Wawrow: Power and Anaheim forward Mason McTavish both got a head start on their NHL careers to close last season. 1 pick from the 2021 NHL draft will get plenty of ice time to show what he can do, giving him lots of chances to impress voters. Wawrow: With so many elite players to choose from, why not stick with the front-runner: Makar edging out the Rangers' Adam Fox. Lage: Makar becomes the first player to win the Norris consecutively since Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom's three in a row from 2006-08. Whyno: Darcy Kuemper has been statistically one of the best goaltenders in the NHL for several years and will get more credit for keeping that up with Washington than Colorado, playing 60-plus games and backstopping the Capitals to the playoffs. The Pacific might be a little more competitive this year, but Markstrom should win out. Wawrow: Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom finished second in the voting last year thanks, in part, to playing in the NHL’s weakest division. The former Toronto goalie had a career-best 2.17 goals-against average last season, trailing only Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin, and ranked third in save percentage. Whyno: A defenseman wins it for the first time since 2000 with Cale Makar raising his level even higher following a Norris Trophy season capped by playoff MVP honors for leading Colorado to the Stanley Cup. Wawrow: This is lining up as being a potentially big year for the New York Rangers, and Artemi Panarin is in position to play a leading role. It’s hard to pick against the 25-year-old superstar, who won the award twice in six years and finished second last year, third once and fifth two times. Everyone’s on notice in Toronto, including Sheldon Keefe, but Maple Leafs' shortcomings are more likely to be a result of goaltending than coaching. Whyno: It’s only the Kraken’s second season, but the leash could be short on Dave Hakstol in Seattle. And yes, Ruff’s running out of time in New Jersey. Smith in Ottawa, following an offseason in which the Senators grabbed Claude Giroux, Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot in hopes of making the playoffs. He is entering his third season that he may not finish if the team doesn’t show signs of improvement after consecutive seventh-place finishes. But a few seats are still getting warmer. Nearly a third of the league having a new coach significantly cuts down the list of who might get fired before the end of the season. and Canada in a welcome sign amid the pandemic. A month after the Predators and Sharks in Czechia, Colorado and Columbus will play two games in Tampere, Finland, as part of the league’s Global Series.įans are also back, at least for now, in all 32 arenas across the U.S. Games in Europe aren’t new, but they’re back for the first time since 2019. “Just the way things are going in this generation,” Montreal captain Nick Suzuki said. There are also ads on some, but not all, jerseys for the first time with the NHL following the NBA in seeking a new revenue stream. Ten different teams have a new coach, and eight have a new starting goaltender. AP Hockey Writers Larry Lage, John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno get you ready for the season with a rundown of what to know:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |