Oh for the love of Pete. Link won't die. Just because TP is more mature doesn't mean they're gonna turn it into a sappy tragedy, for bloody sake.
And also, I believe we've established that Nintendo would never do the mistake of alienating a large part of its fandom by giving a pairing more attention. And they're also trying to avoid sappiness.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a fervent Zelinker, but let's get real here. It won't happen. It's best not to get our hopes up. Link and Zelda will not have a steamy love scene. It's best to just gather all the clues scattered in the game. It won't be blatant. To expect that will only cause disappointment.
I think, on the other hand, that cow mobs would be totally cool.

Unfortunately, if sitting on Epona was the best way to avoid being killed by cuckoos because she made you invincible, I fear what this newfound horseback vulnerability will do to the world of animal slashing.
As for bringing back characters, it's proven that the Gorons are back. It can be assumed that the Zoras are too, as Gorons and Zoras are practically always thrown in together. More specifically, I hope they'll have included characters from OoT that have aged and who remember OoT's Link, since, as they say, TP is timed a couple of years after OoT.
As for the Skull Kid, he'll probably be the kind who summons enemies to "play", just as he played in OoT, in the Lost Woods.
Frankly, what excites me the most are the vast sceneries. I loved TWW for being so immense (if a bit empty). To have an actual Hyrule that size makes me giddy. I always liked riding horseback on Epona in OoT, but the field felt so tiny. Now... well, joy fills me to the brim.
The impression I get is that the development team is working hard at keeping a tight hold on what makes the series so great. I saw the trailers and demos and frankly, I get this feeling of coiled perfection. Like everything was thought out, like there's a perfect balance of every element in the game, and it's all taut under a smooth exterior, waiting to be put to the test, and sure not to disappoint.
Really, TP is going to be a beautiful game. I don't care if it doesn't surpass OoT (even though Nintendo says they're striving to do just that), as long as they keep me keen, I'm going to love it.