What to know about the NHL season, with awards, playoffs and Stanley Cup picks

The goaltender who backstopped the U.S. to gold at the Olympics is suspended as he awaits a trade he requested, while a teammate from Milan is in limbo after asking for his own a change of scenery.

The absence of Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg and the uncertainty surrounding Detroit's Dylan Larkin are among the biggest storylines going into the NHL season, which begins Tuesday when the Carolina Hurricanes raise their Stanley Cup banner before playing the Florida Panthers in a clash of the preseason favorites to win the championship.

With a record 1,344 regular-season games coming up before the playoffs and the Final in June, AP hockey writers John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno give their predictions on how everything will unfold:

Biggest surprise to watch for

Wawrow: General manager Mike Grier’s practical and patient approach pays off when the San Jose Sharks win the Pacific Division.

Whyno: Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks make the playoffs after acquiring Hellebuyck, getting a proven goaltender rather than waiting on Yaroslav Askarov.

Biggest disappointment to watch for

Wawrow: It’s boom or bust in Edmonton, with the Oilers bringing in Mike Babcock as coach. Is that enough to make the difference or will the wheels fall off in Edmonton?

Whyno: Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh sink back to the bottom half of the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference after surprisingly making the playoffs in coach Dan Muse's first season.

Hart Trophy winner for NHL MVP

Wawrow: Celebrini. He’s that good.

Whyno: Celebrini wins it for the first time, leading the league in scoring ahead of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon.

Vezina Trophy winner for best goaltender

Wawrow: When in doubt, go with the NHL’s best goalie: Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Whyno: Boston's Jeremy Swayman has the best season of his career so far, challenging Hellebuyck and Dallas' Jake Oettinger for the mantle as the best U.S.-born goalie in the league.

Norris Trophy winner for top defenseman

Wawrow: It’s too easy to pick Colorado's Cale Makar, deserving as he is, every year. Let’s go with either Minnesota's Quinn Hughes or Montreal's Lane Hutson.

Whyno: Taking the layup. Makar signed the richest deal in NHL history, and while it does not kick in until 2027-28, he wants to show why he's worth every penny. It would be his third Norris honor.

Calder Trophy for rookie of the year

Wawrow: Gavin McKenna, Maple Leafs. Toronto’s spotlight isn’t too big for a Yukon youngster who has answered many of his doubters already. He showed he’s ready to play against men based on his season at Penn State.

Whyno: There are cases to be made for several players, including McKenna and Philadelphia's Porter Martone, but Washington defenseman Cole Hutson follows brother Lane and wins it.

Jack Adams Award winner for coach of the year

Wawrow: Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff, to make up for last year’s loss, though watch out for San Jose’s Ryan Warsofsky.

Whyno: Martin St. Louis after the Canadiens make another playoff appearance.

Who makes the playoffs in the Eastern Conference

Wawrow: Carolina, Philadelphia, Washington, Montreal, Florida, Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Columbus.

Whyno: Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay, Montreal, Buffalo, Washington, Boston and Philadelphia.

Who makes the playoffs in the Western Conference

Wawrow: Colorado, Minnesota, Utah, Dallas, San Jose, Vegas, Anaheim and Edmonton.

Whyno: Colorado, Edmonton, Vegas, Dallas, San Jose, Utah, Anaheim and Minnesota.

Stanley Cup pick

Wawrow: Montreal beats Minnesota in six, ending Canada's Stanley Cup drought.

Whyno: Edmonton-Florida III ends the same way as the first two, with the Panthers winning it all for the third time in four years.

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