impressive offseason changes.

A second scoring title for Benn will move him into the heart of the conversation as one of the best players of his generation.

Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes Will Make the Eastern Conference Playoffs

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The Carolina Hurricanes are getting plenty of attention as an Eastern Conference team on the rise this season—and deservedly so. 

Eight years removed from their last postseason appearance, the Hurricanes have amassed a boatload of young talent thanks to all of their high draft picks. This offseason, general manager Ron Francis acquired a goalie on the rise in Scott Darling. Coach Bill Peters has done a solid job of developing his young players and is going into his fourth year behind the Hurricanes bench.

In 2016-17, Carolina finished eight points out of a playoff spot. Expect to see them land in a wild-card spot this season.

Also ready to make a move are the Buffalo Sabres under new coach Phil Housley. He's a rookie as an NHL bench boss, but the ex-Sabre has played in 1,495 NHL games and previous head coaching gigs at the high school and international levels. Housley also spent the last four seasons running the defense as an assistant with the Nashville Predators.

The Sabres' rebuild has been spinning its wheels over the last few years, and the team has the league's second-longest active playoff drought (six seasons). With new leadership, some savvy veteran additions like Marco Scandella, Nathan Beaulieu and Jason Pominville, and a full season from emerging superstar Jack Eichel, this is the year that the Sabres will overcome the 17-point chasm that stands between them and a playoff spot.

Arizona Coyotes, Winnipeg Jets Be Most Improved Teams in Western Conference

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Over in the Western Conference, keep an eye on the Arizona Coyotes and the Winnipeg Jets.

Like the Sabres, the Yotes are undergoing a metamorphosis, with Rick Tocchet taking over behind the bench and a group of new vets that includes underrated defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, solid center Derek Stepan and emerging goaltender Antti Raanta.

The Coyotes have gone five years since their last playoff appearance and are starting the season with a whopping six forwards on entry-level contracts. Clayton Keller is getting the lion's share of attention as a Calder Trophy possibility, but if the Coyotes follow in the footsteps of the Toronto Maple Leafs and also get big seasons out of youngsters like Lawson Crouse, Brendan Perlini and Dylan Strome, they'll play their way right into a playoff spot.

The Winnipeg Jets' young core is a little further along. Mark Scheifele is on the verge of becoming the next Canadian superstar, while Blake Wheeler is one of the league's most underrated power forwards. In addition, the Jets may have finally settled their goaltending issues with the signing of Steve Mason. 

Watch for the exciting Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers to both take another step forward offensively. That should set up the Jets for their first postseason appearance in three years and, with any luck, a playoff win in Winnipeg at last.

John Tortorella Will Be the 1st Coach Fired

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As the saying goes, coaches are hired to be fired.

To take it one step further, coaches who win the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year are hired to be fired in a hurry.

Take a look at the misfortune that has befallen most recent winners:

• 2015: Bob Hartley, Calgary Flames (fired May 3, 2016)
• 2014: Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche (resigned August 11, 2016)
• 2013: Paul MacLean, Ottawa Senators (fired December 8, 2014)
• 2012: Ken Hitchcock, St. Louis Blues (fired February 1, 2017)
• 2011: Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh Penguins (fired June 6, 2014)
• 2010: Dave Tippett, Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (parted ways June 22, 2017)
• 2009: Claude Julien, Boston Bruins (fired February 7, 2017)

After Tippett and Julien moved on from their positions last season, Joel Quenneville became the NHL's longest-serving coach—and is one of the most successful.

Coach Q joined the Chicago Blackhawks on October 16, 2008, four games into that season. Since that time, he has amassed a record of 413-204-83 for a winning percentage of .649 and led his team to three Stanley Cups.

Quenneville hasn't won a Jack Adams in Chicago. Is that what's keeping him safe?

Barry Trotz of the Washington Capitals won the award in 2016. He shouldn't have to worry for at least the upcoming season since the Capitals are not expecting to backslide from their Presidents' Trophy-winning excellence of the last two years.

The same cannot be said for 2017 winner John Tortorella. He led the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 32-point improvement in the standings last season, mostly on the strength of a near-record 16-game winning streak, but his job could quickly be in jeopardy.

Boasting a Vezina Trophy-winning goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky, great leadership from captain Nick Foligno and one of the best young defense pairings in the league in Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, the Blue Jackets are expected to hold serve among the elite teams in the Metropolitan Division this season, a tough order.

Once the team inevitably starts to falter, expect to see Tortorella start throwing his usual hissy fits and alienating his players. When the switch is flipped, there will be no turning back. The Blue Jackets will need to cut Torts loose to protect their players and salvage their season.

Two 2017 Conference Finalists Won't Make the Playoffs

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After knocking on the door of the Stanley Cup Final last season, the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks will struggle to even get back to the postseason.

The superhero efforts of two players fueled the Sens' postseason run: goaltender Craig Anderson and defenseman Erik Karlsson. Karlsson's contribution was even more impressive because he played hurt.

Because he came back so impressively after his serious Achilles injury in 2013, it's tempting to think that Karlsson will bounce back just as well this year after offseason ankle surgery. But Ottawa's captain is sounding some alarms, telling Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen that he doesn't think he'll be ready for his team's season opener.

"I don't think I'm going to miss significant time, but I do want to make sure that, when I'm back, I'm back (for good)," Karlsson told Warren.

If Karlsson's road to recovery turns out to be longer or bumpier than he's anticipating, it puts a serious wrench into the Sens' game plan, and Anderson might not be there quite as regularly to bail them out this year.

Dealing with heightened emotions after his wife was diagnosed with cancer, the veteran Anderson delivered one of the best performances of his career, finishing the year with a .926 save percentage and 2.28 goals-against average in 40 games played.

It was enough to earn him a two-year contract extension that kicks in at the end of this season. But Anderson is now 36 years old. It's unlikely that he'll be able to sustain that level of play much longer.

In the West, the Anaheim Ducks have been knocking at the door for years now, but their long list of injuries going into the season is going to make it tough for them to remain competitive.

Ryan Kesler, Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm are all expected to miss significant time. In addition, veterans Ryan Getzlaf, Patrick Eaves, Kevin Bieksa and new backup goalie Ryan Miller are nursing ailments that surfaced during the preseason and range between doubtful and probable for opening night.

Those four players are all well into their 30s, when every injury starts to take a bigger toll. Absences and below-par performances from older players will be the main reason why the Ducks decline this season.

The team has a new wave of young talent coming up, but it won't be able to do enough this year to slow the slide. Watch for Anaheim to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2012.