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Last night I said to my good friend Johnny that I have never been more excited about an NHL season than I am for this year. He laughed and dismissed it as one of my typical excited over-exaggerations, which, let's be fair, is a perfectly logical thing to do - I am an easily excitable guy.

However, I wasn't kidding.

It comes from an entire summer of writing near daily hockey blogs, and after six months of talking hockey non-stop, it's actually time to watch some hockey. As this is my first year as a regular hockey writer, I have never been so inundated with the NHL during an off-season as I was this year. So, whatever, I'm a nerd, but today is very exciting.

Think like, REM reunites to come to my garage and perform an intimate acoustic set and they let me play with them exciting. Or a new unpublished J.D Salinger novel exciting.

Or Total Recall 2 directed by Paul Verhoeven and staring Arnold exciting.

How about being so excited about the start of the season that I'll even watch the Kings the game tonight?

You get the point.

The Leafs will kick off the season against the Habs and hopefully were I go to watch the game will have it on live so that we can also get in a little Boston/Philly action.

Although we do have to wait until tomorrow to see Coyotes kick the season off, at this point, I'll take anything I can get, 'cause the pre-season just doesn't do it for me.


So what does the 2014-15 Hockey Season Have to Offer?

As you know, if you read this sometimes, I am not a huge fan of predictions. Knowing that they are more guesses then anything, I have satirized them in the past by consulting with famed psychic Miss Cleo.

I have no problem with predicting things, in fact I think it's kind of fun - it's just, well, the factual way people state things is ripe for comedy. "Six Teams in the West are LOCKS to make the playoffs!!!" And stuff like that. Like how the Coyotes apparently don't even need to play this season and should just not pass Go!, not receive $200 and proceed directly to the golf course.

Also, maybe we should just skip the whole thing and let the Stars and Lightning play right now for the Cup.

Once again, you get my point.

Still, here are a few things I think are worth watching/might happen.

Coyotes

The old 'Yotes, who, according to Sarah McLellan had David Moss on the second line in practice yesterday, appear to be going all-in on goal prevention.

They might be short on offense, but with at least one good defensive player per line and a young, but solid, D as well as being coached by Dave Tippet, I think they'll upset a lot of people and make the playoffs.

I will also go on record as saying that this is the year where people recognize OEL as one of the games elite defensemen.

Young Players

Not only will Ekblad and Drouin make their NHL debuts this week, but there is also Mackinnon, Huberdeau, Barkov, Yakupov, Morgan Rielly, Seth Jones, and tons more great young players to watch grow into star players in the league.

It may just be me seeing what I want to see, but it does seem like it's the halcyon days of the young player in the NHL; there are just so many exciting ones to watch right now.


Victor Hedman

Hedman, along with OEL, Subban and Karlsson represent 4 of the top reasons I'm excited for hockey this year. After breaking out last season, I can't wait to see what Hedman does this year. Then there is Karlsson: just how many points can he get? The NHL hasn't seen a player like him in years and you know what's even crazier? He makes the Senators worth watching!! Zing!

I like Karlsson to take back the Norris from Keith this season.


Rise of the New Elite

Again, this may be one of those things that seems more true than it actually is, but it does seem to me like we are going on year 10 of having the same teams make up the NHL's elite teams: Boston, San Jose, St.Louis, Penguins, Blackhawks and Kings.

Call me crazy, but I think this is the year we see some drastic turnover among the best of the best. Of those six teams listed above, I think only St.Louis actually got better over the summer and I think Boston, San Jose and Chicago will all be slightly worse. I look for Tampa, Edmonton, Colorado and Washington to surprise people and rise in the standings.

Everyone keeps expecting the Avalanche to take a step back and their preseason didn't help, but I just don't see a team with their forwards having much trouble. The improvement of Mackinnon and his development into a top-ten elite NHL player will more than make up for any losses they might have suffered.

Crazy Crazy Crazy

Keeping with the spirit of what I truly think a prediction is worth, let me throw down on three things I think can happen. I am not saying they will, I am just saying that the odds of them occurring are more than zero percent.

1. Alexander Ovechkin comes close to breaking Gretzky's third most impressive scoring record when he pots his 50th goal of the season in his teams 40th game. OV is going to be a man on a mission this year.

2. The Edmonton Oilers win the Western Conference. Sure, you think this is dumb, but actually take a look at their team. They are going to dress about 10 first round picks. Three #1 over all picks,and four top three picks. They have more overall talent in their top 6 than just about everyone. They have solid 3rd and 4th lines, a good, absolutely monstrous D and the element of surprise.

3. Erik Karlsson wins the scoring title. Hey, why not?

This is gonna be a great season.


Thanks for reading.

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