![]() ![]() And yet here we are again, doing our silly little predictions, having our silly little hope, banging our silly little drum. If calling the Oilers fun is a bit of a stretch, calling the Buffalo Sabres fun is full-on masochism. But if it isn't, it's all significantly less fun and more depressing as we yearn for McDavid's first appearance on the biggest stage. ![]() Have they finally earned our trust?Įdmonton is always worth watching to see the world's best player in his prime, and this could be the year the team around him actually makes it count. They led the league in regular-season scoring and were virtually the only team to give Vegas a legitimate fight in the playoffs. The team around the league's best duo has finally shaped up, led by defensive improvements and brilliant deadline acquisition Mattias Ekholm. On one hand, things are looking up, and they have been, consistently: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are only getting more incomprehensibly good-McDavid's 64 goals and 153 points last season represented the best offensive outing in decades, in a new age when it's even harder to accomplish that. Is this fun? Like, are we sure we are having fun when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers? Are we done nervously laughing? The drama of a goalie storyline and the emergence of the Stars offense is more than enough reason to tune in this season. He has the potential to become a top goalie in the league after a not-terrible-but-not-good-enough playoff performance. In a league that somehow keeps getting increasingly elite offensively, the Stars' biggest entertainment factor will be the play of goalie Jake Oettinger. You've got Jason Robertson, who continued on his superstar trajectory last season with 46 goals and 109 points in 82 games Roope Hintz, who came in just over a point per game and defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who is actually the most sneakily underrated player on the team with 73 points in 79 games. The good news? The Stars are stacked with some of the best young talent in the league all over the lineup, and now there's a (tiny) chip on their shoulders. But the Stars were matching their energy until Jamie Benn's reckless suspension for cross-checking Mark Stone, and that 6-0 loss in an elimination game wrapped it all in a tough-to-watch bow. To be fair, it turned out the Golden Knights were really just that dang good. The intrigue of the 2023-24 Dallas Stars begins with one question: How will they follow up the sour taste the Western Conference Final left in our mouths? And remember-this is about entertainment value, which doesn't necessarily correlate with Stanley Cup contention. Beyond the offseason moves, which off-ice storylines are reaching a boiling point? Which teams are desperate but not totally pathetic (what's more fun than desperation hockey)? Which teams are so pathetic that it becomes entertaining (looking at you, 2022-23 Ducks)?īasically, consider the following your guide to who to watch when your favorite team isn't playing. When I ask myself, " Which NHL teams are going to be the most fun next season?" I'm asking a few questions. Luckily, an offseason full of blockbuster trades, special draft talent and under-the-radar signings is priming us for an eventful 2023-24 from the first puck drop. Of course Vegas fans were having a blast, but the rest of us? I'm sure you'd agree that the rest of us could've used a bit more drama during last season's lopsided Stanley Cup Final. ![]() You saw it with the total dominance the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights displayed. What would any NHL preseason ranking be without a disclaimer? So hear me out on this one: "Fun" doesn't always mean "best" when it comes to watching hockey. Jack Hughes Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images ![]()
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