NHL: Puck drop is near

With the NHL and NHLPA agreeing to a tentative deal over the weekend that is expected  to be ratified later this week and finalized by Saturday, we will be taking a look around the league with previews/predictions for the upcoming season.

The official schedule of course has not been determined yet, but that should come by mid-week. It is expected that we will see a 48-game season that begins January 19th, with training camps opening this weekend.

With the great parity around the league, every game is critical even in a normal 82-game season. So that makes a 48-game season even more crucial in terms of avoiding any pro-long slumps/losing streaks.

As a die hard fan for basically my whole life I am extremely excited that the puck is about to drop. While the lockout does leave a bad taste in many mouths, it will certainly be a distant memory in the near future. For some, including myself, it already is!