2019-20 NHL preview, predictions, more: Who wins the Stanley Cup?

For a second-straight season, the Toronto Maple Leafs kick off a new year as the puck drops on the 2019-20 NHL season on Wednesday night in Canada against the Ottawa Senators. 

 

It’s been a rocky offseason for the Leafs. Star forward Mitch Marner left it late to sign a contract extension while Auston Matthews has run into some off-ice troubles. 

 

The team that was expected to make a run at the Stanley Cup last year was bounced out of the first round last year as Cinderella stories reigned supreme. 

 

While the New York Islanders shocked the hockey world and recorded their best season since the dynasty days of the 1980s, the President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning were swept out of the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

 

We saw the Carolina Hurricanes make the Eastern Conference Final, no Canadian teams make it past the third round, and the St. Louis Blues win their first-ever Stanley Cup title by defeating the Boston Bruins. 

 

Will 2019-20 provide as many surprises? 

 

We’ll try to figure that out:

 

 

 

Lightning def. Penguins

Capitals def. Canadiens

Hurricanes def. Islanders

Maple Leafs def. Bruins

 

Lightning def. Maple Leafs

Capitals def. Hurricanes

 

Lightning def. Capitals

 

 

Flames def. Coyotes

Avalanche def. Stars

Blues def. Predators

Sharks def. Knights

 

Flames def. Sharks

Blues def. Avalanche

 

Flames def. Blues

 

 

 

 

ART ROSS (most points)- Connor McDavid (Oilers)

HART (MVP)- Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche)

NORRIS (best defenseman)- Victor Hedman (Lightning)

ROCKET RICHARD (most goals)- Alex Ovechkin (Capitals)

VEZINA (best goalie)- Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning)