Ryan Gagne
As the early stages of the 2023-24 NHL season continues, here’s a look at seven burning questions involving the game’s biggest names and most recognizable franchises.
Will Connor McDavid cement his legacy and win a Stanley Cup championship?
After scoring 153 points in 2022-23 and winning four major NHL awards, there’s no denying Connor McDavid is the best player in the game today. However, after eight seasons, he’s never played in the Stanley Cup Final. And with just three years left on his current deal, many wonder if he will win in Edmonton.
Although many doubt McDavid will leave the city, the lack of championships will eventually wear thin, and he could seek opportunities elsewhere. Ultimately, there’s only so much else he can do from an individual standpoint. But it takes a team to win, and the Oilers don’t look like the contenders they could be with this current lineup.
Can the Pittsburgh Penguins contend for the Stanley Cup?
According to data from EliteProspects.com, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the oldest team in the NHL at 29.79 years old. Although that equals 12,985 games of experience (first in the league), the age factor is one of the significant reasons they lost a 16-year playoff streak in 2022-23.
Even though they employ two of the game’s all-time greats, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the supporting cast is not as strong as seasons ago, even with the addition of Erik Karlsson. Ultimately, the Penguins’ years as Stanley Cup favorites are dwindling. But with just a few seasons left with franchise icons, is 2023-24 the last year they go all in to win another one together?
Can first-overall pick Connor Bedard live up to the hype?
Before the NHL Entry Draft in June 2023, all the hockey community could talk about was Connor Bedard. As the top pick in the draft, he ended up with the Chicago Blackhawks and will be the franchise’s new face as they usher in a new era.
Instead of letting Bedard play and adjust to the NHL, many experts across the industry are more focused on projecting his season totals, wondering if he’ll become the next rookie in years to surpass 100 points. Even though he had five points in four preseason games, Bedard didn’t skate against the very best, and with a thin supporting cast in Chicago, the rookie may need help to collect all those points.
Will the Tampa Bay Lightning survive months without Andrei Vasilevskiy?
Just two weeks before opening night, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that their All-Star netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy would undergo surgery. Considering the Russian goalie will miss just two months of action, the Lightning need someone capable of posting the same numbers he does in the short term.
Even though this shocking news is not the end of the world, the Lightning risk falling behind early and spending most of the season playing catch up. Realistically, it’s too early to tell if they can weather the storm, but if they struggle to get wins in October, something will have to change in November, or it could be an early season for the first time in a long time.
Can the Carolina Hurricanes handle the pressure of being Stanley Cup favorites?
After the Boston Bruins had one of the best statistical regular seasons of all time, the second-best team in the NHL was the Carolina Hurricanes. Now that the Bruins employ a different lineup and the Hurricanes improved their roster over the summer, they are one of the favorites to win it all in 2023-24.
However, the Hurricanes haven’t won a game in the Eastern Conference Final since 2006, losing 12 straight in 2009, 2019, and 2023. Even though Carolina looks better than before, can they handle the pressure of potentially becoming the best team in the league and get over a hump that has cost them so many times before?
Could a Stanley Cup “hangover” cost the Vegas Golden Knights their spot at the top?
Since 1990, only four teams have won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles: the Penguins (1991, 1992, 2016, 2017), the Detroit Red Wings (1997, 1998), and the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020, 2021). Realistically, winning consecutive championships is complex, and so is just getting to the Stanley Cup Final.
Considering most teams suffer from the “hangover” associated with an extended season and short offseason, most recent champions (except the Lightning) fail to defend their titles. Even though the Vegas Golden Knights will return with a similar lineup that won in June 2023, there’s a chance they won’t repeat and fight for a playoff spot with another eight months of hockey ahead after one of the shortest offseasons.
Will the Toronto Maple Leafs sort out their financial mess and move closer to a title?
According to numbers obtained from CapFriendly.com, the Toronto Maple Leafs have spent $94 million on salaries, about $11 million over the salary cap. Although they shuffled around some contracts to get the numbers to work, their bookkeeping still needs some attention. After inking star player Auston Matthews to the game’s richest contract, set to kick in for 2024-25, the Maple Leafs will have many unrestricted free agents next summer.
One of the biggest names needing a new deal is William Nylander, one of the team’s core members. Even though Toronto will need to lock up their goalies and restock their defensemen next offseason, they need to figure out how to make the money work to reach the Stanley Cup Final with this current roster. Unsurprisingly, the Maple Leafs will be in the news all season long, with many focused on the team’s future for this upcoming season and the ones to come.
