Maple Leafs Preview: Vincent Damphousse Autographed Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite the season just starting, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) two star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are tight at the top of the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Joseph Woll (G), Matthew Knies (LW), Steven Lorentz (C), Dennis Hildeby (G), Nick Robertson (LW), Brandon Carlo (D), Simon Benoît (D), Matias Maccelli (LW), Henry Thrun (D), Emil Andrae (D)

Key Arrivals: Darren Raddysh (D), Kirill Marchenko (RW), Jack Roslovic (C), Sergei Bobrovsky (C), Nick Paul (LW),Zack MacEwen (RW), Brandon Duhaime (LW), Teddy Blueger (C), Colton Sissons (C),Miles Wood (LW),Elvis Merzlikins (G)

Top prospects: Gavin McKenna (RW, 18), Miroslav Holinka (C, 20), Ben Danford (D, 20),Jacob Quillan (C, 24), Noah Chadwick (D, 21), Alexander Bilecki (D, 18), Artur Aktyamov (C, 24), Ethan MacKenzie (D, 20)

I thought the Toronto Maple Leafs would make the playoffs last season despite losing Mitch Marner, but McKenna should provide some of the offense that was lost a year ago, though the leadership angle will have to wait a little bit - I don't see him taking over a locker room that already includes captain Auston Matthews and former captain John Tavares.

What makes their odds look good:
He's been away from the game for a while, but GM John Chayka still co-owned Stathletes with sister Meghan Chayka and Neil Lane, so he still kept tabs on NHL players and kept digging on the analytics front. Expect smart bets on young players coming out of their entry-level deals like he did with the Arizona Coyotes, and savvy veteran additions.

Question marks:
Is signing Bobrovsky for three years a savvy decision, though? Is Jim Hiller an NHL-caliber head coach despite what we saw him do with the Los Angeles Kings for the past two and a half years??

Outlook:
William Nylander is probably good for 90 points, Matthews should get back in the 30-to-35-goal range, Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to defy age and Marchenko probably enjoys a year-long honeymoon in Toronto, who are very improved from last year. Enough to make the playoffs? Enough to make it interesting until the final week of the season.

Prediction:
5th in the Atlantic Division.

I tend to think of Vincent Damphousse as an important player for the San Jose Sharks and the Leafs, not as much for the Montréal Canadiens or Edmonton Oilers - but the truth is that, statistically, his highest totals have come in Montréal and his lowest were in San Jose. I'll say this though: Damphousse made the Sharks a serious team whose move to replace him as a centre after his retirement was to acquire Art Ross winner Joe Thornton in-season. To get back to the Leafs, however, they were the first team with which he broke the 30-goal and 90-point marks for the first time, going 33-61-94 in 80 games in 1989-90. Here he is wearing their classic 1980s blue (away) uniform on card #34 from In The Game's 2003-04 Original 6 - Toronto Maple Leafs set:

He signed it in-person in fading black sharpie at the Bell Centre 10-15 years ago, definitely after his ugly divorce.

Senators Preview: Thomas Chabot Autographed Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite the regular season being set to start today, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) two star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much work left to do.

Key exits: Brady Tkachuk (RW), Lars Eller (C), James Reimer (G), Nick Jensen (D), Dennis Gilbert (D), Lassi Thomson (D), Olle Lycksell (F), Mads Sogaard (G), Arthur Kaliyev (RW), Jan Jenik (D)

Key arrivals: William Eklund (RW), Samuel Ersson (G), André Burakovsky (LW), Samuel Blais (LW), Philip Tomasino (RW)

Top prospects: Carter Yakemchuk (D, 20), Logan Hensler (D, 19), Jonas Lagerberg Hoen (RW, 18), Blake Montgomery (LW, 21), Jorian Donovan (D, 22), Leevi Meriläinen (G, 24), Jaxon Cover (LW, 18), Xavier Bourgault (RW, 23)

The Ottawa Senators did some fine house cleaning in the offseason, clearing/cleansing the air in the (neighbouring) nation's capital.

What makes their odds look good:
Tim Stützle is a legitimate #1 centre, Jake Sanderson is an all-world defenseman, Thomas Chabot has been to an All-Star Game, Linus Ullmark is a Vezina winner, Artem Zub is a world-class defensive defenseman, Drake Batherson is a true top-six sniper, Claude Giroux still has gas left in the tank, Dylan Cozens is a good secondary centerman, Warren Foegle brings the lower-tier power forward element, Ridly Greig is a terrific wish-you-were-on-my-team pest (while Nick Cousins is the league's most-despised one), and Eklund still has untapped potential to break out as a first-liner.

Question marks:
Head coach Travis Green took a giant leap forward last season - does he have another step ahead in him? Is the Tkachuk addition-by-subtraction with the actual addition of Eklund enough to remain a wild-card team while the Florida Panthers get healthy again and the Toronto Maple Leafs have improved?

Outlook:
This is a good team with plenty of youth who can improve. They'd make the playoffs in any other division, but it's going to be a dogfight in this one.

Prediction:
6th in the Atlantic Division.

The Sens did the right thing today and righted a wrong from five years ago by naming Chabot the team captain. He had previously been a long-serving alternate captain for the team; internationally, he has worn both the "A" (2017 World Juniors, where he was tournament MVP) and "C" (2022 World Championships) in leading Team Canada to gold medals, a feat he also achieved at the 2019 Worlds.

Here he is wearing Ottawa's magnificent white (away) uniform on card # 127 from Upper Deck's 2021-22 Series 1 set, which he signed in blue charpie around 2023:

Blue Jackets Preview: Kirill Marchenko Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite the regular season being set to start in a matter of days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) two more star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much work left to do.

Key exits: Kirill Marchenko (RW), Miles Wood (LW), Elvis Merzlikins (G), Boone Jenner (C), Mason Marchment (LW), Danton Heinen (LW), Egor Zamula (D), Brendan Smith (D), Zach Aston-Reese (LW/RW), Brendan Gaunce (C), Ivan Fedotov (G), Dysin Mayo (D), Hunter McKown (C)

Key arrivals: Matthew Knies (LW), Steven Lorentz (C), Emil Andrae (D), Valeri Nichushkin (RW), Ryan Lomberg (LW), Colton White (D), Phoenix Copley (G), Luke Tuch (RW)

Top prospects: Jackson Smith (D, 19), Cayden Lindstrom (C, 20), Pyotr Andreyanov (G, 19), Jordan Dumais (RW, 22), Sergei Ivanov (G, 22), Oscar Hemming (LW, 18)

I was waiting for the Marchenko shoe to drop before posting my Columbus Blue Jackets review and, as expected, it turned out to be a blockbuster.

What makes their odds look good:
They still have the reigning Norris Trophy winner in Zach Werenski, who nixed a trade to the Dallas Stars this summer to remain in Columbus. Knies is a 23-year-old top-6 forward with untapped offensive potential. Jet Greaves looks solid in net. Adam Fantilli extended well into his prime as training camp came to a close.

Question marks:
As the Werenski and Marchenko sagas proved, players are impatient to win, and not everyone sees the Blue Jackets as a team who can be a Stanley Cup contender in a relatively short window; they are on most no-trade lists and thus must draft, develop and nurture talent to get there.

Outlook:
General Manager Don Wadell has experience assembling and running teams that aren't exactly a destination, having previously served in the same position with the Atlanta Thrashers (1998-2010) and Carolina Hurricanes (2018-2024), the latter winning the Cup with his former assistant Eric Tulsky tweaking the lineup just a few months ago. He got enough good pieces back in the Marchenko trade that he doesn't need to pivot to (another) rebuild, he just needs to make sure he has the right coaching and development staff so that as many prospects as possible reach the NHL and have an impact. For now, they are a bubble playoff team with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins all fighting for a wild-card spot.

Prediction:
5th in the Metropolitan Division.

Marchenko is a tall, heavy player (6'3", over 200 pounds) with great hands who can protect the puck, deke multiple opponents on the same play and shoot accurately. He led the Jackets in goals in the last three seasons, posting nearly a point per game in 2024-25; on a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has a shot at 40-goal and 85-to-90-point seasons. Here he is on the "Red Jersey" variant of card #18 from Upper Deck's 2024-25 SP Game-Used Edition set:

It shows him wearing the Jackets' blue (away) uniform, and carries a matching game-worn jersey swatch.

Islanders Preview: Ryan Pulock Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a few days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Anders Lee (LW), David Rittich (G), Carson Soucy (D), Adam Boqvist (D), Maxim Shabanov (RW), Marc Gatcomb (C), Travis Mitchell (D), Cole McWard (D)

Key Arrivals: Matias Maccelli (LW), Vitek Vanacek (G), Matthew Kessel (D),Mitchell Chaffee (LW), Logan Stanley (D)

Top prospects: Malte Gustafsson (D, 20), Victor Eklund (LW/RW, 19), Kashawn Aitcheson (D, 20),Cole Eiserman (LW, 20), Dmitri Gamzin (G, 23), Danny Nelson (C, 21)

Losing captain Lee and a roster's worth of depth defensemen with none of them being replaced by new arrivals (save for Stanley earlier today) means the prospect pool (ranked 9th in the NHL by The Athletic) will be asked to jump in and play important roles. Head coach Peter DeBoer will have to balance teaching, accepting mistakes and winning enough to be in the mix for the playoffs.

What makes their odds look good:
A fine prospect pool, an elite goaltending tandem (Ilya Sorokin and a returning Semyon Varlamov from a two-year injury rehab), a smart GM in Mathieu Darche, and a superstar in the making in Matthew Schaeffer are a good starting point.

Question marks:
xxx

Outlook:
Hopefully, Bo Horvat and Brayden Schenn can combine to replace Lee's leadership, but this isn't the team that will end DeBoer's streak of not winning Stanley Cups despite being the most-hyped coach on the market.

Prediction:
6th in the Metropolitan Division.

Now in his 12th NHL season, Ryan Pulock is still dependable, although no longer among the best defensive defensemen in the league who got Norris votes in 2020-21; he remains an effective pair with Adam Pelech, but they are now a second pairing playing fewer minutes against elites, while Schaeffer gets the most ice time. Here he is from a set a decade ago:

That's card #RM-RP from Upper Deck's 2016-17 Series 2 set and Rookie Materials sub-set, and features a silver swatch of a jersey worn in a rookie photoshoot.

Video Of The Week: Bizarre

(product links go to sponsored Amazon products, previous post links go to related pages on my blog, news and place links go to source pages)

There was a time around the turn of the millennium when Eminem was on top on the world - not just in rap, but he led the entire music industry. His albums were consistently at #1 despite boy band / girl group pop dominance, and he took it upon himself the use his tide to rise everyone in his orbit who deserved it, notably via D12 (a.k.a. The Dirty Dozen), a collective of talented artists that also included Proof (deceased in 2006), Bizarre, Denaun "Mr." Porter (a.k.a. Kon Artis) , Kuniva and Swifty McVay (the latter two keeping the mantle alive to this day); Obie Trice was a fequent collaborator.

Many of these rappers, like Eminem himself, mixed wit, sarcasm, and humour with astute observations of difficult upbringings to create a brand of hip hop that was relatively unique in the mainstream, with Bizarre being the one who would usually push the boundaries of good taste with off-kilter references and associations, such as:

I'm not bisexual I'm an intellectual, transsexual, with one testicle
And I ain't saying shit just 'cause it rhymes, I got colon cancer - I'm dying

or

There’s no way I could be the gay rapper: I only fuck animals

Shock value was his calling card.

Cut to today, where he doesn't seem as alert as he used to be (his speed has slowed to a Notorious B.I.G. level), is still prone to mixing the funny with the braggadocio and reality-based texts, but with more cultural references and a lot less in-your-face shock. His new song Mercy is the second single off of Don't Cross The Street and is much better than the previous one, Amityville 2: This was directed by ad agency Mic Drop Media.

This Week's Top 10s

(product links go to sponsored Amazon products, previous post links go to related pages on my blog, news and place links go to source pages)

Top 10 Songs:

10. MISTAKEN IDENTITY, Everlast (2026)
9. SCOTCH & POCHES, Bleu Jeans Bleu (2026)
8. MERCY, Bizarre (2026)
7. ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID, t.A.T.u. (2002)
6. GONE AWAY, The Offspring (1997)
5. DAI DAI, Shakira featuring Burna Boy (2026)
4. THE FATE OF OPHELIA, Taylor Swift (2026)
3. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME, Olivia Rodrigo & Robert Smith (2026)
2. FABIEN K, Angine De Poitrine (2026)
1. FAUT QUE TU DISES WOW, Bleu Jeans Bleu (2026)

Avalanche Preview: Martin Nečas & Nathan MacKinnon Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a couple of days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Ross Colton (C), Jack Drury (C), Valeri Nichushkin (RW), Alex Barré-Boulet (C), Jack Ahcan (D), Ivan Ivan (C), Isak Posch (G), Chase Bradley (RW), Joel Kiviranta (LW), Nick Blankenburg (D), Jason Polin (RW)

Key Arrivals: Jaden Schwartz (LW), Zachary L'Heureux (LW), Fedor Svechkov (C), Magnus Chrona (G), Fabian Lysell (RW), Vincent Hinostroza (C), Noah Juulsen (D)

Top prospects: Egor Shilov (C, 18), Ilya Nabokov (G, 23), T.J. Hughes (C/RW, 24), Gavin Brindley (RW, 21), Mikhail Gulyayev (D, 21), Lysell (RW, 23), Sean Behrens (D, 23), Francesco Dell'Elce (D, 21)

Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon once again lead this veteran team as the cream of the NHL in what is now a changed salary landscape. This is the last year of Makar's low cap hit, which likely means the Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup contention window will fade for a couple of seasons before opening up again in 2030. This franchise is led by elite talent, both on the ice and in management, as was cemented by Joe Sakic confirming he will stay on as Avs GM for the foreseeable future.

What makes their odds look good:
They dominated the NHL so much in their first 50 games last year - 35 wins, 6 regular-time losses, 9 overtime losses - that they could afford to coast to the Presidents' Trophy despite tons of injuries to key players in the second half (and the three playoff rounds). There has been a churning of the depth, but the star players remain, and they still have the best goaltending tandem in the league. It might not be as easy as last year, because head coach Jared Bednar will want his team to pace itself, but another finish at the top is a very strong possibility.

Question marks:
Injuries can happen, as can fatigue with the head coach; but apart from that (and perhaps even despite it), this team should finish in the top-3 in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Outlook:
With secondary scoring like Brock Nelson (coming off his fourth 30-goal season), Martin Nečas (38 goals and 100 points last season, effectively replacing Mikko Rantanen, whom he was traded for), Nazem Kadri (still producing at 2 points per 3 games pace), Schwartz, tough third-linner Nicolas Roy, clutch playoff performer Artturi Lehkonen and captain Gabriel Landeskog, the Avs are the deepest team in the West with far less competition than the Florida Panthers have in the East. And that's without mentioning Olympian Devon Toews on the back end, helped by Brent Burns, Sam Malinski, Josh Manson and Brett Kulak.

Prediction:
1st in the NHL.

Today being my birthday, my kids and wife each gifted me a special hockey card - and this was the one my son chose for me:

That's card #T2-MR from Upper Deck's 2025-26 Artifacts collection and Tundra Teammates sub-set, featuring Nečas and MacKinnon, two 100-point superstars each with a piece of game-worn jersey, numbered 50/99. I likely never would have pulled it out of a box myself, and MacKinnon is one of my favourite players, so you can imagine how stoked I was to receive it.

Lightning Preview: Ryan McDonagh Autographed Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a couple of days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key Exits: Corey Perry (RW), Darren Raddysh (D), Nick Paul (C), Oliver Bjorkstrand (RW), Mitchell Chaffee (RW), Declan Carlile (D)

Key Arrivals: John Carlson (D), Dennis Hildeby (G), Mads Sogaard (G), Ilya Mikheyev (RW), Jeffrey Viel (LW), Jansen Harkins (C), Michael Callahan (D)

Top prospects: Sam O'Reilly (C, 19), Connor Geekie (C, 22), Oleg Kulebiakin (RW, 18), Ethan Gauthier (RW, 21), Benjamin Rautiainen (C, 21), Dylan Duke (LW, 23), Ethan Czata (C, 19)

The Tampa Bay Lightning will do as the Tampa Bay Lightning will do, which is to sign their core (mostly) veteran players long-term and rotate the support group in and out to bring in new energy, all while developping a seemingly endless supply of NHL-ready players via the AHL's Syracuse Crunch. Oh - and let players who have earned massive pay increases leave town to make their money elsewhere, like Raddysh here leaving in free agency for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

What makes their odds look good:
Oh, just two-time Art Ross and (reigning) Hart winner Nikita Kucherov, Norris winner (and six-time finalist) Victor Hedman, two-time (and reigning) Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy, with a supporting cast of elite players like Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point, with two-time Stanley Cup-winning (and Team Canada) head coach Jon Cooper.

Question marks:
Can the defense hold up their part of the deal? Will age catch up with the veteran players? Isn't Kucherov on an expiringcontract - and is that a problem?

Outlook:
The playoffs are a whole other beast, as can be attested by the Bolts' five-straight first-round eliminations after two straight Stanley Cups, but in terms of their roster beating other rosters more often than not during an 84-game regular season, I feel that part's taken care of. One of the top three spots in their division is within reach, and factoring in perhaps a few rest days and injuries here and there, they probably end up second to their State rival Florida Panthers.

Prediction:
2nd in the Atlantic Division.

I have a lot of time for Ryan McDonagh, a former Montréal Canadiens first-round draft pick (12th overall in 2007). You might recall (and still be angry/befuddled about the fact that) he was infamously traded to the New York Rangers, with Doug Janik, three-time 20-goal scorer Chris Higgins and fellow prized prospect Pavel Valentenko for Scott Gomez, Michael Busto and Tom Pyatt. It was, of course, a complete fleece, with McDonagh eventually captaining the Rangers (2014-2018) to some level of success, including two especially long playoff runs, while Gomez went an entire calendar year with the Habs without scoring a goal. In the Canadiens' defense, they had drafted David Fischer, a fellow Minnesotan defenseman with similar College stats as McDonagh, in the first round of the previous season, and he was looking like a bust and the team chose to cut ties with him for a compensatory second-round pick; they didn't want a repeat situation, and were convinced Gomez would replace Saku Koivu as their first-line centre.

In 2018, McDonagh was part of another fleecing, but this time it was the Rangers who got the worst of the deal, sending their captain along with (their current captain!) J.T. Miller to Tampa Bay for Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, a first round pick in the 2018 draft (which turned out to be Nils Lundkvist) and a conditional second-round pick in the 2019 draft (Karl Henriksson). Miller would be traded again (to the Vancouver Canucks) after just two seasons, missing out on the consecutive Cups and subsequent Final that McDonagh had a huge part in.

A salary cap crunch forced the Lightning to let important depth pieces of their lineup go, such as McDonagh (traded to the Nashville Predators), Blake Coleman (free agency), Alex Killorn (free agency), Patrick Maroon (free agency), Ondrej Palat (free agency), and Yanni Gourde (expansion draft, Seattle Kraken), with GM Julien BriseBois eventually bringing McDonagh and Gourde back into the fold. Which makes this card relevant again:

That's card #455 from Upper Deck's 2018-19 O-Pee-Chee collection, which he signed in-person after a game against the Habs more than 7 years ago. OPC cards are among my favourite to get signed, because they are more affordable than many other brands, and they are also less glossy, so the signatures tend to "stick" onto them much better.

Oilers Preview: Connor McDavid Printing Plate

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a few days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key Exits: Darnell Nurse (D), Calvin Pickard (G), Samuel Poulin (RW), Jack Roslovic (C), Connor Ingram (G), Curtis Lazar (C)

Key Arrivals: Shakir Mukhamadullin (D), Devon Levi (G), Frederik Andersen (G), Mathieu Joseph (RW), Ryan Shea (D), Alex Formenton (LW)

Top prospects: Isaac Howard (LW, 22), Quinn Hutson (RW, 24), Roby Jarventie (LW, 24), Beau Akey (D, 21), Matvey Petrov (LW, 23), Maksim Berezkin (LW, 24), David Lewandowski (LW, 19), Rudolfs Berzkalns (C, 18), Viljami Marjala (LW, 23)

A decade-plus of trading away first-round draft picks means the Edmonton Oilers mostly have an AHL roster of 20-somethings, and their only prospect that was picked in the first 31 or 32 players of their draft year is Howard, chosen by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022. Their Stanley Cup window of contention has been "now" for the past five years and maybe the next two.

What makes their odds look good:
Any team with one of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl or Evan Bouchard has a shot; one with all three needs a combination of health, luck and above-average goaltending to make their way into the Final Four - which they have in three of the past five seasons.

Question marks:
Can Levi steal the #1 goalie spot away from Tristan Jarry while Andersen is out with injury? Did shipping out Nurse solve only a cap issue, or will it also allow the Oilers to make use of that space to solidify a defensive system in dire need of a rehaul? And, of course: what the fuck, Stan Bowman? Mike Babcock, really? And what will it take for McDavid to extend his contract beyond this one, which expires at the end of next season?

Outlook:
Nothing short of a Stanley Cup will atone for giving Babcock another NHL coaching job. Bowman explained this summer that the main reason why he keeps giving people with questionable pasts second or third chances is that he feels he's paying it forward, after being given a second chance himself. Sure, ok, I'll buy that, but it doesn't mean you need to surround McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard with a roster full of death row inmates.

Prediction:
2nd in the Pacific Division.

What more needs to be said about Connor McDavid at this point? He's the fourth-fastest in NHL history to reach 1,000 points (after Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux) - and the only one outside the 1980s; he has the third-most points ever after 800 games, behind only Gretzky and Lemieux; he is one of only two players to win the Hart trophy unanimously (with Gretzky). This post wouldn't age well if I listed all of his hardware, as he's probably just going to add to his collection in the coming years.

This is my favourite card in my collection:

It is the magenta printing plate for his 10th Anniversary variant card in Upper Deck's 2024-25 MVP set; as I've fallen on hard economic times, I currently have it up for sale. It's my only 1-of-1 of McDavid's, my current favourite player.

Stars Preview: Ron Tugnutt Autographed Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a few days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key Exits: Mavrik Bourque (C), Michael Bunting (LW), Ilya Lyubushkin (D), Adam Erne (LW), Nathan Bastian (RW), Alexander Petrovic (D), Vladislav Kolyachonok (D)

Key Arrivals: Joel Kiviranta (LW)

Top prospects: Emil Hemming (RW, 20), Cameron Schmidt (RW, 19), Jakub Vanecek (D, 18), Rémi Poirier (G, 24), Tristan Bertucci (D, 21), Ayrton Martino (LW, 23), Aram Minnetian (D, 21)

The Dallas Stars were in a cap crunch, which is why it took them until very close to his arbitration hearing to sign restricted free agent Jason Robertson, but the $12M cap hit meant other players had to leave; Bourque's departure might end up hurting the team's depth some day, but at his age, Robertson had already had a 100-point season under his belt, so the choice wasn't exactly all that hard to make.

What makes their odds look good:
High-end talent through the entire top-six, Jake Oettinger who can play at a Vezina level for extended periods of time in net, Miro Heiskanen who can play at a Norris-level on D (and Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell by his side), and a top-five GM in Jim Nill.

Question marks:
How many games do the team's former top players Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin play this year? Which Oettinger shows up more often: the Vezina-level goalie who gers called upon by Team USA, or the one with a below-league average save percentage?

Outlook:
On paper, this is one of the league's five best teams in terms of depth of high-end talent and overall depth - in the same conversation as the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. It's possible they regress, run into some bad luck or injury trouble, but in most analyses and simulations, they end up second not just in their own division but in the entire Western Conference.

Prediction:
2nd in the Central Division.

I've written about Ron Tugnutt many times before, as he's been a big part of my fandom during my youth and teenage years, up there with Patrick Roy, Sean Burke and Ron Hextall. He is the only goalie in NHL history with two 70-save games on his resume (one in the regular season, in a 3-3 tie between the Québec Nordiques and Boston Bruins, and one in the payoffs, with his Pittsburgh Penguins losing 2-1 against the Philadelphia Flyers in a five-overtime marathon).

Here he is wearing the Stars' white (then-home) uniform, on card #300 from Upper Deck's 2002-03 Series 2 set, which he signed in gold sharpie and looks amazing:

He finished his career in Dallas, and while his goals-against averages were decent (2.47 in 2002-03 and 2.41 in 2003-04), his save percentages at .896 and .900 respectively were roughly 10 points below the league average, which probably means Stars fans have fewer fond memories of him than other fanbases he's played in front of. No one can take away his peaks, however, and not even prime Dominik Hasek can touch this season: