By Mike Rifkin
With the 2023 NHL season upon us, here is how I see the season playing out with playoff teams, Stanley Cup predictions, and awards. NOTE: PLAYOFF TEAMS ARE THE TOP THREE IN EACH DIVISION AND TWO WILDCARDS
EAST
METROPOLITAN
- Hurricanes – They have one of the best rosters in the league. They are deep on the blue line and eventually will get their best offensive player, Andrei Svechnikov, back in the lineup. Sebastian Aho is the most underappreciated superstar across the NHL. They also have three outstanding goalies.
- Devils – The Devils had a breakout year in 2022, and they continue their success this season. Their forward group included Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Dawson Mercer. Now they add Tyler Toffoli; that’s deep. They still have a question in goal, but if Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid can hold down the fort, they have a real chance.
- Rangers – A good core led by Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Adam Fox. Suppose Kappo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere take the next step in their development that would make this team deeper. The additions of Blake Wheeler and Nick Bonino give them versatility throughout the lineup. Peter Laviolette comes in as an established Stanley Cup-winning coach looking to win the Rangers first cup since 1994.
ATLANTIC
- Maple Leafs – They won’t be judged until April, but they should have a great regular season. There is not a team under more pressure to win this year; they’ve already changed coaches and General Managers. They might have to change the core if they don’t win this year.
- Lightning – They’re going to miss Andrei Vasilevisky to start the year, but they have found ways to win before and will do so now. I also think losing in the first round last season was the best thing to happen to this team. Now they have an entire offseason to recover. They also lost some vets, Corey Perry, and Pat Maroon, but replaced them with some speed with Tyler Motte and Conor Sheary. When Vasilevskiy returns, they’ll charge to the top of the Eastern Conference.
- Panthers – They had an unbelievable run to the Stanley Cup Final last season. If they do that again, they need Sergei Bobrovsky to be what he was in the playoffs. The same goes for Matthew Tkachuk, but this team can score goals with the best of the league.
EAST WILD CARDS
- Penguins – They had a tremendous offseason. Yes, most people will look at the Erik Karlsson trade, but adding Ryan Graves, Lars Eller, Noel Accari, and Reilly Smith are significant adds for this team. The ultimate X factor remains Tristan Jarry; if he plays well and stays healthy, the Penguins are a threat in the East. If he struggles again, who knows what they look like?
- Sabres – THIS IS THE YEAR THE DROUGHT ENDS. They had a phenomenal season last year and missed the playoffs by a point. Another year with a core led by Tage Thompson, they made solid additions on the blue line with Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton to help 21-year-old goalie Devon Levi.
WEST
CENTRAL
- Stars – This is the year when the rest of the Central looks up at the stars. They added Matt Duchene to a forward group led by Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, and Wyatt Johnston. If Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn find the scoring touch, look out. Jake Oettinger has a legitimate chance at the Vezina. I am very high on the Stars.
- Avalanche – They’re still a force despite losing Gabe Landeskog. Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen lead a deep team. One thing they missed last season was a number two center. Enter Ryan Johansen and Ross Colton to add depth.
- Wild – Kirill Kaprizov (if healthy) will be in the Hart conversation. They have Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson, one of the best goaltending tandems in the league last season.
PACIFIC
- Kings – After acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Kings have arguably the best center depth in the league. They have one central question, which is in goal with Cam Talbot and Phoenix Copley. If that is a problem, I expect Rob Blake to address it, but this team is prime for a run.
- Golden Knights – Mostly, this is the same team that just won the Stanley Cup. They were able to retain Playoff heroes Ivan Barbashev and Adin Hill, but how will Hill and Logan Thompson perform in goal is a question.
- Oilers – Here’s the biggest question facing the Oilers: How many points will McDavid have this year? They’re in the same boat as the Leafs, and this is about how they perform in April. A year of Mattias Ekholm on the Blue Line should help them there.
WILD CARDS
- Jets – Let me be honest: I said the Preds on the podcast, but I changed my mind when the Jets extended Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele on Monday. Hellebuyck is one of the best goalies in the league, and even with the loss of Dubois, I like this team.
- Kraken – They upset the Avs in the first round last year. With great power comes great responsibility, and if Philipp Grubauer plays like he did in the playoffs, they’ll be tough again. Bringing in Kailer Yamamoto and Pierre-Eduoard Bellmare should help their bottom six.
PLAYOFFS
EAST
HURRICANES DEF SABRES 6 GMS
RANGERS DEF DEVILS 7 GMS
MAPLE LEAFS DEF PENS 6 GMS
LIGHTNING DEF PANTHERS 7 GMS
HURRICANES DEF RANGERS 6 GMS
LIGHTNING DEF LEAFS 7 GMS
HURRICANES DEF LIGHTNING 7 GMS
WEST
STARS DEF KRAKEN 6 GMS
AVS DEF WILD 7 GMS
KINGS DEF JETS 6 GMS
OILERS DEF GOLDEN KNIGHTS 6 GMS
STARS DEF AVS 7 GMS
OILERS DEF KINGS 6 GMS
STARS DEF OILERS 6 GMS
STANLEY CUP FINAL
STARS DEF HURRICANES 6 GMS
AWARDS
VEZINA : Jake Oettinger (STARS)
JACK ADAMS: Don Granato (Sabres)
HART (IF NOT MCDAVID): KIRILL KAPRIZOV (WILD)
NORRIS: Victor Hedman (Lightning)
Calder: Connor Bedard (Blackhawks)
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