NHL roundtable: Breakout stars, teams that will shock, Avs’ repeat chances
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ESPN staff
Opening night of the 2022-23 NHL season is on Oct. 11, with a doubleheader slated to be broadcast by ESPN: Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers at 7:30 ET, followed by Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings at 10 ET.
Although we’ve learned a lot about all 32 teams throughout the preseason, some lingering questions remain. We’ve gathered a panel of our reporters and analysts to tackle five of the biggest:
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What player will take a leap to stardom?
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Which rookie are you most excited to watch?
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What has to happen for the Avs to repeat?
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Which team will disappoint?
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Which team will be a pleasant surprise?
How to watch the 2022-23 NHL season on ESPN networks — including 103 exclusive games and over 1,050 games on NHL Power Play on ESPN+.
What player will take a leap to stardom this season?
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Moritz Seider made a jump last season, scoring 52 points in 82 games en route to winning the Calder Trophy. It’s possible he could raise his profile even more with another standout season and potentially attract some Norris Trophy consideration.
Leah Hextall, NHL broadcaster: Fresh off a four-year, $31 million deal, Jason Robertson is motivated and has the ability to repeat and build on his 40-plus goal season in Dallas. He’s set to be a star in Dallas and a household hockey name.
Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: I don’t believe we’ve seen anything near what Lucas Raymond is capable of yet. He leveled out a bit last April, suggesting the gas tank neared empty after a full 82-game season. The 20-year-old will be better prepared, and even more productive, through his second tour on a Detroit top line with center Dylan Larkin.
Arda Öcal, NHL broadcaster: Jack Hughes. He had some sweet highlight-reel goals last season, including throwing his stick into the crowd after an overtime winner. In terms of on-ice flash, he and Trevor Zegras seem to be cut from the same cloth, and I’m here for all of it.
Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Cole Caufield. The Canadiens’ youngster came to life late last season under Martin St. Louis. And there’s a big opportunity up for grabs in Montreal’s lineup. Caufield has good hands around the net and a great shot; he could light it up this season for a team that needs it.
Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: Tim Stützle has been centering Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat during the preseason for the Ottawa Senators, which I imagine is a pretty good spot if you’re Tim Stützle. He had 58 points in 79 games last season. This line could be a multiplier.
Which rookie are you most excited to watch?
Clark: Matty Beniers scoring nine points in his first 10 games last season has created expectations he should challenge for the Calder Trophy. Now it is a matter of how he looks over a full 82-game season.
Hextall: Jake Sanderson. The University of North Dakota product is everything you want in an NHL defenseman. He’s an elite skater, moves the puck, makes good decisions and is mature beyond his years.
Matiash: Cole Perfetti. Tucked in the Jets’ top six, the No. 10 overall pick from 2020 is going to hit 65 points. Goodness knows that team could use such a boost — productively and emotionally.
Öcal: Other than Shane Wright vs. the Habs, I’d love to see how Juraj Slafkovsky slots into that Montreal lineup. Does he start the season there, and does he make an immediate impact? He’s certainly got the size and hands, along with loads of confidence, even if he’s a little inconsistent at times (as expected of a rookie).
Shilton: Mason McTavish. The Anaheim Ducks freshman showed off at the World Juniors in August, earning MVP honors while leading Canada to gold with eight goals and 17 points. He’ll bring top-end skill, speed and creativity to a rising Ducks’ squad.
Wyshynski: A lot of the rookies listed here sound very exciting, but do any of them hold the very fate of their team in their tender gloves? Logan Thompson could very well determine whether or not the Vegas Golden Knights make the playoffs, with starting goalie Robin Lehner out for the season.
What has to happen for the Avs to repeat — and how likely do you think it is to happen?
3:11
Cale Makar reflects on his offseason after winning the Stanley Cup and what the Avalanche are hoping to achieve this season.
Clark: Finding a consistent second-line center. Nazem Kadri‘s departure leaves a hole the team believes can be filled internally. If so, then, it solves a major concern. If not, they could be pressed to find the answer elsewhere. Whoever it is, they will play a vital role in the Avs’ chances for a consecutive title.
Hextall: To repeat, the Avalanche need to pick up where the team left off and most importantly stay healthy — which takes a little luck. But the window to win is wide open, and it looks like the Avs will have a good shot. Oh, and Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t settled down because he won — now he wants more.
Matiash: One of Pavel Francouz or Alexandar Georgiev has to run with the starter’s gig in net. Someone — J.T. Compher or Alex Newhook or someone else — has to somewhat replace Nazem Kadri at second-line center. I don’t think either happens.
Öcal: The Avs didn’t win the Stanley Cup because of goaltending. But they won. Now that Darcy Kuemper is gone — just the fourth time in NHL history a starting goalie who won the Cup went to another team that offseason — they have Pavel Francouz and Alexandar Georgiev. If the goaltending can be good — not stellar, just good — the team will be in a fine position to make another Cup run.
Shilton: Colorado needs Newhook to take hold of a second-line center job and Georgiev to enter the best phase of his career. The Avalanche have no reason to be complacent otherwise. With the right retooling, Colorado has a great chance at going back-to-back.
Wyshynski: It’s a bit cliché, but locating that previously insatiable hunger to win. It’s one thing to use years of motivation as fuel for a Stanley Cup championship run. It’s another to conjure that desire for a second straight Cup. Sidney Crosby did it. Victor Hedman did it. Can Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar do it?
Which team is most likely to disappoint?
Clark: The Winnipeg Jets. They have the talent to challenge for at least a wild-card berth. But the same thing could be said about the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights, who also missed the postseason last year. It’s possible the Jets could get back into the playoffs. But it is also plausible they could miss out considering the Western Conference appeared to get stronger.
Hextall: The Boston Bruins. Early-season injuries will provide a tough task for new head coach Jim Montgomery. First-line wing Brad Marchand, No. 1 defensemen Charlie McAvoy and top 4 defenseman Matt Grzelcyk will all miss the opening months. The B’s will be competitive, but not a contender.
Matiash: The Washington Capitals. Too old and/or too banged up. Alex Ovechkin will score, and newbie Darcy Kuemper will steal a few, but neither will do enough of either to emerge from what’s shaping up to be an even tougher Metropolitan Division this season.
Öcal: One of the Pittsburgh Penguins or Washington Capitals. It feels like one of these two teams might not make the postseason, which would be a shame for many long-time hockey fans because Sid and Ovi carried the star power of this league for many years. But with many of the same faces, particularly the “band is back together” vibe in Pittsburgh, one has to wonder if Father Time will catch up and if legacy will make room in the postseason for more energetic youth. But hey, if there are two guys that could easily prove someone wrong …
Shilton: The Minnesota Wild. Did they do anything to improve upon last season’s finish? There’s talent in Minnesota for sure, but standing pat rarely bodes well in the NHL. It seems like other teams could blow right by the Wild.
Wyshynski: The Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks have Bruce Boudreau, a Vezina Trophy-caliber goalie in Thatcher Demko and a strong collection of offensive players. But I don’t like their defense. I’m not sold on their depth, and there are at least four teams better than they are in the division. Plus, there’s a weird dysfunctionality in that organization, as Boudreau’s offseason negotiation signified.
Which team is most likely to surprise in a positive way?
Clark: The Ottawa Senators. Getting Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux further strengthens their top-six options with two productive players. Jake Sanderson could be the latest homegrown talent to represent what makes the Sens’ plans so promising. But Cam Talbot‘s injury does raise questions about how they will manage in net to start the season.
Hextall: The Detroit Red Wings. GM Steve Yzerman went to work in free agency signing David Perron, Andrew Copp, Dominik Kubalik, Ben Chiarot and Olli Maatta, to name a few. He found a solution in net, trading for and signing Ville Husso, who played well for St. Louis. Add this to Detroit’s young stars and we could see a big step forward by the Wings under new head coach Derek Lalonde.
Matiash: The Columbus Blue Jackets. Youngsters Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger are going to make a greater impact sooner than expected. The underrated addition of Erik Gudbranson helps fortify the blue line, and while he’s just one player, Johnny Gaudreau is about as dynamic an addition as they come.
Öcal: The New York Islanders. Last season will prove to be a series of unfortunate events. One of their foundational players, Mathew Barzal, is now inked long-term. Ilya Sorokin is poised to claim his spotlight as a top goaltender in the league. This team has what it takes to prove that last season was an anomaly and remind the league why they made two straight conference finals.
Shilton: The Buffalo Sabres. There’s a real sense of optimism around that growing group, from Tage Thompson to Rasmus Dahlin to Alex Tuch. The addition of Eric Comrie in net was a highly underrated offseason move. It seems certain the Sabres won’t be an easy out this season.
Wyshynski: The New Jersey Devils. The Devils will make the leap to the playoffs if new assistant coach Andrew Brunette fixes the power play, they finally get competent goaltending, and they aren’t crushed by injuries to top players like Jack Hughes again. I think all of that happens for a young and talented team.
The 150th running of the Preakness won’t have the fanfare of previous years.
There will be no Triple Crown on the line and no rematch of the 1-2 finishers in the Kentucky Derby after trainer Bill Mott elected to point Sovereignty toward the Belmont and bypass the Preakness.
Just three horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby will run in the Preakness on Saturday — Journalism, who finished second to Sovereignty, American Promise (16th) and Sandman (seventh). Nine horses will enter the race, including several newcomers to the Triple Crown trail.
Top storylines
While a Kentucky Derby winner skipping the Preakness is a rarity over the history of the race, it’s become more common in recent years. Country House, who won the 2019 Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security was disqualified, was not entered into the race by Mott due to a cough. Other ailments ended his career early and he never raced again.
Rich Strike was not entered in the 2022 Preakness and neither was 2021 winner Mandaloun, who was not declared the official winner of the Kentucky Derby until Medina Spirit was officially disqualified after failing a postrace drug test.
The modern order of the Triple Crown races, with the Kentucky Derby first and the Belmont last, was established permanently in 1932, with some exceptions. Notable Kentucky Derby winners who skipped the second leg are: Grindstone (1996, career-ending injury), Spend a Buck (1985), Gato Del Sol (1982), Tomy Lee (1959), Swaps (1955), Determine (1954), Hill Gail (1952), Count Turf (1951) and Lawrin (1938).
This will be the final Preakness run at Pimlico for several years, as the 155-year-old track is set to undergo renovations for the next several years, including the replacement of the current grandstand for a smaller version. The Preakness will move to Laurel Park until renovations are complete.
Betting the Preakness
by Katherine Terrell
What’s the big draw now that the Kentucky Derby winner is out of the race? Journalism, who went off as the betting favorite in the race, gets a chance for redemption.
While putting Journalism on top of our Kentucky Derby bets didn’t quite pan out, he’s certainly going to be a worthy, and heavy, favorite in this race. Don’t take his second-place finish as a knock on his talent — he’s the most accomplished horse in this field.
What about Sandman, who drew significant attention in the Kentucky Derby due to his name? Sandman was named after the Metallica Song “Enter Sandman,” and the band recently posted a video cheering him on ahead of the Preakness.
Sandman’s trainer Mark Casse said the horse had tender feet going into his last race, causing him to sport glue-on shoes, but he has since been switched back to normal horseshoes. Sandman is a closer, meaning he would need a fast pace up front to be able to pass tiring horses and win this race.
Some of the more intriguing newcomers are Goal Oriented, trained by Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen trainee Clever Again. Both are lightly raced, and bettors who are looking for better odds than Journalism provides might hope one of these two horses takes a step forward.
That’s the same situation as Gosger, who is 20-1 on the morning line but recently won the Grade III Lexington Stakes. He will also have to take a step forward or hope Journalism runs poorly off two weeks rest.
Journalism can sit back off the pace and hope the leaders get into a speed duel, a possibility with a lot of speed in the race. Either way, he’ll be a tough favorite to bet.
About the above chart: A Beyer number is a ratings system for speed during races. Some think horses need at least one race where they run a 95 Beyer number or over to be competitive in the Derby. Many of these horses have races where they’ve run over a 100 Beyer number or better.
The logical bet: Journalism to win (8-5) but will require a large bet to get a decent return.
The slightly better odds bet: Clever Again to win (5-1)
Two suggested bets:
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Exacta box: Journalism/Clever Again
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Trifecta: Journalism over Clever Again over River Thames, Gosger.
Best plays
by Anita Marks
No. 2 Journalism (8-5) is favored and rightfully so. He ran a great race in the Derby, but Sovereignty was just the better horse that day. With such a small field (nine horses), along with his pedigree, Journalism should dominate.
Other horses I fancy in the Preakness:
Clever Again (5-1) is a unique animal with a lot of talent. I believe he is the second-best horse in the race. Son of American Pharaoh — who won the Triple Crown — and trained by Steve Asmussen, an excellent trainer. He is super fast, is in great form and is training well.
Goal Oriented (6-1): A Bob Baffert horse. and will have one of the best jockeys on his back in Flavien Prat. He has the speed to come out of the No. 1 post and will be sent hard. Son of Not This Time and was the winner of a 1 1/16-mile race on the Kentucky Derby undercard. This will be his third race.
Preakness Plays:
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To win or place: Clever Again
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Exacta box: Goal Oriented, Journalism, Clever Again
After building a 2-0 lead on the Florida Panthers in their second-round series, the Toronto Maple Leafs are now down 3-2 leading into Friday’s Game 6 (8 p.m. ET, TNT).
Will this be the final game of the Maple Leafs’ season? Or will they force a Game 7 on Sunday?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, a recap of what went down in Thursday’s games and the three stars of Thursday from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers
Game 6 | 8 p.m. ET | TNT
With the Panthers up 3-2 in the series, ESPN BET now lists them as -800 to win this series, with the Maple Leafs at +500. Florida’s Stanley Cup odds are now +300, while Toronto’s are +2500.
The Panthers are 5-1 all time when leading 3-2 in a seven-game series. The only loss came in the 2012 playoffs against the Devils. The Maple Leafs are 6-18 all time when trailing a series 3-2.
In Game 5, 14 different Panthers registered points, which is the most players to do so in a single playoff game in franchise history. Florida has had 17 different players score a goal this postseason, which breaks a single-postseason franchise record set in 1996.
With his fourth multipoint game of the playoffs, the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart is one of six players to hit that benchmark in the 2025 playoffs.
The Panthers have not trailed for 170:10 of game time since Carter Verhaeghe‘s tying goal 5:17 into the second period of Game 3.
Toronto’s Auston Matthews has zero goals in his past five games, which ties the longest goalless drought of his playoff career (other occurrences were in 2021 and 2023).
Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz is likely out for Game 6, turning the crease back over to Joseph Woll, who gave up five goals on 25 shots in Game 5.
Öcal’s three stars from Thursday
The likely Vezina Trophy winner made 22 saves in a 4-0 win, which is his second straight home shutout in this series.
Scheifele scored the opening goal in Game 5 and added an assist on Nikolaj Ehlers‘ power-play goal in the second. He now has three goals in potential elimination games, which is the most in Thrashers/Jets 2.0 franchise history.
Andersen has been great for the Canes. He gave up just one goal on 19 shots in the series-clinching win over the Capitals, and allowed just six goals total in the Hurricanes’ five games against Washington.
Thursday’s recaps
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Washington Capitals 1
CAR wins 4-1, plays winner of TOR-FLA
With a spot in the Eastern Conference finals on the line for Carolina — and a continuation to at least Game 6 the motivation for the Capitals — the two teams battled in an inspired contest. Canes captain Jordan Staal got on the board first, but Washington’s Anthony Beauvillier answered four minutes later. The teams remained tied 1-1 until less than two minutes remaining when Andrei Svechnikov fired one past Logan Thompson. With the net empty, the Caps could not get the equalizer, and Seth Jarvis sealed the deal with an empty-netter with 27 seconds to play. Carolina now awaits the winner of Maple Leafs-Panthers in the conference finals. Full recap.
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Seth Jarvis’ goal secures series win for Canes
Seth Jarvis notches a clutch goal to to secure the series win over the Capitals.
Winnipeg Jets 4, Dallas Stars 0
DAL leads 3-2 | Game 6 Saturday
Needing a win to remain alive, the Jets got an emphatic one, backstopped by a 22-save shutout by Connor Hellebuyck. Mark Scheifele got Winnipeg on the board first, with his fourth goal of the playoffs at 6:17 of the second period. Nikolaj Ehlers added a power-play tally 2:20 into the third, with Vladislav Namestnikov joining the party at 12:07. With the net empty for Dallas, Ehlers added an empty-netter to cap things off and send Winnipeg fans home happy. Dallas has another chance to finish the series off at home Saturday — if not, Game 7 will be Monday, back in Winnipeg. Full recap.
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Nikolaj Ehlers’ empty-netter secures Game 5 for the Jets
Nikolaj Ehlers scores the game-sealing empty-netter to secure the Game 5 win for the Jets over the Stars.
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