Hockey is here: NHL season preview

The best time of the year has arrived. The weather cools, leaves turn golden and bearded men with knives on their feet take to the ice to smack a piece of frozen rubber and punch each other in the face. Hockey is truly the greatest sport on the planet, and with the NHL season starting on Tuesday, I’ve put together a division-by-division preview for those looking to get caught up.

Pacific Division:

The Pacific has seen more upheaval in the last five seasons than any other division and it’s not even close. The division that for many years belonged to California is up for grabs as the three Golden State teams enter the fourth season of their collective descent to the basement. The Los Angeles Kings’ dynasty went first as its cup winning core from 2012 and 2014 began to age and part ways, and the perennial Pacific champion Anaheim Ducks soon followed suit. Finally, the window closed for the San Jose Sharks as the team crashed and burned after gambling its playoff hopes on defenseman Erik Karlsson and an eight year $92 million contract that looks increasingly ill-advised with each passing season. In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL as an expansion team and shocked the league by making their way to the Stanley Cup Final in their very first season with a roster essentially compiled of every other team’s tenth-best player. This season, the Seattle Kraken enter the NHL as the newest expansion team and hope to recreate the Knight’s winning formula in the Pacific. Look for Vegas to take the crown again as the Oilers, Flames, Canucks and Kraken battle for the remaining three playoff spots.

Central Division:

There’s a new king of the Central, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. The Colorado Avalanche, led by General Manager Joe Sakic and generational talent Nathan Mackinnon, are the favorite for a Stanley Cup title in the Western Conference. The Avs have fallen short in the playoffs both of the last two seasons, but their young core improves every year and will certainly pose a threat to the two time defending cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. There is no team in the Central strong enough to truly challenge Colorado, but the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars are both competitive squads with dark-horse potential. The Chicago Blackhawks may bounce back after a gentle rebuild process and a few seasons of missed playoffs, and the St. Louis Blues can probably squeak out one more playoff appearance before they’re forced to gut their roster and trade away their veterans for young talent.

Metropolitan Division:

The Metro is set for a thrilling season. Four teams have legitimate hopes for a division title, so the parity in this group exceeds that of the rest of the league. The Carolina Hurricanes won the makeshift Central Division last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals finished atop the East and the New York Islanders went deep into the playoffs, losing only to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who would go on to win it all. The Pens and Caps have ruled this division for years as their veteran captains, Sid “The Kid” Crosby and Alexander “Ovi” Ovechkin, respectively, have cemented themselves as the greatest players of their generation. Will the reign continue, or will the upstart Canes and Isles overthrow the legacies of the past?

Atlantic Division:

There is only one question in the Atlantic this year: Can anyone beat the Lightning? The Montreal Canadiens made an improbable run to the cup final last season, but the jury is still out whether or not their cup appearance was simply a fluke. The Boston Bruins are a perennial cup contender, but their scoring depth is lacking and their defensive core has deteriorated over the past few seasons. The Florida Panthers also pose a significant threat to their neighbors in Tampa, but these jungle cats still have much to prove after being eliminated by the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs last season.