Yes, it's only the preseason, but Friday's game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators offered a rare splash of significance in the exhibition slate.

That's because Steven Stamkos was on the ice, captaining the Lightning for the first time since suffering a knee injury last Nov. 15 that kept him out for the remainder of the season.

If his debut is any indication, you can expect big things from Tampa Bay's superstar in 2017-18.

No signs of rust

Stamkos, of course, is most recognized for his ability to create offense, and that he did.

It took only 33 seconds for him to find the score sheet, as he recorded the primary assist on Victor Hedman's first-period marker. He added another primary helper to his name with a feed to Nikita Kucherov later in the opening frame.

In the 17 games he played last season, Stamkos recorded 20 points, and he looks determined to pick up where he left off.

The dynamic duo

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Stamkos and Kucherov notched two points apiece in the 3-1 win, and their early chemistry should immediately put the rest of the league on notice.

If they both stay healthy, Stamkos and Kucherov have potential to be the most productive duo in the NHL this season, no questions asked. The Lightning have a chance to deploy two 40-goal scorers on one line. Let that sink in for a minute.

He's finally fully healthy

Stamkos has endured numerous injuries on top of his torn meniscus in the past, including a blood clot and a broken tibia. Now, though, the 27-year-old is fully reset.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign of Stamkos' performance is he played 19:05, which led all Lightning forwards.

"I couldn't have felt any better," Stamkos told Joe Smith of The Tampa Bay Times.

It certainly showed.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning unveiled the logo for the NHL's 2018 All-Star weekend Friday night, a flashy design that ties into Florida's climate quite well.

This season's festivities take place Jan. 27 and 28.

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Mike Babcock made it crystal clear: Zach Hyman will continue to flank Auston Matthews on the Maple Leafs' top line. End of story.

Upon acquiring veteran winger Patrick Marleau this summer, Toronto supporters salivated at the idea of putting the 500-goal man alongside Matthews and William Nylander to create, on paper, one of the most dangerous lines in the league.

But Babcock promptly squashed the pundits' dreams, ensuring he'll do it his way. "Here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to coach the team and you guys are going to write the articles," Babcock said Thursday.

Roger that.

Babcock's assertion may not please all Leafs fans, but changing anything up at this point may not be the right call. Here are three reasons why:

It makes the roster deeper

Let's assume Toronto's forward depth chart looks something like this come the regular season opener on Oct. 4:

By keeping Hyman up top, it allows more balance across all four lines. Marleau can, hypothetically, line up beside Kadri and take on tougher matchups while offering more offensive punch than Hyman or Brown would in the bottom six.

There's no sense in stacking one line in favor of deploying three that can create offense. It was Babcock's strategy last season, and it will be again.

It ain't broke, so don't fix it

(Photo courtesy: USA Today Sports)

Sure, Hyman only had 28 points to Matthews' 69 and Nylander's 61, but there's no denying the effectiveness of the young trio.

Hyman certainly isn't the poster boy for offensive skill, but he's relentless on the forecheck, and excels at retrieving pucks. Defensemen know they're going to be pressured each and every time they go to fetch a puck in their own end, but it's up to the forechekecker to make the proper read and win possession back any way he can.

Who won a battle behind the net to set up Matthews' first NHL goal? Hyman. Who was in first to win the puck and set up the tying goal in Game 3 versus the Capitals? Hyman.

There are countless other examples of little things Hyman does in the offensive zone that makes Toronto's top line one of the most effective in the NHL. And besides, do you think Babcock would prefer Hyman to retrieve the puck for Matthews and Nylander, or Matt Martin and Dominic Moore?

There's untapped potential

For someone who frequents the front of the net as often as Hyman does, it's incredible to think he converted just 6.4 percent of his shots in 2016-17.

Shooting percentages that low rarely carry over for consecutive seasons, so it's reasonable to think Hyman can up his production if he continues to occupy high-danger areas of the ice.

Based on this chart from Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com, you can see the majority of Hyman's five-on-five shots come from within the goalmouth and slot. Alongside two high-volume shooters in Matthews and Nylander, Hyman should see plenty of opportunities to bang in loose pucks and convert chances close to the goal, ultimately boosting his offensive value.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning were pleased to welcome Steven Stamkos back to the ice prior to Friday's preseason game against the Nashville Predators.

The captain is playing his first game since tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee back on Nov. 15, 2016.

"You're just going out there responding to the play, you're letting the game come to you," Stamkos said earlier in the day.

He responded with an assist on Victor Hedman's opening goal just 33 seconds into the game.

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It's that time of year, folks.

When bold predictions and bets run rampant with who we think will be the last teams standing in this year's edition of the NHL.

While odds for who is favored to win the Stanley Cup have already been revealed by Vegas handicappers, today, numbers for division winners were released.

Here are the odds for top team by division, according to Bodog.

If Steven Stamkos can remain healthy atop Tampa's lineup, the Lightning will be a very dangerous team and a legitimate contender coming out of the Eastern Conference.

Anchored on the back end by No. 1 D-man Victor Hedman and starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning are most definitely bona fide favorites to win the Atlantic Division.

Pittsburgh is the obvious pick in the Metropolitan following back-to-back convincing Cup victories. But, the Penguins would be wise to not rest on their laurels, as the Capitals, Rangers, and Blue Jackets are three teams to consider sprinkling a wager on.

With Connor McDavid leading the charge for the Oilers, laying a bit of loot on them to be the team lifting Lord Stanley's Mug come June becomes a very intriguing option.

Edmonton will face stiff competition for the division crown from the Ducks and the revamped Kings, but expect McJesus and the boys to be the toast of the Pacific Division.

While Chicago and Minnesota are pegged as the odds-on favorites, this is probably the most wide-open division in the NHL today, with predicting the winner of the Central being no easy task - so tread lightly.

Despite there being obvious value in betting on two perennial playoff threats in the Nashville and St. Louis, the Dallas Stars look to be the most juicy play on this board. With the additions of starting netminder Ben Bishop and top-line winger Alexander Radulov, the Stars have quickly gone from pretenders to contenders.

Plan your bets accordingly.

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When you're in northern China and have an off day, you visit the Great Wall.

That's what members of the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings did, at least, between their preseason matchups in 2017 NHL China Games.

While the teams arrived at the same time, they traveled on separate buses from Beijing to the Great Wall, and took in the sights as individual groups.

"It's something you don't want to miss," Canucks head coach Travis Green said, according to Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. "It's an experience worth missing a practice, for sure."

"You hear about it and you see pictures, but it really doesn't do it justice until you get a chance to actually see it in person," Vancouver forward Sam Gagner said. "We're all pretty excited to be here. It's pretty amazing."

He admitted it was unusual but fun to share part of the excursion with the the Canucks' opponents.

"Last night we're in battle, and again tomorrow, but today it's kind of everyone in it together," Gagner said. "Got a chance to talk to those guys a little bit. We're both enjoying this experience. It's been a lot of fun."

Kings captain Anze Kopitar took the photo above, but Dustin Brown was content to soak it in hands-free.

"I always find if you are looking at the phone all the time and taking pictures, you don't really see it," he said.

A few lucky fans also got to take advantage of the players' presence.

(Photo courtesy: Getty)

The two teams play again at Wukesong Arena on Saturday at 3:30 a.m. ET.

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Steven Stamkos is officially back.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain will make his preseason debut Friday against the Nashville Predators, marking his first appearance since tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee back on Nov. 15, 2016.

He said he's felt good in training camp, but game action will be the true test.

"It's just getting in the flow of things where you're reacting out there, not thinking," Stamkos said, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "When you get injured the tendency is your mind is telling your body to protect that certain area that's injured.

"It's a natural reaction to an injured area. And really when you're over it is when you're not thinking about it. You're just going out there responding to the play, you're letting the game come to you. That's what I'm hoping for tonight."

It's not Stamkos' first comeback following a serious leg injury, seeing as he broke his leg early in 2013-14.

But prior to last season's setback, he registered nine goals and 11 assists in 17 games, and is confident he can get back to that high level of play.

"Listen, I snapped my leg in half and came back and was playing the best hockey of my career," Stamkos said. "So this is another hurdle. I'm confident that when you put in the work, you're going to find ways. It may be different ways. You may have to adjust certain parts of your game. But we'll handle that when I see how it feels in a game situation. We'll know more tonight."

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Is Jeff Skinner the Carolina Hurricanes' next captain?

Head coach Bill Peters is looking to fill that vacancy, one left open since the departure of Eric Staal in early 2015. As such, he's spoken extensively to team staff in the offseason, and a common theme emerged.

"(Skinner's) name came up in the conversation quite a bit, and they bring up that type of stuff, the way he looks after himself and the way he prepares," Peters said, according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com. "He's passionate about it and he's hungry to win."

"He's a passionate guy and he's a passionate player," he added. "He's a real good pro in the fact that he looks after himself, he trains properly, and the guys have unreal respect for the way he looks after his body. The maturity he shows. I know guys bring it up quite a bit."

Skinner is entering his eighth season with the club, and only Cam Ward has been around longer. The 2011 Calder Trophy winner has rebounded from a series of concussions suffered early in his career, developing into one of the most important players in Carolina, both on and off the ice.

If the "C" were to be given to him, he'd gladly accept it.

"You want to be counted on by your teammates, by your coaches," Skinner said, according to Rosen. "That's obviously what a captain is supposed to do. They're supposed to lead and be the guy that people can count on.

"I want to be counted on."

A formal announcement is expected to be made following training camp, and while there are other candidates, including Jordan Staal, Skinner seems to be the likely choice.

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