7 Reasons We're Looking Forward to the NHL Season Starting

A lot has changed in the NHL since the end of last season. 

Some players have left the league. Others have returned to it. Some big trades have gone down. A few rules have been changed. New rules have been added. A handful of teams have changed their uniforms. Some teams have moved to a new city. 

It has been a long, eventful summer full of both laughter, in celebration and approval, and tears, in mourning the loss of the many fallen sons of hockey who passed away this offseason. 

While it is important that we honor and cherish the memories of the deceased, it's also key that we remember the reasons why we love the sport of hockey...and start getting excited about this draining offseason coming to an end. 

With preseason exhibitions already underway, day one of the regular season is just days away. Here are seven reasons why we just can't wait for the puck to drop. 

The Return of the Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets were an NHL team from 1979 until 1996 before being relocated to Phoenix, Arizona due to financial issues. 

The former home of current stars Teemu Selanne and Shane Doan, as well as the recently retired Keith Tkachuk and Hall of Famers Dale Hawerchuk, Bobby Hull and Serge Savard, Winnipeg was riddled with exciting talent and was among the league's elite teams throughout the '80s. 

Earlier this summer it was announced that the struggling Atlanta Thrashers were soon to be relocated. It was revealed a short time later that the team was Winnipeg-bound and would, in fact, be named the Jets.

With an eager and faithful fanbase waiting with open arms for their beloved Jets to return, the franchise is bound to succeed in a market full of rich hockey history and diehard hockey fans.

The Jets are back and I, for one, can't wait to see them in action.    

Brayden Schenn Will Finally Get His Shot

Drafted fifth overall in 2009 by the Los Angeles Kings, Brayden Schenn was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers this summer as the centerpiece of a package for pivot Mike Richards. 

Schenn has been a dominant force on both ends of the ice in both juniors and international tournaments, where he tied the record set by Dale McCourt in 1977 for most points scored by a Canadian player at the World Junior Hockey Championships last winter as an alternate captain for Team Canada. 

With only nine NHL games played, Schenn will be given the opportunity to earn a full-time spot on the Flyers roster this season as the third-line center, the position for which he is reportedly the front-runner.

The highly skilled two-way pivot was deemed the hottest prospect not yet in the NHL last year. I'm very excited to see what he can do at the professional level. 

Columbus Has Their First-Line Center

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been without a true No. 1 center since, well, forever. Though they have three very solid pivots in RJ Umberger, Antoine Vermette and up-and-comer Derrick Brassard, none of those players have the high-end talent and point-per-game capabilities of a typical first-line center. 

This issue was addressed this offseason when GM Scott Howson shipped young winger Jakub Voracek and a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goal-scoring center Jeff Carter. 

Just 26 years old, Carter has amassed 181 goals in 461 games played, including a memorable 46-goal campaign in 2008-09. His speed and lethal shot will provide the Blue Jackets with much-needed support for power forward Rick Nash, who will likely find himself playing on Carter's wing this season. 

The addition of Jeff Carter gives Columbus two of the league's top goal scorers and one hell of a first line. 

Nick Lidstrom's Back for One More Year

Undeniably one of the greatest defensemen to ever step on the ice, Nick Lidstrom re-signed with the Detroit Red Wings this summer for one year. Now 41 years old, this may very well be the last season of the Swedish legend's distinguished career. 

Lidstrom won his seventh Norris Trophy last season after tallying 62 points for the Wings. His trophy collection also includes four Stanley Cups, one Conn Smythe Trophy and one Olympic gold medal.

A Red Wing for the entirety of his NHL career, Lidstrom has proven time and time again that nothing—not even old age—can slow him down. He has been an absolute force, both offensively and defensively, since day one of his career. I'm eager to see how much he's got left in the tank.

Oh, wait. We already know. The tank's still full. 

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Centering Taylor Hall

Okay, so this isn't a sure thing, but it has a pretty good chance of happening. The Edmonton Oilers, who drafted Taylor Hall first overall last summer and then picked Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first overall in this year's entry draft, don't have a first-line center.

They do, however, have two terrific young wingers in Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle who not only roomed together last season, but also played on the top line together and displayed strong chemistry. Now, the Oilers have two-thirds of a first line and may have found the third and final piece in dynamic pivot Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. 

It's far from uncommon to see the first overall pick make an immediate transition to the NHL after being drafted. So, though he's undersized, don't be shocked to see Nugent-Hopkins suit up for the Oilers this season and get time on the top line. Taylor Hall, who was also underweight, did just that last season. 

Edmonton might not win many hockey games this year, but they will boast one of the most exciting first lines in the game. I mean, how often do we get to see two consecutive No. 1 picks playing on a line together immediately after being drafted?

Jaromir Jagr Making a Comeback

Jaromir Jagr will go down in history as one of the most dynamic goal scorers to ever play in the NHL. Originally drafted fifth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990, he netted 27 goals and added 30 assists for 57 points in 80 games as a rookie. 

Jagr spent 10 seasons with the Penguins and scored at well above a point-per-game pace each of the last eight years, breaking the 100-point mark four times during that period. He then moved on to the Washington Capitals, where he played three seasons before joining the New York Rangers in 2003.

In 2008 Jagr headed to the KHL to play with Avangard Omsk. He posted 53 points in 55 games during his first year with the team, followed by 42 points in 2009-10 and 50 points last season. 

At the beginning of the summer, Jagr announced his interest in returning to the NHL for the 2011-12 season. After fielding offers from Detroit and Pittsburgh, he signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Jagr joins a deep and talented group of forwards in Philly and will be a key part of the Flyers' top six. With lots of ice time and talented linemates, the Czech phenom should have a great season and will be a thrill to watch. 

It's Hockey!

This goes without saying. We love hockey. How could we not be excited to watch the best players in the world play the best sport in the world?