Tampa Bay's Dave Andreychuk and Detroit's Brett Hull resume their battle to claim the all-time power-play goals crown. Andreychuk is first with 260, Hull is second with 255.
Mark Messier will become just the second player in league history - joining Gordie Howe - to play in 25 seasons or more. Howe appeared in 26 NHL campaigns. Messier, with 1,844 career points, also is closing in on Howe's total of 1,850 - second all-time to Wayne Gretzky.
Carolina captain Ron Francis, fifth on the NHL's all-time points list with 1,758, entered the season needing 13 to tie fourth-place Marcel Dionne (1,771).
Pittsburgh captain Mario Lemieux needs eight points to become just the seventh player in history to reach 1,700.
Detroit's Brett Hull, fifth all-time with 716 career goals, soon will pass fourth-place Phil Esposito (717). Third-place Marcel Dionne (731) is also within Hull's reach.
New Jersey's Martin Brodeur last season became the first goaltender in history to post four, 40-win seasons and joined Patrick Roy as the only netminders with eight consecutive 30-win campaigns. Can he extend both marks?
New Jersey captain Scott Stevens, with 1,597 career games heading into the season, needed three appearances to become the sixth player to reach 1,600. Shortly thereafter Stevens will surpass the all-time leaders among defensemen, Larry Murphy (1,615) and Ray Bourque (1,612).
