It’s a new NHL season, and that means it’s time for a new THN - Pittsburgh Penguins season prediction piece!

And if training camp and the ensuing roster decisions are any indication of what’s to come this season, it should be an interesting one.

The Penguins are going a bit younger with their roster this season, as top prospects Harrison Brunicke, Ben Kindel, and Ville Koivunen are all starting the year in Pittsburgh. They also still have a collection of talented veterans that - mixed with the young talent - could perhaps make a difference when all is said and done.

So, where will the Penguins finish in the Metropolitan Division standings this season? Will they sniff the playoffs? Are they bottom-five? And who will lead the way for them?

THN - Penguins site editors Kelsey Surmacz and Hunter Hodies give their predictions for the upcoming season:

Metropolitan Division standings:
1. Carolina Hurricanes
2. New Jersey Devils
3. Washington Capitals
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. New York Rangers
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
7. New York Islanders
8. Philadelphia Flyers

Eastern Conference playoff picture:
1. Carolina Hurricanes
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
4. New Jersey Devils
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Washington Capitals
7. Florida Panthers
8. Montreal Canadiens

Western Conference playoff picture:
1. Vegas Golden Knights
2. Dallas Stars
3. Edmonton Oilers
4. Colorado Avalanche
5. Winnipeg Jets
6. Los Angeles Kings
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Utah Mammoth

Bottom-five teams:
32. Chicago Blackhawks
31. Seattle Kraken
30. Nashville Predators
29. Boston Bruins
28. Buffalo Sabres

Stanley Cup Final Prediction: Golden Knights over Senators in five games

League’s leading scorer: Leon Draisaitl - 132 points

Penguins’ leading scorer: Sidney Crosby - 86 points

Penguins’ breakout candidate: Philip Tomasino

Penguins’ Rookie of the Year: D Harrison Brunicke

One bold prediction: Ben Kindel stays the entire season, records 40-plus points.

The ‘why’: I really, really wanted to pick the Florida Panthers to threepeat. Truly. Part of me still feels like I’m getting it wrong and that they’ll surprise everyone (yet not surprise anyone at the same time).

But being without Alexsander Barkov for the entire season - let alone if he misses the playoffs - is a blow I’m not sure they can overcome. Yes, they are like the cockroaches that just won’t die. The league hasn’t figured them out yet, and it literally doesn’t matter where they finish in the playoff standings picture - as long as they make the playoffs, they’re a true contender.

So, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Florida win it all again, but I just can’t bring myself to pick them, given the circumstances. So, I’m going Vegas over Ottawa, who I think will take and step and have a great year before ultimately falling short.

As far as the Penguins? Well, their defense corps and goaltending may be suspect at best, but their forward group is actually… good? It’s certainly better than last year’s from the start, and there is an unpredictable youth factor that makes things a little bit exciting. I just don’t think they’re positioned badly enough to truly tank for Gavin McKenna, and that’s not going to change without some major trades and roster reshuffling.

Crosby will be point-per-game again, and I do think Tomasino looked like a completely different player in the pre-season than he did last season and that his new contract has lit a fire under him. I’ll be looking for him to make himself either a solid depth piece or nice trade chip and for rookie blueliner Harrison Brunicke - who I expect to stay in Pittsburgh the whole year - to have pretty big rookie campaign for the Penguins.

Oh, and I agree that Ben Kindel is not going to stick at the NHL level and will go back to juniors unless he blows everyone out of the water… but I think the 18-year-old kid is going to blow everyone out of the water.

Metropolitan Division standings:
1. Carolina Hurricanes
2. New Jersey Devils
3. Washington Capitals
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. New York Rangers
6. New York Islanders
7. Pittsburgh Penguins
8. Philadelphia Flyers

Eastern Conference playoff picture:
1. Carolina Hurricanes
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Florida Panthers
4. New Jersey Devils
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
6. Washington Capitals
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Ottawa Senators

Western Conference playoff picture:
1. Vegas Golden Knights
2. Dallas Stars
3. Colorado Avalanche
4. Edmonton Oilers
5. Winnipeg Jets
6. L.A. Kings
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Utah Mammoth

Bottom-five teams:
32. San Jose Sharks
31. Chicago Blackhawks
30. Nashville Predators
29. Philadelphia Flyers
28. Boston Bruins

Stanley Cup Final Prediction: Golden Knights over Lightning in 6 games

League’s leading scorer: Connor McDavid - 140 points

Penguins’ leading scorer: Sidney Crosby - 95 points

Penguins’ breakout candidate: Tommy Novak

Penguins’ rookie of the year: Ville Koivunen

One bold prediction: Erik Karlsson registers 70-plus points

The ‘why’: I finally got a Stanley Cup Final matchup right this past season with the Oilers playing the Panthers again, but I can’t pick those two teams again. It’s really hard to keep getting to Stanley Cup Finals and I think there’s finally a couple of teams in the West that can beat the Oilers this year, specifically the Golden Knights. I think they have the best roster in the league and are going to make a move to add a defenseman before the trade deadline.

The East is wide open now that Barkov is lost for at least the entire regular season. If he’s also out for the entire playoffs, I can’t see the Panthers returning to another final. He’s the straw that stirs the drink for that team, and without him, other teams can find some mismatches. I’m being a bit bold and taking the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final, but I think they can get through the East, especially if Barkov isn’t there in the playoffs.

As for the Penguins, I’m going to take Crosby compiling 90+ points every season until he stops doing it. He was one of the best players in the league last year, and I expect that to continue this year.

This is the most intrigued I’ve been about a season in quite some time, and even though I don’t think they will be good, they’re still going to be fun to watch. There’s a brand new staff in place, something that’s been needed for a few years. There are legit young players who are getting opportunities to start the season. The big three are also still around. There are plenty of reasons to watch this team on a nightly basis.

I think Novak surprises a lot of people this year and is a good middle-six/top-nine option. He’s a strong playmaker with an underrated release and isn’t afraid to use it. I think Koivunen is going to be the best of the rookies this season and finish with around 35 points, which would be a great achievement.

As far as my bold prediction, I think Karlsson benefits from a new coaching staff and a new partner. He’s taking the top pairing minutes, which is what should happen since he’s the best defenseman on the team. He’s going to look more like the player we saw at the 4 Nations Face-off last season.

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