10 Things NHL Fans Have to Look Forward to in 2017
An NHL head coach recently told reporters in Calgary that he believes the months of January through March are the crux of any schedule. Things are getting tough.
And that means fans are in for a treat.
With the 2017 calendar now on your desktop, things are going to get interesting in the NHL. There is plenty to look forward to in the coming months—from the battle for 16 playoff positions to the individual awards up for grabs. Teams will do whatever they can to improve down the stretch, so there should be a great deal of entertainment ahead.
Read on for 10 things NHL fans have to look forward to in 2017.
Star-Studded All-Star Game
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When: Jan. 29
Overview
Not only will the ice be littered with the game's biggest stars for the three-on-three tournament—headlined by fan-voted captains Sidney Crosby, Carey Price, P.K. Subban and Connor McDavid—but this year's NHL All-Star Game should also be bolstered by a flock of celebrity hockey fans because of the location.
Hockey is going Hollywood this month.
The Staples Center typically sees its fair share of actors, musicians and the like for Los Angeles Kings games. The late Alan Thicke, born in Canada, was a huge supporter and, according to Des Bieler of the Washington Post (h/t the Toronto Star), even influenced the blockbuster Wayne Gretzky trade to L.A.
The entertainment hasn't been announced, but in a city that acts as a hub for entertainment, expect it to be massive and marquee. Jewel belted out the national anthem at Staples for the NHL All-Star Game back in 2002 when her career was at its peak.
Don't be surprised to see some celebrities put on skates and get involved in some of the skills competitions. Just imagine Alex Ovechkin incorporating Cuba Gooding Jr. into a celebration after the breakaway competition.
Busy Trade Deadline...at Least on TV
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When: Feb. 28
Overview
Because of the impending expansion draft and with some good players facing unrestricted free agency in the offseason, this year's NHL trade deadline should see some decent swaps. Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop is a great candidate. Unlike the Steven Stamkos situation last year, when the Bolts were eager to work out a contract right up to the brink of the free-agent blitz, the Lightning have a replacement in backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has proved capable of stealing games.
Kevin Shattenkirk and Jarome Iginla are other names who could be on the move, and given the way things have gone for the Colorado Avalanche, don't be surprised if Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic adds some surprise names along with Iginla to his "available" list.
Martin Hanzal is an under-the-radar player who will get plenty of attention on deadline day and could land the Arizona Coyotes the biggest haul, barring one of the bigger names getting moved during the season.
If nothing else, there are many hours of coverage on the sports networks, especially north of the border. It's almost as entertaining to watch the talking heads struggle to find talking points before things start to heat up later in the day. Last year featured hours during which the biggest deal was Sergei Plotnikov's departure from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Outdoor Battle of Pennsylvania
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When: The 2017 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series matchup will take place on Feb. 25 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh
Overview
If this epic outdoor battle between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers was taking place in Philly, those in attendance would need to be wary of batteries being tossed onto the ice. And even though it will take place at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, there will be plenty of Philly fans in attendance for the final outdoor game of the season.
What makes this one special is the rivalry. The Penguins and Flyers haven't hidden their dislike for each other over the years. Pens captain Sidney Crosby has one career fight in the postseason, and it came against Flyers captain Claude Giroux in 2012. It's not often Crosby lets emotion take over as he talks to the media, but that's what happened after that Eastern Conference quarterfinal contest.
For the most part, only the local audiences care about the outdoor venue these days, but if you can schedule a game with some real hatred behind it, the additional challenge of playing on an unfamiliar surface can help that intensity bubble up and provide some solid entertainment.
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Rookie of the Year Race
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When: A rookie scoring champ will be crowned on April 9, with voting for the Calder Trophy taking place the following week. Finalists will be released during the NHL playoffs, with the winner being announced at the NHL Awards in June.
Overview
A couple of teenagers picked first and second overall in the 2016 NHL draft are going head-to-head in the rookie scoring race, and both are on pace to score 40 goals this season—something that has been accomplished by only five teens in their freshman years in NHL history, according to Hockey-Reference.com.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews and Winnipeg Jets' Patrik Laine have made massive impacts early in their careers. Laine could become the second 18-year-old and youngest player ever to hit that mark if he does it by March 30, which would beat out Jets legend Dale Hawerchuck by just a couple of days.
Matthews and Laine are leading the conversation, but they aren't alone in this battle that should go down to the wire. Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski could become the 11th NHL blueliner to post 60 points as a rookie and just the fourth to do it as a teenager—alongside Hall of Famers Phil Housley, Ray Bourque and Larry Murphy.
Any of these three could walk away with the hardware, making it worth watching as it all unfolds.
Wild Western Conference Wild-Card Finish
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When: Ongoing until April 9.
Overview
Only the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche—the NHL's worst two teams so far this season—are locks to miss the playoffs in a tightly contested Western Conference. Outside of the top three division seeds through games played on Wednesday, there were five teams with between 40 and 44 points and another with 39—all leapfrogging for the two wild-card slots available for the postseason.
The parity across the league is evident, but while the Eastern Conference is top-heavy, with four teams in the Metropolitan Division already crossing the 50-point plateau, the West is balanced and should be a blast to watch right up until the final day.
Many of these clubs will be going head-to-head over the final month.
Showdown for the Art Ross Trophy
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When: April 9, when the regular season ends.
Overview
The names atop the NHL scoring race at the moment are exciting by virtue of their star statuses. Pittsburgh Penguins cornerstones Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are among a group of three separated by just a single point. Sophomore stud Connor McDavid is tied for first with 43 points through 39 games, and St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko is fourth with 41 points in 38 contests.
All four of these guys could explode for massive second halves, and one of them could become the league's second 100-point player in as many seasons after Patrick Kane netted 106 last season to snap a two-year drought.
As for Kane, he's among a big group of guys who are all capable of making pushes for the scoring title this season, along with Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning), Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars), Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets) and arguably the most surprising player of the year, Cam Atkinson (Columbus Blue Jackets).
Kane ran away with the race last season with a 17-point edge, so it's nice to see one that is still open to a number of elite competitors.
Wide-Open Stanley Cup Playoff Potential
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When: Starting in mid-April and ending sometime in June.
Overview
The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins may be mild favorites, given their roster and recent history, but there are plenty of true contenders in a league that has six teams operating at point percentages of .671 or higher. And only the streaking Columbus Blue Jackets and defending champs are higher than .700.
Solid goaltending can take teams a long way in the playoffs, and four of the top seven teams based on point percentage boast Vezina Trophy winners, with Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild a top contender this year. The other two—Corey Crawford and Matt Murray (or Marc-Andre Fleury)—have already won Stanley Cup titles.
In the second tier of contenders are last year's Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks, the dangerous Anaheim Ducks and Western Conference finalist St. Louis Blues.
You could place bets on a third of the league without being mocked. That's exciting and will make for a heck of a postseason.
Vegas Golden Knights Expansion Draft
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When: June 21
Overview
Expansion drafts don't happen often in the NHL, although there were six between 1991 and 2000—the last of them filling out the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild rosters. But it's more than just the selection of unprotected players that leads to the excitement of a new franchise being born. The back-room dealings and options regarding pending unrestricted free agents come into play here as well.
Teams can offer players and picks to the Golden Knights in return for an agreement not to select one of their players. The Knights can also use their 48-hour window to chat with pending unrestricted free agents but hold off on signing them until July 1, which would allow them to pick another player off that player's former team's roster—which technically they are not allowed to do if they can come to an agreement before the expansion draft (they're supposed to pick them and sign them immediately).
That has been voiced as a concern by NHL general managers, per TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The drama and scrutiny surrounding every pick and potential trade in June is going to be fun for fans to watch and read about.
Not to mention that the Expansion Draft Tool on CapFriendly.com is already providing people with a lot of fun.
The Free-Agent Frenzy
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When: July 1
Overview
Veterans with their best days behind them may dominate the free-agent market (with some mentioned on the next slide).
Kevin Shattenkirk is the big fish. Goalie Ben Bishop—assuming he makes it as far as July 1 without a new deal with someone—is another marquee name looking for a new home. Alexander Radulov has quickly become an exciting name, thanks to a nine-goal, 29-point start in 37 games with the Montreal Canadiens in his second NHL stint.
Bargains may be had as well, with players like Patrick Marleau, Patrick Sharp, Drew Stafford, Mark Streit and Radim Vrbata, who are oldies but goodies, potentially coming with lower price tags.
Then there are the younger players with some upside. Defensemen Dmitry Kulikov, Michael Del Zotto and Michael Stone are cream of the crop behind Shattenkirk. Sam Gagner has carved himself out a nice role in Columbus and should cash in on it. Patrik Berglund, Nick Bonino, Martin Hanzal, T.J. Oshie, Kris Versteeg and Thomas Vanek are among the most attractive forwards behind Radulov.
With so few big names on the market, the bidding should be wild, with even more trade talk leading up to the big day.
More Excitement from the Old Boys
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When: Ongoing
Overview
Jaromir Jagr, Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla are all pending unrestricted free agents. Jagr will be 45, Thornton turns 38 this summer and Iginla will be 40 on July 1. These guys are already legends, with the eldest cementing his standing as the second-leading scorer in NHL history this season, surpassing Hall of Famer Mark Messier.
Their stories aren't over, however. Jagr professed in December that he stands by his claim to play until he's 50. As long as he keeps producing the way he has—on pace for another 50-point season—he won't have trouble finding a contract. Thornton started the season slowly but has 11 points in his last 11 games and is reportedly looking for a three-year deal to stick with the Sharks. If they don't pony up, plenty of other Stanley Cup contenders will.
Iginla may be the most questionable of the three because of his paltry 10 points through 38 games. Chances are that his leadership qualities will get him another year if he wants it.
The game won't be the same without these guys, so fans should be excited to watch them add to their career numbers.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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