The Hockey Writers Daily - September 2, 2023
A daily Substack newsletter with all the best content from The Hockey Writers
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have 2023-24 season predictions from THW staff, Larkin & DeBrincat’s impact on the Red Wings, updated NHL farm system rankings, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
The Hockey Writers’ 2023-24 NHL Season Predictions
September 1, 2023 by Jacob Billington
With the 2023-24 NHL season just around the corner, the majority of offseason moves have been made and teams are getting ready for training camp and preseason with their new rosters. With the season coming up fast, staff from The Hockey Writers have made their predictions on how each team will place in their division, major award winners, and the Stanley Cup champion and runner-up.
The divisional rankings were all voted upon to rank the teams first through eighth, and their total score added up to place them. First-place votes are worth eight points, second-place votes are worth seven points, third-place is worth six, and so on. The rest of the votes are just based on percentage and the top three players to get the most will be listed as the winner and runners-up.
Larkin & DeBrincat Could Be Detroit Red Wings’ Next Dynamic Duo
September 1, 2023 by Devin Little
Long ago, the names Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay were ubiquitous with the Detroit Red Wings. After that, Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov defined a generation that most fans nowadays refer to as “the glory days.” That era’s end made way for the “EuroTwins” era, headlined by Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Their final season together was the 2015-16 campaign, and the Red Wings have been searching for their next dynamic duo ever since. Thanks to the Red Wings’ biggest offseason move, that search may finally be at its end.
Canadiens 3 Up & 3 Down: 2023 Offseason Edition
September 1, 2023 by Blain Potvin
The 2023 offseason is coming to a close, and the Montreal Canadiens are preparing to begin training camp. The work done by general manager (GM) Kent Hughes overall has fit in with his stated plan of rebuilding the team. However, not all choices or actions are without a downside. With that, let’s dive into the latest 3 Up, 3 Down.
The NHL’s Best Farm Systems Ranked – 2023-24 Preseason Update
September 1, 2023 by Logan Horn
If you want to be one of the best teams in the NHL in the Salary Cap Era, you have to draft and develop your own prospects so you can build for the future with young contributors on cheap contracts. When you look at top teams in the league like the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs, you see teams that have developed through the draft and that continue to build their prospect systems for the future.
Some of the top teams on this list like the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks continue to develop and compete for the future, while other teams like the Buffalo Sabres and Minnesota Wild are competing for the playoffs while also having great prospect pools. Having a deep farm system can go a long way toward a team’s long-term success. Without further ado, here are the preseason farm system rankings for the 2023-24 season.
10 Colorado Avalanche Milestones to Watch for in 2023-24
September 1, 2023 by Marko Zlomislic
Believe it or not, the start of the 2023-24 NHL season is nearly upon us with the Nashville Predators and the Tampa Bay Lightning opening the campaign on Oct. 10. The Colorado Avalanche, winners of the 2022 Stanley Cup, look to improve upon an unsuccessful title defence after succumbing to the Seattle Kraken in seven games during the first round of the 2023 Playoffs.
While this core should be focused on winning another Stanley Cup, the Avalanche have several franchise records and career milestones on their radars. These include records held by members of both the Avalanche and the Quebec Nordiques prior to the latter’s relocation to Colorado. Let’s dive into 10 of the most significant of those benchmarks and how long it might take for each one to be reached this season.
3 Predictions for Oilers’ Evander Kane in 2023-24
September 1, 2023 by Sean Panganiban
Edmonton Oilers’ forward Evander Kane has fit in ever-so-nicely on and off the ice since his arrival in Oil Country. He’s played a combined 111 regular season and playoff games, scoring 54 goals in that time.
Off the ice, he’s been a model citizen, often seen helping out communities in and around Edmonton, formed relationships with people in need of support, and was also seen playing pick-up hockey in a local beer league. Kane has emerged as a leader in Edmonton; however, the recurring injuries posed a constant challenge for him last season. Yet, with a fresh chapter ahead of him and the Edmonton Oilers as a whole, we’ve outlined three predictions for him for the 2023-24 season.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Boston Bruins - Former Bruins Still Looking for New Homes in 2023-24
Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins Power Play Gets an Upgrade with Karlsson Addition
NHL News & Rumors - Flames, Canucks, Oilers, and a Patrick Kane Update
From TSN - Lindholm open to re-signing with Flames as contract year looms
From Sportsnet - PWHL Free Agency Primer: Where Poulin, Knight, Nurse could go and why
From the NHL - NHL considering more unique destinations after Global Series -- Melbourne
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform. Cheers!