The first couple of weeks of NHL training camp are the time for the most unhinged optimists: anything is possible, every prospect is going to hit their ceilings, the veterans will all stay healthy. Every team can be the best version of themselves. As the season progresses, cold, hard reality sets in for many. Maybe that promising 19 year-old needs another couple of seasons in the AHL, or maybe the veterans aren’t just experienced; they’re also washed up. As I’ve written many times before, sometimes being a fan is suffering.
But for now, at the start of the long road ahead, we can indulge our most starry-eyed enthusiasm.