A new NHL season is upon us, with all the excitement, storylines and intrigue that come with it. It all gets started Tuesday with a doubleheader on ESPN. At 7:30 p.m. ET, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Pittsburgh Penguins, then at 10:15 p.m., the Vegas Golden Knights will host the expansion Seattle Kraken in their first NHL game.
To get you ready for the 2021-22 campaign, we asked some of our NHL experts -- Stanley Cup champion Mark Messier, ESPN.com reporters Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski, ESPN fantasy hockey writer Victoria Matiash and NHL on ESPN host Arda Ocal -- what they're expecting to see, including whether the Lightning can pull off a three-peat as Stanley Cup champs, what to expect from the Kraken, what teams will be the biggest surprises, what players will have a breakout season and who will win it all when the Cup is finally raised.