A new hockey season is now upon us, and with that means some intriguing new storylines to pay attention to. From off ice issues to rule changes, it has been an offseason of change, good and bad, for the NHL. There are plenty of them, but here are just five things to look out for this upcoming season.
The Patrick Kane investigation
With Kane being allowed to take part in training camp for the time being, it will be interesting to see how long this arrangement lasts. As of now, he is being investigated for sexual assault, a result of an incident between himself and a woman back on August 2. If this case goes to trial and doesn’t get settled, will Patrick Kane still be allowed to play?
Three on three overtime
The last few season, too many games were going to shootouts. The NHL decided back in June that they way to solve this problem was with three on three overtime. The thinking is, with more open ice, there will be more opportunities for players to score, and this will end more games before they go to a shootout. It remains to be seen if this theory will play out, as there is still no incentive to end a game in overtime rather than in a shootout.
Eichel vs. McDavid
This season will have two of the most talked-about prospects in Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid play their rookie seasons. Not since Crosby and Ovechkin have two rookies caused so much hype with hockey fans around the world. McDavid in my mind has serious potential to break the point per game mark as a rookie, something we haven’t seen since Crosby and Ovechkin. Buffalo and Edmonton’s first meeting of the season Sunday, December sixth will be must see TV.
The Central Division
This division will probably be the most tightly contested of all the divisions this year. With St. Louis, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Nashville, an improved Dallas, and, of course, the defending champs Chicago, we could potentially see five of these teams in the playoffs come season’s end. As of now, it’s too close to call who will be on top come April. St. Louis is always a contender, but don’t count out Chicago or Nashville.
Babcock
Mike Babcock arrived in Toronto with much fanfare and a few extra dollars in his pocket (50 million extra, to be exact.) Now comes the challenge: living up to all the expectation. Babcock will try and do everything in his power to make his team as competitive as possible. But after trading away Kessel, the Leafs probably won’t be a very good team again this year. How quickly will the fickle fans in Toronto turn on their prised acquisition?
