Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “,….. proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Pete’s Auto Body; because we care about our community….
The National Hockey League season opened last night with a flourish
The Stanley Cup banner was hung again in the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay as the Lightning began their quest to be the first three in a row Stanley Cup Champion since the New York Islanders 40 years ago.
And in Las Vegas, the Golden Knights hosted the expansion Kraken in the first ever game for Seattle
Tonight, for many, the REAL NHL season commences as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens in a rematch of last year’s opening round of the playoffs, a series in which the outcome remains somewhat hazy for a large percentage of Leaf fans.
I don’t know much about the NHL, but I do know this;
Seattle won’t win the Stanley Cup this year, nor will they have the fairly tale run Vegas achieved in their first season of operation in which the Golden Knights advanced to the Cup Final.
Tampa Bay won’t win the Stanley Cup because NOBODY wins 3 in a row anymore, and my belief is the economics of the sport prevents that.
And for that reason, I think you can rule out the Leafs for a Stanley Cup,and to a large extent Edmonton too. The top players in Toronto and with the Oilers are stars and deserve huge paydays, but those lofty contracts also impact the bulk of the roster and hockey, especially pro hockey, remains a team game where depth wins over star power ever time.
So with the NHL season just underway, I’ve eliminated 4 teams, leaving 28 candidates still in contention for the 2022 Stanley Cup.
For Pete’s Auto Body, I’m Fred Wallace.