NHL Power Rankings: Washington Capitals begin title defense

30. Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings are a rebuilding team who have no idea they should be rebuilding. Their roster is littered with ill-advised contracts with questionable no-trade clauses. The Red Wings were the oldest team in the NHL last season. Even with the departure of Henrik Zetterberg, that’s not going to move the needle too much. The Red Wings are still one of the oldest teams in the NHL.

Dylan Larkin will be asked to take over Zetterberg’s first-line center role. He has performed more like a second line center during his career. This is why Zetterberg’s retirement is so painful for the Red Wings – it forces everyone up into a role they probably shouldn’t be in.

Suddenly, Frans Nielsen is going to have to be a second line center when he’s much closer to being a third-line center. The scary part is their defensemen are even worse than their forwards. Mike Green, whenever he returns from an illness that will reportedly cost him the start of the season, will be the de facto number one defenseman.

The Red Wings goaltending will have to be miraculously good in order to have a chance of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But hey, at least the Wings have their first-round pick in 2019, unlike the Senators.

29. Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are a lot like the Detroit Red Wings. It’s going to be hard for any young forward to break into their lineup as most of their forwards are either young or have long-term deals. Still, the Canucks are moving in the right direction as far as adding some much-needed youth to their roster.

That’s why makes their offseason so darn baffling. Why commit so much money to Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel? Those guys are fourth line caliber forwards. All they’re going to do is make it harder for guys like Adam Gaudette to make the roster.

Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, however, give the Canucks some hope. Boeser’s coming off an outstanding season, during which he nearly scored 30 goals. He would have done so if it wasn’t for a late injury. Pettersson, meanwhile, put up record-setting numbers overseas. It’s hard to tell who the Calder Trophy winner will be, but he should be among the finalists.

The Canucks’ defense, though, is another story. When your best defenseman is either Alexander Edler or Michael Del Zotto, you know your blueline is screwed. Chris Tanev is injury prone and is likely on the trade block. But then again, the Canucks have let his trade value suffer mightily.

Vancouver finally appears to be moving in the right direction. That might take them to the first pick of the 2019 NHL Draft.

28. Montreal Canadiens

Speaking of teams who don’t know they’re rebuilding, here are the Montreal Canadiens. They’re one of the more awkward rebuilders, as most rebuilding teams aren’t paying their goaltender over $10 million. Carey Price is coming off the worst season of his career. He’ll be asked to once again carry his team.

They’ll enter the 2018-19 season a bit shorthanded, as they won’t have hastily named captain Shea Weber until at least December. Nor will the Habs have David Schlemko, who will miss about six weeks with a knee injury. Andrew Shaw, however, should be back. So hockey sticks everywhere should be on alert.

Price holds the keys to their season. Even coming off a bad season, he’s shown in the past he can be an elite goaltender. Price could turn the Canadiens into a fringe playoff team. Or he could be the reason they bottom out once again and finish far closer to the bottom of the standings than the top of them.

Brendan Gallagher and Max Domi will be asked to lead a largely unimpressive forward group. Phillip Dannault is a solid center, but he’s likely going to be asked to do way more than what he should be doing. Some youth should be inserted into the lineup this year, which is something Canadiens fans should look forward to.

27. New York Rangers

The rebuild is officially on for the New York Rangers. They’re off to a pretty great start so far, as they turned a prospect pool that previously ranked at the bottom of the NHL to one that is in the top 10 thanks to a strong draft and trade deadline.

That said, the Rangers are in the part of their rebuild where there’s going to be some pain. And considering how long they put off rebuilding, it’s deserved. The Rangers lack elite talent across the board, though Pavel Buchnevich and Filip Chytil are at least interesting.

Where they truly lack talent is on the blue line. Even if you assume Kevin Shattenkirk bounces back now that he’s fully healthy, that’s still a very weak blue line. Brady Skjei got a long-term deal, but he’s closer to a second pairing defenseman than a first pairing defenseman at this point. The Rangers, by the way, are expecting him to be the latter.

Henrik Lundqvist is, for some odd reason, still around. He wants to stick around, but it’s fair to question why. Does Lundqvist enjoy pain? Is he simply the nicest darn person ever? Give Lundqvist the Lady Byng if he goes an entire season without murdering one of his teammates.

26. Edmonton Oilers

I was one of those fools who thought the Edmonton Oilers would win the Stanley Cup last season. They clearly aren’t as great as they were in 2016-17. But the Oilers also aren’t as bad as they were in 2017-18. Or are they? They come into the 2018-19 season with far too many questions for me to have confidence in them.

If you’re looking for a reason for optimism for the Oilers, they arguably have three first-line caliber centers in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Let’s give general manager Peter Chiarelli some credit for making their wing depth so awful, at least one of the last two has to play with McDavid. Who, by the way, is light years ahead of everybody else as the best player in the NHL.

It’s not hard to see how the Oilers bounce back and make the postseason. Elite talent can carry you far and Edmonton has it with McDavid. If Cam Talbot bounces back, the Oilers are suddenly in the playoff hunt. It’s worth noting the Pacific Division is pretty darn weak outside of the Sharks and Golden Knights.

But then again, it’s not hard to see them falling apart again. If that happens again, expect heads to roll in Edmonton. Chiarelli and head coach Todd McLellan could both be fired if the Oilers don’t make the postseason again. Because frankly, having McDavid and NOT making the playoffs is inexcusable. Doing it twice is grounds for being fired.

25. Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are a much better team than they were last season. However, they’re still going to struggle this season. Rasmus Dahlin gives their blueline a building block who should develop into a franchise defenseman. Heck, he might already be one. Jeff Skinner should flourish with Jack Eichel. I’m curious to see if the Sabres extend Skinner or flip him at the trade deadline. Both make sense.

A lot of models love Buffalo and it’s easy to see why. On paper, they’ve got an improved crop of forwards, an improved blueline, and improved goaltending. I couldn’t agree more about the first two, even after accounting for the loss of Ryan O’Reilly. But I’m not buying the better goaltending.

Carter Hutton had a phenomenal season for the St. Louis Blues. However, his resume suggests he’s much closer to being a backup goalie than a starter. Which would be fine if the Sabres weren’t going to rely on him to start roughly 50 games. If that wasn’t Buffalo’s plan from the start, it will be their plan if Linus Ullmark falters.

Also, losing O’Reilly hurts because it pushes Casey Mittelstadt into a second line center role, which is something he might not be ready for. I like him a lot, but asking him to be a second line center is a bit of a stretch at this point.

Ultimately, the Sabres will show improvement this year, but I think they’re about a year (and a goaltender) away from being a playoff team.

24. Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. They doubled down on their core and it’s easy to see why they did. This is a group of guys who have won three Stanley Cups since 2009. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith are aging, but still at least good players.

However, their playoff hopes will rely on Corey Crawford’s health. Their meltdown last season began in December, when he played his last game. Crawford’s health is up in the air, as he only recently started skating with the team. Cam Ward is his backup. He’s a guy who can start for them, but his history suggests he’s a below-average starter. In fact, Ward’s been one of the worst in the NHL.

Alex DeBrincat is someone who could be the sparkplug their offense, which finished 22nd in goals scored, desperately needs. Throughout his career, all he has done is score goals and be productive. DeBrincat put up 28 goals and 52 points last season. By the end of this season, he should be a regular member of the Blackhawks top forward line.

Ultimately, Chicago’s blue line will likely cause their demise. Brent Seabrook is nosediving in the wrong direction. Keith is arguably no longer a top pairing caliber defenseman. The Blackhawks sat on their hands and did nothing meaningful this summer. Ultimately, that might be the straw that broke the quasi-dynasty’s back.

23. New York Islanders

A lot of people have the New York Islanders as one of the worst teams in the NHL. I don’t have them quite that bad, though. Yes, the Islanders were terrible and unlucky last season. But they were more of the latter than the former.

Most of the Isles issues revolved around their defense. Stanley Cup winning head coach Barry Trotz should fix a good portion of them. Expect the Islanders defense to be greatly improved. Ryan Pulock in particular could emerge as one of the Isles’ top defenseman by the end of the season.

My concern is their offense is going to have to suffer quite a bit. And keep in mind, the Islanders don’t have John Tavares anymore. This puts a lot of pressure on Mathew Barzal to be “the guy” for the Isles. I think he will flourish, but I’m not so optimistic about the rest of the forwards.

Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, and Jordan Eberle are both ending contract years. Will they be gone by the end of the year? Because the Islanders really can’t afford to lose both of those guys without getting anything in return. The Isles will probably re-sign at least one of them, but which one will it be?

Trotz has turned teams around throughout his career. But this Islanders team will require his best effort yet if he wants them to be a postseason contender.

22. New Jersey Devils

Last season, the New Jersey Devils surprised everybody by making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Of course, they required a Hart Trophy season from Taylor Hall to do so. A lot of things went right for the Devils last season. Though they’re certainly a better team on paper than they were last October, I don’t think the Devils are a lock to make the playoffs.

First of all, they had to fight off the Florida Panthers down the stretch. They’ve gotten better with the addition of Mike Hoffman. So have a number of the Eastern Conference teams the Devils had to overcome. Meanwhile, New Jersey did nothing to improve their hockey team this summer. Sure, Nico Hischier and Will Butcher (among others) should develop and improve. But still, the Devils were suspiciously quiet during the offseason.

The Metropolitan Division will be a blood bath, as it always is. But with the improved Atlantic Division, that might force the Metro to only have one wild card team instead of two like last season.

So the Devils enter the 2018-19 season with small chances of making the postseason. But hey, look what happened last year. Elite talent can help you overcome weaknesses. And the Devils have that in Hall.

21. Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes got off to a historically awful start last season. However, they finished last season extremely strong. During the month of March, the Coyotes had a 11-7-2 record. Over an 82 game span, that’s equal to a 98 point pace. Which would be enough for them to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

After a strong summer, the Coyotes are looking like a darkhorse postseason contender. They’ve got an underrated defense led by captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. If Jakub Chychrun bounces back from his injury he suffered in April, the Coyotes have a pretty darn solid blue line.

However, there are still a bit too many questions for me to have the Coyotes as a legit postseason contender. Can Alex Galchenyuk rediscover what made him so dynamic in Montreal – his ability to score goals? Where does Dylan Strome fit in the lineup? He’s at that weird place where he’s too good for the AHL and really should be in the NHL.

The Coyotes have the benefit of playing in a relatively weak division. It’s going to be a dogfight for third place and the Yotes are among the dogs in that fight. If Antti Raanta is as great as he can be, don’t be surprised to see Arizona in the postseason.

20. Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are in the same boat as the Devils. They surprised everyone to make the postseason last year, but after a relatively quiet offseason, still have some roster holes. Ian Cole is a third pairing defenseman at best. Matt Calvert might be able to replace Blake Comeau, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

However, the Avalanche are in a better place than the Devils. First of all, they have a better top line. Nathan MacKinnon was a Hart Trophy finalist. Mikko Rantanen is one of the NHL’s budding young stars. Gabriel Landeskog had a very strong bounce back year.

Secondly, I like Colorado’s defense a bit more than New Jersey’s. Erik Johnson is a very solid two-way defenseman and Tyson Barrie’s one of the better puck movers in the NHL. Nikita Zadorov is better than most people think. Samuel Girard could be one of their best defensemen by the end of the year.

Thirdly, I trust Philipp Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov more than I trust the Devils goaltenders. A huge reason for the Avalanche’s success last season was they got great goaltending. Expect that to remain true this season. And, as we all know, goaltending can be the ultimate equalizer.

19. Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes are a team I’m consistently optimistic about. And they never fail to make me look silly. But dang it, I can’t quit them. This will be the season the Hurricanes contend for a spot in the postseason.

Their defense is going to be among the best in the NHL. Jaccob Slavin should be a household name, but because his team struggles to score, he isn’t. Brett Pesce is a pretty solid defenseman who has played quite well with Slavin. Justin Faulk is a valuable weapon. Free agent signing Calvin de Haan, if healthy, should help the Hurricanes a lot.

And then there’s new addition Dougie Hamilton. Yes, he’s been traded twice for reasons that are probably dumb. But Hamilton is a bona fide number one defenseman. On a team loaded with talented blueliners, he’s unquestionably the best one.

Their offense struggled last season, but there are several reasons for optimism. Sebastian Aho is a budding star and Teuvo Teravainen finally realized his true potential. Second overall pick Andrei Svechnikov should make an immediate impact with his ability to score goals. The Hurricanes, by the way, finished 23rd in goals scored last season.

This is the last darn time I trust the Canes. Until, if we’re being honest, next season. But the Hurricanes really do have potential.

18. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have an expiration date. That much is obvious. In my opinion, it’s a heck of a lot closer than most people realize. The Ducks are the anti-Hurricanes, in that I’m usually pessimistic about them and then they make me look silly by doing well.

It’s not hard to see how the Ducks could continue cursing me – John Gibson. He’s arguably the best goaltender in the league and it’s a darn shame he wasn’t a Vezina Trophy finalist. Heck, Gibson should have gotten Hart Trophy votes the way he carried the Ducks last season.

They also have a pretty solid top line. Ryan Getzlaf, despite being over 30, is still a great player. He’s one of the most under appreciated players in the NHL. Getzlaf put up over a point per game last season (61 points in 56 games). The odds are against him repeating last season. Rickard Rakell is a budding player who became the first player other than Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Teemu Selanne to lead the Ducks in points since the 2003-04 season.

The Ducks have a pretty solid blueline, but Randy Carlyle hasn’t utilized their talent correctly. They’re also lacking in depth. The Ducks will also be without Corey Perry for quite some time. All of this adds up to being a fringe playoff team.

Can’t wait to be wrong about the Ducks again.

17. Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings got exposed by the Vegas Golden Knights. They scored just three goals in four games. Their lack of discipline hurt them. As did the Kings’ lack of speed, as the Golden Knights skated circles around them.

So what did the Kings do this offseason? Get even older by signing Ilya Kovalchuk. The Kings are an aging team and their expiration date could be this season. Anze Kopitar, Kovalchuk, Dustin Brown (who’s out with a broken finger), Jeff Carter, Trevor Lewis, Nate Thompson, Dion Phaneuf, Alec Martinez, and Jonathan Quick are each on the wrong side of 30. That’s a lot of older players to rely on.

A huge reason they made the postseason last year was due to a really bad Pacific Division. The Calgary Flames finished 14 points behind them. They also benefited from a meltdown from the St. Louis Blues, who finished four points behind them. Each of those teams has significantly improved. As have the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights.

The Kings have enough talent to make the postseason again. But their lack of youth is a bit alarming. Gabriel Vilardi, Tyler Toffoli, Adrian Kempe, Daniel Brickley (who’s in the AHL), and Tanner Pearson are the only young guys worth writing home about. The Kings have a small margin of error and they likely have a bit of regression heading their way as well. That’s a recipe for disaster.

16. Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars melted down at the end of last season. They were all but assured of a postseason spot after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 9. They had 70 points and a 33-19-4 record, good for fourth in the Central Division and fifth in the Western Conference. All the Stars had to do was not fall apart. That’s precisely what they did, as they went 9-13-4 after Feb. 9.

This led to some changes which should pay off immediately. Ken Hitchock stepped down as the head coach and got replaced by Jim Montgomery. He has a much more aggressive system than Hitchcock’s, which should suit the Stars well.

That said, Dallas is still a bit too top heavy. Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alexander Radulov, and John Klingberg are great. Jason Spezza should bounce back. Even if he does, the Stars scoring depth disappears after those guys.

How much will Montgomery help guys like Mattias Janmark, Radek Faksa, and Devin Shore? Because those are the guys who have to step up for the Stars to be a more serious postseason contender. Dallas has a pretty solid blueline and it’s going to be even better with the addition of Miro Heiskanen, their 2017 first-round pick. He should give the Stars another mobile and potentially dynamic defenseman.

The Central’s going to be tough, but I think the Stars have what it takes to fight their way into the postseason.

15. Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers had one of the most entertaining late season runs in recent memory. They went 25-8-2 after the All-Star break, finishing with 96 points, just a point shy of the Devils and Blue Jackets. To put that in perspective, the Nashville Predators had the same point pace as the Panthers in the second half.

They’ll have to avoid a slow start this year. Ultimately, that’s what doomed them last season. The Panthers have the forward depth to compete with just about anyone. Aleksander Barkov is a darkhorse Hart Trophy candidate. Vincent Trocheck is a great center who gets overlooked because he plays in a small market. Jonathan Huberdeau, Evgeny Dadonov, and Mike Hoffman are remarkable wings.

Jared McCann is a pretty solid third line center who could have a breakout year. The issue is, the Panthers defense isn’t that great. Keith Yandle is a great offensive defenseman, but it’s not a good thing when he’s on your top pairing. Aaron Ekblad is decent, but like Yandle, he probably shouldn’t be on your top pairing.

The Panthers have a very high ceiling thanks to their forward depth. But it gets limited a bit thanks to an unimpressive defense and sort of questionable goaltending from Roberto Luongo and James Reimer.

14. Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild are a team who everyone knows can be good, and even great, in the regular season. But once the postseason comes, they haven’t lived up to expectations. The Wild have lost in the first round in each of the past three seasons and haven’t made it out of the second round in over a decade.

They had a relatively quiet offseason while their division rivals made some huge improvements. The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars should both be better. And don’t count out the Colorado Avalanche, who have the talent to make up for their questionable depth.

The Wild will be relying on Eric Staal to repeat his impressive 2017-18 season, during which he scored 42 goals. It would be unwise to assume someone who’s 33 and isn’t a cheat code like Alex Ovechkin can repeat those numbers.

Probably their biggest weakness is a lack of top-notch talent. Ryan Suter is a workhorse even though he’s 33. Staal is pretty good as well. So is Zach Parise (if he’s healthy) and Mikael Granlund. Jason Zucker is as reliable as they come. Mathew Dumba is great and so is Jared Spurgeon. But it falls off after that.

This season could be the beginning of the end for the Wild. But one thing you can be sure of is Bruce Boudreau leading his team to the postseason. It’s all he does.

13. Philadelphia Flyers

Last season was a great one for the Philadelphia Flyers. They overcame a 10+ game losing streak towards the beginning of the season to make the postseason and even managed to challenge the Pittsburgh Penguins before losing to them in six games.

The Flyers will come into the 2018-19 season even stronger thanks to the addition of James van Riemsdyk. That should help the development of Nolan Patrick, who took the NHL by storm in the second half, emerging as a legit top six option. Their defense is questionable, but they’ve got an excellent top pairing to hang their hat on in Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere.

Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Jakub Voracek, and Travis Konecny should fill out their top six, which is an impressive one. But there’s an issue we need to discuss. You might want to sit down for this because it’s shocking.

The Flyers goaltending could cost them a Stanley Cup. It’s the story of their history. Other than Bernie Parent and Ron Hextall, the Flyers have had a merry-go-round of goalies. Very few of them have been impressive for an extended period of time. Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth don’t inspire confidence. Neither does Calvin Pickard. Carter Hart does, but he needs to marinate in the AHL before making his NHL debut.

But rest easy Flyers fans. You have Gritty on your side. He’s the best darn mascot on the planet.

12. Calgary Flames

Even the best roller coasters at Six Flags don’t compare to the ride that is the Calgary Flames. They’ve alternated making the postseason and missing it over the past four seasons. The Flames should once again be a postseason contender. They’ve made some changes this summer, and they’re hoping they’re the right ones.

Adding Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm should make their roster deeper. However, the Flames are unquestionably worse off without Dougie Hamilton. Lindholm could give the Flames that long coveted top line right wing they’ve been looking for.

James Neal helps Calgary address their goal scoring. Down the line, his contract will hurt. But for now, Neal’s a guy who you can rely on to score at least 20 goals a year. He joins an already talented forward group. Matthew Tkachuk is on the verge of a breakout season if he can control his temper. Which is certainly not a lock.

The Flames have the best chance of any Pacific Division team to grab that third place spot. They have the best defense among those in the dogfight. Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Hanifin, and Travis Hamonic should be enough. The Flames have enough offense and who knows what to expect from Mike Smith. All of this adds up to a flawed team, but one which should be expected to make the playoffs.

11. St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues are usually pretty quiet in the summer. But after last year’s collapse, which saw them miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs, changes were needed. And boy, did things change. The usually conservative general manager Doug Armstrong got aggressive.

He got Ryan O’Reilly from the Buffalo Sabres without surrendering any of his top prospects. The best asset he gave up was either Tage Thompson or a top 10-protected first round pick in 2019. St. Louis doubled down, signing Tyler Bozak in free agency. The Blues needed centers, and they grabbed two of them.

Next, the Blues signed an old friend in David Perron. They’re the Ross and Rachel of the NHL, but just like the Friends couple, they just can’t quit each other. The Blues then signed St. Louis native Patrick Maroon to a one-year deal. All this adds up to a very solid summer for Armstrong.

Defensively, the Blues should be very solid. Alex Pietrangelo is consistently in the Norris Trophy discussion and Colton Parayko is approaching that point. Vince Dunn and Joel Edmundson are top four defensemen.

However, the Blues will likely have issues in net. Jake Allen is coming off his worst season, though he did have an encouraging preseason. Chad Johnson is a backup with declining numbers. Ultimately, their goaltending is going to have to be better for the Blues to realize their true potential as Stanley Cup contenders.

10. Columbus Blue Jackets

This is where my list of Stanley Cup contenders start. It wouldn’t be surprising to see any of these 10 teams win the title. The Columbus Blue Jackets start this list as perhaps the most volatile of the contenders.

On one hand, they’ve never won a postseason series. But then again, remember, the Blue Jackets were a goal post away from going up 3-0 on the Washington Capitals. Of course, Lars Eller wound up scoring in overtime, which gave their Stanley Cup run the jump start it needed. In each of the past two seasons, the Blue Jackets lost to the eventual champions. So it’s clear they’re good enough to hang with them.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The Blue Jackets have two pending free agents – Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin. Depending on your feelings about Seth Jones, you could argue those are their two best players. Their franchise goaltender who has won two Vezina Trophies and their leading point producer from last season.

With Bobrovsky, Panarin, Seth Jones, and Zach Werenski, the Blue Jackets have the elite skill to contend for a Stanley Cup. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson are very nice complementary pieces and guys like Alex Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand could be significant pieces as well.

Their lack of overall depth, however, will likely cost them. But they’ve got a shot, which is all you can ask for. Now the Blue Jackets just have to hope bounces start going their way and hope their team doesn’t lose either of its two stars.

9. Vegas Golden Knights

Nobody knows a darn thing about hockey. The Vegas Golden Knights proved that last season by making an unforgettable run to the Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, their storybook ending met the Washington Capitals, who were simply the better team.

A lot of their success came because of superhuman performances. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was outstanding in the first three rounds and had his best season as the age of 33. William Karlsson picked up 78 points in 82 games and 23.4 percent of his shots on goal wound up lighting the red lamp.

These are the kind performances you can’t reasonably expect to happen. Regression is inevitable. But I think the Knights have done a lot to offset it. They signed center Paul Stastny in free agency, which gives them a really good second line center. Maybe even a first-line center if something happens to Karlsson.

Their biggest move, though, was trading for Max Pacioretty. Though he’s coming off a rough season, he’s about as reliable of a goal scorer as you’re going to find. Before last season, Pacioretty had scored at least 30 goals in each of his last five full seasons (excluding the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season).

However, their blue line will be an issue, especially for the first 20 games without Nate Schmidt. Fleury was able to hide some of their warts last season. At 34 years old, he might not be able to do that again. Despite their flaws, the Golden Knights should be right back in the thick of contention in 2018-19.

8. Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins surprised everyone last season by emerging as one of the best teams in the NHL. They held off from acquiring more talented players because they were confident in their young guns. And their young guns impressed last season.

As is tradition, their forwards will be led by the outstanding trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak. Jake DeBrusk, David Krejci, Ryan Donato, and Danton Heinen give them some nice forward depth. If David Backes is healthy, he should help as well, though his days as a top six forward are likely over.

Defensively, the Bruins will rely on Charlie McAvoy and the timeless Zdeno Chara. Torey Krug will miss the start of the season, but once he gets back on the ice, the Bruins blueline is going to be pretty solid. Keep an eye on Matt Grzelcyk too, although the signing of John Moore might complicate things.

As far as their goaltending, Tuukka Rask will once again lead the way. He’s a solid, if unremarkable goaltender. Rask does, however, struggle in the postseason. Jaroslav Halak is a less reliable backup option than Anton Khudobin, who the Bruins lost to the Stars.

Missing out on John Tavares could haunt them for decades. He was precisely what they needed. But even with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning in their division, the Bruins have a well-balanced roster and just enough top-notch talent to be serious Stanley Cup contenders.

7. San Jose Sharks

Last season, the San Jose Sharks finished very strong. They entered the month of March with a 34-21-9 record and ended the season with a 45-27-10 record. The Sharks swept the Ducks and gave the Golden Knights a good challenge in round two before losing in six games.

General Manager Doug Wilson is never shy to go all-in. And, to no one’s surprise, that’s precisely what he did this summer. The Sharks were among the finalists for the services of Tavares. All throughout the offseason, they were in on numerous big targets, including Max Pacioretty.

In the end, Wilson got his big fish when he traded for Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators. Between Brent Burns and Karlsson, the Sharks have three Norris Trophies. Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic is one of the league’s better shot suppressors. This gives the Sharks a downright lethal blue line capable of generating offense.

That’s a good thing because San Jose’s forward core is far less impressive, though still solid. Joe Thornton is still a very good player despite his age. Though it’s fair to ask how much he has left to give considering his legs have logged a ton of miles and his last two summers have included major knee surgeries. Evander Kane was a great fit with the Sharks and should give them a much-needed goal scoring threat. Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski will be asked to continue being great.

The Sharks bottom six is a bit sketchy, but their top guys are among the league’s best. They also have pieces to make an acquisition, such as Matt Duchene or Kevin Hayes. Factor in a weak Pacific Division, and the Sharks are fully capable of making a Stanley Cup run.

6. Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets are coming off an unforgettable season. For the first time in franchise history (both old and new Jets), they made it all the way to the Conference Final before losing to the Golden Knights. The Jets picked up a franchise record 114 points and pushed the Nashville Predators for the President’s Trophy.

Winnipeg is led by their outstanding forward core. Center Mark Scheifele is one of the best in the NHL after posting 60 points in 60 games. Blake Wheeler led the team with 68 assists and 91 points. Patrik Laine scored 44 goals, trailing only Alex Ovechkin, while Nikolaj Ehlers picked up a 60 point season.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was a Vezina Trophy finalist after emerging as a franchise goaltender. They’ll be expecting him to reprise his role in 2018-19, as their defense suffered a loss after the Jets didn’t re-sign Toby Enstrom.

Losing Stastny to the Golden Knights certainly didn’t help either, as the Jets were hoping to re-sign him and were clearing cap space to do so. But still, even before they traded for him at the trade deadline, Winnipeg had a very good team. The Jets should have another very successful season, potentially one that brings the Stanley Cup back to Canada.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

It has been 41 long years since the Toronto Maple Leafs last won a Stanley Cup. They have finally assembled a roster quite capable of ending the notable drought. The Leafs finished with 105 points last season, which is a franchise record. However, they didn’t live up to their lofty expectations, as they lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round.

This summer, the Leafs loaded up by signing arguably the highest profile free agent since Bobby Hull joined the WHA in John Tavares. For so long, fans had talked about local boys wanting to come home. Tavares gives them one. He also gives them arguably the best forward core in the NHL.

Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri, and Patrick Marleau should lead an impressive forward group. That’s before accounting for William Nylander who hasn’t signed a contract yet. Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen are guys who have impressed early in their careers and appear ready to take the next step.

Their defense has been criticized by many, but it’s good enough to win a Stanley Cup. Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner, and Travis Dermott form a strong left side. The right side, though, needs an upgrade. But that can wait.

Frederik Andersen is one of the better starting goalies in the NHL. Garret Sparks is a promising goalie with strong AHL numbers. The Leafs are far from a perfect team, but they have the scoring depth to be able to overcome their weaknesses.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning

Three things in life are certain – death, taxes, and the Tampa Bay Lightning (if healthy) making the Eastern Conference Final. They’ve made four of the past five Conference Finals, advancing one (2014-15). The other three times, the Lightning lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions. There might not be a safer bet than the Bolts making the postseason.

The Lightning might be the most well-balanced team in the NHL, which bodes well for their Stanley Cup chances. Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Steven Stamkos are the big names in their forward group. But don’t overlook Tyler Johnson, Yanni Gourde, Alex Killorn, and Ondrej Palat. Anthony Cirelli is someone who the Lightning like a lot and he’s undersized and undrafted. In other words, don’t be shocked if he has a breakout season like Gourde did last season.

Reigning Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman leads a very talented blueline. Anton Stralman is eternally underrated while former New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh gives them an all-purpose defenseman. Mikhail Sergachev should see more minutes after thriving in a sheltered role.

The Lightning also have a Vezina Trophy finalist in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Save for not really having a plan B in case their starting goalie gets injured, the Bolts don’t really have a glaring weakness.

3. Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are coming off a President’s Trophy season that saw them destroy everything in their path during the second half. Their season included three five-game winning streaks, including one 10 game winning streak that saw them not lose in regulation for 15 games.

It’s not a secret the Predators are led by their outstanding blue line. P.K. Subban is a consistent Norris Trophy contender, as is Roman Josi. Mattias Ekholm is a terrific defenseman and has done especially well with Subban. Ryan Ellis, who just signed a long-term deal, is another impressive defenseman. You’re not finding a better top four in the NHL than that. And the Predators have arguably the best goaltending tandem in the league as well with Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros.

Nashville also have a pretty solid forward core, despite their lack of center depth. Ryan Johansen isn’t a first line caliber center and neither is Kyle Turris. Luckily, their wings, led by Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arivdsson, more than make up for their deficiencies.

The Predators have a pretty clear Achilles’ heel in their lack of a true top center. But they’ve got enough talent that it might not matter. This team won the President’s Trophy for a reason – they’re really freaking good.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins made it their goal to win three consecutive Stanley Cups. Winning one is hard enough. Winning two is indescribably difficult. But winning three proved to be too much for the Penguins, who ran out of gas when the Washington Capitals beat them in six games in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They got the long summer they desperately needed and should come back rested and ready to take the title away from the Capitals. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are both top five centers in the NHL. Having two such centers on the same team is a luxury no one else except maybe the Maple Leafs can claim.

Derick Brassard should be much better after a full offseason. He was a bit of an odd fit after the trade deadline, but that’s understandable. Phil Kessel is coming off his most productive season and should be up to his usual tricks in 2018-19.

Their defense is solid, but if Kris Letang comes back strong from a rough season, it will be even better. It’s not among the best in the NHL, but as the Penguins have proven, you don’t need an elite (or even great) defense to win the Stanley Cup.

Goaltender Matt Murray had a rough season, as he dealt with a number of concussions and injury issues. He also dealt with the tragic loss of his father. Murray really needed a long summer to relax and re-energize. His resume is a darn good one, so expect him to bounce back.

This adds up to the team I have as my Stanley Cup favorites.

1. Washington Capitals

The reigning Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals enter the 2018-19 season as the team everyone’s looking to bring down. They’re bringing the band back together, as they’re returning all but two key players (Philipp Grubauer and Jay Beagle) from last season.

Good luck to anyone who wants to wrestle the Stanley Cup away from Alex Ovechkin, who might never let go of it. The Capitals bring back a well-balanced roster. And though there are still some question marks, it’s hard to go against a roster that overcame the odds by bringing a title to the nation’s capital.

Evgeny Kuznetsov is one of the most joyful and best players in the NHL. His creativity and playmaking make him a rising star. Kuznetsov took his game to a whole new level in the postseason. If that’s the Kuznetsov we see moving forward, watch out.

Nicklas Backstrom flirted with a point per game pace even though he no longer played with Ovechkin, one of his usual wings. He leads an impressive shutdown line and Jakub Vrana could give the line the trigger man it desperately needs.

John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, and Matt Niskanen lead an impressive group of defensemen. New head coach Todd Reirden hopes to carry over what worked for them in the postseason, which is a good thing.

Braden Holtby bounced back from a horrible regular season to be the postseason hero he was destined to be. Expect him to be back to his usual self during the regular season.

Can Pheonix Copley replace Grubauer? How will they deal with Tom Wilson’s suspension? Why is Brooks Orpik still getting regular minutes? These are but a few questions the Capitals must answer. But this is a group that has consistently had success in the past and just won the Stanley Cup.