As training camp rosters trim down to final lineups, teams like the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Edmonton Oilers are hoping to have huge seasons. Not just because they are all Stanley Cup contenders, but because they also have candidates to lead the NHL in various categories. From scoring, to rookies, to goaltenders, let's take a look at what players will lead the league this upcoming season.
Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning unseated Connor McDavid and robbed him of his fourth straight scoring championship. McDavid should retake his throne this year as he tries to guide the Edmonton Oilers back to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Bruins brought in center Elias Lindholm to relieve some of the pressure on their forwards, and Pastrnak is likely to gain the most from this transaction. With another playmaker in the lineup and on the power play, don't be surprised when he leads the league in goals this year.
McDavid is going to be feeding newly-signed wingers Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, while continuing to run the best power play in NHL history. That means McDavid is in line to top the 100 assists he set last year.
Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks beat Makar by two points last season, but the Avalanche superstar reclaims the defensive scoring title this season while also posting his first 100-point campaign.
The race for the Calder Trophy will be one of the most exciting competitions of the upcoming season. The number one overall pick of the past NHL Draft is expected to play big minutes with the Sharks out of the gate, and could be a 65-point player as a rookie.
Coming off of their first Stanley Cup title, the Panthers will be a force again. Sergei Bobrovsky should be riding high off of the most successful season of his career, and with the situation behind him still questionable, he should be in line for 35-40 victories in 2024.
The Predators improved greatly over the offseason, and their star goaltender is generous beneficiary of the moves. A deeper offensive lineup and the addition of one of the steadiest defenders in Brady Skjei, Saros should be a brick wall in Nashville and his save percentage will reflect that.
The Hurricanes will likely use a goaltender by committee approach, but that has served Pyotr Kochetkov well. He will likely split starts with Frederik Andersen, but that will keep Kochetkov's goals against average low and in line with his career mark of 2.37.
After finishing last season as one of the best teams in the league, the New York Rangers are bound to be the winningest team this year. The team added a veteran winger in Reilly Smith to join their middle-six group. He fills out a lineup that already has forwards Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck, and Artemi Panarin. Add to that a rock solid defense and the best goaltender in the NHL, and the Rangers are a
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Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.
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