2016-17 NHL Season Preview

October has arrived and it can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Changing of the leaves. Pumpkin flavored everything. Long sleeve weather. Oh yeah, and the start of a brand spanking new hockey season. The National Hockey League is back and ready to roll for the 2016-17 season. Pittsburgh is coming off its 4th Stanley Cup title in team history, while the San Jose Sharks are looking to get back to the finals for the 2nd time ever. The Edmonton Oilers kick off their first season at Rogers Place, playing their first games ever in a  home building other than Northlands Coliseum. The team will play its first regular season home game on October 12, 2016, against Calgary It will also be the Detroit Red Wings' final season at Joe Louis Arena before moving into their new arena, Little Caesars Arena, in time for the 2017–18 NHL season.

There will be some new faces in new places heading into the new year. Anaheim (Randy Carlyle), Calgary (Glen Gulutzan), Colorado (Jared Bednar), Minnesota (Bruce Boudreau), and Ottawa (Guy Boucher) all have new head coaches going into this year. Then we have some players that have decided to switch cities. PK Subban was traded to Nashville, sending Shea Weber to Montreal. St. Louis picked up Neil Yakapov from the Oilers for draft picks. Anaheim picked up Jonathan Bernier from Toronto, while Brian Elliott gets shipped from the Blues to the Flames. Oh and Taylor Hall went to New Jersey from Edmonton. When the regular season opens, more players will have new places to call home. Milan Lucic (Edmonton), James Reimer (Florida), Andrew Ladd (Islanders), David Perron (St. Louis), David Backes (Boston), Kyle Okposo (Buffalo), Eric Staal (Minnesota), Vernon Fiddler (New Jersey), Justin Falk (Buffalo), Thomas Vanek (Detroit), and Jiri Hudler (Dallas), among others, have jumped ship to new clubs.

It's the centennial year for the league, now celebrating it's 100th year in operation as a league, so it should lead for one hell of a hockey season. To help with the celebration, the NHL is playing four outdoor games this year. The Winnipeg Jets will host the 2016 Heritage Classic against the Edmonton Oilers at Investors Group Field on October 23. The Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Centennial Classic at BMO Field on January 1, 2017, against the Detroit Red Wings. The game will commemorate the 100th season of the Maple Leafs and NHL as a whole. The following Monday, January 2, the St. Louis Blues will host the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium against the Chicago Blackhawks. Finally, on February 25, 2017, the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Philadelphia Flyers at Heinz Field for the Stadium Series game.[21]

No more fluffy, here's what you came to read. Lets get right into it. Here's how we see the 2016-17 NHL Season goes down.


Solly: 
Western Conference
Central:
1. Chicago Blackhawks*
2. Dallas Stars*
3. Nashville Predators*
4. St. Louis Blues (WC)
5. Minnesota Wild (WC)
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche 

Pacific:
1. San Jose Sharks*
2. Anaheim Ducks*
3. Los Angeles Kings*
4. Calgary Flames
5. Arizona Coyotes
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks

Eastern Conference
Atlantic:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning*
2 Florida Panthers*
3. Montreal Canadiens*
4. Boston Bruins 
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. Buffalo Sabres
7. Ottawa Senators 
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins* 
2. Washington Capitals*
3. New York Rangers*
4. Philadelphia Flyers (WC)
5. New York Islanders (WC)
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. Columbus Blue Jackets

Stanley Cup Prediction: Lightning Over Stars!

Steve:
Western Conference:
Central:
1. Dallas Stars*
2. Nashville Predators*
3. Chicago Blackhawks*
4. St Louis Blues (WC)
5. Minnesota Wild
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche

Pacific: *
1. Anaheim Ducks*
2. Los Angeles Kings*
3. San Jose Sharks*
4. Calgary Flames (WC)
5. Arizona Coyotes
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks

Eastern Conference:
Metro:
1. Washington Capitals*
2. Pittsburgh Penguins *
3. New York Islanders*
4. Philadelphia Flyers (WC)
5. New York Rangers
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. COlumbus Blue Jackets

Atlantic:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning*
2. Florida Panthers*
3. Montreal Canadiens*
4. Ottawa Senators (WC)
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. BuffaloSabres
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Boston Bruins

Stanley Cup Finals: Lightning over Stars

3rd Mic Dan:
Western Conference:
Central
1. Nashville Predators*
2. Chicago Blackhawks*
3. St. Louis Blues*
4. Dallas Stars (WC) 
5. Minnesota Wild (WC) 
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche

Pacific 
1. San Jose Sharks*
2. Los Angeles Kings*
3. Edmonton Oilers*
4. Anaheim Ducks
5. Calgary Flames
6. Arizona Coyotes
7. Vancouver Canucks

 Eastern Conference:
Metro
1. Washington Capitals*
2. New York Rangers*
3. Pittsbugh Penguins*
4. New Jersey Devils (WC)
5. New York Islanders
6. Philadelphia Flyers 
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. Columbus Blue Jackets

Atlantic 
1. Tampa Bay Lightning*
2. Florida Panthers*
3. Detroit Red Wings*
4. Boston Bruins (WC)
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Ottawa Senators
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Stanley Cup Finals: NYR vs. Edmonton