toronto_maple_leafs

hockey

At the dawn of every new season, fans wonder what is going to happen with their favourite team.  Often, this question is pondered because of the vast amounts of changes that can occur during the off season.  But that’s not the only question fans are wondering with this NHL season.  We have compiled a list of some pretty obvious questions and also some questions that people might be uncomfortable asking.  Look for your team, and see what questions are being posed.

Metropolitan Division

carolina_hurricanes

Carolina Hurricanes

  • Does Scott Darling have what it takes in order to be a number one goalie? Especially since he is no longer behind the Chicago Blackhawks defense.
  • Will Justin Williams make that much of a difference at 35?  And will he be worth a $4.5 million investment, per season?  That money could have been spent elsewhere, don’t you think?

Columbus Blue Jackets

  • How many goals will Artemi Panarin score while playing alongside someone other than Patrick Kane?
  • Will Sergei Bobrovsky’s save percentage be closer to what he held last season? During last season he had .931 and the season before that he was at a .908.

New Jersey Devils

  • Will number one pick Nico Hischier be really fun to watch?
  • Has Cory Schneider lost his edge?

New York Islanders

  • Will John Tavares re-sign with the Islanders, or get fed up and go somewhere else?  We are still in the offseason, so there is time.

New York Rangers

  • Who is going to be the big scorer for the Rangers?
  • Is the legendary Henry Lundqvist on the downside of his career peak?

Philadelphia Flyers

  • Is Brian Elliott really the answer to your problems in the net?  Elliott is on his third team in three years.
  • Should the Flyers be worried about Nolan Patrick’s early injury problems?

Pittsburgh Penguins

  • Can (and will) the Penguins make it a three-peat?
  • Can Kris Letang return to the level he was at before his February injury?
  • Is Sidney Crosby in danger of getting burned out?

Washington Capitals

  • Will this team ever make it past the second round of the playoffs?
  • Despite how they’re spinning it, did the Capitals lose too many key players?

Atlantic Division

boston_bruins

Boston Bruins

  • Does Zdeno Chara have any gas left in the tank?
  • Is the team a hot mess?

Buffalo Sabres

  • How will new coach Phil Housley mesh with Jack Eichel?
  • Is Robin Lehner really a number one goalie in this league?

Detroit Red Wings

  • Are the Detroit Red Wings too old and slow to contend in the league?
  • Was Trevor Daley the best they could do in terms of a free agent?

Florida Panthers

  • How much does Roberto Luongo have left to give?
  • Are Aaron Ekblad’s injury woes chronic?

Montreal Canadiens

  • Can Jonathan Drouin bear the pressure as a French-Canadian scorer playing for the Habs?  (Big pressure)
  • Can the defense sustain the absence of longtime steady hand Andrei Markov?
  • Are the Habs going to miss Alexander Radulov more than they would like to admit?

Ottawa Senators

  • Can the Senators match last season’s amazing playoff run?
  • Will Erik Karlsson be the same whenever he comes back from his severe foot injuries?  And how will the Senators fare while he’s out?

Tampa Bay Lightning

  • How good will the Lightning be if Steven Stamkos resumes the pace he was at before his 2016/2017 season ended with an injury?
  • What if goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy isn’t ready to be the number one goalie?

Toronto Maple Leafs

  • Can Auston Matthews match his amazing 40 goal rookie season?
  • What if all that budding talent on the blueline stays unrealized

Central Division

chicago_blackhaws

Chicago Blackhawks

  • How much will the Blackhawks miss the scoring of Artemi Panarin?
  • Is the Blackhawks’ long-term core burned out?  (Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Corey Crawford)

Colorado Avalanche

  • When will Matt Duchene be traded, and what will be the return?
  • Is GM Joe Sakic in over his head?

Dallas Stars

  • Will Ben Bishop be the goalie who finally saves the day for the Stars?
  • Is defense-first coach Ken Hitchcock a good fit for a team that has Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov?

Minnesota Wild

  • Is Bruce Boudreau destined to have great teams flame out in the playoffs?
  • Is Zach Parise a bust?

Nashville Predators

  • How will the absence of scorer Robby Fabbri hurt the already offense-starved Blues?
  • Do they have enough depth up front to go deep in the playoffs?

Winnipeg Jets

  • Will talented scorer Patrick Laine build on his fantastic rookie season?
  • Is Steve Mason really an improvement in net?

Pacific Division

anaheim_ducks

Anaheim Ducks

  • Are the Ducks the favourites in the West?
  • Will the absence of star checker Ryan Kesler be a bigger blow than we’re being led to believe?  Kesler is out until January.

Arizona Coyotes

  • Will new coach Rick Tocchet raise his team to new levels?
  • Are they really counting on Antti Raanta being better than Mike Smith was?

Calgary Flames

  • Is Mike Smith the answer for the Flames’ woes in the net?
  • How many goals will Jaromir Jagr score?
  • Are the Flames ascending at the same time as their provincial rivals are ready to dominate?

Edmonton Oilers

  • How many points will Connor McDavid score this season?
  • Which key player will take a slide backward and bring their house of cards tumbling down?

Los Angeles Kings

  • Can Anze Kopitar return to superstar form and take the Kings back to the playoffs?
  • Why did they think that Mike Cammalleri was going to be able to provide them with the offense that they need?

San Jose Sharks

  • How much will the Sharks miss Patrick Marleau, who effectively wasn’t replaced.
  • Is Joe Thornton in danger of fading away?

Vancouver Canucks

  • Is this the last season for the Sedin twins?
  • Does this team have any goaltending abilities at all

Vegas Golden Knights

  • How many wins will the Golden Knights have in their inaugural season?
  • Who exactly are these guys?

As you can see this post was just about asking questions.  Some of these questions will get answered soon as the season just started.  The rest of the questions will either get answered throughout the season, or not at all.  You will have to tune into your favourite team to see what happens.

 

By Staff Writer

You were born original so don't live like a carbon copy. Presenting Ubiquitous Originality. | You dream it. We build it. Write about it. Market it. | info@sainteldaily.com|