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Here is the July 31 edition of the NHL.com mailbag, where we answer your questions asked on X. Send your questions to @drosennhl and @NHLdotcom and tag it with #OvertheBoards.

Game of the year prediction? Largest standings points gains and falls predictions? — @OlSneakyPete

Total guess on game of the year, but let’s go with the Washington Capitals against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on April 17, the last day of the regular season. The winner makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the loser doesn’t. Alex Ovechkin scores his 41st goal of the season to tie Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record at 894. It would be awesome if this all came true.

A more appropriate prediction is to say the New Jersey Devils will have the greatest increase in points from last season to this season. They had 81 points last season, which was derailed by injuries (Dougie Hamilton, specifically) and poor goaltending. The latter should be improved with Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen, two proven veteran goaltenders. Hamilton is healthy. Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec are a year older. Free agent signees Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon will be pillars on the back end. Tomas Tatar and Paul Cotter will add to their secondary scoring to help the Devils finish with more than 100 points and make the playoffs.

The Carolina Hurricanes took too many hits in free agency to repeat their 111-point season. Gone are Jake Guentzel, Brady Skjei, Pesce, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen. They’ll drop, maybe by 10 or more points. They’ll still make the playoffs, but the drop will be enough to take them out of the running for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Think third place behind the New York Rangers and Devils, in whatever order.

With the new season on the horizon are there any new rule changes this year/ has there been any discussion about changing the shootout? When will we see the no take-back rule apply in OT? Will there ever be a precise definition of goaltender interference? — @theashcity

Four minor rule changes, approved by the NHL Board of Governors at their meeting in New York City on June 26, are being implemented this season in relation to rule modifications.

This season introduces a new rule where coaches can challenge the penalty for a puck going out of play due to delay of game. If the puck enters the stands, having been deflected off a player, stick, glass, or board, and the penalized team feels the call was incorrect (e.g., the puck exited cleanly without any deflection), the coach can challenge the penalty. If the challenge is successful, the penalty will be annulled. However, if the challenge fails, an additional two-minute minor penalty for delay of game (due to the unsuccessful challenge) will be imposed on top of the original delay of game penalty.

The rule for line changes after a net is accidentally dislodged has been adjusted. Now, if a goaltender from the defensive team unintentionally dislodges the net, the team won’t be able to make a line change. Before this adjustment, this rule only applied when a skater accidentally dislodged the net.

In terms of face-offs after an icing, the offensive center will now get a single warning for a face-off violation, just like the defensive center.

Have you ever noticed players perched on the dasher boards at the bench, ready to make a quick line change? That’s not actually safe, particularly for the linesmen. As a result, referees will now issue a single warning to the offending team. If players are caught sitting on the boards again after this warning, their team will be given a bench minor penalty.

Regarding the shootout, there has been talk among general managers about extending overtime to seven minutes or more. However, no progress has been made and the NHL Players’ Association would need to approve such a change. This wouldn’t abolish the shootout, but rather extend overtime and reduce the chances of a shootout occurring. However, this change has not been implemented yet.

Last season, the General Managers (GMs) discussed how to handle regrouping in overtime, which involves retracting the puck back into the neutral zone. However, this topic is still in the discussion phase. The purpose of regrouping is to re-establish an attack with speed, and it’s not clear whether it’s an issue. There is a genuine concern about the potential interruption of overtime’s flow due to increased whistles and possible video reviews if a rule against regrouping is implemented. However, it seems unnecessary given that 69.9 percent of the games that went into overtime last season ended in overtime itself. Hence, it doesn’t seem to be a problem.

In terms of goalie interference, I suspect that it will continue to be a subjective call based on how one interprets the impact of avoidable contact on the goalie’s ability to play the puck.

Where do you see Patrik Laine playing this coming season? — @chrispudsey

Third mailbag in a row with a Laine question. The first two dealt with Laine potentially getting traded to the Capitals. Let’s stick with that theme because it makes sense. The feeling is the Columbus Blue Jackets will trade Laine. The Capitals make sense. He has two years left on his contract, which is Washington’s remaining window with Ovechkin. The Capitals want to push to win in that window. That’s why they improved this offseason by acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Matt Roy, Jakob Chychrun and Logan Thompson. Columbus will likely have to retain a portion of his $8.7 million average annual value, which works in Washington’s favor. The Capitals received an extra $3.9 million when Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract was terminated by the Hurricanes. That was their portion of his AAV after trading the center to Carolina last season. The Capitals can make it work and Laine fits what they need, another top goal-scorer. Of course, the other side is Washington has to provide a return that fits what Columbus wants. If it’s draft picks and/or prospects, that would work for the Capitals.

Another potential landing spot that seems logical is Carolina, where Don Waddell, the Blue Jackets GM, previously worked. The Hurricanes are in need of another goal-scorer and obviously, Laine fits the bill.

Trade talks for Laine will now intensify, no matter the destination.

Does the Stan Bowman hiring now open the door for other Bowman family and hockey associates to join the Oilers organization? — @MrEd315

It appears that the Oilers have now hired Stan Bowman as their new general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations. His hiring is considered separate from his previous affiliations with the Chicago Blackhawks, notably ex-coach Joel Quenneville and former vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac. On July 1, Bowman, Quenneville, and MacIsaac were authorized to seek NHL employment after a two and a half year period of ineligibility. This was due to their insufficient response to 2010 allegations of assault by Blackhawks’ player Kyle Beach against the team’s video coach, as stated in the NHL’s press release on the issue.

The Oilers already have their coach in Kris Knoblauch, despite interest in Quenneville. Although Knoblauch’s NHL experience doesn’t match Quenneville’s, who is a three-time Stanley Cup champion coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, it was Knoblauch who was instrumental in Edmonton’s turnaround last season, leading them to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He isn’t planning on leaving.

It seems like the Oilers have a stable front office, so it doesn’t look like Bowman needs to hire anyone to fill positions at the moment.

Scotty Bowman, the legendary father of Bowman, is a 90-year-old Florida resident. There has been no public talk about him taking up an advisory role with the Oilers. Despite his age, Scotty Bowman maintains an active lifestyle, often seen at Tampa Bay Lightning games. Although there doesn’t seem to be any interest on his end to join the Oilers in an advisory position, it can be assumed that he would still be in communication with his son Stan, who is back at the helm of a team, even if it’s on an unofficial basis. Currently, Scotty Bowman does not have any official association with any team.