THW Daily - Big Extensions in Winnipeg & Week 1 Power Rankings
Also, Penguins with something to prove, predicting Leafs' top scorers & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have a couple of big extensions in Winnipeg, the latest from Edmonton, week one power rankings, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
3 Pittsburgh Penguins With Something to Prove in 2023-24
October 9, 2023 by George Majchrzak
With the preseason wrapped up and the puck drop on the 2023-24 season this week, there is a feeling of optimism around the Pittsburgh Penguins, and with good reason. After the disappointing end to last season and the eventful 2023 offseason, Penguins’ pickups like Reilly Smith and Erik Karlsson look to re-energize the club in its quest to return to the playoffs.
With that said, there are several members of the organization who have something to prove, from captain Sidney Crosby and longtime defenseman Kris Letang to backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and veteran forward Jeff Carter. But here’s a look at three other Penguins with something to prove this season.
Maple Leafs: Predicting Top 5 Scorers for 2023-24 Season
October 9, 2023 by Michael DeRosa
On Oct. 11, the Toronto Maple Leafs will officially begin their 2023-24 regular season against the Montreal Canadiens. Expectations are high for the Maple Leafs, as they sport one of the strongest rosters in the NHL yet again, especially when it comes to their offense. The Maple Leafs have several high-impact stars who never fail to rack up points during the regular season. Thus, in this article, I will share who I believe the Maple Leafs’ top five point-getters will be during the 2023-24 season.
Jets Re-Sign Hellebuyck and Scheifele To Seven-Year Extensions
October 9, 2023 by Declan Schroeder
The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and centre Mark Scheifele to identical seven-year contact extensions worth $8.5 million per year.
Canadiens Take Step Closer to Playoffs
October 9, 2023 by Blain Potvin
What can reasonably be expected from the 2023-24 edition of the Montreal Canadiens? Are they a playoff team? No, that is far too much to expect from a team that is only in its second full season of a rebuild. However, it is expected to see a team be competitive and remain on the bubble, on the outside looking in at the playoffs. That alone will be a jump forward and could be achieved simply by the roster remaining healthy.
Using the lineup for the first practice after the roster was set, and comparing that to last season’s results, the expectation of a competitive team is reasonable.
NHL 2023-24 Power Rankings: Week 1
October 9, 2023 by Eugene Helfrick
Well, it’s officially that time of the year… welcome back to THW’s weekly Power Rankings as the 2023-24 NHL season kicks off on Tuesday! After a long postseason, and even longer offseason, the hockey world is ready to play games that count in mere hours. Before we dive into an all-you-can-eat buffet of the best sport in the world for the next nine months, let’s take a long look at the pre-season rankings and discuss what we think we know.
It’s important to remember that pre-season speculation rarely comes true, as you will almost always overvalue what happened last season, for better and for worse. While you can get a feel for the season based on what we saw previously, expect to make changes rapidly when everything falls apart by week three. With that in mind, I plan to break the Week 1 Power Rankings into three groups and discuss those teams together. It’s also worth noting that this is purely a regular-season ranking, which means the top 16 teams won’t reflect the best eight teams in each conference.
Oilers News & Rumors: McLeod, Ekholm, Kulak, Lavoie, Lafferty
October 9, 2023 by Jim Parsons
In an Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, the team made some interesting choices on Sunday, electing to put some surprising names on waivers. Meanwhile, some familiar faces are back on the ice at practice as the team deals with some concerning injury issues. Finally, the Oilers are said to be one of the teams actively looking at Sam Lafferty before he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Vancouver Canucks - Canucks’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Lafferty, Di Giuseppe, Soucy, PK & More
Detroit Red Wings - The Red Wings Should Retire Henrik Zetterberg’s Number
NHL News & Rumors - Sabres, Hurricanes, Flames, Oilers, Canucks
From TSN - Avalanche make moves before start of season, claim G Prosvetov on waivers
From Sportsnet - One bold prediction for every NHL team heading into 2023-24
From the NHL - Dahlin signs 8-year, $88 million contract with Sabres
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