On Wednesday, the puck drops to kick off the 2017-18 NHL season.
Over the next nine months, the league's 31 teams will fight it out—first, for a chance to reach the playoffs, then for the coveted Stanley Cup.
In many ways, the only thing that's predictable about the NHL is its unpredictability. The league is known for the parity. That's why it's so tough to project what will come to pass in the days and months that lie ahead.
But that doesn't mean we can't try!
Check out these bold predictions for the upcoming season—which teams will push into the playoff ranks, which ones will be left behind, top scorers, the first coach fired and, of course, this year's Stanley Cup champion.