Which NHL teams will see their playoff streaks snapped? When will trade action pick up? Carol Schram lists five storylines to watch heading into the New Year.

The NHL is in the midst of its final week before the Christmas break. After that, the New Year will arrive in the blink of an eye.

There has been no shortage of intrigue so far this season. Here's what to watch for the rest of the way — and beyond.

Can the Vegas Golden Knights Repeat?

It's not easy to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in the salary cap era. Having a good team isn't enough — the stars also need to align.

The Vegas Golden Knights haven't earned much attention for a possible repeat. Maybe there's also some expansion-team envy at play?

Vegas's Cup was well-deserved: the only time they trailed in a playoff series was after Game 1 of Round 1 against Winnipeg, and they never faced elimination.

They also finished out the playoffs in remarkably good health and are going into the holiday break atop the Western Conference standings. 

With a strong roster, good coaching and a burning will to win, count them out at your peril.

Will Alex Ovechkin Rediscover His Scoring Touch?

The chase for Gretzky's record has slowed to a crawl. Alex Ovechkin has just five goals in 28 games.

He isn't close to leading the league in shots like he has done 11 times in his career, but he is still in the top 20. However, his accuracy has abruptly plummeted to just 4.8 percent — barely a third of last season's 14.3 percent.

Father Time may be catching up to the 38-year-old, but 'Ovi' has often picked up his game in the second half of the season. 

He won't get the 67 that he needs to match The Great One before the end of this season, but he could add enough to make next year very interesting.

Which Playoff Perennials Will See Their Streaks End?

Ovechkin's Capitals saw their eight-year streak of consecutive playoff appearances halted last spring, while Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins failed to qualify for the first time in 17 years.

With the standings packed tightly around the wild-card positions and clubs like the Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers in position to return to the dance, other playoff regulars may find themselves booking earlier-than-usual tee times this spring.

The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs now have the longest active streaks, at seven seasons each, and the Colorado Avalanche are at six. They're all pretty safe at the moment, but the second-half battle could be tougher for the Tampa Bay Lightning (six seasons) and the Carolina Hurricanes (five seasons). At the next rung, the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers are all looking to extend their four-season playoff streaks.

When Will the Trade Deadline Market Heat Up?

Last season, the Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders kickstarted trade-deadline season when they moved Bo Horvat on Jan. 30. In February, several more big deals were consummated. By the official deadline on March 3, depth moves were the primary order of the day. 

This year, the line between potential buyers and sellers looks blurrier than ever. In the Eastern Conference, just two teams are more than five points out of a playoff spot after Monday's games; in the West, it's three. 

Factor in the scarcity of cap space and many clubs may need to wait till the bitter end before making a move for a rental — or deciding to recoup assets on a pending UFA. 

Stay patient: the deadline is five days later this year, too — on March 8.

Which Familiar Faces Will Repeat as Trophy Winners?

After a one-season absence, Auston Matthews is back in the hunt for his third-career Rocket Richard Trophy. Fellow winners Sidney Crosby and David Pastrnak are also in the mix, along with some new names, including Brock Boeser, Zach Hyman and Sam Reinhart.

And maybe Connor McDavid was giving the rest of the field a head start before starting his quest for his sixth Art Ross? After logging just 10 points in his first 10 games, The Oilers' captain has 31 in his next 16 and has vaulted himself back into the top five in the points race. 

Even with his slow start, McDavid is now at 1.58 points per game which puts him second only to points leader Nikita Kucherov. And his current 1.68 points per game is well above the 128-point pace that won him the 2019 scoring title.

Elsewhere, we could see first-time winners of the Vezina and Norris this season. One thing's for sure: after Patrice Bergeron's retirement, the Selke race is wide open. Agents, start your engines.