10 bold predictions for 2015-16 NHL season

USA TODAY Sports

It becomes a boring exercise to only predict the major NHL awards, which undoubtedly include the obvious choices: Alex Ovechkin leading the league in goals or Carey Price winning the Vezina Trophy. So the NHL staff at USA TODAY Sports wanted to also go out on a limb with some of their picks for the 2015-16 season.

This will be Steven Stamkos' last season with the Lightning. He will command more than $10 million per year on a long-term deal when his current contract expires at the end of the season. The closer a player gets to July 1, the more enticing testing the market becomes. The Lightning also have several key contributors due for raises over the next few seasons, so GM Steve Yzerman will have to be a magician to make it all work. (Jimmy Hascup)

Only two Canadian teams will make the playoffs. Five Canadian teams made the playoffs last season, but most of those teams are vulnerable this season. The Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames look like the best bets to make the playoffs, while the Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks are teams on the bubble. (Kevin Allen)

Patrick Roy will be the first coach fired. After a surprising first-place finish followed by a last-place showing in 2015, the Hall of Fame goaltender is under pressure to get the young and talented Colorado Avalanche back among the elites. But it’s a flawed team, and Roy, who is also the vice president of hockey operations, will pay the price. (Peter Barzilai)

Sharks will miss the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 1997. San Jose made a lot of offseason moves, but adding aging players (Joel Ward and Paul Martin) to play with more aging veterans (Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau) isn’t the right recipe to compete in the stacked Western Conference. Peter DeBoer was a good get as bench boss, but GM Doug Wilson’s summer wagers will not pay as off as he hoped. (Kristen Shilton)

Flyers fall into lottery team contention: Philadelphia has talented young players coming, but they have opted to stay with essentially the same team they had last season. If the Flyers get a couple of major injuries or Steve Mason doesn’t play well, they are going to tumble. (KA)

Blackhawks reload. Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad and Johnny Oduya may be out, and they were key players on Stanley Cup teams, but the new guys have talent, if not name recognition. Artem Anisimov is the big and skilled second-line center the Hawks have been in search of. Left winger Marko Danno, 20, will approach his age in goals scored despite opening the season in the minors. And Trevor Daley will fit in nicely as the No. 4 defenseman. (PB)

Phil Kessel won't surpass 40-goal mark. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a deep forward group, and they won't need to rely on one line or player for offense. Sidney Crosby had his ice time scaled back under coach Mike Johnston last season, as he was only forward to average more than 19 minutes (19:58) per game. Kessel also will play with star linemates who command the puck, so it's hard to envision him increasing his shot output significantly. (JH)

Realignment will be announced: If Las Vegas and Quebec City are confirmed as new expansion teams, then realignment is a certainty. Currently, the NHL has 14 teams in the Western Conference and 16 in the Eastern Conference. Las Vegas would fit nicely in the West, but Quebec does not. (KA)

Bruce Boudreau will be fired at the end of the season. Given all the acquisitions GM Bob Murray pulled off this offseason, the Anaheim Ducks’ inability to get over their Game 7 yips and punch a ticket to a Stanley Cup Final will send Boudreau packing. (KS)

Chris Kreider will outscore Rangers teammate Rick Nash: Last season, Nash posted 42 goals, and Kreider registered 21. Now 24, Kreider is entering his prime seasons. With his speed and shot, he has the potential to score 35 or more goals. If Nash takes a half-step back, Kreider could pass him. (KA)