Hockey is back, so we asked our NHL insiders some burning questions around the league about what you can expect this season, including bold predictions for the campaign, surefire breakout candidates and which lottery teams could be headed back to the playoffs. Let's dive in.

What is your bold prediction for the 2019-20 season?

Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: The Vancouver Canucks make the playoffs. No, it hasn't been the best start, but I have faith in that young core of stars -- Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and now Quinn Hughes -- as long as they stay relatively healthy. And I have faith in Travis Green, one of the league's more underrated coaches, to figure out the lineup. And I actually quite like their goaltending this season. The Pacific Division already looks to be as wildly unpredictable as expected, outside of the Vegas juggernaut. So why not Vancouver?

Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter: The Ottawa Senators are sold. Rumors circulated this weekend -- and were quickly debunked -- that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was looking into purchasing the Senators. That's not happening. However, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has been saddled with debt, lawsuits and scandal, including now a U.S. casino suing Melnyk or $900,000 in damages after he allegedly tried to pay debts with five "dishonored" bank drafts in 2017. I do believe there is enough pressure mounting for Melnyk to put the team up for sale.

Chris Peters, hockey prospects analyst: Mark Stone wins the Hart Trophy. I don't think Stone is going to be the top scorer in the NHL which would make it a lot easier to also win the Hart, but I think he's going to end up being the best player on one of the league's best teams. The Golden Knights are looking like the team to beat in the West, and Stone is already rolling. He's the player who puts this team over the top, and that will be evident throughout the season.

Dimitri Filipovic, hockey analytics writer: The Winnipeg Jets won't make the playoffs. I'm not sure how bold this is after all of the negative buzz they received as the summer progressed, but I believe the perception of the team still far exceeds its current reality. At the moment, the Jets are without four of their top five defenders from last season and are relying on a number of players who have either never done it or have already shown us no reason to believe they can do it in patching up those holes. They still have the talent up front to stay in games and win their fair share of high-scoring shootouts, but it's stunning how quickly they've gone from contender status to the playoff bubble.

Rick DiPietro, radio host and former NHL goalie: The Toronto Maple Leafs finally get past the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. They had their opportunity last year with a 3-2 series lead headed back to Toronto, but again came up short, losing the final two games of the series. The additions of Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci to go along with Morgan Rielly will help to shore up their defensive zone. Auston Matthews should flirt with 50 goals, while John Tavares and Mitch Marner will build off last year's great regular seasons. All of this will get the Maple Leafs home ice advantage in the series and in the perfect situation to slay their postseason dragon.

Victoria Matiash, fantasy hockey analyst: Despite the wobbly start, the Dallas Stars will finish atop the Central Division. The offseason acquisition of Joe Pavelski coupled with Roope Hintz's anticipated maturation finally rounds out Dallas' top-six in offering a legit one-two punch. The (largely unheralded) depth signing of Andrej Sekera helps steady the blue line. The Ben Bishop/Anton Khudobin goaltending tag-team is one of the best in the league. This team will bust through the 100-point plateau this season, bettering Colorado, St. Louis and Nashville.

Who is your surefire breakout player?

Wyshynski: Cale Makar, D, Avalanche. It's not exactly an off-the-board pick since many believe he'll end up with the Calder Trophy, but nonetheless. He's poised to be the breakout player of 2019-20, not only as a supremely talented offensive defenseman but also as the quarterback of what will end up being one of the NHL's most lethal power plays this season. Cale Caesar, indeed.

Kaplan: Kaapo Kakko, RW, Rangers. I liked this quote from Rangers coach David Quinn: "With Kaapo, even if he's not great on certain nights, he's not going to be bad. That makes him a pro. I don't think he's going to have bad nights. I think 'OK' is going to be his 'bad.' And if that's the case, he's going to have a hell of a career." In the small sample size, Kakko has looked calm and composed. The 18-year-old could have the most goals for a rookie since Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin entered the league.

Peters: Samuel Girard, D, Avalanche. Though Makar is deservedly getting a lot of attention on the Avs, Girard has already grown into a top-pairing player for the club. He's a dynamic talent who defends well and can make plays to aid the Avs' breathtaking transition game. He only had 27 points last season, his second full campaign in the league, but with his ability to get pucks to one of the best forward groups in the league, I only see his totals growing over the next few years, starting with a breakout in this one. Girard can also play a little more care-free now that he has a seven-year, $35 million extension all set to kick in next season.

Filipovic: Roope Hintz, LW, Stars. He already flashed his ability on a beautiful breakaway goal against the Bruins in the season opener, and there should be a lot more where that came from. He's going to get a chance to either play down the middle with someone like Alexander Radulov or slide up to Tyler Seguin's wing on the top line. The Stars really need him to keep producing, which means he has the ideal combination of opportunity and talent to break out this year.

DiPietro: Dylan Strome, C, Blackhawks. Drafted third overall and expected to be a star on some bad Arizona teams made for a less-than-ideal situation for Strome to flourish. But being able to learn and grow alongside the likes of Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane could propel Strome to a 30-goal, 80-point season.

Matiash: Victor Olofsson, RW, Sabres. He is going to be a lot of fun to watch under new Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger. Skating on Jack Eichel's wing and gifted with a dynamite shot, the 24-year-old is going to put up some serious numbers in his first full NHL season: Maybe not the near point-per-game pace he pulled off last season in Rochester, but not far off, either.

Which 2018-19 lottery team now has the best chance to make the playoffs?

Wyshynski: Florida Panthers. Scoring hasn't been the issue here. Stopping the puck has. Sergei Bobrovsky goes a long way towards fixing that, but so does the structure that coach Joel Quenneville will give this team. The Atlantic Division has two teams with little shot of being competitive this season (Ottawa and Detroit) and two teams that the Panthers are, in theory, better than (Montreal and Buffalo). It's a wild-card play, as they aren't breaking into that top three, but they should make the playoff cut, although putting faith in the Panthers to make the playoffs in a season of high expectations has been, shall we say, problematic in the past.

Kaplan: Montreal Canadiens. And this isn't just recency bias from their thrilling, 6-5 come-from-behind shootout win over the Maple Leafs this past weekend (though I'd take that matchup in the playoffs...). Montreal now has young, exciting talent in the top-nine, plus a goalie in Carey Price who is more than capable of carrying it down the stretch. I see the Canadiens making it as the Eastern Conference's first wild-card team.

Peters: Arizona Coyotes. If they can stay healthy, that is. The Coyotes are off to a rough start, but I look back to the way they closed out last season despite all of their bad injury luck as a preview for what they can be this year. The Coyotes had the 11th best record in the NHL after Jan. 1 last season. Now they have Phil Kessel, a healthy Nick Schmaltz, a potentially healthy Antti Raanta and some young new faces like Barrett Hayton to boost the offense and make the most of an especially deep defense corps. The Yotes have the tools to be better, and I don't view the Pacific as a particularly strong division this season.

Filipovic: Philadelphia Flyers. If they've taught us anything over the years, it's to not trust them, but things appear to have lined up nicely for them this season. They presumably won't have to use eight different goalies again, Kevin Hayes fills an important need for them down the middle despite his ghastly contract and the combination of Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov should be significantly more effective than it was last season. Plus, Alain Vigneault has a strong track record of coming in and squeezing results out of his new teams before his message begins to wear thin.

DiPietro: Florida Panthers. The additions of a three-time Stanley Cup champion coach Joel Quenneville and a two-time Vezina-winning goalie Sergei Bobrovsky should be exactly what this team needs to qualify for the playoffs. The Panthers scored 264 goals last season, which put them at ninth in the NHL, and that number should only go up with a healthy Vincent Trocheck. Protecting leads in the third period and keeping the puck out of their net were the Panthers' biggest problems. Quenneville and Bobrovsky should go along way in correcting those.

Matiash: New York Rangers. They are significantly better with Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko and Jacob Trouba aboard. Mika Zibanejad looks ready to go full-tilt nuclear this season. So as long as the tandem of Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev can keep it together in net, the Rangers should have little issue finishing top-three in the Metropolitan division.

What team would you like to see win the Stanley Cup?

Wyshynski: Nashville Predators. The real answer might be the Tampa Bay Lightning, because I have a growing concern that the Bolts are going to be up as one of the most supremely talented teams in NHL history that never earned the chance to hoist the chalice, but at least their franchise has captured it before. It's been a real kick to see Stanley Cup newbies like the Capitals and Blues send their respective franchises and fan bases into a state of heretofore unseen levels of euphoria. We've already seen the party in Nashville just for making the Cup final. What does that party look like if they actually win it?

Kaplan: Carolina Hurricanes. They're fun, and I'm not just talking about their Storm Surge celebrations. For the last year-plus, this team has been bucking NHL conventions and has enough young, budding stars who make them a must-watch. They have the league's deepest blue line, plus a trio of 25-year-and-under forwards that are a treat to watch in Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. I am concerned about their goaltending, though, especially since goaltending coach MIke Bales, who got the most out of Carolina's netminders last year, left for Buffalo.

Peters: Tampa Bay Lightning. It seems like they've been on the cusp for long enough and now have the bitter disappointment of last season's ouster as motivation. Having followed Jon Cooper's career for a long time, I think this is the longest he's gone without a championship, too. He's a really good coach, and I always enjoy when people follow non-traditional routes to success at the highest level. I also don't have a ton of patience for the Lightning becoming the new Capitals, where we're constantly asking if they can win the big one. If they don't find a way to win it, and soon, there's no stopping that narrative.

Filipovic: Colorado Avalanche. It's likely one year too early for them, but whenever you have a player of Nathan MacKinnon's caliber you have a fighting chance. I like to see smart team building rewarded, and the Avalanche have been putting on a masterclass on how to do it over the past 24 months. They already have a good team, but they've given themselves an opportunity to keep improving it by staying financially flexible and accumulating premium assets. Getting out of the Central Division will be an absolute bloodbath which makes it difficult to put too many expectations on them, but seeing them make another extended run after how fun they were last postseason would be delightful.

DiPietro: San Jose Sharks. Who doesn't want to see 40-year-old veteran Joe Thornton finally get a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup? This could be their year.

Matiash: Toronto Maple Leafs. It's been so rough for so long. Now all the pieces finally appear to be in place, patiently and smartly acquired through the draft, free-agent signings or trades. A Stanley Cup title would serve as the ultimate follow-up to last spring's NBA championship run by the Toronto Raptors. Truly, the city would lose its collective mind. Fun -- and not far-fetched.

Name one player who will be dealt by the trade deadline.

Wyshynski: Tyler Toffoli, RW, Kings. He's a pending unrestricted free agent with some exceptional offensive seasons in his past and some versatility on the wing -- and he only turns 28 next April. But most of all, he plays for a Kings team that, while valuing the player, probably wants to start transitioning some of their forward spots to the next wave.

Kaplan: Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Sabres. Trade talk has been brewing surrounding him for some time. (Ristolainen has declined to tell Buffalo reporters whether he requested a trade or not). The 24-year-old had a strong first two games, and if he continues, that could boost his value even more. I also think Henri Jokiharu could be a breakout candidate, and his presence on the right side could allow general manager Jason Botterill to pull the trigger on a trade.

Peters: Jack Johnson, D, Penguins. The rumors have been swirling for a while, and Johnson doesn't have no-trade protection. The term left on his contract is probably going to require a lot of creativity from Jim Rutherford to get it done, but the Pens need to make sure they have ample room for the contracts they have to get done next season.

Filipovic: Jimmy Howard, G, Red Wings. This one is kind of cheating, but I may as well make sure that I get at least one correct here. The contract he signed last season all but ensures it'll happen: A one-year deal with no trade protections, which provides him with an extra $1.1 million playoff bonus. Since neither he nor the Red Wings could possibly believe that would be realized in Detroit, it signals a wink-wink agreement between the two that he'll eventually be sent to a contender. With all of the questions some good teams in San Jose and Calgary have in net at the moment, there should be some interesting landing spots for him that materialize between now and the deadline.

DiPietro: Ron Hainsey, D, Senators. He was signed by Ottawa this offseason to provide veteran leadership in a very young locker room. The Senators are not a playoff team and come trade deadline time, there will be teams with Stanley Cup aspirations looking to add a reliable former Stanley Cup champion defenseman to their back end.

Last season was frustrating for everyone on the Detroit Red Wings roster. After the 25-year playoff streak ended, 2018-19 marked the third straight season of finishing near the bottom of the standings as the franchise transitions into rebuild mode.

It was especially difficult for veteran defenseman Mike Green.

The 33-year-old was coming off a major neck surgery. Then he missed training camp and the beginning of the season due to a virus attacking his liver. Green was cleared and played 43 games, and then the virus reactivated, and doctors shut him down in the beginning of March.

"Honestly, it was bizarre," Green said last month. "It was just weird."

"Just to look at our record with him and without him," teammate Dylan Larkin said. (The Red Wings were 20-19-4 with Green in the lineup. They went 12-21-6 in his absence.)

"He's a huge part of our locker room and a huge part of how we play," Larkin added. "It got to the point where we weren't concerned about hockey. We were concerned about his life. Not that he was dying, but his life after hockey, and if he was going to be OK. Seeing what he went through -- I hope no player would have to go through that."

Jump ahead:
Emptying the notebook | The big question
Three stars of the week | Biggest games this week

Green dealt with a neck injury the past two years but battled through it. He then missed seven games in February 2018 -- right around the time the team considered trading the defenseman for picks. Green underwent surgery on his cervical spine in March 2018.

"The neck surgery went well," Green said. "And I was right on track to be ready for last season. I got back into the gym at the right time. But I did push myself pretty hard to get back into shape. I was pushing myself hard because I needed to have a good season. I kind of wore myself out a bit."

Before training camp, Green felt like he needed to sleep at all hours of the day. Any time he exerted himself, he became exhausted within minutes.

At first, he thought it was related to the neck surgery and not being able to get a full offseason of normal training.

"I tried to push through," Green said. "And it just killed me."

Blood work revealed a virus running through his body. An infectious disease specialist explained to Green that he had an enlarged liver and high viral loads. The symptoms were similar to those of mono.

Green was away from the team for nearly a month. "He was pretty wiped out," Larkin said. "He would come down to the rink when he was feeling up for it. He's such a nice guy, he felt like he should be there, even though he didn't have to be."

By early October, Green began skating again, and he was cleared to play by the end of the month (though he was instructed to use his own water bottle). "I felt good," he said. "Then we had these big road trips, and games piled together, and it just drained me. I couldn't recover. I got tested again, and the viral loads were back. I tried playing a little longer, but my body wasn't performing."

That time, Green was "shut down completely." Doctors instructed him not to walk, "not to do anything, just rest," Green said. He didn't have much of an appetite. "And if I did eat, it wasn't coming out right," he said. Green lost between 12 and 15 pounds.

"Even at the worst times, I never thought that this could be it for my career," Green said. "Maybe, subconsciously, I did. Maybe because of my age. But I did as much research as I could, and I knew I was going to get over it. It wasn't life-threatening. Honestly, the s---tiest thing about it was that the only thing I needed to do was rest. They said these things can take three months, six months, a year. I was like, 'Well, I can't have this be a year.'"

By mid-June, Green started to train again -- walking, jogging, ramping it up slowly. It wasn't until late July that he really felt better. He has been a full participant for the Red Wings since the start of camp this year, and he feels as healthy as ever.

Green's contract and $5.375 million cap hit expire at the end of this season. He loves it in Detroit but is firmly aware of his place on the team.

"The game is getting a lot younger," Green said. "The value is in potential, as opposed to experience. As an older guy, you need to prove yourself at a high level in this league. Because it is competitive, and the demand to win now is extremely high. You just can't hold on to the fact that you're an older guy and have that experience level. That doesn't make you secure."

Larkin notes that especially with Niklas Kronwall retiring, Green plays an important role for the Red Wings "because we have so many young guys who need to play big roles." Green said he has enjoyed getting to know 2019 first-round pick Moritz Seider -- 15 years his junior -- during training camp and giving him a few tips since they are both right-handed defensemen.

Green said that lately he has begun thinking about what he'd like to do after hockey. It will probably involve something with mentoring kids. He doesn't have his own foundation, but he has partnered with many youth-focused charities. As for when he'll retire, Green said: "I want to play for as long as I can at the level needed. [I'll retire] when the negatives outweigh the positives for the whole picture -- family, myself, my body -- or there isn't room for me anymore, one of the two."

It has been an interesting time in Red Wings history since Green landed in Detroit. He arrived for the end of the playoff streak, and the team hasn't been very good for most of his time. "We've had some transitions where some of the older guys have retired, and we're trying to expedite the young guys taking over," he said. "It's all part of the process, the mentality and behind the scenes of building a team. But in a short period of time, or at least quicker than most people think, there will be a winning hockey club here. That's because I see the degree of work ethic this group has." Green, like many players in Detroit, expressed optimism that things might turn around a bit more quickly now that GM Steve Yzerman is in the fold.

Green finished with this: "Listen, I believe in miracles. There's a great chance of winning here. You look at teams like St. Louis last year. They were in last place. Look at Tampa -- prior to their runs in the playoffs, they didn't make the playoffs the year before. So whether you want to call those miracles or what, anything can happen is what i'm trying to say. I believe in this organization, this team, these guys. We all want to win."

Emptying the notebook

I asked Green what he thinks when he looks back on his time in Washington. He began his career with the Caps in 2005 and was part of some excellent regular-season teams that never realized expectations in the playoffs. He left for the Red Wings in 2015. "I think of a young group of guys that were elite players but didn't have a whole lot of guidance or mentorship," he said. "We were these young guns that ran around and played the game, had fun. We were talented but didn't understand the culture and mentality it takes to really win. I think it's showed up there now. They won, and everything has to fall into place for you to win as a club. But it took a lot longer than it needed to with the talent, organization, ownership, management that was there."

Green cheered for Washington during its Stanley Cup run (especially since the Red Wings were not in the playoffs). "I was rooting for them to win because of the roller coaster that they had been on over the years," he said. "I was happy -- not only for the guys that were still there -- but for the city, for the fans. They were wanting it so bad 10 years ago. Actually, probably longer than that."

The St. Louis Blues will visit the White House on Oct. 15. I'm told that once the team received the invitation, there wasn't much of a discussion about whether to go. The team views it as an honor and a rite of passage as champions. The Blues will be making a special trip to Washington; it doesn't coincide with a visit to the Capitals. They tacked the trip on the end of a road trip, following a game at the Islanders on Oct. 14. It's interesting to note that the Blues have the most Canadian-heavy roster in the league. In fact, there are only three Americans on the team right now: Zach Sanford, MacKenzie MacEachern and Justin Faulk (who likely won't make the trip because he wasn't on the team last season).

I asked Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford this week what he thought of his goalie situation. "I feel good, really good because I thought I was going to lose [Casey] DeSmith on waivers," he said with a smile. "And now we have depth. We have [Emil] Larmi, the guy we signed from Finland. He's a young goalie we really like a lot. We've got [Alex] D'Orio, who just came out of juniors. He's playing pro now. To have that extra depth in goal if something goes wrong is important. Or there's the possibility of someone getting into goaltending trouble and paying one of those guys what he's worth."

Starter Matt Murray, 25, will become a restricted free agent this summer. I asked Rutherford whether he is concerned about Murray's health and if it's why the team hasn't worked out a long-term deal yet.

"No, I'm not concerned about anything with Matt," Rutherford said. "He's in a good place. He went through a lot, OK. There's nobody who understands this -- I don't even understand it, but I'll speak to it -- but it's the type of pressure he was under the first two years. So in '16, he carried us all three series. And then in '17, he got hurt, and [Marc-Andre] Fleury won the first two series, and Murray won the last two. So the pressure of that, winning those back-to-back Cups at such a young age. And then we have to move a goalie out [in the expansion draft], so Fleury leaves. He's alone now. He doesn't have that veteran guy to work with and be there, knowing that he's there.

"So now he's the No. 1 goalie, he's adjusting to that, and then he loses his dad. And he's going through all those things that nobody understands. Remember, he's still fairly young. He's gone through those things. He's learned from them, and he's in a really good place."

The big question: Is scoring going to continue to trend up this season?

There have been gradual increases in scoring each of the past four seasons. Last season, the NHL averaged more than six goals per game for the first time since 2005-06.

Through 33 games this season, we're at 6.22 goals per game, up from 6.02 last season.

I asked Rutherford this week if he expects another scoring uptick: "I think it should continue to rise," the Pittsburgh GM said. "The goalies got better and better. The equipment got bigger, the players didn't have as much to shoot at. And now the players are coming at them from a different way. They're always looking for an open guy, trying to get the goalie moving laterally, trying to make the goalie work a little bit harder. And it's opened the scoring up, and I'd expect it would continue."

Three stars of the week

1. Mika Zibanejad, C, New York Rangers

With four goals and eight points, the Rangers' de facto captain has the most points through the first two games of a season since Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96. Can we talk about how adorable this moment was? All class.

2. John Gibson, G, Anaheim Ducks

New season, same story. Gibson is a brick wall shouldering the load for a team that is in transition. Gibson turned away 67 of 69 combined shots against the Coyotes and Sharks to lead the Ducks to a 2-0 start.

3. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs Just call him Mr. Opening night. The 22-year-old American has scored in each of his four season openers to begin his career, totaling eight goals. Matthews has five goals in his first three games to open 2019-20.

Honorable mention: Anthony Mantha, RW, Detroit Red Wings. Yeah, he had himself a game on Sunday night, with his fourth goal of contest serving as the game-winner with 53.3 seconds left:

What we liked this past week

Something we're excited about becoming a league-wide trend: NHL teams adopting service dogs in training. The Washington Capitals are the latest. Meet Captain, who, indeed, is a very good boy and has already bonded with the Caps' other captain:

View this post on Instagram

The pup-arazzi loves me. Was I nervous? Yeah I think I peed a little.

A post shared by Captain (@capspup) on Oct 5, 2019 at 1:55pm PDT

The yellow Labrador will be with Washington for 14-16 months for basic and socialization training.

An update on another good boy: Barclay, who joined the Blues in December -- as they hit the nadir, before their turnaround -- was supposed to go into service this season but will stay with the team a bit longer than expected.

This post by Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson on Friday was truly heartwarming:

View this post on Instagram

To my beautiful wife for doing everything in her power to bring our beautiful little baby girl in to this world, never have I met a more determined or stronger person than you. It hasn't been easy but after the rain finally our little rainbow arrived. Love you both more than I could ever imagine.

A post shared by Erik Karlsson (@erikkarlsson65) on Oct 3, 2019 at 6:16pm PDT

Karlsson and his wife, Melinda, lost their son as a stillbirth a month before his due date in March 2018. Congrats to the couple on the birth of their daughter.

Cool scene captured by the Maple Leafs: The moment John Tavares found out he was named captain:

"It's a real honour. I won't ever take it for granted." #LeafsForever

The Leaf: Blueprint Moment presented by @Molson_Canadian. pic.twitter.com/6eyYUXQhvg

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 2, 2019

Mike Babcock referring to Tavares' crying baby as "fired up" is quality hockey content.

What we didn't like this past week

Dallas Stars defenseman Roman Polak was chasing a puck in the corner and took an awkward crash into the boards on Thursday. He had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher and transported to a nearby hospital.

The crowd fell silent, and Bruins players respectfully took a knee as trainers attended to Polak. The discussion on the NESN broadcast, however, was disturbing.

"That looked self-induced, didn't it?" color commentator Andy Brickley said.

Replied veteran play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards: "Has a little bit of bad hockey karma."

Polak's agent, Allan Walsh, ripped Edwards on Twitter:

Per the Stars, Polak suffered a small fracture of his sternum and will be evaluated again in a week.

Games of the week

7 p.m. ET Monday: St. Louis Blues at Toronto Maple Leafs

Everyone wants a chance to take down the champs. The big, heavy Blues take on perhaps the NHL's most explosive offense. This one should be juicy.

10 p.m. ET Tuesday: Boston Bruins at Vegas Golden Knights (ESPN+)

The Golden Knights are looking like the juggernauts of the West (or, at the very least, the class of the Pacific Division). The Bruins are that same dangerous team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final four months ago.

7:30 p.m. ET Friday: New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes (ESPN+)

It's a rematch of last spring's second-round playoff series, a sweep by the Canes. The defensive-minded Islanders will surely be looking for revenge.

Quote of the week

"I'm disappointed for [our fans] to show up and waste their time and money to watch that."

-- New Sharks captain Logan Couture's blunt assessment after the Sharks fell to the Ducks 3-1, on Saturday. The Sharks have scored three goals in their first three games and are 0-3-0 for the second time in team history.

Kevin Na defeated Patrick Cantlay on the second hole of sudden death to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Here's a look inside his bag.

DRIVER: Callaway GBB Epic (9 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD GP-6 TX shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (13.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana BF 70 TX shaft

HYBRID: PXG 0317X GEN2 (19 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 95X shaft

IRONS: Callaway Rogue Pro (4), Apex Pro 16 (5-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

WEDGES: Callaway Mack Daddy 4 (50, 54 degrees), Titleist Vokey Design 2018 Tour prototype (60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

PUTTER: Odyssey Toulon Madison

BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

Here are the complete purse and FedExCup breakdowns for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, where Kevin Na won in a playoff over Patrick Cantlay.

Jon Rahm moved up a notch in the Official World Golf Ranking following a successful title defense at the Open de Espana.

Rahm cruised to a five-shot victory over fellow Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello, and as a result he jumped ahead of Justin Rose from No. 5 to No. 4 in the latest rankings. It's the first time Rahm has been ranked inside the top 4 since June 2018.

There were additional moves inside the top 10, as Patrick Cantlay jumped one spot to No. 6 thanks to his playoff loss at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open while Bryson DeChambeau went from 10th to eighth after tying for fourth in Las Vegas.

Kevin Na edged Cantlay on the second hole of overtime at TPC Summerlin, and his second win of the year bumped him from 40th to 24th. Cabrera-Bello jumped four spots to No. 34 with his runner-up finish in Europe, while Adam Hadwin's second straight top-5 helped the Canadian move up three more spots to No. 45.

Hadwin's ascent bumped Phil Mickelson down two spots to No. 46 after he received no OWGR points for his 61st-place finish in Las Vegas. Mickelson, who was ranked 17th in the world after his win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, has not been ranked outside the top 50 in the world since November 1993.

Brooks Koepka remains No. 1 for another week despite a missed cut in Las Vegas, followed by Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rahm and Rose. Cantlay is now sixth, with Justin Thomas, DeChambeau, Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele rounding out the top 10.

Mohamed Salah suffered a twisted ankle in Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Leicester City on Saturday, with scans revealing no further damage to the forward.

The Egypt international limped off on 89 minutes at Anfield after a wild challenge from behind by Hamza Choudhury, which Jurgen Klopp labelled "dangerous as hell."

- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!
- Premier League winter break: All you need to know

Assessments were carried out at Melwood on Sunday and to Liverpool's relief, no major concerns were flagged by the medical staff.

Salah will continue to be monitored and treated at the training complex during the international break with the club declining to rule him in or out of the clash against Manchester United on Oct. 20 as it is too early in the healing process.

With 13 days to recover, the 27-year-old is likely to line up against struggling United, who are already 15 points adrift of Liverpool.

Salah had already been excused from the Egypt squad for the friendly against Botswana next week prior to his injury.

"The technical team of the national team confirms the decision to exempt Liverpool star Mohamed Salah from joining the current camp for the desire to rest him and ease the burden of games in this period," a statement from the Egyptian football federation read.

"[That is] in order [for him] to recover and get rid of the stress resulting from his successive participation with his club so that he is in full physical and mental health to participate in the next official commitments."

Christian Pulisic has said it hurt to be left out of the squad for Chelsea's Champions League win over Lille, but he won't "give up, ever" after being given limited playing time this season.

On the bench for much of Chelsea's 4-1 win over Southampton, Pulisic provided a brilliant assist for the final goal, scored by fellow substitute Michy Batshuayi, when he did get on the pitch.

- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!
- VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide
- When does the transfer window reopen?
- Premier League winter break: All you need to know

The United States international's chances have been limited further by the return to fitness of Callum Hudson-Odoi, and his 10 minutes against Southampton represented his first appearance in the league since a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United at the end of August.

"Of course," Pulisic said, when asked if it was difficult to be left out of the matchday squad for last week's Lille game. "You want to play, be on the field and be in the team as much as you can and it hurt not to be there, but I'm happy I got my opportunity today.

"I did the best I could with the minutes I got. I tried to help the team as best I could. Today, I guess I'm happy but I'm going to keep working harder, and I'm never going to stop to try to get more minutes.

"I'm not just going to throw a fit and give up ever, so if I'm on the bench it doesn't mean the gaffer doesn't think I'm a part of the team, I've just got to keep pushing and earn my spot.

"That's my job [to get assists]. I'm in an attacking role and I'm going to do the best I can, to try to get goals and assists. I think that's been good so far, so I just want to continue to work hard."

Pulisic was asked if he was surprised not to be starting more regularly.

"It's tough to say. I want to be starting, I want to be starting every game. I'm working hard in training, I want to be there, I hope everyone can see that, so with moments like this I hope I can make a case for myself.

"He [Frank Lampard] likes players who work very hard and show a lot in training and I just have to continue to do that, do my best in training and try to earn my position."

Lampard has suggested the winger needs time to settle in England after his move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, but Pulisic suggested that hasn't been much of a problem.

"Culture-wise, it's been easier than Germany to be honest. From the football side, I guess you could say that. Obviously, I haven't been getting as many minutes as I would like. I will just keep going, keep pushing. I know my time's going to come.

"This number [the £58 million transfer fee] doesn't mean anything to me. Obviously, I go out and try to give my best every time I'm on the pitch. I'm not sure what the price tag means to you, but I just have to keep trying to perform at my best for myself and for the team.

"You can't completely ignore it [criticism]. I don't live under a rock. I hear things, I see things, but I do my best to block it out. I'm just working hard for myself.

"The outside opinions don't matter as much to me as to what's in the team and myself and the people who care about me. So I'm just going to keep working and do my best and not worry about it."

Pulisic will now join up with the national team for their CONCACAF Nations League games against Cuba and Canada this month, and he agreed the international break has come at a good time.

"Yeah, definitely. When I go there I definitely want to go in and get minutes and just gain more international experience. It can only help me here."

Time makes fools of us all. Or, in the case of Major League Soccer, it turns good teams into bad teams, bad teams into good teams, and mediocre teams into more solidly mediocre teams.

For the final Power Rankings of the year, we thought we'd take a look back at the first ranking of the year and compare. More than a few teams outperformed their early season spot, some by a lot.

Not that we were wrong. The Power Rankings are always 100% accurate at the time of writing. Who said anything about fools?

For one last time, let's go ranking.

Previous rankings: Week 30 | Week 29 | Week 28 | Week 27 | Week 26 | Week 25 | Week 24 | Week 23 | Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (21 wins, 9 draws, 4 losses)

Week 1 ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Oct. 24 vs. Minnesota or LA Galaxy

Back in March, LAFC was a "potential MLS Cup contender coming off a disappointing home playoff loss." Now, they're a "record-setting team led by an otherworldly talent going into the playoffs as a massive favorite to lift the MLS Cup title in their stadium."

2. New York City FC (18-10-6)

Week 1 ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Oct. 23 vs. Toronto or D.C. United

NYCFC started the season at No. 8 in the rankings, largely because 2018 ended with a whimper against Atlanta United and there were real doubts that Dome Torrent was cut out for MLS. Turns out he was! The Bronxites head into the postseason as the second-best team in the league

3. Atlanta United (19-4-12)

Week 1 ranking: 6

Next MLS match: Oct. 19 vs. New England

In retrospect, it seems harsh that the Five Stripes were ranked outside of the top five to start the year. Remember, though, that the club was in transition with Frank De Boer taking over from Tata Martino, Miguel Almiron leaving for Newcastle and having lost their first match of the year to D.C.. Things are much better now.

4. Toronto FC (13-11-10)

Week 1 ranking: 13

Next MLS match: Oct. 19 vs. D.C. United

The Reds were a mystery coming into the season. Would they look more like their 2017 championship version or the team that missed the playoffs in 2018? Victor Vazquez and Sebastian Giovinco both left in the winter. Middle-of-the-pack seemed fair, but now Toronto is a second-tier championship contender.

5. Seattle Sounders (16-8-10)

Week 1 ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Oct. 19 vs. FC Dallas

The Sounders flipped their usual script -- slow start, late push -- with a fairly even season that lagged mostly in the summer. The Week 1 ranking proved to be a little too high, but Seattle finished strong enough to rank in the top handful of teams in the league.

,

6. Philadelphia Union (16-7-11)

Week 1 ranking: 18

Next MLS match: Oct. 20 vs. New York Red Bulls

Philly's regular season ended with a thud, but that shouldn't take away from just how far they've come. After Week 1, we had the Union ranked 18th -- just on the edge of the bottom quarter of the league. A true team ethic kicked in over the year, moving Philadelphia way up the ladder.

7. Minnesota United (15-8-11)

Week 1 ranking: 12

Next MLS match: Oct. 20 vs. LA Galaxy

The Loons just made the top half the first week rankings, a nod to the potential following a busy offseason. Turns out all of the predictions that Minnesota would ride Ike Opara, Ozzie Alonso and a handful of other veterans to the playoffs were correct. The Loons finally made it and will host a playoff game.

8. D.C. United (13-10-11)

Week 1 ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Oct. 19 vs. Toronto

D.C. started the season in the top spot because they defeated the defending champ in their opener. They have not lived up to that initial ranking. The Black & Red were good enough to make the playoffs and not a whole lot more, though there's a chance to surprise in the postseason.

9. New England Revolution (12-12-10)

Week 1 ranking: 17

Next MLS match: Oct. 19 vs. Atlanta

We're not taking any responsibility for being "wrong" on the Revs, not with the way their season played out. Week 1 was a lifetime ago: Before Bruce, before Gustavo Bou, before New England rounded into a dangerous MLS team that might be a bad matchup for Atlanta in Round 1.

10. Real Salt Lake (15-5-13)

Week 1 ranking: 14

Next MLS match: Oct. 19 vs. Portland

RSL turned a 14th-ranked start into a 10th-ranked finish. They were roughly who we thought they were, with the caveat that we didn't really think they'd get here the way they did. It's been a weird one beneath the Wasatch.

11. Portland Timbers (14-7-13)

Week 1 ranking: 7

Next MLS match: Oct. 19 vs. Real Salt Lake

The rollercoaster ride for the Timbers got off to a wild, wintry start when the they drew in a blizzard in Colorado. That landed them at the No. 7 spot (they were the reigning Western Conference champs). Nowadays, Portland is a brow-furrowing outfit with a tough playoff draw.

12. FC Dallas (13-9-12)

Week 1 ranking: 15

Next MLS match: Oct. 19 vs. Seattle

FC Dallas was smack in the middle of the pack back in March. They probably deserve to be in that same region in October, though the playoff berth they earned on Sunday puts them in the field of 14. We'll resist the urge to give them bonus points for having a player named "Cobra."

13. Colorado Rapids (12-6-15)

Previous ranking: 21

Down near the bottom after week one, it certainly seemed like the Rapids belonged there for oh ... four-and-a-half months. Then a coaching change happened. And another. And through it all, Colorado stayed alive for the playoffs. They didn't make it, but were playing better than some clubs that did as the regular season ended. What a ride.

14. LA Galaxy (16-3-14)

Week 1 ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Oct. 20 vs. Minnesota

The Galaxy blew a lead to lose 4-2 against Houston on Decision Day, ensuring the it wouldn't be able make it back into a top 10 position -- which is where they started the season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is good enough all by himself for a top-half ranking, but that defense ...

15. New York Red Bulls (14-6-14)

Week 1 ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Oct. 20 vs. Philadelphia

The 2018 Shield winners started the year in the top five after a draw in Columbus. Time revealed, thanks to a poorer defense and a drop off by Bradley Wright-Phillips, that New York wasn't good enough to rate that high when all was said and done. Sunday's loss in Montreal hurt a lot.

16. Columbus Crew (10-8-16)

Week 1 ranking: 9

The Crew were deemed top 10 material when we began proceedings. They aren't a top 10 team now. Injuries, absences and the transitional nature of the Columbus soccer scene undermined the club's chances to make the playoffs.

17. Chicago Fire (10-12-12)

Week 1 ranking: 22

The Fire proved to be just about as mediocre as their Week 1 rank indicated. A flirtation with the playoffs shouldn't obscure the problems Chicago had this year scoring goals or putting together consistent performances. It's mostly about the future in the Windy City, with the move back to Soldier Field coming next year.

18. Vancouver Whitecaps (8-10-15)

Week 1 ranking: 19

Back where they started, though to be fair, they never really budged from bottom five or six teams all year. The Whitecaps earned an extra spot or two with a decent close to the season, after they'd already been eliminated from postseason consideration.

19. Houston Dynamo (12-4-18)

Week 1 ranking: 16

The Zombie Dynamo showed up to beat the Galaxy on Decision Day, marginally inflating their ranking. It's not enough to push them up to their original spot in the order, back when there was reason to think Wilmer Cabrera might be able recapture some 2017 magic.

20. Orlando City (9-10-15)

Week 1 ranking: 20

The Lions began the year with a whole lot of hope and ended it with further disappointment. Our first impression was an accurate one. Whether Orlando was "better" in 2019 is a relative question, since we can't use a playoff appearance as a yardstick.

21. San Jose Earthquakes (13-5-16)

Week 1 ranking: 23

We thought the Quakes were going to be very poor after a Wooden Spoon season and a bad opening performance. They weren't as bad as we thought they'd be, but a six-game losing streak to end the year pulled them down towards the foot of the rankings.

22. Sporting Kansas City (10-8-16)

Previous ranking: 4

SKC gets the "Welp!" award for the rankings this year. The perennial Western Conference contender and first place finisher in 2018 spent most of the year running around like an aimless chicken who can't score goals, which is exactly the kind of approach that leads to a bottom-end rankings finish.

23. Montreal Impact (12-5-17)

Week 1 ranking: 11

The Impact looked dangerous enough with their sit-and-counter style to earn a spot in the top 11 back in March. A coaching change and a very poor second half later and they're just one few spot off the bottom.

24. FC Cincinnati (6-5-23)

Previous ranking: 24

FCC started at the bottom, moved up a spot or two at times during the campaign, and ended up at the bottom. It was always in the cards for the first-year franchise.

Toss Sri Lanka elected to bat v Pakistan

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first in the second T20 against Pakistan, in Lahore. There is the threat of dew later in the evening, but it had not proved to be a major obstacle for their bowlers two nights ago, when they won the first match.

Pakistan have made two changes to their side, dropping allrounders Iftikhar Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf, replacing them with specialists Fakhar Zaman and Wahab Riaz. Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, who had made 4 and 0 respectively on Saturday, remain in the XI. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are unchanged. The weather is expected to remain good for the duration of the game.

Pakistan: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Ahmed Shehzad, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt.) (wk), 6 Asif Ali, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Mohammad Hasnain

Sri Lanka: 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Shehan Jayasuriya, 5 Minod Bhanuka (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt.), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Nuwan Pradeep

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins dismissed their coach. They haven't solved their problems.

Washington fired Jay Gruden, 52, on Monday morning and it's a hard decision to argue. The Redskins are 0-5 this season and haven't won a playoff game since 2005. They reached the postseason once under Gruden -- in 2015 -- and his 35-49-1 record in Washington further backed up the need to move on. His firing became inevitable long before the news was announced.

Bill Callahan takes over as interim coach, but the big question remains: Can owner Dan Snyder and team president Bruce Allen, who was hired late during the 2009 season, figure out a way to win? The Redskins are 59-89-1 since Allen arrived.

The Redskins have now fired five coaches during Snyder's tenure, which began in 1999. He will hire his eighth coach after the season. None of the first seven -- including Marty Schottenheimer (one year), Joe Gibbs (four) and Mike Shanahan (four) -- had winning records in Washington. That's one Hall of Fame coach (Gibbs) and two who are debated as being worthy.

Whoever the Redskins hire will join an organization with two playoff wins since Snyder bought the team. Washington has finished last in the division eight times during his ownership.

This year the Redskins, and by extension Gruden, were in trouble before the season began.

• Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams remains a holdout, a huge blow to the offense.

• Top tight end Jordan Reed suffered a concussion in the third preseason game and hasn't played.

• Washington started newcomer Case Keenum at quarterback because rookie Dwayne Haskins wasn't ready and veteran Colt McCoy was dealing with the effects of a broken leg suffered in December.

All of this was a tough mix for Gruden, who had to win immediately. And once the season kicked off, more problems emerged.

Coordinator Greg Manusky's defense -- expected to be a team strength -- has struggled badly. Cornerback Josh Norman has not played to his contract and linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who counts $13.95 million against the cap, has been too quiet on the field. That's too much money as a group for too little in return.

The Redskins also have been among the most-injured teams over the past three-plus seasons. In 2017 and 2018, for example, 52 players were placed on injured reserve. This season, the Redskins have dealt with numerous injuries again as 10 players are on injured reserve, including starting running back Derrius Guice.

There was clear frustration during the past year, with Gruden feeling a loss of power in key decisions. Some of that was overblown: He was involved in setting free-agency boards as well as draft boards and knew, for example, that Washington would pursue safety Landon Collins and possibly trade for Keenum.

But some of it was true: While the Redskins' front office was enamored of Haskins, a local talent, the football people in the building knew it would take a while for him to develop into a starter. The Redskins still selected him 15th overall anyway because, well, they had their orders. You can't ignore months of scouting and build a winning organization. Whether it was strictly Snyder's decision or not -- and it might be a terrific pick in the long run -- it wasn't one that would benefit a coaching staff in a must-win season. That's why they wanted someone who could help now. They like Haskins and like working with him, but they placed him in a difficult spot.

There were reports Gruden did not want to part with certain players or keep others during final cuts, notably receiver Josh Doctson (cut) and running back Adrian Peterson (kept). And at the end of last season, Gruden said multiple times the Redskins' front office and coaching staff needed to be "on the same page."

That said, there is a feeling around the league the Redskins have underachieved -- especially on defense, an area where Gruden hurt himself during his tenure. He was, for the most part, hands-off defensively and his defenses generally struggled. Gruden retained Jim Haslett as his defensive coordinator for his first season in 2014, but they parted ways after that season. Wade Phillips was a candidate, but Gruden opted to bring in Joe Barry. That didn't work out and two years later, Barry was fired. Gruden then hired Manusky, a coach players respect. That move also has failed to produce the desired results.

Gruden is considered a strong offensive mind by executives and players, but under him the Redskins often hurt themselves with penalties and undisciplined play. Though players liked him, some pointed to issues with accountability -- one former Redskin said some fines, for example, were not collected while those levied against players who coaches knew it wouldn't affect, were collected. Other players wanted more transparency from the coaching staff about decisions that affected them. And Gruden's blunt honesty during news conferences would occasionally get him in trouble.

The Redskins are at a precarious point in their franchise history. Here's a team whose fan base has been mired in a mix of apathy and anger, causing attendance and TV ratings to drop. It has been a decade in the making and there's a lot of work to be done to reverse that slide -- work that goes beyond just firing the coach.

This isn't about Snyder's meddling; heck, he gave Gruden five-plus years, more time than any other head coach he has employed. This is all about knowing how to put together a winning organization. Based on one simple fact -- the Redskins' two-decade record of 139-185-1 under Snyder -- they have failed to do so.

They fired Gruden; it's a coaching move Snyder has done in the past. Now, once more, comes the hard part: finding someone who can win in Washington.