Entering the start of a new season, with the Devils and Sabres having already completed a two-game series over in Prague for reasons only known to the league, there isn’t a consensus pick to win the Stanley Cup. At least it doesn’t appear to be on paper. There are plenty of good teams who should be in the mix.

It’s too much to assume that the defending champion Panthers will become only the third team to repeat in the salary cap era. It’s been done by the Sidney Crosby-led Penguins and the Lightning, who said goodbye to franchise great captain Steven Stamkos (Predators). It’s impossible to keep a championship team together. The Bolts still have remaining core pieces Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. They replaced Stamkos with former Pen Jake Guentzel, who helped them win back-to-back Cups.

McDavid, Oilers Top the List

If there is a team that’s expected to seriously compete for the Cup, it’s the Oilers who top the list. Led by the game’s most dominant player Connor McDavid, they are loaded. With a cast that already features McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard, they added Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner.

It’ll likely come down to Stuart Skinner and a blue line that relies heavily on Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and the polarizing Darnell Nurse. McDavid is otherworldly – pulling away from teammate Draisaitl, Lightning’s Kucherov and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon to put himself into another category. If he can lead Edmonton to their first Cup since Mark Messier captained the franchise to a fifth in 1990, he’ll enter legendary status.

A Red and Black Army

Following a colossal disappointment, in which they failed to qualify for the postseason, leading to Lindy Ruff and Travis Green finding work elsewhere, the Devils made big changes. Former Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe is now in charge of a nucleus that features Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Dougie Hamilton.

Tom Fitzgerald made some good additions to beef up the lineup. They include Paul Cotter, and Brenden Dillon. Both have already had an impact in their first two wins over the all too predictable Sabres. Most importantly, they improved in net by trading for Jacob Markstrom. He should solidify the goaltending along with capable backup Jake Allen. A much better tandem than Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid were a year ago. Brett Pesce should be ready for the home opener against the Maple Leafs. He is a key addition to the back end.

If all goes well, the red and black army should be heard from next spring.

Do or Die for Blueshirts

Since they signed Artemi Panarin and acquired Jacob Trouba, the Rangers have become one of the league’s best teams. However, they still have yet to play for the Cup. They came close in both 2022 and 2024. Ultimately, they didn’t have enough to get past Tampa and Florida.

With Igor Shesterkin declining Chris Drury’s offer that would’ve made him the league’s highest paid goalie, it looks like a game of chicken has begun. If Shesterkin performs well, something will likely get done. So much for a ‘hockey insider’ all but assuring Blueshirt fans that there would be a new contract done before Wednesday night’s season opener.

So. There will be some distractions on 33rd and Seventh. It isn’t comparable to what the Messier led Rangers went through to finally erase a 54-year curse to win the franchise’s fourth Cup. It’s 30 years and counting since. The pressure is on for a roster that includes Panarin, Shesterkin, Trouba, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere. They have plenty of talent.

It’s a big year for K’Andre Miller, who can earn a hefty raise if he fulfills his own expectations after a down season. What if Shesterkin gets a King’s ransom and Lafreniere has an even better 2024-25? That isn’t a concern now. The Blueshirts are looking to reach the mountain and end another long drought. It’s do or die.

The Star in Stars

If there’s a very good team that’s been close, it’s the Stars. They certainly have the talent to deliver a second Cup to Dallas. They lost to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. They lost to the Oilers in the Final Four last spring. They have the pieces to put it altogether.

Roope Hintz remains one of the game’s most underrated top pivots. He is a good playoff performer. Jason Robertson should return to scoring close to 40 goals. Wyatt Johnston might one day score 50. Miro Heiskanen remains an elite defenseman, who’ll probably never win the Norris due to how it’s voted on. Jamie Been is still around to lead a tough team that still features Tyler Seguin. It’s too bad that Joe Pavelski retired. What a career he had.

The Stars have enough scoring depth and balance to make a deep run. Jake Oettinger will determine their fate. Only 25, he’s looking for a big season in a contract year.

Hurricane Season

For half a decade, the Hurricanes have been on the cusp. Rod Brind’Amour remains one of the league’s best coaches. However, he’s never taken them out of the Eastern Conference. They were swept in two Conference Finals and twice lost to the Rangers in crushing fashion on home ice.

Sebastian Aho established himself as one of the game’s best centers. He was heroic in a six-game second round defeat last spring. If they hadn’t collapsed in the third period, they might’ve made history by coming all the way back from a 3-0 series deficit against the Rangers. It would’ve been all the more impressive without Pesce. They lost both Pesce and Brady Skjei (Predators, and let Guentzel go to Tampa.

There’s still a good nucleus. Seth Jarvis is one of the league’s emerging stars. He’s a complete player who plays in every situation. Andrei Svechnikov still hasn’t put together his best season. Neither has Martin Necas. That could change. Jordan Staal remains along with the underrated Jaccob Slavin. Expect Pyotr Kochetkov to supplant Andersen as the top guy in net.

How much will the Canes miss Pesce and Skjei? Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere can help. But they might suffer defensively.

Isle Be Seeing You

The Islanders will have a different look. Cal Clutterbuck is gone. Matt Martin is too. Both were well respected on and off the ice. Martin welcoming Rangers’ neophyte Matt Rempe at the Stadium Series was great. Both were good players who helped the Islanders come within reach of playing for the Cup.

Times change. Lou Lamoriello seems to finally be getting it. He waived Pierre Engvall, who had a ridiculous long-term contract. The arrival of Maxim Tsyplakov made him expendable. The KHL import looks like he can make an impact. Anthony Duclair looks promising with the cohesive duo of Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal. Duclair has been on eight teams. But he is a good skater who can net 25-30 goals.

Brock Nelson remains a consistent 30-goal scorer who provides strength at center, along with Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Kyle Palmieri rediscovered his scoring touch last season. Anders Lee is a shell of himself due to the gritty style he plays.

If Ilya Sorokin is fully recovered from back surgery, he’ll need a big bounce back year. He lost the job to Semyon Varlamov, who Patrick Roy rode. They remain a good tandem. If the defense led by Adam Pelech, Noah Dobson, and Scott Mayfield stays healthy, they’ll be a difficult team for opponents to face.

Rookie Watch

There are plenty of rookies to watch this season. They might not get the fanfare that Connor Bedard received. But there’s considerable young talent in the game. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith will both be players to watch on the rebuilding Sharks. Plenty of attention will be on Celebrini.

If you like college hockey, Cutter Gauthier should be a familiar name. The former Boston College standout forced his way out of Philadelphia in a trade to Anaheim last spring. He’s expected to be an immediate contributor on a Ducks roster filled with potential. Gauthier should challenge for the Calder Trophy.

Lane Hutson is a Canadien to keep an eye on. Similar to Gauthier, he took the college route by starring at Boston University for two years. He debuted with two assists in two games last season. Both Hutson and Gauthier are 20 entering their rookie campaigns. Along with the Stars’ Logan Stankoven, they should provide plenty of excitment.

Stamkos in Mustard?

It’s still a bit perplexing that Stamkos left the Lightning and signed with the Predators. Barry Trotz went on a spending spree by also adding Jonathan Marchessault and Skjei. All are getting paid big bucks to turn Nashville into a playoff contender.

By keeping Filip Forsberg and Juuse Saros, the Predators should be a formidable team. They play in the toughest division. The Central includes the Stars, Avalanche, Jets, Blues, and Wild. Only Minnesota missed the cut. The division could be even more chaotic with the Utah Hockey Club looking to break through.

The Preds boast Saros in net and Roman Josi on defense. Stamkos and Marchessault will bolster the scoring. Especially on the power play. Skjei is a good five-on-five player with a big shot. Nashville should be in the mix.

Do They Be-Leaf?

In Toronto, they’re banking on Craig Berube to finally do what Keefe couldn’t do. Take a super talented roster that now has Auston Matthews as the captain to the promised land.

Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, and John Tavares have never been past the second round. It’s hard to believe that Tavares is in the final year of his contract. Remember when he left the Islanders to come home? That feels like a lifetime ago. A year after scoring the biggest goal the Leafs have had in recent memory, he showed some signs of decline last year. He’s 34. What does the Nylander center experiment signal?

Joseph Woll has been handed the keys in net. Had he not been injured, they could’ve completed the comeback against Boston. Woll must prove he can be the man. Anthony Stolarz is a very capable 1b. It never seems to matter what the Leafs have on the back end. It’ll fall on the stars to deliver. Is this the season?

Emerging From the Pack

There are some teams who are emerging from the pack. One is Utah. And no. I’m not going to keep referring to them as the Hockey Club. Pick a name already. A core that features Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Lawson Crouse, Nick Schmaltz, Mattias Maccelli, Josh Doan, and Sean Durzi should have no problem scoring goals.

Adding Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino can only help stabilize the back end. Connor Ingram is the starter who delivered last season. Can he duplicate it? If not, Karel Vejmelka will need a better year.

Utah promises to be exciting. Guenther will become their best finisher. Doan looks poised to have a good rookie season. Are they ready to return to the playoffs?

Meanwhile in Philadelphia, the Flyers have 2023 seventh pick Matvei Michkov ready to go. So much for the wait. Another fresh face with a bright future, the 19-year-old Russian looks to take the league by storm. If he lives up to the hype, Michkov will on highlight reels. He doesn’t turn 20 until Dec. 9. He’s super fast and skilled. He’ll also compete for the Calder.

Owen Tippett is capable of scoring 30 goals. Travis Konecny is an established star who does everything. The Flyers will need from captain Sean Couturier. Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink are key players.

Cam York and Jamie Drysdale patrol the blue line. Travis Sanheim is the defensive leader. Can they succeed again with Samuel Ersson and unproven Ivan Fedotov in net? We’ll see how much patience John Tortorella has.

All Apologies

We didn’t cover everyone. Apologies to the Canucks, and Golden Knights. Both are good. They have to play in the Oilers’ division.

As polished as Vegas is, there might be a changing of the guard in the Pacific. Edmonton’s talent is too hard to ignore. This isn’t to say that a Knights team led by Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, and Noah Hanifin won’t be good enough to challenge for the top spot. I can’t see Adin Hill or Ilya Samsonov preventing McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, and Bouchard from going bonkers. Those will be fascinating matchups.

Vancouver has a good roster. J.T. Miller has become the unquestioned leader. He’s their best forward. What if the Rangers didn’t throw him away in the Ryan McDonagh deal to Tampa? One can only wonder. Miller does it all for that team. They need Elias Pettersson to get back to being the star player he’s supposed to be. He was a no show last postseason.

Quinn Hughes is a remarkable player. He is the best of the Hughes Brothers at this juncture. Thatcher Demko starts again on the injured reserve. Arturs Silovs performed quite well last spring. Kevin Lankinen backs up until Demko is ready. Jake DeBrusk is a good addition up front. Thirty goals is possible for the former Bruin. Brock Boeser should continue to fill the net.

The Canucks must prove last season wasn’t a fluke. Without Demko and key grinder Dakota Joshua, they could start out slow. They should be heard from.

Bold Predictions

Let’s take a gander at the league through our crystal ball. It’s prediction time.

McDavid puts up 160 points. 50 goals and 110 assists.

Bouchard scores 28 goals and adds 70 assists for 98 points to win his first Norris Trophy.

After the Wild miss the playoffs again, Kirill Kaprizov becomes a trade candidate next off-season with a year left on a deal that pays him $9 million.

The Kings learn the hard way that banking on Darcy Kuemper won’t work. They miss the postseason.

Jesper Wallstedt eventually becomes the starter in Minnesota.

Necas sets career highs in goals (33), points (75) and power-play goals (12).

Despite Kucherov putting up another season over 100 points, the Lightning miss the postseason.

Led by Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, and Jake Sanderson, the Senators reach the playoffs. Linus Ullmark makes a difference.

Guenther scores 28 goals for playoff bound Utah.

Inspired by the loss of Johnny Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets get off to a good start. They become a harder team to play against. They don’t finish last in the Metropolitan Division.

In a close race, Gauthier wins the Calder over Hutson and Michkov.

Adam Edstrom proves to be the better rookie than Matt Rempe for the Rangers.

After again failing to convert on his chances, Kaapo Kakko is replaced by Brett Berard on the third line. He finally gets traded to the Blackhawks for a third round pick.

Alex Ovechkin again struggles to score early on. He rallies to get 28 goals – leaving him 14 shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. The Capitals finish last in the division.

The Flames become woefully bad, challenging for the lottery.

The Bruins fail to make it out of the first round.

The Maple Leafs fall to the Panthers in seven games to lose a hard fought second round series. Matthews proves he can perform by scoring five goals and adding five assists in the series.

After getting outdueled by Markstrom, Shesterkin shatters his stick in disgust. The Rangers are eliminated in the second round by the Devils in a crushing seven games. Chris Drury and Peter Laviolette are fired.

The Stars defy the odds by upsetting the Oilers in a rematch to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. They defeat the Panthers in five games to win their second Cup. The first in 26 years.

Johnston wins the Conn Smythe with 14 goals and 12 assists.