The new NHL season is finally here! A winter and spring full of delightful hockey. This season is already not without sadness, though, as we lost Johnny Gaudreau in a terribly tragic accident.
It will be hard not to see him on the ice this year, but we can hope that the NHL honors him and his brother’s memory through the sport that they loved so much.
With that being said, let’s take a look at how the teams are stacked up against each other before the season starts.
Which teams are vying at the top of the NHL power rankings this season?
32. San Jose Sharks
It should be no surprise to anyone that the Sharks once again find themselves at the bottom after the season they had last year. While they did make moves to try and make themselves better, it’s unlikely they solved all their woes in just a couple of months. The good thing about the bar being so low is you have plenty of room to impress.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
It’s hard not to feel bad for this team. Bad luck and tragedy have stricken them at every corner. I wish I could tell you that they have some hope for their future, but that would probably be a bit too optimistic. Hopefully, they can surprise me.
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30. Anaheim Ducks
With John Gibson out to start the season, I expect the Ducks to start in the basement and have a hard time getting out of there. They just don’t have the firepower they need to bust out of this rebuild quite yet. The hope is there, and they just need time.
29. Chicago Blackhawks
Kudos to the Hawks for actively trying to aid Connor Bedard rather than just pinning the entire franchise’s hopes on his shoulders. Adding veterans and depth is a move in the right direction, and we should see some decent improvement, but they still have a long way to go.
28. Ottawa Senators
Last year, I placed Ottawa way too high, and they completely let me down. This year the bar is being placed low, so hopefully, they have absolutely no choice but to impress me. Hopefully, don’t let me down, Ottawa. You guys have Linus Ullmark now.
27. Montreal Canadiens
Last year was a pleasant step in the right direction for Montreal until they got plagued by injuries, and the wheels went flying off the wagon. This year, they will be pinning their hopes on their young goalies rather than Jake Allen. This could either be a massive step in the right direction for the Habs or a massive step backward. We’ll have to wait and find out.
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26. Calgary Flames
A couple of years ago it really seemed like Calgary was almost to where they needed to be. Now they’re right back into rebuild mode, having overhauled their entire core at the deadline and during the offseason. It most likely won’t be a quick rebuild either, given they need to form a completely new identity.
25. Philadelphia Flyers
I want to be high on Philly after last season, but the point still stands that they are in the middle of a rebuild. They have heart, sure, but do they have the skill and experience needed to continuously compete with the best? Not to mention, Carter Hart is gone and may never come back. They may have done nothing but give up draft capital and increase expectations of themselves.
24. Washington Capitals
I know it’s strange to have a team that made the playoffs last season be this low on the list, but let’s be real with ourselves. They never should have been in the playoffs. This team is falling apart quickly with an aging core, and now that their offense, the one thing they had that set them apart from others, is fading, they’re most likely going to be falling to the basement.
23. St Louis Blues
The Blues have been in a downward spiral since they won the Cup. There’s no reason to believe that won’t continue for them this season. They’ve been staving it off as long as they can, which is admirable, but it can’t be much longer before they have to accept a rebuild.
22. Seattle Kraken
It was hard to know where to place the Kraken, because you never have any idea what team you’re going to get. Is it the team that dethroned the Avs a couple of seasons ago? Or is it the team that was in the basement in their inaugural season?
21. Minnesota Wild
The Wild are finally coming out of salary cap hell, but they still have a long way to go to pull themselves back up. They do have a fairly decent and young core to help them along the way, so there’s a chance they could speed up the process, but we probably shouldn’t hold our breaths.
20. Pittsburgh Penguins
It almost feels like blasphemy to have the Penguins this low at the start of the season. That being said, we can no longer ignore their regression. This team is old and completely reliant on Sidney Crosby to carry them through. If Tristan Jarry can’t stay healthy then that reliance will probably get even bigger until eventually Sid’s back breaks from the weight.
19. Utah Hockey Club
I didn’t really know where to put Utah, as they still have a lot of unknowns surrounding them. Given the success the players had last season, I thought it would be a safe bet to have them at least in the top 20. This gives them plenty of wiggle room to exceed or fail to meet expectations. Hopefully, Utah will treat them better than Arizona did.
18. New York Islanders
The Islanders surprised everyone by making the postseason last year, but surprised no one when they were throttled by the Hurricanes. Given their old core and the fact that they changed relatively nothing in the offseason, it’s safe to assume that we shouldn’t expect much change this NHL season. In fact, it’s likely we may even see some regression.
17. Buffalo Sabres
I’m being nice by putting Buffalo this high. I still respect their talent, but I don’t trust their ability to use it. They were a massive disappointment last season, and they’ve once again ruined any trust the fanbase had in them. Maybe they’ll turn it around this year, or maybe it’ll be yet another year of mediocrity.
16. Detroit Red Wings
To be completely fair to Detroit, they are obviously moving in the right direction, and that’s great to see. But if the last NHL season taught us anything, it’s that they still have a lot of work to do. Their defense was nothing short of atrocious last year, and when the offense couldn’t carry to victory, they got exposed. Their goalie situation is still a bit scary as well, but we’ll have to see on that one.
15. New Jersey Devils
I really wanted to put New Jersey higher, but man, last NHL season was such a slap in the face. I won’t take away their bright future, as they are very talented, but I will say they’re in danger of completely squandering that if they can’t figure it out and fast. This is an important season for New Jersey, and they cannot afford to waste it.
14. Tampa Bay Lightning
If Vasilevsky is on his game, then it’s very likely we will see a good Bolts team for another year. That being said, the departure of Steven Stamkos is indicative that times are changing in Tampa. It’s a new era for the Bolts, and whether they sink or swim is yet to be determined.
13. Nashville Predators
I was going to put the Preds lower, but the fact is they do still have the potential to be a playoff team. That potential fleets more and more every year as their core ages, and they try to patch it by adding more aging veterans, but as of right now, it’s still there. I don’t have the highest of hopes, but they can certainly surprise me again.
12. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings will be without Drew Doughty for a good chunk of the NHL season. Their defense is still very good, but goaltending is still a question, as is their offense. Ditching the 1-3-1 counter-attacking style they had will do this team favors, I think. Hopefully, they don’t run into Edmonton in the first round again.
11. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets did absolutely nothing to their roster during the offseason. Given how easily Colorado throttled them in the first round, it’s very obvious that that is not a good thing. This team is good, but they lack what they need to push them over the hump, and not doing anything to address that and hope it all works out is not the way to solve this issue.
10. Colorado Avalanche
Every single team in the top 10 is absolutely talented and elite, so placing them can be kind of hard. You have to have utmost faith in Colorado’s top 6, but their depth and goaltending let them down last year. We’ll see if that’s the case again this year, as Colorado did add a couple more depth players to their roster.
9. Carolina Hurricanes
The Canes went all in acquiring Guentzel at the deadline last year. The gamble didn’t pay off, and now Guentzel is gone, and Carolina doesn’t have much cap space to maneuver. Their core is still there, so they are still a good team, but their window does appear to be rapidly closing.
8. Vegas Golden Knights
It’s hard to ever count Vegas out. They’ve proven time and time again that they are the elite of the elite. Had they not run into Dallas in the first round last year, they very well could’ve made another deep run. That being said, their time at the top may be fleeting away. They have little cap space, and we’re already seeing pieces move on because of it. Your window is also closing in Vegas. Let’s see what you do.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
Hopefully, this spot will be a placeholder for the Leafs, and they will finally come into their own and do something big this year. I know that’s asking a lot from a team that perennially lets everyone down, but it really sucks to see Auston Matthews get wasted year in and year out. I want more for him, and Toronto should want more for him, too.
6. New York Rangers
It was a tough choice, leaving last year’s President’s Trophy winners out of the top 5. They had a deep playoff run, too, so obviously, they are a very good team. I just feel that the teams ahead of them are better. That’s not a knock on the Rangers by any means; this team is of elite caliber through and through. We will see if they can push themselves over the hump this year and capture the glory that’s eluded them for so long.
5. Boston Bruins
The best goalie tandem in the league is no longer the same, but the Bruins still have Jeremy Swayman, who may very well be the best goalie in the game today. That being said, they’ve had outstanding rosters the last two years and have been unable to make it to the third round. Given that they didn’t add much in the offseason, it’s hard to know if that routine will change.
4. Vancouver Canucks
This is me hoping Vancouver wasn’t just a flash in the pan and that they can overcome the injuries to their goaltenders. On paper, this team is so very talented. But are they as talented as they showed last year, or did they over-perform? It’s hard to say, but expectations will be high for the Canucks this year. We’ll see if the pressure is going to be too much.
3. Edmonton Oilers
There’s one big what-if surrounding Edmonton right now, and that’s Stuart Skinner. Has he finally become the number one that Edmonton needs, or was he just overperforming? If the Oilers are going to repeat the success they had last year, they desperately need Skinner at his best and for their depth players to continue producing. If that happens, they may just make another finals run.
2. Florida Panthers
You gotta have the defending champs up this high. This team has a system that they’ve gotten figured out down to the tee. They execute it so well, and it is difficult for any team to break out of it. If Bobvrosky maintains his excellent form, it’s very likely we will see yet another deep playoff run out of these guys if their roster isn’t absolutely exhausted from back-to-back Finals.
1. Dallas Stars
Sue me. I’m high on Dallas. I thought they woefully underperformed against Edmonton last year, but they’re young. It was a valuable experience. I still believe this team has what it takes to do great things. They have so much depth to bolster their already elite talent and it’s hard not to expect greatness out of them. Please don’t prove me wrong, Dallas.
