I'll start by saying no. Adidas and the NHL knew these hats would be out in the world well before the 2018 NHL Draft took place, let alone any third jersey unveilings. So what follows is little more than idle speculation. But it could be worthwhile nevertheless.

Two teams have already announced plans to unveil new third jerseys on draft night — the Hurricanes and Coyotes. The Canes have teased theirs (with an update to that blog post, by the way). The Yotes, on the other hand, have kept all the details very quiet. And if it's the throwback I'm anticipating, any possible sneak peeks would completely give it away.

If any of the other 16 or 17 teams with third jerseys coming in 2018-19 plan to give us a look on Friday, it'll be a surprise. So we're left to speculate. And one great source of speculation lately has been those draft hats. I've gotten several emails and tweets asking if it's worth reading anything into some of the unique designs.

Last year, the hats were designed to match all of the new Adidas home jerseys — same colors and striping patterns. But all of the jerseys were revealed at the NHL Awards prior to draft day. Could this year's batch provide any insights to the forthcoming third jerseys?

Before we dive in, here's a look at all 31 from the NHL's official online shop.

What first stands out is the shocking lack of color — so many blacks and dark blues. It's surprising given the NHL's shift in recent years to being more colorful, what with Dallas wearing bright green, Nashville in yellow, and Edmonton in orange now. All three hats have been saddled with their more drab secondary colors — black or navy blue.

Nine NHL teams wear red primary jerseys. Only four hats are red. Florida and Washington get navy blue. Chicago, New Jersey, and Ottawa have black. The Flyers have black instead of orange. The Sharks have black instead of teal.

Actually, hang on. Four NHL teams currently wear black home jerseys, yet 11 hats are black. From what little we do know of the forthcoming thirds, black is going to be a big theme. Carolina and Philadelphia will be black — they've each confirmed that much already. I'm comfortable saying Anaheim and Arizona will be black. San Jose and Tampa Bay are good possibilities as well. And while it's unlikely, black thirds for the Islanders and Devils aren't out of the realm of possibility.

Plus, the Blackhawks will probably bring black to the Winter Classic. And lest we forget the Penguins and Flyers will meet in the Stadium Series — I'll be shocked if there are no black sweaters in that game. (Shocked but refreshed.)

What else? Two teams are using secondary logos on their draft hats — the Senators and Stanley Cup champion Capitals. The two capital cities. Interesting. Do I think they relate in any way to new jerseys? No. But I can't wait to see the concept art they inspire.

The last thing that caught my eye was the navy blue hat for the Rangers. They've always worn a royal blue jersey, much like the Islanders. And navy blue isn't even part of their official color palette. Maybe Adidas wanted some distinction between the two New York teams? Or maybe it's a precursor to another navy blue Rangers third down the road? They've already worn two in their history — the Lady Liberty jersey from 1997 and the Heritage jersey from 2010.

In any event, the countdown is on. We're just three days away from seeing the first third jerseys of the Adidas era. Until then, speculate away!

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Do the 2018 NHL Draft hats preview any new jerseys?

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