10 KEY QUESTIONS FOR THE 2017-18 SEASON
Five Postmedia writers from across the country — national writers Michael Traikos and Scott Stinson, Jim Matheson from Edmonton, Ken Wiebe from Winnipeg and Bruce Garrioch from Ottawa — answer 10 questions about the upcoming NHL season.
1 Auston Matthews or Patrik Laine? Who will have the better sophomore season?
Traikos: It’s the Crosby versus Ovechkin debate for millennials and it really depends on your definition of “better.” Even if you think Laine will end up with more goals and points, I’d give the edge to Matthews because he’ll make the Maple Leafs the better team and take them farther in the playoffs.
Matheson: Tough answer. I think Matthews will get 80 points for the Leafs and Laine 43 goals and four hat-tricks in Winnipeg. Laine will win the Maurice Richard with those 43 though. So, I’ll go with the big gun Laine.
Wiebe: Laine. Thanks to one of the best shots and quickest releases in the NHL, the Finnish sniper won’t be in danger of a sophomore slump and could score 45 to 50 goals and challenge for the Rocket Richard Trophy.
Garrioch: I have to think it will be Matthews. I honestly believe he’s got a better supporting cast and, like it or not, Matthews is in a bigger media market and he’s going to get more attention. I don’t think either player is going to go into a slump, but I felt last year that Matthews was simply more consistent than Laine.
Stinson: This is like choosing between peanut butter and chocolate. WHY CAN’T I HAVE BOTH? But I’ll go with Laine, only because the Leafs could sag a little under the burden of expectations.
2 What off-season addition will have the biggest impact for his new team?
Traikos: Dallas had the worst save percentage and second-worst goals-against average last season, so the addition of goalie Ben Bishop — and defenceman Marc Methot and defensive-minded coach Ken Hitchcock — could be the missing piece for a Stars team that already had a lot of offensive weapons.
Matheson: Calgary dealing for Islanders defenceman Travis Hamonic to give the Flames the best top four in the league — at least until Ryan Ellis gets back in Nashville. Very tough to beat Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Dougie Hamilton and Hamonic as the top two pairs.
Wiebe: Bishop. The Dallas Stars’ inability to get enough critical saves last season was the main reason they missed the playoffs. By bringing in Bishop, the Stars improved their most glaring need and should make some noise in the Central Division.
Garrioch: The Stars made the most changes by bringing in Hitchcock and acquiring Bishop and Methot. Those guys have to make an impact and they have to get the Stars back to respectability. I’m not sure Hitchcock is the right fit the second time around though.
Stinson: Mike Smith, Calgary. Technically, this is 50 per cent Smith and 50 per cent Hamonic, but the Flames’ bulking up their back end should help a lot. Smith is streaky, but moving out of the Arizona hockey wasteland has to be good for a few big nights.
3 Whose good 2016-17 season (player or team) was an aberration?
Traikos: Artemi Panarin had 77 points as a rookie and followed it up with 74 points last season. But that was while playing on a line with Patrick Kane. Let’s see if he can score 50 now that he’s in Columbus.
Matheson: Peter Budaj’s seven shutouts. The journeyman goaltender kept the Kings in the playoff hunt while Jonathan Quick was out, but now he’s the backup in Tampa Bay to Andrei Vasilevskiy. Unless he gets seven shutouts in 20 understudy games, I don’t see a reprise here.
Wiebe: Sergei Bobrovsky. The Columbus Blue Jackets netminder had an outstanding season with 41 wins, a 2.06 GAA, a .931 save percentage and seven shutouts in 63 games. He’s a twotime Vezina Trophy winner for a reason, but those numbers are tough to duplicate.
Garrioch: The Nashville Predators made a trip to the Stanley Cup final and it was fun to watch. You have to wonder if they’ll be able to get back there after being so close to their goal and then falling short. I just don’t think so.
Stinson: Shea Weber, Montreal. He scored six times as the Canadiens roared out to the 13-2 start, and had 10 points in October alone. But then he reminded everyone of the hazards of evaluating a trade after a small sample size. He finished with 17 goals and 42 points: good, but that blazing start will be tough to replicate.
4 Which player or team do you expect to bounce back?
Traikos: Steven Stamkos missed 65 games last season, but when healthy he scored nine goals and 20 points in 17 games. If he stays injury-free and plays on a line with Nikita Kucherov (40 goals and 85 points), pencil the Lightning captain in for the Rocket Richard Trophy and 85 to 90 points.
Matheson: Tampa Bay. The loss of Stamkos killed them and so did the average play of Bishop in net. They can be in the Cup final if Stammer stays in one piece.
Wiebe: Dallas Stars. The Stars were tops in the Central Division in 2015-16, racking up 50 wins and 109 points before dropping to 34 wins and 79 points last season. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin should thrive under Hitchcock. Garrioch: Jonathan Toews missed 10 games last season and finished with 21 goals in 72 games. No, that output isn’t much lower than a normal year for him, but you have to think if he can increase his productivity — even just a little bit — the Blackhawks will return to being a force in the Western Conference after an early exit last spring.
Stinson: Winnipeg. They seemed like a team on the verge of great things two years ago, but then were swept in the first round of the playoffs. Somehow they got worse after adding Laine. If Steve Mason can be just competent in net, the Jets should be good.
5 Which Canadian teams will make the playoffs and which will go the deepest?
Traikos: Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton are practically locks to make it, while Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary are strong maybes. Of those, I think Edmonton and Montreal have the best chance to go the furthest, simply because they have the best goalies.
Matheson: Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa. The Oilers will show that last spring’s stirring playoff run to Game 7 of the second round wasn’t fantasy. Of course, the Flames could play the Oilers in Round 1, which might throw a huge monkey wrench into my prediction.
Wiebe: Six of the seven Canadian teams make the playoffs, the lone exception being the Vancouver Canucks, who should be better than many expect. Provided Smith plays well in net, the Calgary Flames could make the deepest run, thanks in part to the depth on the blue-line.
Garrioch: The Senators, Canadiens, Leafs and Oilers are all going to make the post-season. Not sure why the Jets insisted on giving coach Paul Maurice a contract extension, but they should be in the playoff picture as well. The Flames have a chance if they get a save or two. The Oilers have a chance to go deep.
Stinson: Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Winnipeg. The Oilers make it to the conference final.
6 Will the Vegas Golden Knights be the worst team in the NHL?
Traikos: As much as the expansion team will struggle, I suspect the Colorado Avalanche, who scored the fewest goals and allowed the second-most goals last season, will be even worse — especially if this Matt Duchene trade drama drags on.
Matheson: Yes, barely. Colorado and Vancouver will give them a run, but unless Marc-Andre Fleury stands on his head every single night in net to win 25 games by a 2-1 score, they’ll be like every other expansion team; game but in over their heads because they have no offence.
Wiebe: The Golden Knights are strong between the pipes with Fleury and Calvin Pickard, so they should be competitive even though they’ll likely miss the playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche are in danger of finishing 31st, even if the Duchene saga is resolved.
Garrioch: They were given the opportunity to have a good team and decided to go for the future in a lot of ways. I don’t think there’s any question they’re not going to be any good, but they’ll get competition from New Jersey and Colorado.
Stinson: Yes. George McPhee is in no hurry to win, and there’s a benefit to being as bad as possible. This is the one team that you can guarantee will be sellers as the season goes on.
7 Who will win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer?
Traikos: The easy money is on Connor McDavid, but I’ll go off the board and say Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele, simply because he was so dominant last year (82 points) and will pick up even more assists playing alongside Laine.
Matheson: Homer hat, again. McDavid will score 40 and get 70 assists.
Wiebe: McDavid. Although Sidney Crosby will keep things interesting, the Edmonton Oilers captain could hit 110 points after reaching the century mark last season. His acceleration drives opposition defencemen nuts and he might hit 40 goals in his third NHL season.
Garrioch: Crosby is healthy and coming off a Stanley Cup victory. I think he’s going to push to be the NHL’s top scorer and fend off McDavid. My guess is Crosby will finish with 95 points and McDavid won’t be far behind.
Stinson: McDavid, 105 points. You can go ahead and pencil him in for this for the next five years, too. Wait, no, use a pen.
8 Who will win the James Norris Trophy as the top defenceman?
Traikos: Erik Karlsson probably should have won the award last year and the year before, but voters were convinced his jaw-dropping offensive numbers meant he couldn’t defend. And then he broke his foot while blocking shots in the playoffs — and still played better than anyone. In other words, the award is his to lose.
Matheson: Karlsson, although recovering from foot surgery might slow him down for the first month. What he showed last year was a willingness to block shots and defend better than he ever has. He’s no one-trick pony.
Wiebe: Roman Josi, Nashville Predators. Under the radar no more after helping his team reach the Stanley Cup final, this mobile puck-mover will take on an even bigger role with Ryan Ellis on the shelf to start the season.
Garrioch: It should have been Karlsson last spring and it should be him this spring. The Senators captain has been a strong player at both ends of the ice. He’s the straw that stirs the drink and helped the club get to the East final last spring. There is no way he’s about to take a step back.
Stinson: Karlsson. This assumes that Brent Burns can’t quite repeat the absurdity of last season and that Karlsson isn’t out for an extended period with his bum foot. But if he’s back in good time, he’s the safest bet to wow the league with his normal wizardry.
9 Which coach will be deserving of the Jack Adams Trophy?
Traikos: Hitchcock will get consideration for turning Dallas into a Presidents’ Trophy-winning team, but if Toronto takes another step forward and wins the Atlantic Division, I expect Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock will get plenty of love.
Matheson: The return of Hitchcock in Dallas. This could be his last coaching rodeo and he’s come full-circle where it all started with the Stars, where he won the Cup in 1999.
Wiebe: Bill Peters, Carolina Hurricanes. A young team on the rise locked up their cornerstone blue-liners to long-term deals, made Scott Darling their No. 1 goalie and brought back Justin Williams. Sebastian Aho will take another step as Peters pushes this group into the playoffs.
Garrioch: If the Buffalo Sabres can get up off the mat and make the playoffs, then Phil Housley will get consideration. People are determined to see the Winnipeg Jets have success, so if they get to the post-season, give it to Maurice.
Stinson: Glen Gulutzan, Calgary. This either goes to the guy whose team blows through the regular season or the guy whose team makes a big leap. We’ll take Calgary for the second category.
10 Who will win the Stanley Cup, who will they beat, and who will be the Conn Smythe Trophy winner?
Traikos: I think we’re still a year or two away from Toronto and Edmonton meeting in the final. Instead, I’m picking Dallas over Tampa Bay in seven games, with Bishop winning MVP against his former team.
Matheson: Edmonton Oilers. Be prepared to saw off the limb I’m going out on. The league is wide open. Pittsburgh’s won two straight, but I’m not sure they have the gas for three in a row. The Oilers will beat Jon Cooper’s Tampa Bay Lightning in the final.
Wiebe: Chicago over Washington in six games. Some are predicting the Blackhawks’ demise, but the last time they were bounced in the first round (in 2012 by the Coyotes), they won it all the following spring. Duncan Keith wins the Conn Smythe.
Garrioch: Time for the three-peat for the Penguins. They defied the odds last year, and I’m going to give it to them again.
Stinson: Tampa Bay over Minnesota, and only because weird stuff always happens in the spring and this was the strangest matchup I could imagine. Conn Smythe to Tyler Johnson.