Name: Top Five Storylines To Watch This 2023-24 NHL Season
Brand: fullpresshockey.com
SKU: fullpresshockey-com-4
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

Top Five Storylines To Watch This 2023-24 NHL Season

preview

The start of the 2023-24 NHL Season is right around the corner. There are a lot of familiar faces in new places after a busy and wild off-season. Heading into a new season, there are always things to watch for. And this season is no different. From what will happen with a start in Europe to the excitement surrounding non-playoff teams that improved in the offseason. Along with the normal storylines following the top teams in the league.

So with the off-season behind us and the puck ready to drop on the 2023-24 NHL season, here are the top five storylines to watch.
 Top Five Storylines 2022-23 NHL Season 

 Where Does Patrick Kane Land? 
This is a major storyline again for the NHL, like last season. Except last season, we were curious to see where Kane was going to get traded. This season, it is about where Patrick Kane is going to sign. Remember, the free-agent forward had hip resurfacing surgery in the offseason. He is still recovering from it. All indications from his camp are that he wants to be 100 percent healthy before he signs with a team. Granted, his agent CAA, put out of video of him working on the ice and in the gym as it appears he is on track to return to the ice.

Again this stuff is tricky, look at Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals. He is still not 100 percent healthy from the same kind of surgery. Kane is a little younger, but still, surgery is surgery and the hips of a hockey player matter. With Kane rehabbing in Toronto, speculation grows if he will sign with the Maple Leafs. Doubtful considering their cap situation. Then there is the Buffalo Sabres, his hometown team. Kane has not ruled that out. Nice young talented forward group. The same goes for the Detroit Red Wings so he can reunite with Alex DeBrincat.

Sleeper in all of this is the Dallas Stars. Stars were linked to Kane last year but could not make it happen. Kane knows a bunch of players on that team. It makes sense to go back to the West considering the Stars are a Stanley Cup Contender. We will get a better notion of where he will sign come November and December.
 Can the Vegas Golden Knights Make Even More History? 
Another storyline will be the Vegas Golden Knights. The amount of disrespect the Golen Knights are getting entering this season is crazy. They are easily the sixth or seventh betting line favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Yet, in the last couple of seasons, the Stanley Cup Champion has been the favorite to repeat, and the Golden Knights should be too.

Think about all this team does is make history. Owner Bill Foley, "Playoffs in Three, Cup in Six." Well, the Golden Knights playoffs in their first year of existence and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. And they hit the Stanley Cup mark in six years. Two trips to the Stanley Cup Final, and four conference finals, yeah I would not bet against this team repeating. The Golden Misfits are no more and the Empire that is Vegas has risen.

Even though the depth in their farm system is not there as GM Kelly McCrimmon stated, he is in the winning business not the hockey business. And the Golden Knights have everyone coming back minus Reilly Smith, who was traded to Pittsburgh. Ivan Barbashev re-signed. Adin Hill and Logan Thompson are back, along with that big bad defense. Who says they can't repeat? It would just be even more history because that is what the Vegas Golden Knights do. Create history.

Around Full Press Hockey 

 

NHL:&nbsp;Akira Schmid Makes Statement In Preseason Game vs. Rangers

NHL Rumors:  NHL Rumors: Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils 

NHL:&nbsp;Andrei Vasilevskiy Injured As Lightning Salary Cap Issue Worsens

NFL:  Best Bets For 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year

Full Press Bets:&nbsp; Early 2022 NFL MVP Odds: Bills’ Josh Allen Favored 

PODCAST: Full Press Hockey Weekly Ep 38: NHL Season Preview: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Johnny Gaudreau

 

 Which of Buffalo, Detroit, and Ottawa Make The Playoffs 
All eyes will be on the Atlantic Division. Especially now with the news about Andrei Vasilevskiy being out for the first two months of the season for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The division is very competitive this season and injuries to the the Florida Panthers could open the door for the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators this season. The Detroit Red Wings not so much. They will be better not sure it is their year to crack into a super competitive division.

The time is now for the Sabres and Senators to make their move. Boston will come to the pack. Never count them out until they are out of the mix. Again, let's see who the Lightning are without Vasilevskiy, but the Sabres and Senators are better this season than they were last year. The issue in Buffalo is goaltending. Devon Levi is going to be a stud, but it is a tall task for a rookie goalie to carry the load. Their offense is electric with Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, Peyton Krebs, and Alex Tuch. The defense is better as well.

In Ottawa, you know the additions of Vladimir Tarasenko and Joonas Korpisalo, as they moved Alex DeBrincat to Detroit for Dominik Kubalik. Those players will fit in nicely with Claude Giroux, Brady Tkachuk, and Tim Stutzle. Hopefully, Josh Norris can play a full season and can be a huge addition as well. On the back end, Jakob Chychrun, Jake Sanderson, and Thomas Chabot are excellent and this is their year with new ownership taking over.

It is now or never for these teams, especially with some teams having injuries to begin the 2023-24 NHL Season.
 How Does Erik Karlsson Fit With Pittsburgh? 
A familiar face in a new home is Erik Karlsson with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Karlsson was traded to the Penguins in the offseason as part of a big three-team trade from the San Jose Sharks. The Penguins had been interested in Karlsson for quite some time. And once new frontman, President and GM, Kyle Dubas got to town, he wanted to make this move happen.

For the first time in 17 years, the Penguins missed the playoffs. One of the big NHL storylines from a year ago was which of Boston, Pittsburgh, and Washington missed the playoffs. Well, Boston had that historic season, while the Penguins and Capitals missed the playoffs. The Penguins barely missed the playoffs. Pittsburgh had some terrible losses down the stretch and could not get the wins against some bad teams. Most notably, Chicago, which put into motion Florida making a Stanley Cup Final run and Connor Bedard going to Chicago.

Pittsburgh knew they had to make some changes to stay competitive in a tough Metro division. Goaltending is still a problem and Karlsson is not going to fix that. He is a good player but not a great defensive player. He is going to give Pittsburgh a great look at the power play alongside Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. And we have seen in the preseason and training camp a flawless transition. Let's see if this move pays dividends as the Penguins are a team to watch moving forward.
 Is Connor Bedard The Runaway Calder Trophy Winner? 
All eyes will be on Chicago when Connor Bedard makes his debut opening night against the above-mentioned Penguins to be the 2023-24 NHL season. The rookie sensation was taken number one overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He is a generational talent that has the ability to take the NHL by storm. Now we need to temper expectations about putting him in the best player in the world category. That still has Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby in it.

However, Bedard can score. Has a quick release and moves that make him hard to stop. We saw what he did in the WHL and World Juniors. Historic numbers. Right now he is an odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy. We have not seen the hype around a player entering his first season since McDavid. And there is a reason he is a generational talent. But there will be competition from players like Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley, Adam Fantilli, and Devon Levi.

But the Bedard watch is on and everyone will be tuned. Even though Chicago will not be that good, people want to see Bedard play.

Of course, there are other storylines to watch during the 2023-24 NHL Season. Those include, once again, who out of the Bruins, Penguins, Capitals, Islanders, Rangers, and Panthers miss the playoffs. In addition, can the Devils have a repeat performance and could we see five teams from the Pacific Division make the playoffs? Plus so much more.

The start of the 2023-24 NHL Season is right around the corner. There are a lot of familiar faces in new places after a busy and wild off-season. Heading into a new season, there are always things to watch for. And this season is no different. From what will happen with a start in Europe to the excitement surrounding non-playoff teams that improved in the offseason. Along with the normal storylines following the top teams in the league.

So with the off-season behind us and the puck ready to drop on the 2023-24 NHL season, here are the top five storylines to watch.
 Top Five Storylines...

Top Five Storylines To Watch This 2023-24 NHL Season

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS