The 2015-16 NHL season is finally upon us. Offseason storylines have turned to training camp topics have turned to actual in-game expectations. Wednesday night's opening slate brings four games, with the Toronto Maple Leafs the only non-playoff team from last season and the only franchise not expected to make a run at the postseason this year, set to suit up.
But the biggest game of the night comes between the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks and the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers. You can watch the game live online here.
Let's dive into the matchup.
The Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Hangover (And That Other Thing)
The Chicago Blackhawks are, have been, and will continue to be the best team in hockey unless and until some other franchise figures out a way to win three Stanley Cup championships in only six seasons. With stars like captain Jonathan Toews and defensemen Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith locked up long-term, the Hawks aren't going anywhere anytime soon. But that being said, it's been an offseason of change in Chicago. GM Stan Bowman's hand has been forced on a couple of occasions this year, most notably resulting in the trades of Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp and Antti Niemi and also the loss of defenseman Johnny Oduya in free agency. And while Patrick Kane's sexual assault case has seemingly taken a turn for the positive and the franchise has remained firmly behind their star, it as not yet been resolved. Will it affect the on-ice product?
Of course, when your GM is Bowman, losses tend to balanced out and this offseason was no different. The guess here is that Artem Anisimov will thrive playing alongside the likes of Kane and a young player like Teuvo Teravainen may struggle with a full-time role at first, but before long he'll settle into the top of the Chicago lineup.
The New York Rangers May Not Be All-In, But They're Close
This offseason, new New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton pooh-poohed the notion that the team was facing something of a slowly closing Stanley Cup window. No matter that All World netminder Henrik Lundqvist is reaching the portion of his career where a decline tends to set in and no matter that Gorton's predecessor Glen Sather flipped first-round pick after first-round pick in order to obtain established NHL talent that has yet to bring the Rangers a Cup.
Not buying it.
The Rangers Cup window isn't necessarily closing, but there's a reason ESPN ranked the Rangers' farm system 29th out of the 30-team league. Is there talent in the AHL pipeline? Sure. Brady Skjei, Ryan Graves and Adam Tambellini are skilled, but they're also flawed and no sure bet to make their mark at the professional level. While Lundqvist remains on the right side of 35, and Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh on the right side of 30, the Rangers will remain strong and deep and competitive and, at the very least, compete for another Presidents Trophy. Maybe Jarret Stoll provides an important presence that's been missing. Maybe Emerson Etem blossoms this season. Maybe Kevin Hayes takes another step toward elite. But with important pieces like Rick Nash and Keith Yandle rapidly approaching the latter portion of their Rangers and NHL careers and New York coming so close to a Cup the last few seasons, you better bet that it's Stanley Cup-or-bust for Gorton and New York.
