Things to know about NHL season

The on-ice news last season was great for the NHL. The quality of play was high, the Winter Classic became a must-see annual event, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins played a memorable seven-game Stanley Cup final, and the TV ratings were good (for the NHL, anyway). Then came the Phoenix Coyotes’ bankruptcy and the ongoing fight over their ownership, Chicago Blackhawks standout Patrick Kane’s arrest in a dispute over a taxi fare, and the NHL Players’ Assn. firing its executive director, Paul Kelly, amid whispers that players thought he would be too soft in collective-bargaining talks. Most of the clouds should scatter when the puck is dropped on a season that will halt for what should be a great Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver, Canada. Here’s a look at pivotal issues in the NHL by conference. Don’t be surprised if . . .

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Eastern Conference

The Penguins don’t get off to a good start: Losing brawny defensemen Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi to free agency will hurt, and they will miss the energy of winger Maxime Talbot (shoulder surgery). Going to the Cup finals two straight years has made for short summers that could tire them, but youth works on their side. Scoring champion and playoff MVP Evgeni Malkin should battle Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin for the scoring title again.

Ovechkin scores 50 again for the Capitals: Dynamic and passionate, Alex Ovechkin should easily become the first NHL player to record three straight 50-goal seasons since the Flyers’ John LeClair in 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98. His goal-scoring celebrations are exuberant and exactly the individuality the NHL needs, no matter what Don Cherry says.

The Maple Leafs are tougher under Brian Burke: And the sun will rise in the East and set in the West. Toughness is Burke’s trademark, and it worked with the Ducks. But he also had a superb defense in Anaheim and more talent than he has now in the self-proclaimed Hockey Capital of the Universe, though his signing of Beauchemin was a good one. Toronto’s Cup drought will grow to 43 years.

The Flyers make a Cup run: They have loaded up with Pronger and think this is their year. That might be overly optimistic with unpredictable Ray Emery in goal. They are solid up front with Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Scott Hartnell and their defense has a good mix of muscle and mobility.

The Thrashers trade Ilya Kovalchuk: The high-scoring winger has been the center of dozens of rumors the last year. Though he said he was willing to stay in Atlanta, talks on an extension are slow. Once he sees that the team isn’t going to make the playoffs, he will exit.

Bruins slip but still win the Northeast: Unable to agree on a new contract with winger Phil Kessel, who led them last season with 36 goals, the Bruins traded him to Toronto for prime draft picks. Great down the road, not so great for scoring goals now. David Krejci (22 goals, 73 points) is coming back from hip surgery and could be a slow starter.

John Tavares shines, but the Islanders are still awful: The No. 1 draft pick is one of the few reasons to watch this sorry team. They keep throwing money at goalies, signing Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron because Rick DiPietro is still hurt. Their only hope is to play all three at once.

Legions nap while Jacques Lemaire coaches the Devils: The man wins, but he dulls the game down. Back with the team he led to the Cup in 1995, he’s likely to go back to the defensive machinations he pioneered. Zzzzzzz. . . .

Marian Gaborik gets injured while playing for the Rangers: Going out on a limb again. He has played 70 games or more only once in the last five seasons and played only 17 last season after returning from hip surgery. He has 23 points in those games and was magical, but he seems too fragile for the five-year, $37.5-million deal the goal-starved Rangers gave him.

Steven Stamkos has a better season than the Lightning’s owners: The 2008 No. 1 draft pick had a painfully slow start but finished well, with 23 goals and 46 points. The overall team is better, with free agent signee Mattias Ohlund mentoring 2009 No. 2 pick Victor Hedman. Owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules each had a window to buy the other out, but Los Angeles real estate investor Jeff Greene might end up the majority owner.

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Western Conference

The Blackhawks take a step back: Their revival has been a great story and youngsters Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Kris Versteeg will only get better, but they will start without Marian Hossa (shoulder) and abrasive winger Adam Burish (knee surgery). Plus, they have installed Cristobal Huet as the No. 1 goalie, which could make for a bumpy ride.

The Sharks don’t win the Stanley Cup -- again: Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton will anchor a formidable line and Joe Pavelski is a fine second-line center, but this team was rudderless during the playoffs and no clear leader has emerged since Patrick Marleau was stripped of the captaincy. Their skill is beyond question. Their heart is very dubious.

Goals are tougher to come by for the Red Wings: Losing Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson and Jiri Hudler will have an impact. Todd Bertuzzi won’t make up for it. Valtteri Filppula, Ville Leino and Justin Abdelkader will play bigger roles while veterans Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper fade. They are still very much a contender, but the pack isn’t so far behind.

The Kings seriously challenge for a playoff spot: They could make it for the first time since 2002, but a lot must go right: Anze Kopitar must prove he’s a true No. 1 center, winger Justin Williams must avoid injury, and first-year defense standout Drew Doughty has to choose well when taking chances offensively. And stop us if you have heard this before, but they need reliable goaltending. They just might get it from Jonathan Quick.

The Canucks forget their home phone numbers: The Winter Olympics will force the Canucks out of GM Place (which will be known as Canada Hockey Place during the Games). After facing St. Louis on Jan. 27, they won’t play at home again until March 13. That’s a lot of laundry to send out.

Without Chris Pronger, the Ducks’ defense struggles: That’s almost a given. They had to trade Pronger to get second-line scoring but dealing him and losing Francois Beauchemin to free agency took away a lot of bite and savvy. The talent dropoff is steep after Scott Niedermayer, James Wisniewski and Ryan Whitney, even if Luca Sbisa progresses as expected.

Andy Murray does another good coaching job in St. Louis: The Blues were hammered by injuries last season yet rode a second-half surge to be seeded No. 6. They should regain Paul Kariya (hip surgery), Erik Johnson (knee surgery) and Andy McDonald (broken ankle), so Murray will have more with which to work. Goalie Chris Mason was the backup last season but is the No. 1 guy now.

Calgary ends its streak of first-round playoff exits . . . but loses in the second round: The Flames traded for behemoth Jay Bouwmeester, giving them great muscle and another great shutdown defenseman beside Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf. But losing Michael Cammalleri as a free agent depleted their offense and will eventually contribute to their undoing.

Minnesota’s home sellout streak finally ends: The Wild has announced a sellout for every exhibition, regular-season and playoff home game since its debut in the 2000-01 season, but that will soon be history. A lack of playoff success and a rocky economy have taken a toll on ticket sales even in the State of Hockey.

The Coyotes will soon be known as the Lame Ducks: The only person who seems to want them to stay in Phoenix is Commissioner Gary Bettman, but even he has to realize that it’s just not going to work.