Things I Missed

The team previews are written, and as is seemingly the case every year, there are things that happen after I type each report. This year is no exception, so let's see what I missed or need to correct in time for the season to start Wednesday.

• The Carolina Hurricanes have settled their captaincy problem, and it isn't Justin Faulk or Jordan Staal, co-captains a year ago. Instead, the captain role will go to Justin Williams, who returned for a second tour of duty last season after spending time earlier in his career with the Hurricanes, helping them win a Stanley Cup in 2006.
• The Florida Panthers also named a new captain, as Derek McKenzie stepped down from the role to give way for Aleksander Barkov. Barkov is on the verge of being a superstar that more people will get to know about, and his progression has been on the rise from his rookie season of 2013-14. He's an excellent choice for a team that needs a stable identity after having gone through identity changes in the last three seasons.
• Corey Perry was expected to try and rebound after some subpar seasons. He won't get that chance until February or March because he will be out due to injury. With Ryan Kesler likely out for the season, pressure is now squarely on the shoulders of Nick Ritchie to produce, as he has yet to be the player the Ducks have hoped for since being drafted in 2014.
• Seth Jones is also going to miss time, 1 to 2 months. While it isn't a fatal blow for Columbus, it is a blow for a team who relies on defensive ability to win games. Zach Werenski will have some added pressure to begin the season.
• Chicago may be without Corey Crawford to start the season, as he continues to recover from vertigo and concussion issues. Cam Ward will likely be the starter for opening night, and the Blackhawks will need Crawford to be 100 percent sooner rather than later because depth behind Ward is woefully thin unless Colin Delia can convince the team that he is at worst, a good AHL starter.