There’s something special about opening night, even last season during the pandemic. Fans excitedly await the opening puck drops and for the first time (for some) in over a year and a half, attending hockey games in person. And for those of us dedicated enough, planning on thousands of miles and hundreds of dollars for six amazing episodes of the Tour de NHL!

In a break from my normal musings on the life and times of a banker turned aspiring sports journalist and writer (hmmmmmmmmmm……), I thought it might be fun to share my thoughts and predictions on the 2021-22 NHL season, in a year that feels like a return to normal complete with fans in attendance, broken bones healed, ESPN televised games resurrected, and coronavirus cases on the decline here in the United States. So without further ado, here are my predictions for this season.

Atlantic Division Standings

1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Florida Panthers
4. Boston Bruins (WC)
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Ottawa Senators
7. Detroit Red Wings
8. Buffalo Sabres

The two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning may have well been three-time defending champions if not for an epic first-round meltdown in 2019, but they look poised to repeat as Cup contenders and possibly become the first modern dynasty since the 1990s-2000s Red Wings. Toronto, Florida, and Boston all have prolific offenses and all grab playoff spots, but I fear all three teams lack enough veteran experience on defense and/or in goal to make a serious Cup run. Montreal will miss leaders Carey Price and Shea Weber on the back end and will falter in a fiercely tough division. Ottawa and Detroit have young cores beginning to blossom but will need some time, growth, and salary cap right-sizing amongst teams before they seriously contend. Meanwhile, Buffalo may be the worst NHL team in a decade and may struggle to draw fans by New Year’s Day.

Metropolitan Division Standings

1. New York Islanders
2. Carolina Hurricanes
3. Washington Capitals
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (WC)
5. New York Rangers
6. Philadelphia Flyers
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Columbus Blue Jackets

This division could go about 25 different ways, but defense wins championships, even in the NHL. The Islanders have one of the grittiest and most physical styles in the league with one of its best coaches in Barry Trotz. The additions of veterans Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara (sorry, Drew) and return of captain Anders Lee will spur them to a division title. Carolina and Washington have excellent offenses and will make the playoffs, while I think Pittsburgh will rally around the return of injured leaders to propel them to one last playoff run with this core before it ages out. The young and upstart Rangers could be a wild card team too, but I think they may lack scoring depth and young goaltenders may not be consistent enough. As for my beloved Flyers, they’ve improved, but something just feels off with the absence of 2C Kevin Hayes and the pressure on young franchise goalie Carter Hart. I’d love to be wrong, but I think they continue to struggle defensively and miss the playoffs. New Jersey and Columbus acquired star players in Dougie Hamilton and Jake Voracek, respectively, but both teams lack necessary depth and top-end goaltending.

Central Division Standings

1. Colorado Avalanche
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Dallas Stars
4. Winnipeg Jets (WC)
5. St. Louis Blues (WC)
6. Minnesota Wild
7. Nashville Predators
8. Arizona Coyotes

Colorado is a sexy Stanley Cup pick and I can’t blame most reporters for doing so when you have a top line of MacKinnon-Landeskog-Rantanen. It’s easily a top-three line in the league, and having Cale Makar on the back end doesn’t hurt either. I think Chicago will be the most improved team in the league this season with the additions of Marc-Andre Fleury and Seth Jones and the return of captain Jonathan Toews. Would not be surprised to see them make one last run at a Cup, nor would I in Dallas with strong goaltending and a well-constructed all-around roster. Winnipeg and St. Louis have strong defenses and goalies and will make the playoffs given a very weak Pacific Division, but I doubt either team has the scoring depth to make a serious run. Minnesota (losing Parise and Suter), Nashville (losing Rinne and Ellis), and Arizona (losing Ekman-Larsson and Garland) all seem to be re-defining themselves and not in a win-now mode.

Pacific Division Standings

1. Vegas Golden Knights
2. Edmonton Oilers
3. Vancouver Canucks
4. Calgary Flames
5. Seattle Kraken
6. Los Angeles Kings
7. San Jose Sharks
8. Anaheim Ducks

Vegas SHOULD easily win this division with their extremely well-built roster, though I wonder how much they can rely on Robin Lehner to carry the load in goal. Still, they’re another top pick to hoist the Cup in June, and I think they have a fighter’s chance of doing so if Lehner stands tall in net. You can’t bet against Connor McJesus (err, McDavid) and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton and the addition of veteran d-man Duncan Keith provides much needed locker room leadership. I think Vancouver has a good chance to make a playoff run with good (but maybe not elite) scorers in Elias Petterson and Brock Boeser and the addition of former Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Calgary loses veteran D-man and captain Mark Giordano and with rumors swirling around star winger Johnny Gaudreau, I struggle to think they have another mediocre season without making a big splash of a trade. Our newest neighbors in Seattle will rally around their team and they could be good with key pieces in goalie Philip Grubauer (who Colorado SOMEHOW let go in free agency) and Jaden Schwartz, but I’m not sure if they’ve the scoring depth that Vegas did in their inaugural Cinderella run to the Finals. With rebuilds and expensive and aging veterans, I struggle to see how any of the three California squads make the playoffs, though if I had to choose one, it would be Los Angeles if (Avon Old Farms Winged Beaver, you’re welcome Dad) Jonathan Quick has one last strong run in net.

Awards Predictions

Art Ross Trophy (most points): Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Calder Memorial Trophy (top rookie): Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens

Frank Selke Trophy (best defensive forward): Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

James Norris Trophy (best defenseman): Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (most goals): Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player): Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Prince of Wales Trophy (Eastern Conference Champions): New York Islanders

Clarence Campbell Bowl (Western Conference Champions): Vegas Golden Knights

Stanley Cup (duh, it’s the Cup!): Vegas Golden Knights

There’s something about the Islanders’ depth and coaching that really intrigues me this season (as does the birth of their brand new arena at Belmont Park, but I think Vegas is a better top-to-bottom team and may be just a bit better defensively. In the end, the Islanders get their revenge over Tampa Bay, but at the cost of some adrenaline and energy and fall to the Golden Knights in 7 games. However this season turns out (and however inaccurate these predictions turn out to be), I’m thrilled for fans to be back and for the Tour to be back to a full schedule. Next stop: Chicago on November 12th, and I hope you’ll join me for good reads and good hockey along the way!