Top Five Stories to Follow This NHL Season

A healthy Sidney Crosby is exactly what the NHL looks to put the lockout behind them. (Gene J. Puskar)

After a long and laborious lockout, the NHL season finally gets under way tomorrow. In this shortened season, there are many stories to follow. I will simply give five of my top ones to watch throughout this season.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby returns to the ice fully healthy. Crosby significantly benefited from the lockout in that he was able to get fully healthy after battling through concussions the last two seasons. Crosby was inspirational in moving the NHL past the 2005 lockout and bringing fans back to the game. This season could be very similar. Crosby could be set for a huge return to stardom. That is something even his haters cannot ignore.

2. The Minnesota Wild spent big money during the offseason, but it remains to be seen if it will be worth it. The Wild have not been to the playoffs since 2008. Their main struggle last season was that they had the NHL's worst offense. During the offseason, the Wild spent a combined $196 million on free agents Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Whether that can translate to success, remains to be seen. The Wild have many unanswered questions so far, including whether or not goaltender Josh Harding can return to top form following his inspiring return from multiple sclerosis.

3. Rick Nash could be the missing piece that the New York Rangers need to win the Stanley Cup. The Rangers have had some great pieces. Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik lead the way offensively. They also have had a solid core of young players and a solid defense that is anchored by Henrik Lundqvist, one of the greatest goaltenders in the world. Over the past several years, they simply have not been enough. This likely prompted the Rangers to go out and get Rick Nash. Nash is one of the league's best scorers and is going to make a huge impact if he can adjust to life in the spotlight.

4. The Carolina Hurricanes could be this season's surprise playoff team. The Hurricanes were not in the playoff picture last season, but they steadily improved as the season wore on. In fact, they had the Southeast Division's best record over the last 48 games of this past season. In the offseason, the Hurricanes bolstered their roster by acquiring Jordan Staal and signing Alexander Semin. They could be primed to make some noise in a winnable division.

5. This could be the season the Detroit Red Wings finally don't make the playoffs. Last season, the Red Wings fell down to the fifth seed in the playoffs. Then, during the offseason, they had to deal with the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom, one of the best defensemen in NHL history. The affect this will have on the Red Wings, remains to be seen. Some people believe that they could wind up coming up short in their bid for their 22nd straight playoff berth.