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25 questions for the 2019-20 NHL season
Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

25 questions for the 2019-20 NHL season

A new NHL season always brings a lot of questions that need to be answered, from the who the contenders and pretenders are, to potential coaching changes, to free agent finds and flops to identifying the breakout players. We dig into all of those areas — plus many more — as we ask 25 important questions about the 2019-20 NHL season. 

 
1 of 25

What will the Blues do for an encore?

What will the Blues do for an encore?
Billy Hurst, USATI

For the first time ever, the St. Louis Blues are entering a season on top of the NHL's mountain, defending the Stanley Cup. General manager Doug Armstromg strengthened the roster just before the start of the season by trading for Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes, adding to an already strong defense. A lot of the season will rely on Jordan Binnington's ability to repeat his second half — and postseason — performance. 

 
2 of 25

Will the Avalanche match the hype?

Will the Avalanche match the hype?
Ron Chenoy, USATI

Big things are expected in Denver this season, and for good reason. The Avalanche advanced to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs a year ago, have as much young talent as any team in the league, bolstered their depth over the summer and still have the salary cap space to add much more help if needed. They are poised to make a serious championship run right now. But with great expectations comes great pressure, and they will definitely not be sneaking up on anyone this season. 

 
3 of 25

How will the Lightning bounce back from their latest postseason disappointment?

How will the Lightning bounce back from their latest postseason disappointment?
Kim Klement, USATI

Of all the postseason disappointments the Lightning have had over the past five years, their Round 1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets was by far the worst. They won 62 games and tied a league record, seemed destined to return to the Stanley Cup Final and then failed to win a single playoff game. They are still the best team in the league on paper, but expectations are going to be through the roof to finally get over the hump. The Blues and Washington Capitals eventually shook their postseason disappointment labels...now it is up to the Lightning to shake theirs. 

 
4 of 25

Will Mike Babcock and the Maple Leafs finally do something that matters?

Will Mike Babcock and the Maple Leafs finally do something that matters?
John E. Sokolowski, USATI

It may seem like a harsh question to ask, but so far the Babcock era in Toronto has produced a lot of hype and nothing but a bunch of third-place finishes and Round 1 losses in the playoffs, including two in a row to the Boston Bruins. Yes, the division is tough at the top. Yes, the Leafs lost two Game 7s to a great team. But they should have higher expectations by this point while a Babcock-coached team has made it to the second round just once in more than a decade. That cannot continue to be acceptable. 

 
5 of 25

Will anyone challenge Alex Ovechkin?

Will anyone challenge Alex Ovechkin?
Geoff Burke, USATI

Ovechkin is the most dominant goal scorer in the history of the league and is not slowing down. He has won the league's goal crown in seven of the past eight seasons and has rarely been challenged. Can anyone top him this season? Look for John Tavares, Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak and Steven Stamkos to be the closest. 

 
6 of 25

Connor McDavid or Nikita Kucherov for the scoring title?

Connor McDavid or Nikita Kucherov for the scoring title?
Perry Nelson, USATI

These two have been the top point producers in the NHL over the past three seasons and seem destined to hold their places at the top for the near future and continue to compete for the Art Ross Trophy. Who takes it this year? McDavid managed to overtake Kucherov with a late surge two years ago, while Kucherov bounced back in 2018-19 with a 128-point season that was one of the best offensive seasons of the modern era. 

 
7 of 25

Are the Jets finished as contenders?

Are the Jets finished as contenders?
James Carey Lauder, USATI

It is just really difficult to see a path for them to compete. Their defense was already decimated, and with the uncertainty around Dustin Byfuglien's future (will he retire or won't he?) it could quickly get worse. Add in the fact St. Louis, Colorado Dallas, and Nashville all made big moves around them to try and get better, and this is a season that could be really ugly, really fast. 

 
8 of 25

Which coaches are on the hot seat?

Which coaches are on the hot seat?
James Carey Lauder, USATI

You know at some point multiple teams will make a coaching change. It could be a bad team that has run out of answers and has no other card to play, or it could be a contender that is off to a slow start and looks to shake things up. Some names to watch: Bruce Boudreau in Minnesota, Paul Maurice in Winnipeg and Jeff Blashill in Detroit. 

 
9 of 25

Which top rookie will win the Calder Trophy?

Which top rookie will win the Calder Trophy?
Anne-Marie Sorvin, USATI

This year's rookie class looks to be exceptionally deep with potential impact players all over the league. The top two picks in the draft, Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, will help reignite the Devils-Rangers rivalry, while young defenders Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes should make big impacts in Colorado and Vancouver. Those four seem to be the preseason favorites, but who else will emerge?

 
10 of 25

Which free agent signings will work? Which ones will flop?

Which free agent signings will work? Which ones will flop?
Brian Fluharty, USATI

Free agency is always a massive gamble, and there were some pretty significant contracts signed this summer. The early front-runner for most successful signing would seem to be Artemi Panarin in New York, while Joe Pavelski could be just what the Stars need. Sergei Bobrovsky may become an issue five years from now in Florida, but in the short term he should be solid. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Kevin Hayes in Philadelphia, Brandon Tanev in Pittsburgh and Tyler Myers in Vancouver all look like investments who are destined to end in a trade or a buyout. 

 
11 of 25

Will the Blackhawks get back to the playoffs?

Will the Blackhawks get back to the playoffs?
Nuccio DiNuzzo, USATI

Not long ago they were the NHL's most successful team, but they enter this season riding a two-year postseason drought and are still clinging to the hope that their veteran core has a chance to still compete. The offense is there, but did they do enough to address the defense? And if they did not, will they think about moving on from longtime general manager Stan Bowman?

 
12 of 25

Will the Islanders regress?

Will the Islanders regress?
Dennis Schneidler, USATI

No performance was more unexpected last season than the one-year turnaround of the Islanders, going from 31st in the league in goals against to first and overcoming the free agent departure of John Tavares to advance to the second round of the playoffs. But there were a lot of red flags in that performance and the table seems to be set for a regression this season, especially if Semyon Varlamov cannot match Robin Lehner's performance in goal. Can they find the magic again? Most teams in this situation do not. 

 
13 of 25

Are Panthers a playoff team?

Are Panthers a playoff team?
Robert Mayer, USATI

Honestly, there is no reason why they shouldn't be. They already have some key pieces in place — the biggest being Aleksander Barkov — and they made some huge additions in the offseason with the hiring of a future Hall of Fame coach ( Joel Quenneville) and the signing of a franchise goalie. The latter was the biggest missing piece they had, and for the money they spent and the core they have in place, the playoffs should be a bare minimum expectation this season. 

 
14 of 25

Will the Sabres show any progress?

Will the Sabres show any progress?
Timothy T. Ludwig, USATI

When the Sabres started to rebuild way back in the Tim Murray era, the expectation was that the process would eventually produce positive results. Those results should have started by now. The Sabres are entering the season riding an eight-year postseason drought (the NHL's longest) and have stuck in place for most of that time. They have two franchise players (Jack Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin) but not much else around them. They have topped 81 points in a season just once since 2011. They still seem to be light years behind the top teams in their division. 

 
15 of 25

What is the Hurricanes' ceiling?

What is the Hurricanes' ceiling?
James Guillory, USATI

Every year the Hurricanes were always a preseason sleeper pick in the NHL, and every year for one reason or another they would find a way to underwhelm. That has all changed and after their trip to the Eastern Conference Final, they will be entering this season with real expectations. Their defense is as deep as any other unit in the league, they have an underrated group of forwards led by Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Nino Niederreiter and Andrei Svechnikov and an exciting style of play that makes them a must-see team. They are for real, and they are not going away. 

 
16 of 25

Will Evgeni Malkin bounce back?

Will Evgeni Malkin bounce back?
Charles LeClaire, USATI

This is the big question in Pittsburgh. Even though his final point total from the 2018-19 season was strong, it was clearly one of Malkin's toughest years in the league. He slowed down considerably after a fast start and never seemed to be happy with his game. He arrived in camp motivated and with a chip on his shoulder, ready to show he is still one of the game's best. If he does, the Penguins could once again be tough to beat. 

 
17 of 25

Is this the year for Joe Thornton?

Is this the year for Joe Thornton?
Stan Szeto, USATI

He is running out of years in the NHL to get his Stanley Cup. He is back in San Jose for another season, and while the Sharks lost some key pieces over the summer they still have a top team in the West and have all of the talent to compete — just as long as the goaltending holds up its end of the bargain. 

 
18 of 25

Did the Predators make the right changes?

Did the Predators make the right changes?
Christopher Hanewinckel, USATI

The Predators took a small step back last season and clearly needed to do something to address their woeful power play unit. They attempted to fix that by dumping P.K. Subban's salary and throwing a ton of money at Matt Duchene in free agency. Duchene gives them another top-line forward, but is that going to be enough to close the gap between them and the rest of the top teams in the Western Conference?

 
19 of 25

Can the Dallas Stars win the West?

Can the Dallas Stars win the West?
Jerome Miron, USATI

It is certainly within reason to think they could. They were a double overtime in Game 7 away from being in the Western Conference Final a year ago, have some truly great players at the top of their lineup — including a Vezina-caliber goalie and maybe two Norris Trophy-caliber defenders — and added a 38-goal scorer in Joe Pavelski this summer. This is a heckuva team that should be able to compete with anyone in the West. 

 
20 of 25

Can the Devils re-sign Taylor Hall?

Can the Devils re-sign Taylor Hall?
Ed Mulholland, USATI

There are plenty of reasons for optimism in New Jersey this season thanks to a huge offseason that saw the Devils land impact players all over the lineup. The biggest reason, though, is the return of a healthy Taylor Hall. The last time he played a full season he was the league's MVP. The dark cloud hanging over his return is his contract status that sees him become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Can the Devils offer enough — and do enough on the ice — to convince him to re-sign? 

 
21 of 25

How much will Columbus miss its stars?

How much will Columbus miss its stars?
Aaron Doster, USATI

The Blue Jackets were crushed by free agency this summer, waving goodbye to Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Dzingel. It is expected they will take a step back this season, but how far back will they go? They are defiant as an organization — from management, to the coaching staff, to the players — that they will still be good, and they have a lot of key pieces in place. But replacing Bobrovsky in goal is going to be a big challenge. 

 
22 of 25

What impact will expanded replay have?

What impact will expanded replay have?
Brace Hemmelgarn, USATI

After several officiating mishaps in the playoffs, the NHL expanded instant replay this season to allow for review on major penalties and goals that are scored as a result of hand passes or pucks hitting the protective netting. On the surface, all of this seems like a reasonable decision. But we have seen in the past that replay review isn't always as black and white as it seems. 

 
23 of 25

How much better will the Rangers be?

How much better will the Rangers be?
Danny Wild, USATI

With Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko, Jacob Trouba, and Adam Fox, they are no doubt going to be better, it's just a matter of how much. Are they a playoff team? Do they still have too many flaws? They still need help down the middle, but their biggest issue may just be the fact their division is loaded. 

 
24 of 25

Will the Oilers waste another year of McDavid and Draisaitl?

Will the Oilers waste another year of McDavid and Draisaitl?
Candice Ward, USATI

The Oilers did the impossible and finished the season with two of the league's top four scorers (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) and still missed the playoffs by a significant margin in what was a watered down Western Conference. It is a testament to how thin the rest of the roster is that the Oilers have these two, in their primes, signed long term and have still missed the playoffs in three out of their four seasons together. There is little hope to suggest this season will be any different. 

 
25 of 25

Will the Kings move on from any veterans?

Will the Kings move on from any veterans?
Gary A. Vasquez, USATI

Their days as a factor in the Western Conference seem to be well in the rearview mirror, and they desperately need some fresh faces in the lineup. They need to get younger, faster and more skilled. Simply put, they need to rebuild. They have a good farm system, but the NHL roster is still full of veterans signed long term. They probably won't move Anze Kopitar or Drew Doughty, but you have to think they would be willing to move on from Ilya Kovalchuk, Jeff Carter, Alec Martinez, Dustin Brown and maybe even Jonathan Quick if the right offer presented itself. It is likely none of them will be top-line players on the next contending Kings team. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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Mike Grier’s drafting propelling Sharks to certain future
NHL

Mike Grier’s drafting propelling Sharks to certain future

The San Jose Sharks have ranked last in the NHL for two straight seasons. They’ve allowed the most goals-against (1,495) and scored the second-fewest goals-for (1,051) of the 2020s. And yet, it’s hard to imagine the Sharks’ headed towards anything other than an exciting, and profitable, future. With the help of the draft lottery, San Jose has built out a prospect pool that not only sits atop the league, but truly stands apart as well-crafted, high-performing, and set for cohesion at the NHL level. That’s a fairly easy feat to pull off for a team that’s landed talent as prolific as William Eklund, Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. The trio have already emerged as prolific NHL scorers. Eklund reached the dazzling 40-assist mark as a 21-year-old this season. He was helped mightily along by Celebrini, who led the team in scoring with 25 goals and 63 points despite missing 12 games. That mark stands as the second-most from a Sharks rookie this century, behind Logan Couture’s 65-point rookie year. Smith ranks third on that list with 18 goals and 45 points this season. Those three will serve as the cornerstones of San Jose’s offense moving forward. Given how great the Sharks' starts have been, it’s hard to imagine the talent set to join them. San Jose landed OHL exception-status star Michael Misa with the No. 2 pick this season, following a season where he led the OHL in scoring with 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games. It was a finish in the realm of former OHL greats like Patrick Kane, John Tavares and Steven Stamkos. Misa has long been considered a superstar in his age group, and seems to have well outgrown the junior flight with his performance this season. With a hefty frame, pro-level skating and a clear scoring knack — it seems well possible that he could push into the NHL as soon as next season. San Jose had plenty of time to watch Misa as he faced off against a string of their top prospects this season. Winger Kasper Halttunen shined through as a strong, persistent sniper sat on top of the London Knights offense. He finished the regular season with 21 goals and 41 points in 38 games, then ramped to 15 goals and 21 points in 17 playoff games en route to an OHL and Memorial Cup championship. He was physically imposing, with the boost of tons of finesse on the puck and a killer wrist-shot. Those same descriptors could apply to Quentin Musty, who scored 30 goals and 59 points in 33 games with the Sudbury Wolves across the league. San Jose also laid claim to another bruting OHL winger in Igor Chernyshov, who racked up an incredible 19 goals and 55 points in just 23 games playing opposite of Misa. All three wingers seem to offer the hefty physicality and hard shot to compliment the nimble skill of players like Celebrini and Smith. If they can’t, San Jose has plenty more productive scorers rounding out its forward pool — players like Cameron Lund, Collin Graf and Joey Muldowney. While that list, and many more, fall into place on offense — the defense already seems to sit in the hands of Sam Dickinson. He won the OHL’s Max Kaminsky ’Defense of the Year’ Trophy with a lofty 29 goals and 91 points in just 55 games this season. He was electric in all aspects, showing the physical fundamentals to dominate the defensive zone and the all-out confidence to dominate on offense. Dickinson will also have a clear path to make the NHL roster out of training camp, helped along by the recent trade of Henry Thrun. Dickinson’s presence could go long in paving the path for Shakir Mukhamadullin and Luca Cagnoni. The pair have each flirted with routine NHL ice time, though Cagnoni has earned the step headed into next season with an impressive 16 goals and 52 points in 64 AHL games this season. With none of the three firmly rooted in the NHL just yet, San Jose has brought in a trio of veterans — Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg and Nick Leddy – to help man the ship in the short-term. The trio of defense prospects compliment each other nicely — with a mix of beefy, all-three-zones finesse in Dickinson, nimble skill in Cagnoni, and poised defense in Mukhamadullin. But they’re joined outside of the pro ranks by fellow physical, offensive-defenseman Eric Pohlkamp. Pohlkamp scored 35 points in 44 games with the University of Denver last season — and now seems well positioned to become the Pioneers’ No. 1-defender after Zeev Buium signed his entry-level deal. But the Sharks are well positioned to ramp up their blue-line over the next few years. The 2026 draft class is rife with blue-chip defensemen — including Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Daxon Rudolph and Ryan Lin. A top pick next year would likely mean another top defense prospect. Even if it doesn’t, San Jose could get another shot in 2027, with superstar defense prospect Landon DuPont already pushing himself above the rest of the pack. The group is backed by perhaps the top goalie prospect in the world in trade-acquired Yaroslav Askarov, who posted a .923 save percentage in 22 AHL games this season and seems well set on earning San Jose’s starting role soon. General manager Mike Grier has only promoted a few draft prospects to the NHL in his three years at San Jose’s helm. But many, many more have gone on to find starring roles on their teams and top scoring leaderboards. Grier has found that array of success all throughout the draft — from Celebrini at No. 1 overall, to Cagnoni and Pohlkamp in the fourth and fifth rounds. Even more exciting, he seems well set to continue landing draft steals through two exciting classes in 2026 and 2027. Plenty still hinges on the question of how all the pieces come together at the NHL level. There’s no guarantee that everything will click for 82 games of an NHL season, or how soon it will be until San Jose can pull their best prospects together. But it's on the ramp to success, with plenty of strong performances already behind it, and even more set to come as soon as next season. For all of the claims of how to rebuild, it’s the Sharks who seem to be truly defining how to grow through strong draft picks.

Stephanie White Puts Indiana Fever Players on Notice Despite Win Against Aces
WNBA

Stephanie White Puts Indiana Fever Players on Notice Despite Win Against Aces

The Indiana Fever’s starters turned in a strong all-around effort in Thursday’s 80-70 win over the Las Vegas Aces. The starting unit scored at least 13 points each, save for Aari McDonald, who registered nine points in 22 minutes of action. Indiana’s starters combined for 76 out of the team’s 80 points on the evening, which only means that the four other players who came off the bench accounted for just four points in the game. All that came from Sydney Colson, who went 2-of-5 in 18 minutes of playing time. Lexie Hull, Makayla Timpson and Damiris Dantas all failed to score in the win. Stephanie White Calls Out Fever's Bench Be that as it may, offense wasn’t even the biggest concern for head coach Stephanie White. In her postgame press conference, the veteran shot-caller called out Indiana’s bench for their lack of intensity on the defensive end, particularly in the first half. “Our bench has to be ready,” she said. “I felt like our bench in the second half was really good defensively. In the first half, I didn't feel that way. You got to be ready to come in and you got to be ready to guard your matchup and execute the game plan. "We have depth for a reason. We've got quality depth and we've got to be able to use it. So if fatigue is a factor in execution, then they just need to ask for a sub and I'll get them out and get them back in." It has been a bit of a busy stretch for the Fever at the midway point of the season. Thursday’s matchup against the Aces was their second game in three nights, and they will be back in action again on Sunday in a rivalry showdown against the Chicago Sky. White, however, isn’t accepting fatigue as an excuse. This is regardless of the fact that Caitlin Clark remains out with a re-aggravated groin injury. White is adamant that this roster has been built for adversity, and she didn’t hesitate to put her bench on notice after Thursday’s showing.

New report suggests Christian Wilkins release related to 'incident' with teammate
NFL

New report suggests Christian Wilkins release related to 'incident' with teammate

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Aaron Rodgers gushes about his mystery wife in new interview
NFL

Aaron Rodgers gushes about his mystery wife in new interview

Aaron Rodgers has managed to keep the identity of his new wife a secret, but the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is certainly not hiding his feelings about her. Rodgers spoke about his wife during an interview with NFL Network at Steelers training camp this week. The 41-year-old had no problem being candid about how thankful he is to have met the mystery woman. “When you meet the right one and you’re with the right one, your whole world changes in a second. To have that person that unconditionally loves you behind the scenes, there’s no better feeling in the world,” Rodgers said. “And I’ve got the most incredible wife. I just really love her. I’m so thankful to have her by my side at the end. When you have that stability and that rock behind you at the house, you feel like you can do anything.” Rodgers first revealed in an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” last December that he had a girlfriend named Brittani. We are unsure of the exact spelling of the woman’s name, but Rodgers specified that she was “Brittani with an ‘I’” when he brought it up. Then in April, Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” that he was in a “serious relationship” and had some off-field things consuming him. He had left open the possibility of retiring at the time. Shortly after that, Rodgers was spotted wearing what appeared to be a wedding band on his left ring finger. The former MVP confirmed after signing with the Steelers that he has been married since earlier this year. Rodgers seems determined to have his wife’s identity remain a mystery, but he still wants everyone to know how important she is to his life.