NHL 2015-16 predictions: First coach fired? Most overhyped team?

Hey, have you heard? Hockey’s back! The NHL season starts this Wednesday, and thus here is another edition of our 2015-16 NHL season preview predictions!

We all want to know who wins the Stanley Cup. We all want to know who captures the Hart Trophy. But there are so many other things worth predicting in the National Hockey League’s 2015-16 season that we had to tackle some appetizers before the main course.

(Please note this is a metaphor and in no way intended to be a Phil Kessel dietary reference. We leave those to the Toronto Sun.)

[Yahoo Fantasy Hockey: Sign up for a league today]

Here are some of the trends we have our eyes on this season, and how we think they’ll play out.

Your esteemed panel: Greg Wyshynski, NHL editor, Puck Daddy; Sean Leahy, editor, Puck Daddy; Jen Neale, editor, Puck Daddy; Josh Cooper, editor, Puck Daddy; Ryan Lambert, lead columnist, Puck Daddy; Darryl “Dobber” Dobbs, fantasy columnist, Puck Daddy; Sam McCaig, NHL editor/columnist, Yahoo Sports.

So it’s an average of 42 goals for Phil Kessel in his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and 79 points for Connor McDavid (after tossing out Jen Neale’s protest vote … must be an Eichel fan).

Looks like the Penguins have too much hype, while the Hamburgler can be expected to steal more wins for the Ottawa Senators.

Meanwhile, the head coaches of the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins split the vote for the first to be turfed.

What are your predictions for the 2015-16 NHL season?