Upper Deck unveiled an official NHL rookie card for Gritty, which will be released in early November in its 2018-19 Series 1 packs.
(Photos courtesy: Upper Deck)
Gritty has only been in existence for a little over a week, but he's already the NHL's most followed mascot on Twitter with more than 114,000 followers, according to Underground Sports Philadelphia.
It's time to drop the puck on the 2018-19 NHL season. While we're all brimming with excitement, plenty of questions about what lies ahead over the next seven months remain.
Here, we'll address one issue each Western Conference team is facing entering the new campaign.
Anaheim immediately faces a major uphill battle as injuries to Corey Perry, Patrick Eaves, and Ryan Kesler create significant holes in the roster. That will lead to opportunities for lesser-known winger Ondrej Kase and forward prospect Troy Terry. But if another Ducks regular goes down, it could be a long season in Orange County.
The Coyotes will get another crack at making progress during their ongoing rebuild. Arizona improved when it added Alex Galchenyuk and Michael Grabner over the summer, and believe it or not, Antti Raanta led the NHL in save percentage (.930) among goalies with 40-plus appearances in 2017-18.
Calgary Flames: How will their offseason acquisitions pan out?
Calgary did it all this offseason. They hired a new coach in Bill Peters, made a big trade splash when Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm were added, dipped into the free-agent market and lured James Neal, then also acquired Austin Czarnik and Derek Ryan, two supplemental pieces. Will all that lead to a playoff appearance? General manager Brad Treliving better hope so.
Chicago Blackhawks: Was last season a one-off, or the beginning of the end?
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
The Blackhawks' run of consecutive playoff appearances ended at nine last spring, and finding their way back won't be an easy task. Corey Crawford's health is the club's ultimate X-factor, but Chicago's fate in 2018-19 can't fall solely on his shoulders. Numerous key Blackhawks underachieved last season, and similar performances won't cut it in the league's most competitive division.
After surprisingly earning a playoff berth last season, the Avs' biggest move of the summer was acquiring goaltender Philipp Grubauer from the Washington Capitals and signing him to a three-year contract. He'll battle with the oft-injured Semyon Varlamov for the starting job, and whoever takes the reins will play an integral role in whether Colorado is competitive again.
Dallas is on its third head coach in as many years, and rookie bench boss Jim Montgomery is tasked with getting an underachieving Stars squad back into the playoffs. Dallas has a loaded top line and some nice young pieces on the blue line. But the Stars have missed the postseason in three of the last four years, and another futile campaign could lead to some serious roster revamping.
Edmonton's 2017-18 season was a nightmare, and the Oilers opted to give virtually the same roster another shot rather than undergoing a significant overhaul. To avoid a repeat disaster, Cam Talbot needs to be better in goal, and someone other than Connor McDavid has to step up offensively.
The Kings have a top-heavy roster and a talented core that's produced two Stanley Cups. But they aren't getting any younger, and the poor supplemental pieces surrounding Los Angeles' nucleus make it tough to believe this team is a championship contender. Signing Ilya Kovalchuk will help, but an injured Dustin Brown and an underwhelming bottom six will be a lot to overcome.
The Wild have found a way into the playoffs in three straight seasons, only to be ousted in the first round each time. Other than naming Paul Fenton general manager, Minnesota didn't undergo any changes since its five-game elimination in April, and this club appears stuck on the bubble. Bruce Boudreau never misses the playoffs, and Devan Dubnyk is good enough to rely upon every year. But finding a way to get past the first round is priority No. 1 in 2018-19 for the Wild.
The Predators are set to be a Stanley Cup contender again, but questions surrounding Pekka Rinne's future linger. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner faltered against Winnipeg in the playoffs to sour what was otherwise a stellar campaign in 2017-18. Rinne is a pending unrestricted free agent next summer, so this could be the 35-year-old's last shot at winning a ring with the club he's backstopped for 12 seasons.
An aging club with a shrinking championship window has turned back into a powerhouse thanks to general manager Doug Wilson, and now the Sharks look poised to make a run at the top of the Western Conference standings. The addition of Erik Karlsson, along with a full year of Evander Kane, gives San Jose one of the deepest rosters in the NHL, and their new-look lineup will lead to must-watch hockey.
After a summer filled with big-name acquisitions, the Blues' most significant question for the upcoming campaign is the play of goaltender Jake Allen. The 28-year-old's .906 save percentage sunk St. Louis' playoff hopes in 2017-18. Now with a more complete roster in front of him, Allen will need to bounce back for the Blues to keep pace with their fellow Central Division contenders.
The Canucks' rebuild is nowhere near complete, but fans will get a glimpse of the team's future in 2018-19. The arrival of dynamic center Elias Pettersson adds excitement to the organization, and Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat will be bright spots during another year of development for a team not expected to contend for a while yet.
Vegas advanced to the Stanley Cup Final during its first season as an expansion team, setting a pretty high bar going forward. That may have seemed like a fluke at the time, but these Golden Knights are legit. Adding Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty gives Vegas one of the deepest top-six groups in the NHL. This club can easily contend again.
Winnipeg Jets: How will the loss of Paul Stastny effect the attack?
Speaking of Stastny, how will the Jets overcome losing their big trade deadline acquisition? Stastny's passing prowess added a new element to Winnipeg's attack, and he was a key contributor as the club advanced to the Western Conference Final, tallying 15 points in 17 playoff games. The Jets are still deep up front, but there's no question Stastny's departure is an immediate downgrade up the middle.
Nearly half of the NHL's coaches were hired in the past two years, so there may be fewer on the hot seat than usual. However, there's three in particular who could be without a job in due time.
Todd McLellan, Oilers
Joel Auerbach / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Hired: May 19, 2015
Another bad start for the Edmonton Oilers could cost Todd McLellan his job. After a successful 2016-17 season, the Oilers began last year with a 7-12-2 mark and never climbed out of that hole.
By season's end, the Oilers had the league's worst power play (14.8 percent) and the seventh-worst penalty kill (76.7). Special-teams woes are usually blamed on the coach - fairly or not.
General manager Peter Chiarelli may be feeling some pressure himself. Back-to-back seasons of missing the playoffs with Connor McDavid on the roster is unacceptable in a hockey-crazed market like Edmonton, and Chiarelli will promptly make a coaching change if the team starts slow once again.
Joel Quenneville, Blackhawks
Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Hired: Oct. 16, 2008
Joel Quenneville is the longest-tenured coach in the league, but his time in the Windy City may be drawing to a close.
Quenneville's job was rumored to be jeopardy during a disastrous 2017-18 campaign as the Blackhawks missed the playoffs (by a lot) for the first time since he took over.
And general manager Stan Bowman hasn't done Quenneville any favors; a series of one-sided trades have stripped the roster of most of its talent.
Meanwhile, Corey Crawford's health is worrisome, the blue line is full of question marks, and Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will be asked to carry the offensive load despite all their mileage. In a tough Central Division, the Hawks seem more poised to be in the Jack Hughes sweepstakes than to contend for the postseason. If early indicators point toward another season without playoff hockey, Bowman may turn the page and bring in a new coach.
Randy Carlyle, Ducks
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Hired: June 14, 2016 (second stint)
The Anaheim Ducks were hampered by injuries for much of the first half last season, and already have a slew of players shelved to begin 2018-19. They still rallied to make the playoffs after a 11-11-6 start a year ago, but were swept in the first round by the rival San Jose Sharks.
Carlyle's first stint as Anaheim's bench boss ended after an early playoff exit and then a slow start to the following season. And with the team's Stanley Cup window closing, his archaic coaching style could cost him his job this time around. General manager Bob Murray wants the Ducks to play faster, and he may need a fresh voice to make it happen.
Alzner is in the second season of a five-year, $23.125-million contract he signed with the Canadiens last July. The 30-year-old played over 20 minutes per night on Montreal's blue line in 2017-18 and hasn't missed a single game since the 2009-10 season.
Plekanec, meanwhile, rejoined the Canadiens on a one-year contract after a trade-deadline move to the Maple Leafs last season. He recorded 26 points in 77 games split between the two teams.
Eichel becomes the 28th captain in franchise history. Brian Gionta last wore the "C" from 2014 to 2017, but the team went without a captain last season.
Eichel led the Sabres in points in each of the past two seasons. He signed an eight-year, $80-million contract extension one year ago.
The Ottawa Senators rookie forward will miss the club's season opener on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks with a mild groin strain, general manager Pierre Dorion said, according to TSN's Ian Mendes.
Tkachuk earned a spot on the Senators' roster after tallying one goal, one assist, eight shots, eight hits, and three penalties drawn in four preseason games.
The 19-year-old was the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft after a 31-point season at Boston University.
Leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season, theScore is counting down the top 100 players in the game today, as voted on by four of our NHL editors.
Hall paced the New Jersey Devils in epic fashion last season, recording a whopping 41 more points than Nico Hischier, who finished second on the team. He's always been a strong skater and playmaker, but Hall found his scoring touch during his MVP campaign. His 39 goals were a career high and he should be in line for another big year at the front of New Jersey's attack. -- O'Leary
9. Anze Kopitar, Kings
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
9
14
8
7
Kopitar silenced his critics in a major way last season, exploding for a career-high 92 points on a Los Angeles Kings club that wasn't among the league's top offenses. His disappointing 2016-17 output was clearly an aberration and his strong two-way play remains nearly unparalleled. The Hart Trophy finalist deserves to be mentioned among the NHL's absolute best. -- Gold-Smith
8. Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
6
8
9
14
Since he entered the league in 2016-17, Matthews leads all players with 55 five-on-five goals despite missing 20 games to injury last season. Now he's poised for an offensive explosion as he prepares to share a power-play unit with John Tavares this year. We've only reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes it the 21-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs phenom. -- O'Leary
7. Erik Karlsson, Sharks
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
4
5
7
12
Can any player in the league single-handedly take over a game quite like Karlsson? His ability to carry a team was on full display during the 2017 postseason when he tallied 18 points in 19 games and nearly took a ragtag Ottawa Senators squad to the Stanley Cup Final. The smooth-skating Swede has two Norris trophies to his name, and has arguably been robbed of two more. -- Wegman
6. Nikita Kucherov, Lightning
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
13
6
5
4
Kucherov paced the league in scoring for the majority of the year before Connor McDavid went on a tear following the All-Star break. The Russian winger finished with an even 100 points and has emerged as one of the most talented players in the league, and a magician with the puck - just ask Braden Holtby and Robin Lehner. -- Hagerman
5. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
5
7
6
6
MacKinnon was very close to winning the Hart last season, and rightfully so. He carried the Colorado Avalanche back to the playoffs and finished 0.01 points per game behind McDavid for tops in the NHL. He's a lethal scorer and playmaker, and the sky's the limit at just 23 years old. -- Gold-Smith
4. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
8
4
4
5
Ovechkin is the greatest goal-scorer of this decade, earning the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy seven times. He just finished guiding the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history and shows no signs of slowing down. Ovechkin's shot remains one of the most feared in the NHL. Don't be surprised if he breaks the 50-goal threshold this season for the eighth time in his career. -- Hagerman
3. Evgeni Malkin, Penguins
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
3
3
3
3
Malkin is obviously one of the today's elite players, but he makes his case to be recognized as one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of skates with his ability to elevate his play when Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Sidney Crosby is absent. When Malkin is at his very best, the argument could be made that he's more dangerous than Sid, though the Pens captain is far more consistent with his level of dominance. -- Wegman
2. Sidney Crosby, Penguins
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
2
2
2
2
Crosby has relinquished the title as the NHL's best player, but that doesn't mean the superstar is on the decline. He continues to produce at an elite rate and is well-rounded in every facet of the game. Crosby still regularly dazzles, and it would foolish to think he's finished adding to his trophy case. -- O'Leary
1. Connor McDavid
Wegman
O'Leary
Gold-Smith
Hagerman
1
1
1
1
This one's a no-brainer, and that's a testament to just how otherworldly McDavid is. Even amidst a disastrous Edmonton Oilers season, the superstar center rose to new heights with 41 goals and claimed his second straight Art Ross Trophy with a career-high 108 points. It's almost scary when you remember he's only 21 years old. -- Gold-Smith
