The news that Ilya Kovalchuk has signed a 17-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, the longest contract in NHL history, leaves me wondering what the NHL will look like 17 years from now. Will Gary Bettman still be in charge? Will Canada still have a "let's make it seven campaign"? Or will it be trying to make it eight, nine or 10? Well, dear readers, today I'll answer all of those questions and more. I've got 10 facts alongside 10 bold predictions about the 2026-27 season, when Kovalchuk's deal finally expires.
Fact: Chris Chelios will be 65 years old.
Bold Prediction: He will still be playing professional hockey somewhere.
Fact: Rick DiPietro's 15-year deal, the previous record contract, will have expired six years earlier after the 2020-21 season.
Bold Prediction: Islanders owner Charles Wang will figure out a way to keep DiPietro, now age 45, on the payroll.
Fact: The NHL has been trying to find ways to increase scoring.
Bold Prediction: After a 20-year hiatus this campaign will start once again when a hard-fought, low-scoring Game 7 of the 2026-27 Stanley Cup Final ends with a 30-27 score. Commissioner Gary Bettman tells the media after the game that fans deserve to see "at least 75 goals per game combined."
Fact: The NHL currently uses a shootout format to determine a winner in regular season games and a lot of hockey fans gripe about it.
Bold Prediction: The NHL will continue to use a shootout format to determine a winner in regular season games and a lot of hockey fans will gripe about it.
Fact: The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1967.
Bold Prediction: Nevermind. This one would be too mean.
Bold Prediction: He will still have this goofy smile.
Fact: Fans outside of Pittsburgh love to hate Sidney Crosby.
Bold Prediction: In June, 2027, the Penguins will draft Sidney Crosby Jr. and fans outside of Pittsburgh will love him. The Pensblog will have a photoshop expo.
Fact: Canada currently has six NHL teams.
Bold Prediction: After adding teams in Winnipeg, Hamilton and Quebec City, TSN will air a nine-part series titled, Why Not Canada? addressing the heated debate about how Canada can add a 10th team.
Fact: Darryl Sutter is currently the general manager of the Calgary Flames and recently signed Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen, two players previously booted out of town.
Bold Prediction: Sutter will have traded and re-signed Jokinen twice, Mike Keenan once and Jarome Iginla five times before his reign in Calgary comes to an end.
Fact: Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year deal will expire after the 2026-27 season.
Bold Prediction: He will return home to Russia to finish out his career playing in the KHL, a new division in the NHL's Eastern Conference.
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