Could Jack Eichel break the Sabres franchise record for points by a rookie? Could Crosby, Kessel and Malkin finish 1-2-3 in scoring? Anything is possible on the first day of the new season.
With another season just hours away, the excitement is palpable. Jaromir Jagr is growing his mullet and Erik Karlsson is cutting his. We’re on the verge of 3-on-3 play in overtime and, admit it, you’re probably on the edge of your set at this very moment, wondering who will issue the first coach’s challenge.
With a new season come all kinds of possibilities, both good and bad. And we have you covered for both. To that end, we present the absolute best and worst headlines you might read for each team this season:
ANAHEIM
BEST: Ducks defeat Capitals in Game 7 to win second Stanley Cup in team history
WORST: Ducks falter in second round, coach Bruce Boudreau fired
ARIZONA
BEST: Coyotes win draft lottery and right to draft local prodigy Auston Matthews
WORST: Rumors of relocation of Coyotes continue as teams struggles for wins, fans
BOSTON
BEST:David Krejci plays full season, leads Bruins in scoring
WORST: Disappointing start to season lands Claude Julien in unemployment line
BUFFALO
BEST:Jack Eichel breaks Rick Martin’s franchise record for points by a rookie, wins Calder Trophy
WORST: In their own building Sabres take their usual place in the front row at NHL draft
CALGARY
BEST:Dougie Hamilton lives up to contract by winning his first Norris Trophy
WORST: Turns out all those analytics guys were absolutely right
CAROLINA
BEST: Line of Kris Versteeg, Eric Staal and Elias Lindholm lead surprising ‘Canes
WORST: As losses pile up in both standings and balance sheet, Peter Karmanos ponders team’s future in Raleigh
CHICAGO
BEST: Young guns Teuvo Teravainen, Artemi Panarin, TVR key to Blackhawks Cup run
WORST: Lengthy investigation leads to sexual assault charge against Patrick Kane
COLORADO
BEST:Nathan MacKinnon named NHL’s Comeback Player of the Year
WORST: Goalie Semyon Varlamov finally cracks under barrage of shots
COLUMBUS
BEST: Blue Jackets shock the hockey world by winning Metropolitan Division title
WORST: Todd Richards fired after another terrible start for Blue Jackets
DALLAS
BEST:Valeri Nichushkin, Jason Spezza and Patrick Sharp form deadly trio for playoff-bound Stars
WORST: Sub-par goaltending from Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi means Stars are Finnish-ed
DETROIT
BEST: Mike Who? Jeff Blashill makes Red Wing fans forget all about Babcock
WORST: Long-term injuries to Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg stop Red Wings playoff streak at 24 years
EDMONTON
BEST: The impossible happens and Connor McDavid actually lives up to the hype
WORST: Even with all this young talent, Oilers still a lottery team
FLORIDA
BEST: Young talent and old man carry Panthers back to the playoffs
WORST: Things are so bad Jaromir Jagr vows to cut mullet to end curse
LOS ANGELES
BEST: Lesson learned, Kings ditch complacency and lead league standings
WORST:Anze Kopitar admits it might be time to move on from Los Angeles
MINNESOTA
BEST: Team defense, play of youth key to Wild berth in Western Conference final
WORST: Is it possible Devan Dubnyk was a one-year wonder?
MONTREAL
BEST:Zack Kassian emerges from Stage 2 productive on ice, at peace off it
WORST: Habs reliance on goaltending sabotages them as Carey Price falters
NASHVILLE
BEST:Shea Weber finally recognized for excellence with first Norris Trophy
WORST: Predators tops in Western Conference, face wildcard Blackhawks in first round
NEW JERSEY
BEST: 2011 fourth overall pick Adam Larsson becomes elite NHL defenseman
WORST: Plucky Devils just miss the playoffs, longshot to win draft lottery
N.Y. ISLANDERS
BEST: Barclays Center to host Eastern Conference final in first year of operation
WORST: Islanders confound hockey world by failing to get out of first round for 22nd straight season
N.Y. RANGERS
BEST:Henrik Lundqvist, defense corps lead Rangers to third straight deep playoff run
WORST:Rick Nash’s post-season struggles carry over to regular season
OTTAWA
BEST: Doctors discover miracle cure for colon cancer
WORST:Erik Karlsson has his worst season ever, blames his haircut
PHILADELPHIA
BEST: Ron Hextall says he always knew Flyers were a playoff team on eve of first round
WORST: Head coach Dave Hakstol finds himself in over his head in NHL game
PITTSBURGH
BEST:Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin finish 1-2-3 in NHL scoring race
WORST: Penguins can’t score their way out their defensive shortcomings
ST. LOUIS
BEST:Vladimir Tarasenko becomes the first player in Blues history to win scoring title
WORST: Same old story as Blues are once again first-round playoff fodder
SAN JOSE
BEST: Sharks return to playoffs behind Vezina Trophy candidate Martin Jones
WORST: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton veterans in precipitous decline
TAMPA BAY
BEST: Scoring star Steven Stamkos agrees to eight-year contract extension
WORST: With no hope of signing Stamkos, Steve Yzerman deals him at the deadline
TORONTO
BEST: Maple Leafs rebuilding plan accelerated by Mike Babcock and young talent
WORST: ‘I knew it would be bad, but not this bad,’ says Babcock
VANCOUVER
BEST: Canucks youth movement yields surprisingly positive results
WORST: Vancouver’s faith in tandem of Ryan Miller and Jakob Markstrom leads to downfall
WASHINGTON
BEST:Justin Williams scores in OT to lead Capitals over Rangers to conference final
WORST: Workhorse Braden Holtby wears down in playoffs, Capitals ousted
WINNIPEG
BEST: Jets prove last season’s strong showing was no fluke
WORST: With playoffs a pipedream, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff trades pending UFA Dustin Byfuglien at deadline