As the hockey season is just around the corner, it’s time to take a look at what to expect from it. With all of the changes that are being made to the game, like new rules and new players joining, there are bound to be some surprises along the way. Here are the top 6 expectations for the NHL 2022-2023 season.
The Florida Panthers will win the Stanley Cup
The Panthers have been a playoff team for the past two seasons, and they’ll be looking to make it three straight this year. They’re led by young stars like Aleksander Barkov, who scored 78 points last season, and Vincent Trocheck, who had 70 points on the year.
But it’s not just these players that make Florida such a dangerous team; they also have a great coaching staff behind them in Bob Boughner and Tom Rowe, as well as an excellent management group led by Dale Tallon. This is why I think they’ll be able to go all the way.
The NHL season will not be suspended due to COVID-19
The second expectation is the NHL season will not be suspended due to COVID-19, a respiratory virus that has been spreading across the world and causing coughing, fever and muscle pain. Although it’s not particularly dangerous (and can be treated with over-the-counter medication), it can still make you feel pretty crummy.
The NHL draft lottery odds will change back to how they were prior to the 2020-2021 season
The NHL draft lottery odds will change back to how they were prior to the 2020-2021 season. The NHL had decided that, in order to make sure that team owners and general managers are still interested in winning games, they will return to the way that drafts used to be done before they changed them up a few seasons ago.
Auston Matthews will score at least 45 goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs
It’s hard to think of a player who has as much natural ability to score goals as Auston Matthews. In his last three seasons in the NHL, he has scored at least 40 goals per year and was able to increase his scoring rate each season. This is not only due to his skill but also because he plays on a very good team with excellent linemates. The Toronto Maple Leafs have recently added John Tavares and have legitimate playoff aspirations heading into next season-making Auston Matthews’ performance all the more exciting.
Alexis Lafreniere will score at least 55 points for the New York Rangers
Alexis Lafreniere will score at least 55 points for the New York Rangers. With all of the hype surrounding Alexis Lafreniere, it would be surprising if he didn’t put up huge numbers during his rookie season.
The center should see plenty of ice time on a Rangers squad that just made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last year and is looking to make another deep run this season. This means that you will see him on your TV screen often, which is always a good thing when talking about hockey players.
Connor McDavid will win his 3rd Conn Smythe Trophy in his career and his first since 2018-2019 when he played for the Edmonton Oilers
Connor McDavid won his 3rd Conn Smythe Trophy in his career and his first since 2018-2019 when he played for the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid was the reigning Conn Smythe winner after leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a championship over Boston last year. He has won it twice before (2018-19 and 2017-18), but this will be his first time playing for a team other than Edmonton since winning it in 2019 with them.
Hope you enjoyed reading this post. The NHL schedules are out and you can watch the games with the DIRECTV STREAM package. As per their experts, “All the DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS and residential DIRECTV Satellite TV customers can get the National Hockey League package.” There are some interesting storylines coming up this season, and the world can’t wait to see what happens next.
