6 big questions entering the NHL season

Every NHL season offers compelling subplots to follow as it goes along, but the upcoming campaign brings more than a handful of significant storylines.

From a future Hall of Famer's pursuit of a long-revered record to a top pick's rookie potential, here are a half-dozen pressing questions entering the 2024-25 campaign.

Will Ovi break the goal-scoring record this season?

Alex Ovechkin has long been chasing Wayne Gretzky's best-ever career goal total of 894, and he's now 41 tallies from tying the Great One. The Washington Capitals sniper seems destined to set a new mark eventually, assuming he plays beyond 2024-25. But can he get it done this season?

Ovi collected 31 goals in 2023-24 as his per-game rate dipped to a career-low 0.39; his career average is 0.6. The Capitals captain turned 39 in mid-September, so his days of notching 40 or even 50 goals with relative ease are probably in the rearview mirror.

He also logged 19:13 of ice time per game last season, his lowest average since 2016-17 and the second-lightest workload of his 19-year career. But he was fairly durable overall, playing all but three of the Capitals' regular-season games and all four of their playoff contests.

Ovechkin started slow in 2023-24 with eight goals in the first 43 games, but he found his touch again with 23 tallies over his final 36. If the veteran winger can rediscover that over the balance of this season, he might not need to wait until 2025-26 to be crowned the NHL's new goal-scoring GOAT.

Can the Oilers get over the hump and win it all?

The Edmonton Oilers are looking to do exactly what the team that beat them in June's Stanley Cup Final did: Win it all a year after losing in the championship round. The Florida Panthers vanquished the Oilers in seven games to end last season after the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Cats in five to cap off 2022-23.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Co. got about as close as they could get to sipping out of Lord Stanley's mug without doing so, losing by a single goal in Game 7. McDavid put himself in rarefied air with 42 points in 25 postseason games (albeit only eight goals), and Draisaitl posted 31 points including 10 goals in the same number of contests. It wasn't enough to claim the ultimate prize, but after coming so close, are the Oilers ready to go all the way?

Edmonton added some scoring depth over the summer, bringing in Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson - two players with chips on their shoulders (the former was bought out of a hefty contract and the latter missed most of last season due to injury) who've proven they can light the lamp. So the Oilers are deeper now; whether that's enough to complete their unfinished business will be one of this season's most intriguing narratives.

Will Utah be ... jazzed for hockey?

It can't be worse than Arizona, right? But seriously, Utah Hockey Club owner Ryan Smith has provided stability with the NBA's Jazz, and Salt Lake City has a pedigree as a successful Olympic hockey site. Fans devoured season tickets when they went on sale, and the team's shrewd offseason moves may have increased the level of anticipation.

The relocated squad won't have a nickname this season, and the Delta Center isn't yet ideally configured for hockey games. But there could still be enough buzz around the new locale for Utah to have a successful inaugural campaign, even if that involves missing the playoffs.

If hockey fans in the Beehive State can be patient, the team finally appears to be in good hands for the long term - something that could never be said about the Phoenix or Arizona Coyotes.

Utah has to succeed on the ice at some point, of course. But for now, just garnering enough local support to set up future sustainability is a reasonable bar to clear. While the market's level of long-term interest remains to be seen, a once-moribund organization now has a much more hopeful outlook.

How will the Bolts fare with Guentzel over Stamkos?

The Tampa Bay Lightning raised eyebrows when they opted not to re-sign (or couldn't come to an agreement with) longtime captain and face of the franchise Steven Stamkos, who chose the Nashville Predators. He was the heart and soul of the team and the club's all-time leader in goals, points, and games played.

There's no replacing Stamkos' leadership or experience. He helped Tampa win back-to-back championships just a few years ago, though he was injured for all but one playoff game for the first one. Stamkos was part of numerous postseason runs and was still producing at an elite clip at age 34.

The Lightning signed Guentzel to a seven-year deal July 1 after acquiring his rights from the Carolina Hurricanes. His arrival in Tampa does help fill the void left by Stamkos' departure, but it will be worth watching to see how the changes affect the team as a whole. Guentzel is a winger, not a center, so he may not have the same impact - nor will he be expected to do everything Stamkos did on and off the ice.

But the American, who turned 30 on Sunday, could thrive in the Lightning's system alongside world-class playmakers Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. Guentzel is a two-time 40-goal scorer who buried 30 in 67 games split between the Hurricanes and the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

Will the Preds' additions make them a Cup contender?

Nashville made the biggest splashes in free agency, reeling in Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault - both 40-goal scorers last season - as well as talented defenseman Brady Skjei. The Predators were already a playoff team with a skilled core of Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Juuse Saros. So will their summer haul give them a legitimate chance to make a deep run?

There's a lot to like about the Predators' signings. They obviously increase the team's offensive abilities, and both Stamkos and Marchessault have championship pedigrees. Skjei further stabilizes Nashville's back end and he's playoff-tested in his own right.

Stamkos proved any doubters wrong with last season's vintage statistical output, but a repeat of that performance isn't as likely with this less gifted supporting cast. Marchessault's 42-goal eruption was an outlier for him, and he shot 15.8%, well above his previous career average of 10.9. Marchessault will join Stamkos in the 34-Year-Old Club in December before the latter turns 35 less than two months later. So while it may be unwise to doubt them, regression by either star wouldn't be shocking.

The Preds have stiff competition in the Central Division from the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets. Instantly becoming a Cup contender might be a stretch. But Nashville should take a step forward, even if it's not a giant one.

Can Celebrini make a big impact as a rookie?

The San Jose Sharks' ineptitude in 2023-24 got them the No. 1 overall pick and a promising one in Macklin Celebrini. The 18-year-old forward may or may not turn out to be a "generational player" in the tradition of Connor McDavid, but he does appear primed to become a difference-maker in the NHL.

The question is how big an impact he'll make in his rookie season. Celebrini racked up nearly a goal per game and about 1.7 points per contest in his lone NCAA campaign with Boston University. He has plenty of tools that rightfully made teams salivate before the draft lottery.

While the Sharks did sign proven scorer Tyler Toffoli to complement their youth movement, they aren't expected to be a whole lot better this season than they were in 2023-24. So in addition to Celebrini playing against older, bigger, and more seasoned players, his team likely won't do much to help pad his numbers.

As a result, Celebrini isn't a lock to win the Calder Trophy, even though he may very well have a distinguished career. Other rookies like the Philadelphia Flyers' Matvei Michkov - who's a year-and-a-half older and who played against pros in the KHL for a few years - could have a better 2024-25.

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