It's time to predict things here at Stars and Sticks and once again we are at a peril in the schedule with no Washington Capitals hockey until Saturday. But have no fear, there is practice today. There will be a concert tonight to tide us over. The barn will still be rocking both nights.
Now here are the top 5 bold predictions:
Jakub Vrana refinds his game
Roster spots are earned not given and Jakub Vrana worked throughout the preseason to earn that roster spot. This is wishful thinking but he had a good preseason but the numbers don't lie.
In 284 career games with the Caps, Vrana had 76 goals and 81 assists for 157 points and a plus/minus of +36. Those numbers also included 18 game winning goals.
In the playoffs Vrana had three goals and five assists for eight points which was during the Stanley Cup run and each goal was of course bigger than the other. While he was scoreless the last two times he was playing in different systems.
Now with a new coach for V to work with, a coach that already has a year of NHL experience under his belt, Vrana has a chance to breakout.
The fourth line will get better
The Caps made some upgrades in the fourth line to compliment Nic Dowd with Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh. The latter of the trio brings speed to the lineup which is something the Caps have been lacking for a long time.
Dowd is that veteran guy in the locker room that can be vocal along with guys like Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. Last season he had 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 64 games and he can easily top those numbers if he can stay healthy.
Most importantly he would win the face off percentages which is a must in today's fast paced game. He had a faceoff winning percentage of 48.1 percent which is down from the 50.8 percent he had the year before that and 53.7 percent a year prior.
Which brings us to Brandon Duhaime. He's another young buck that has bounced around. He went from Minnesota to Colorado and now has found a home here in Washington. He was a fourth rounder in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Overall this fourth line appears to be different and if healthy that can always be a good thing.
Pierre-Luc Dubois will mesh well
This is another bold one. The Caps made a splash in June by trading their goalie Darcy Kuemper for Pierre-Luc Dubois. He had 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points last season with the Los Angeles Kings. After the Kings decided to part ways from him it seems like he's doing well on the second line with new alternate captain Tom Wilson.
PLD has been in the league for seven years but has yet to find his right footing. The Caps are hoping this addition will be the one that helps them stay competitive in a stacked Metropolitan Division.
PLD has also seen time in Columbus and Winnipeg and ironically was on the ice when Alex Ovechkin scored goal number 802. Imagine if he is on the ice setting up Ovi for something bigger than 802.
Dubois just turned 26 so this trade along with the other offseason additions was vital. The Caps are now down in the median age unlike their counterparts up in Pittsburgh who appear to have taken a step back in their offseason regime.
We've got two more predictions coming your way right about now. They promise to be bolder than these ones.
The Caps will finish second in the Metropolitan Division
We promised bolder predictions in the home stretch of this and this one just got bold. The Caps have what it takes to finish second in the Metropolitan Division yet it up to them to seize the opportunity.
On the opening night of the season the New York Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0. Tonight more Metropolitan Division teams will be in action.
You'll have the Penguins in Detorit against the Red Wings. The Devils will host the 0-1-0 Toronto Maple Leafs in New Jersey with the Devils already 2-0-0.
The Caps have a stacked lineup on paper. Brian MacLellan knew what he was doing over draft weekend and the start of free agency and by the time Chris Patrick was handed the reigns he had a good team to work with.
The autograph fans have been clamoring Chris Patrick for came in the form of that NHL contract for Jakub Vrana. It gives V a chance to succeed and he'll have a way better culture here than he did over in St. Louis with the Blues. Point blank period the culture here is better.
Alex Ovechkin will break Wayne Gretzky's goals record
Alex Ovechkin will surpass Wayne Gretzky's unbreakable goals record this season. He's 42 away and he's got that dawg in him to not allow last year to happen again.
No I'm not talking about the second half surge that was vital. The camel ride while skipping the All Star Break was vital. Now he has a chance to do something special this season with a lot more eyes on him now than ever before.
853 career goals. 697career assists. 1,550 points. If there was ever a guy who could do the impossible and break the record no one else even comes close. And this is out of respect to the great game of hockey.
Ovi whether you adore him or not, changed everything here in DC. Fans young and old alike flock to the barn on 7th and F Street just for a chance at witnessing history.
Last season he had 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 points which was a low given his slow start to the season. With three home games to start the season, fans are anxious to see if Ovi can get off to a much hotter start to make the tickets later in the season even hotter.
