The Top Storylines for the 2015-16 NHL Season
Puck drop for the new NHL season has finally arrived, and there are a number of intriguing plot lines to follow, from superstar rookies looking to make their mark to new rules that may impact the standings.
There was a great deal of turnover in the offseason, with multiple coaching changes and players swapping uniforms as well. Now we just sit back and watch how it all plays out as they all battle to be one of the elite eight in their respective conferences.
Here's a look at some of the top storylines of the new season.
All statistics are via NHL.com unless otherwise noted.
No. 1s with a Bullet
1 of 15
It's one thing to perform well in limited crease time as an NHL backup goalie. It's another to be named the starter, paid handsomely and then post the kind of numbers that got you noticed in the smaller role as the go-to guy on a nightly basis.
It's even harder when you move from one of the top defensive teams in the league to one of the worst, the way former New York Rangers netminder Cam Talbot has done now that he's the starter in Edmonton for the lowly Oilers.
The same could be said for ex-Los Angeles Kings backstop Martin Jones, who landed in San Jose this summer. And the rebuilding Buffalo Sabres are looking to former Ottawa Senators spare part Robin Lehner to get it done as the new No. 1 across the border in Buffalo.
Even old Vancouver Canucks goalie Eddie Lack, who was the best of the crowded crease in Vancouver last year, could eventually unseat Cam Ward this season in Carolina.
All these guys are risks since they haven't yet been tested. How they handle the challenge could determine whether their teams make the playoffs this year.
The Patrick Kane Conundrum
2 of 15
While superstar winger Patrick Kane's off-ice legal issue plays out, he continues to play for the Chicago Blackhawks.
No charges have been laid, and the team has supported him publicly, with team officials recently telling reporters they decided to have Kane at training camp after consulting with his legal team. They even scheduled a Patrick Kane bobblehead giveaway night. But that won't stop reporters from asking questions about the situation day after day as Kane hits new city after new city on his NHL tour.
We'll see whether the circus has an effect on one of the league's top players.
Overhauled Overtime
3 of 15
The more space you give the world's most talented hockey players, the quicker they will find a way to put the puck in the back of the opposition's net. With the new three-on-three overtime format introduced this preseason, you can expect to see a lot more goals in the extra period.
As exciting as some still find the shootout, others still have a tough time seeing the individual showdown determining so many extra points in the standings and ultimately affecting playoff positions.
In the AHL's experimentation last season with a three-on-three portion of OT, the league saw 75 percent of its games tied after regulation finished in overtime. That was a huge jump from the 35 percent in 2013-14 using the four-on-four overtime format.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=256)
Off the Island and into the Boroughs
4 of 15
After 43 years at Nassau Coliseum, the New York Islanders have moved to Brooklyn, which means the start of some new traditions in a new state-of-the-art arena.
But one early attempt at some new flavor was quickly rejected in the preseason—the subway horn at Barclays Center to celebrate goals for the home side. Allen Kreda of the New York Times says the Isles will go back to the familiar fog horn blast following fan outrage in the preseason.
They do seem to like the new third jersey, which offers a different feel from the old Isles stuff with a black and white color scheme. It will take some time to adjust to the feel of the new place and the bounces of the boards, but the Isles should adapt fairly quickly to reclaim a home-ice advantage.
Upon Further Review: The Coach's Challenge
5 of 15
Video replay has a new twist with the coach's challenge sure to slow down the game...I mean, ensure more correct calls. Coaches who still have their timeout can ask for reviews on goals scored that may be offside or involve goalie interference. Offside mistakes are fairly cut and dry, but interference is a very interpretive element of the game, so there could be plenty of controversy over the season when it comes to calls being reversed.
A single goal can have a huge impact on a game in today's parity-laden league, and Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Dan Rosen of NHL.com that he can live with those controversial decisions if others are able to be corrected:
"There's going to be judgmental decisions and calls made and we're never going to agree 100 percent on those, but it's going to give us a chance to get better calls and use the technology that's out there to help us. So I think it's a big improvement as well.
"
Going Streaking
6 of 15
The Streak. It started long before ex-head coach Mike Babcock arrived in Detroit. The question is how long it will continue now that he's moved on.
The Detroit Red Wings have an incredible string of 24 consecutive playoff berths—an active league record and the fourth-longest streak in NHL history, according to Sportsnet's Scott Lewis—but face their biggest challenge as an organization with rookie head coach Jeff Blashill taking over a strong group starting the transition from veteran to youth leadership on the ice.
Incredibly, the past 10 years of playoff appearances have come in an era of salary-cap restriction and a resulting parity in the NHL.
Connor for the Calder
7 of 15
The annual race for rights to be called the league's top rookie begin and end with the Edmonton Oilers' top pick this spring, Connor McDavid. McDavid is the most highly touted freshman since Sidney Crosby and is already turning hopes around in Edmonton, where ticket sales are spiking thanks to the fresh new face of the franchise.
The Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel is also viewed as a potential spark plug to a massive turnaround, and Max Domi has the skills to be a star for the Arizona Coyotes. But it's McDavid who has the hockey world's attention, and former Oilers star Mark Messier told NHL.com correspondent Derek Van Diest recently the kid is going to be special.
The Other Rookie Race
8 of 15
As closely as the league and its fans will pay attention to the rookie race this season on the ice, there's another freshman showdown to watch behind the benches. Three bench bosses named to new positions in the league are going into their first seasons as NHL head coaches—Jeff Blashill with the Detroit Red Wings, John Hynes for the New Jersey Devils and Dave Hakstol with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Hakstol became the first NCAA coach to make the leap from college to the NHL since Bob Johnson with the Calgary Flames in 1982. Hynes is the former coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who joins former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero in Jersey. The Wings promoted Blashill from the club's AHL squadron, the Grand Rapids Griffins, after Mike Babcock bolted for Toronto. All three join veteran-laden teams, so the transitions will be interesting to follow.
What Will Dubie Do?
9 of 15
What a difference a year makes. Last season, goalie Devan Dubnyk was barely a blip on the NHL radar after nearly busting out of the league the previous year, landing in Arizona as the Coyotes backup to Mike Smith in training camp.
The trade that brought him to Minnesota in January, fueling arguably the greatest charge up the NHL standings over the second half of the season, changed both his fortunes as a player and the Wild's as a team. But the sample size was small.
He suited up for 39 games with the Wild, going 27-9-2 with a .936 save percentage and 1.78 goals-against average. His career averages aren't as impressive (.914 save percentage and 2.69 GAA), so the Wild will have to hope what they saw last year is what they can expect again this season. Or at least something close to it. They were confident enough to give him a six-year deal worth $26 million.
The Steven Stamkos Contract Situation
10 of 15
Steven Stamkos needs a new contract. The 25-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning captain would be arguably the most sought-after free agent in NHL history if he hits the open market come July 1. Of course, the Bolts don't want their superstar to bolt.
According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Stamkos has indicated he wants to stay and that the negotiation process is ongoing and in the "middle stages."
Until something gets completed—or he gets unexpectedly traded—talk about the lack of a deal will pepper the team all season long. Like the Patrick Kane situation, it's one to watch for its distraction value.
Who Rises in the East and West?
11 of 15
There are surprise teams every season—teams no one expects to make the playoffs but somehow they make it into the top eight in their conference.
Last year, one of those teams even won a playoff round—the Calgary Flames. The Ottawa Senators had an impressive finish to the regular season to force their way into the postseason as well. So who will it be this year?
In the East, the Columbus Blue Jackets are a team to watch. They have size, speed, youth and skill and were in the playoffs two springs ago. Decimated by injuries last season, they're a strong candidate as a team that will jump back into the playoff picture. The Florida Panthers are another popular pick thanks to an improving group that made big strides last year.
In the Western Conference, people are keeping an eye on the Edmonton Oilers for obvious reasons—the addition of Connor McDavid. The Dallas Stars made some strong moves in the offseason, adding Patrick Sharp up front, Johnny Oduya on the back end and Antti Niemi in goal to strengthen their shot at making some noise.
The Babcock Effect
12 of 15
Anyone who thinks the Toronto Maple Leafs minus Phil Kessel are going to somehow rapidly turn into a good team under new head coach Mike Babcock needs a reality check.
That doesn't mean the first year under the former Detroit Red Wings bench boss won't be interesting as heck to watch. Babcock signed on for eight years with the Leafs knowing he might need that long to shape this rebuild into something resembling a playoff contender.
The growing pains the team and the coach will suffer in the meantime will be both excruciating and impossible to ignore as they unfold under the league's biggest microscope in Toronto.
The Crosby and Kessel Show
13 of 15
Sidney Crosby has made star players out of average talent in the past. So what happens when an already established marquee sniper joins him? We're about to find out with Phil (The Thrill) Kessel joining Sid the Kid on the Pittsburgh Penguins' top line.
The pairing made some magic in the preseason, with Kessel scoring twice in his first game. Already enjoying the smaller spotlight in Pittsburgh, where the media attention is much more mild than in Toronto, Kessel has the weight of the world off his shoulders.
That could mean a career year. Former teammates and others across the NHL are predicting big numbers for the five-time 30-goal scorer, according to Postmedia's Michael Traikos (via Canada.com).
Does the Dynasty Die in Chicago?
14 of 15
The Chicago Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cup championships in six years, and winning in back-to-back seasons would probably lock up the modern-day dynasty title that the most reluctant of hockey experts are hesitant to grant them.
But with all the salary-cap moves the Blackhawks had to make this offseason—from shipping out top talents such as Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp to letting Johnny Oduya and Brad Richards leave in free agency—it will be difficult for the Hawks to repeat. How they fare with what they consider a strong nucleus with many new moving parts surrounding it will be an interesting plot to follow.
My prediction is they fare just as well with some great young players stepping up into big roles alongside the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Marian Hossa.
Who's Got Hart?
15 of 15
Our soon-to-be released expert predictions for the 2015-16 NHL awards confirmed something about the league's MVP award—the Hart Trophy race seems wide open this season. There were a dozen different names put forward in the six writers' top five.
Last year's winner, Carey Price, snapped a streak of 11 straight wins by forwards and should be in the mix again for a Montreal Canadiens team that is looking to contend for the Stanley Cup and is hoping its offense has improved to support their backstop.
Sidney Crosby should be a contender for the scoring title, but does having another weapon in Phil Kessel actually make Crosby less valuable to his team than some of his top competition? These are the kinds of questions voters will have to ask themselves at the end of the season.
Let the battle begin.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
