1. The Maven will be surprised if the Capitals are anything but the Buildup To A Letdown team of 2025-26.

2. Look at it this way. At 40 and without last year's motivation, Alex Ovechkin will slip to average and the Caps engine, Tom Wilson, will putter out on the other side of the hill.

3. But if anyone in D.C. can prove me wrong about the Caps, it's the very fine coach Spencer Carbery.

4. Speaking of coaches, you may still detest Joel Quenneville but I'm liking his return; especially since his boss is my old Devils favorite Pat Verbeek.

5. That said, the Anaheim Ducks are my "Surprise Team of 2025-26" partly because of Q and V paddling them to the playoffs.

6. Zach Hyman should be back in the Oilers lineup, fully recovered from the injury that cost him the playoffs. But at age 33, I wonder if we'll be seeing the Zach Hyman of yesteryear.

7. If I'm Sidney Crosby, at 38 years old, I wouldn't be ashamed to ask for a trade. And if I'm  Chris Drury, I'd take him.

8. Give me one reason – just one – why I should expect Buffalo to make the postseason in 2025-26. And don't tell me the Law of Averages says so.

9. Looking ahead, I like Seth Jones as the next Norris Trophy-winner. Playing for the champ Panthers should put him over the top.

The Hockey Maven Picks His Five Favorite Rangers Anybody can like a star; it's the easiest thing in the world. 

10. Sometime around November we should be hearing some serious talk about Atlanta as the next expansion team; only I suspect that this time it'll be closer to reality.

11. Hockey People I Miss: Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe, Lorne Henning, Tom Renney, Tom Murray, Jeff Friesen, Ken Juba, Bob Bourne, Al Hamilton, Alexei Kovalev and Kevin Chevedayoff and Peter Ruttgaizer.