The hockey season is finally here, and it's time to bust out the crystal ball -- or spreadsheets -- and dig into what we should expect from each player and team in 2016-17.
That includes projecting the standings points for each team, along with goals, assists and goals versus threshold (find more info on GVT here) for each player on the roster, for every club.
We begin with the Atlantic Division, where the projected standings are tight, with many teams battling for a bubble spot in one of the league's most intriguing divisions.
Note: Players who did not play primarily in the NHL in 2015-16 are not projected here.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Projected finish: 1st (97 points)
Status: Stanley Cup contender
Trending up: Nikita Kucherov
The Russian winger proved his 65-point rookie campaign in 2014-15 was not a fluke by following it up with 66 points last regular season, then adding another 19 in 17 playoff games. At 23, Kucherov is just coming into his prime and has the potential to put himself into rare air.
Trending down: Valtteri Filppula
For all the great moves general manager Steve Yzerman has made, the Filppula signing is starting to look regrettable. Within the span of two years, the former Red Wing dropped from 25 goals to just eight last season. He will likely be relegated to a depth role with other quality young players on the rise.
Florida Panthers
Projected finish: 2nd (96 points)
Status: Playoff-bound
Trending up: Aaron Ekblad
He may look and play like he's 30, but the former No. 1 overall pick is entering just his age-20 season. Ekblad has already emerged as a No. 1 defenseman, so he will see top minutes with great players on a rising team and lots of power-play time. The Panthers also added point-producing defender Keith Yandle, who may help pad point totals.
Trending down: Jaromir Jagr
Yes, we've all been saying Jagr was going to decline for about a decade, but this time around, the future Hall of Famer is a little different. Not only is he 44 years old, Jagr is also coming off his highest single-season shooting percentage since Bill Clinton was in office.
Ottawa Senators
Projected finish: 3rd (96 points)
Status: On the bubble
Trending up: Mark Stone
The former sixth-round selection has emerged as a star, scoring 61 points and playing more than 20 minutes per game last season. With only five power-play goals in 2015-16, Stone could see even better scoring totals in 2016-17.
Trending down: Dion Phaneuf
The former Maple Leaf may be in a more appropriate role as a complementary blueliner rather than a No. 1. That new role, however, will come along with a dip in power-play time as takes a back seat to Erik Karlsson.
Boston Bruins
Projected finish: 4th (95 points)
Status: On the bubble
Trending up: David Pastrnak
The young winger didn't make much progress from his promising rookie season to his sophomore campaign, but did score all 15 of his goals at even strength. With aging players abounding on the Bruins roster, he could see more ice time than his 13:57 per game last season, and in turn add more points.
Trending down: David Backes
Boston's decision to sign Backes to a long-term deal was surprising, considering he only scored 45 points in 2015-16. The veteran center will play a defensive role for the B's, and see less power-play time than he ever did in St. Louis, which will most likely lead to a dip in production.
Montreal Canadiens
Projected finish: 5th (93 points)
Status: On the bubble
Trending up: Carey Price
Price's injury ruined Montreal's 2015-16 season. If he is 100 percent healthy, the 2014-15 Hart and Vezina Trophy winner is capable of dragging the Habs back to the playoffs.
Trending down: Tomas Plekanec
The veteran center had a solid season in terms of total points, but there were some warning signs of a drop-off to come. Plekanec managed his lowest rate of shots per game since 2007-08, and was given his lowest ice time since 2008-09. At 34, there's a good chance he sees less ice and has fewer shots on goal.
Buffalo Sabres
Projected finish: 6th (90 points)
Status: On the bubble
Trending up: Jack Eichel
The No. 2 overall pick in 2015 had a terrific rookie season, scoring 24 goals and giving the Sabres hope that their drawn-out rebuild will result in being relevant again. Once Eichel adapted to the NHL, he began to dominate, scoring near a point-per-game pace during the second half of last season. We expect more where that came from.
Trending down: Tyler Ennis
An injury took away the 20-goal scorer's 2015-16 season, but he was showing signs of a downtrend. Not only did he struggle to fit in to Dan Bylsma's system, but the Sabres are giving top power-play time to Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly and Sam Reinhart.
Detroit Red Wings
Projected finish: 7th (90 points)
Status: Wait until next year
Trending up: Dylan Larkin
While the Red Wings kept up their playoff streak, their offensive explosiveness sunk last season; however, Larkin was a bright spot in his rookie season. The speedy, offensively dynamic young player can build on what he started, though Detroit's overall lack of skill will hold him back from even better totals.
Trending down: Henrik Zetterberg
The future Hall of Famer saw his lowest points-per-game and shot rates in 2015-16 since before the 2004 NHL lockout. He was also a minus player for only the third time in his career. At 36, it's hard to see Zetterberg finding the fountain of youth and reversing those trends.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Projected finish: 8th (82 points)
Status: Wait until next year
Trending up: William Nylander
The former first-round pick got his first sniff of the NHL and made a strong impression, scoring 13 points in 22 games. Nylander joins a group of skilled young forwards, including No. 1 overall pick Auston Matthews and rookie Mitchell Marner. He will see plenty of top-six minutes for the Leafs as the build continues.
Trending down: Tyler Bozak
As the Leafs look to begin their rise from the ashes of a roster teardown, they will give opportunities to young players and likely push aside some veterans like Bozak.