Hits against the boards, pucks launched through the air, the excitement that comes with every blow of a goal horn — nothing quite beats the experience of watching a hockey game. For the past four months, hockey fanatics have been starving. The September 2016 World Cup of Hockey has not been nearly enough to satiate their appetites. Now, the time has come, and it cannot be more exciting. Oct. 12 marks the start of the 2016-2017 hockey season. This season offers an aura of uncertainty. The usual questions arise: Who will be the next breakout player? Which team will take the leap from mediocrity to contention? Will the Pittsburgh Penguins continue the success that made them the best team in the league last year, since the hire of Mike Sullivan halfway through last season? Eight months of intense hockey action await us and those questions, among others, will likely be answered.
The off-season passed quietly, despite some notable trades. One of the most noteworthy transactions was the trade by the Montreal Canadiens to exchange P.K. Subban for Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators. These are two of the league’s premier defensemen. Subban brings an innate playmaking ability unmatched by most defenders, while Weber threatens even the best goalies with the hardest slap shot in the NHL.
Other notable off-season acquisitions include the New York Rangers trading Derick Brassard for former Ottawa Senator Mika Zibanejad; the Edmonton Oilers acquiring a veteran presence in Milan Lucic to play alongside the coveted Connor McDavid; the Oilers trading Taylor Hall for New Jersey defenseman Adam Larsson and the hotly pursued Hobey Baker winner from Harvard University (Mass.) Jimmy Vesey signing with the Rangers.
Power Rankings
- Pittsburgh Penguins
Last year’s record: 48-26-8
Key players: Sidney Crosby (F), Kris Letang (D), Evgeni Malkin (F)
Player to watch: Matt Murray (G)
- Dallas Stars
Last year’s record: 50-23-9
Key players: Jamie Benn (F), John Klingberg (D), Tyler Seguin (F)
Player to watch: Jiri Hudler (F)
- Washington Capitals
Last year’s record: 56-18-8
Key players: Braden Holtby (G), Evgeny Kuznetsov (F), Alexander Ovechkin (F)
Player to watch: Lars Eller (F)
- Tampa Bay Lightning
Last year’s record: 46-31-5
Key players: Victor Hedman (D), Nikita Kucherov (F), Steven Stamkos (F)
Player to watch: Jonathan Drouin (F)
- Los Angeles Kings
Last year’s record: 48-28-6
Key players: Drew Doughty (D), Anze Kopitar (F), Jonathan Quick (G)
Player to watch: Jeff Zatkoff (G)
- Nashville Predators
Last year’s record: 41-27-14
Key players: Filip Forsberg (F), Pekka Rinne (G), P.K. Subban (D)
Player to watch: Ryan Johansen (F)
- San Jose Sharks
Last year’s record: 46-30-6
Key players: Brent Burns (D), Joe Pavelski (F), Joe Thornton (F)
Player to watch: Mikkel Boedker (F)
- Florida Panthers
Last year’s record: 47-26-9
Key players: Aleksander Barkov (F), Aaron Ekblad (D), Jaromir Jagr (F)
Player to watch: Keith Yandle (D)
- Chicago Blackhawks
Last year’s record: 47-26-9
Key players: Patrick Kane (F), Duncan Keith (D), Jonathan Toews (F)
Player to watch: Artemi Panarin (F)
- Anaheim Ducks
Last year’s record: 46-25-11
Key players: Cam Fowler (D), Ryan Getzlaf (F), Corey Perry (F)
Player to watch: Antoine Vermette (F)
- New York Islanders
Last year’s record: 45-27-10
Key players: Johnny Boychuk (D), Jaroslav Halak (G), John Tavares (F)
Player to watch: Andrew Ladd (F)
- New York Rangers
Last year’s record: 46-27-9
Key players: Henrik Lundqvist (G), Ryan McDonagh (D), Mats Zuccarello (F)
Player to watch: Jimmy Vesey (F)
- St. Louis Blues
Last year’s record: 49-24-9
Key players: Alex Pietrangelo (D), Kevin Shattenkirk (D), Vladimir Tarasenko (F)
Player to watch: Nail Yakupov (F)
- Montreal Canadiens
Last year’s record: 38-38-6
Key players: Max Pacioretty (F), Carey Price (G), Shea Weber (D)
Player to watch: Alexander Radulov (F)
- Calgary Flames
Last year’s record: 35-40-7
Key players: Johnny Gaudreau (F), Mark Giordano (D), Dougie Hamilton (D)
Player to watch: Brian Elliott (G)
- Boston Bruins
Last year’s record: 42-31-9
Key players: Patrice Bergeron (F), Brad Marchand (F), Tuukka Rask (G)
Player to watch: David Backes (F)
- Philadelphia Flyers
Last year’s record: 41-27-14
Key players: Claude Giroux (F), Shayne Gostisbehere (D), Wayne Simmonds (F)
Player to watch: Ivan Provorov (D)
- Detroit Red Wings
Last year’s record: 41-30-11
Key players: Dylan Larkin (F), Gustav Nyquist (F), Henrik Zetterberg (F)
Player to watch: Thomas Vanek (F)
- Winnipeg Jets
Last year’s record: 35-39-8
Key players: Dustin Byfuglien (D), Mark Scheifele (F), Blake Wheeler (F)
Player to watch: Patrik Laine (F)
- Arizona Coyotes
Last year’s record: 35-39-8
Key players: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D), Max Domi (F), Anthony Duclair (F)
Player to watch: Alex Goligoski (D)
- Minnesota Wild
Last year’s record: 38-33-11
Key players: Devan Dubnyk (G), Zach Parise (F), Ryan Suter (D)
Player to watch: Eric Staal (F)
- Ottawa Senators
Last year’s record: 38-35-9
Key players: Derick Brassard (F), Erik Karlsson (D), Kyle Turris (F)
Player to watch: Dion Phaneuf (D)
- Buffalo Sabres
Last year’s record: 35-36-11
Key players: Jack Eichel (F), Ryan O’Reilly (F), Rasmus Ristolainen (D)
Player to watch: Evander Kane (F)
- Carolina Hurricanes
Last year’s record: 35-31-16
Key players: Justin Faulk (D), Jeff Skinner (F), Cam Ward (G)
Player to watch: Sebastian Aho (F)
- New Jersey Devils
Last year’s record: 38-36-8
Key players: Taylor Hall (F), Kyle Palmieri (F), Cory Schneider (G)
Player to watch: Pavel Zacha (F)
- Edmonton Oilers
Last year’s record: 31-43-8
Key players: Jordan Eberle (F), Milan Lucic (F), Connor McDavid (F)
Player to watch: Adam Larsson (D)
- Columbus Blue Jackets
Last year’s record: 34-40-8
Key players: Sergei Bobrovsky (G), Seth Jones (D), Brandon Saad (F)
Player to watch: Oliver Bjorkstrand (F)
- Colorado Avalanche
Last year’s record: 39-39-4
Key players: Matt Duchene (F), Gabriel Landeskog (F), Nathan MacKinnon (F)
Player to watch: Mikko Rantanen (F)
- Toronto Maple Leafs
Last year’s record: 29-42-11
Key players: Leo Komarov (F), Morgan Rielly (D), James van Riemsdyk (F)
Player to watch: Auston Matthews (F)
- Vancouver Canucks
Last year’s record: 31-38-13
Key players: Ryan Miller (G), Daniel Sedin (F), Henrik Sedin (F)
Player to watch: Loui Eriksson (F)
