NHL Power Rankings: St. Louis Blues start 2019-20 season on top

As the St. Louis Blues title defense and the 2019-20 NHL season get underway, this week’s NHL Power Rankings takes a look at where each team stands.

Hockey is back. Fans have survived a long summer. The puck can’t drop soon enough. Every team gets to start off with a clean slate as they try to win the Stanley Cup. This week’s NHL power rankings will take a look at how each team looks going into the season.

It’s never easy to predict how the season will go when nobody has played in any meaningful games. However, there are certain teams who are going to contend for a Stanley Cup and those who won’t. Which teams are contenders and which ones aren’t? Here at Puck Prose, we’ll break down each team’s chances of lifting Lord Stanley.

Without further ado, let’s get started and see where each team stands at the start of the 2019-20 season.

31. Ottawa Senators

Last season, the Ottawa Senators had the worst record in the NHL. Things could be even worse this season, though at least they have a first round pick this year. The Senators were an all-around awful team last year but they were even worse after the trade deadline.

Once they traded 3 of their best players (Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, and Ryan Dzingel), the Sens went from terrible to downright abysmal. Without them, the Senators are, by a wide margin, the least talented team in the NHL.

This season will be more about growth for the Senators. Wins and losses honestly don’t mean much, though more losses would give them a better chance at a top 3 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, which is shaping up to be the deepest in years

Thomas Chabot is a top-notch producer and offensive driver, making him a great cornerstone piece for their blue line. However, in order to be a true franchise defenseman, he must improve defensively.

Brady Tkachuk was impressive in his first year, though his underlying stats took a noticeable dive away from Stone. He must prove his strong underlying numbers from last year were more than just a byproduct of playing with an elite two-way wing. The Senators have some exciting players, but ultimately, this is a team designed to lose.

30. Los Angeles Kings

As bad as the Senators are, the Los Angeles Kings aren’t much better. The only thing keeping them out of dead last is the hope of some of their best players bouncing back.

Let’s not beat around the bush – Drew Doughty had an awful season. He has very high standards as an annual Norris Trophy candidate and he didn’t come remotely close to meeting them. Doughty is entering the first year of his new deal that makes him the second-highest-paid defenseman in the NHL. The Kings better hope he bounces back. Nay, they need him to bounce back. Otherwise, the Kings could be stuck with yet another bad contract.

Anze Kopitar saw his usually consistently strong numbers decline as well. His age makes his decline even more worrisome. Kopitar has a good resume, so a bounce-back season isn’t out of the question. But how much can he bounce back at this point?

The Kings at least have good goaltending to look forward to. Jack Campbell is among the league’s best backup goalies and is deserving of a longer look to see if he can be a starter. Unfortunately, Jonathan Quick is in his way.

LA is stuck with a lot of bad deals, but their prospect system is quickly improving. A high draft pick in 2020 should propel them into the top five prospect pools.

28. Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres made quite a few moves this summer. Their biggest one was re-signing 40 goal scorer Jeff Skinner. It took the Sabres a while to find a scoring wing and they did what it took to keep him around long-term.

Buffalo also added quite a few pieces to the blue line. They traded for Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Colin Miller. Also, the Sabres added promising young defenseman Henri Jokiharju from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Alex Nylander.

Currently, the Sabres blueline is a bit crowded, but that’s a good thing. What’s not a good thing is Buffalo’s roster is still pretty top heavy. Jack Eichel, Skinner, and Sam Reinhart are bonafide forwards. Marcus Johansson is a nice addition, but the Sabres depth at forward is still quite shallow.

That said, there is some hope for a better season. The Sabres hired Ralph Krueger to be their head coach after firing Phil Housley. He should have the Sabres playing better. Unfortunately, Buffalo’s in the same division as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. Not to mention the Montreal Canadiens.

The Sabres are trending in the right direction, but until they add more forwards like Eichel, Skinner, and Reinhart, it’s going to be hard for them to move up in the standings.

27. Edmonton Oilers

It’s almost impressive how bad the Edmonton Oilers are despite having Connor McDavid, who is the best player on the planet, and Leon Draisaitl. Just think, the Oilers got one of the most productive seasons since the 2012-13 lockout from the former and 50 goals from the latter. Plus the Oilers got a beautiful season from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. And they were still comfortably out of the postseason.

The Oilers forward depth after McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl is flat-out embarrassing. Even if they get a bounce-back season from James Neal, who Edmonton got for Milan Lucic, they simply don’t have enough skilled forwards. Losing Jesse Puljujarvi further hurts their forward group.

Most of the improvements the Oilers make this season are going to have to come internally. Considering how terrific McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins were last season, it’s probably not coming from them, simply because it would be very hard for them to be much better.

Enter head coach Dave Tippett. He’s easily the best coach the Oilers have employed in the salary cap era. Tippett is a defensive coach who knows how to get the most out of his players. He kept the Arizona Coyotes competitive for years despite playing shorthanded as far as talent. Tippett and the Oilers have a long season ahead of them, but with McDavid and Draisaitl, anything is possible – just probably not making the postseason.

26. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets went all-in at the trade deadline. Like a gambler, they saw a hand they loved and pushed in all their chips. You have to admire them for that. Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets fell short of their goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

They went all-in because they knew they were probably going to lose their two best players – Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. As expected, the Blue Jackets lost both, with the former heading to the New York Rangers and the latter heading to the Florida Panthers.

The Blue Jackets are left with a team with zero elite players. Seth Jones is darn close to it, but I wouldn’t call him elite. The Blue Jackets are going to be defined by their defense. Columbus has a surprisingly effective blueline led by Jones and Zach Werenski.

However, the biggest question mark is their goaltending. Joonas Korpisalo has had success in a very small sample size as a starter, but he hasn’t done much in the past two seasons to suggest he can be a starter. Elvis Merzlikins has posted impressive numbers overseas, but obviously, it’s hard to nail down what the Blue Jackets should expect from him.

In a tough Metropolitan Division where every team has at least one star, it’s going to be hard for Columbus to compete. But maybe that’s the kind of team head coach John Tortorella can thrive with.

25. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have been a model of consistency since the 2012-13 lockout, making the Stanley Cup Playoffs each season until last year. They kept on going for it and now, they can’t do that anymore. It’s time for the Ducks to rebuild and they’ve got a fairly promising group of young players.

Unfortunately, these young players probably aren’t ready for huge roles. This season is going to be more about the development of those young guys than winning games. It will be about finding the guys who will receive the torch from Ryan Getzlaf, who’s been one heck of a leader for them during his career.

Getzlaf’s best days are likely behind him. He can still be a productive player, but the days of being able to pencil him in for 60 points a season while facing tough competition are probably over. It’ll be up to guys like Ondrej Kase, Rickard Rakell, Sam Steel, Troy Terry, and Maxime Comtois to step up.

All of that said, the Ducks have a faint chance of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to their goaltending. Forget what NHL Network thinks, John Gibson is the best freaking goaltender in the world. Frankly, I don’t think it’s particularly close either. Gibson has some durability concerns, but when he’s on the ice, he’s nothing short of terrific. Backup Ryan Miller isn’t too shabby either.

I’m excited to watch the Ducks this season. I can’t wait to see head coach Dallas Eakins get a second chance after rebuilding his reputation as a development guru. But unless Gibson and Miller can consistently steal games for them, the Ducks likely aren’t a playoff team. At least they’re finally getting younger, though.

24. New York Rangers

In February of 2018, the New York Rangers announced their rebuild with a letter. They’ve come a very far way in 20 months. This offseason’s move gave their rebuild a much-needed spark and infusion of elite talent.

Rookie Kaapo Kakko is a legitimate Calder Trophy contender. Yes, the rookie of the year award is a very hard one to predict. But Kakko’s more NHL ready than any teenager and he has proven he can dominate against professionals.

The Rangers also signed Artemi Panarin, who gives them a bonafide elite forward. He’s young enough that he still has a lot of excellent seasons ahead of him. Even though Panarin is making over $10 million a year, I’d argue he’s probably a little bit underpaid considering his age and his elite talent.

Jacob Trouba was another addition. The Rangers needed to replace Ryan McDonagh after trading him in 2018 and Trouba should do that for them.

Despite their great offseason, this still doesn’t look like a contending year for the Rangers. Most of their roster is young and developing. They don’t have a true second-line center right now, though I’m optimistic Filip Chytil will emerge as one by the end of the season.

Most of all, though, their defense is still a mess. But help is on the way there thanks to an impressive group of prospects. The Rangers are going to need a lot of things to go their way to make the postseason, but for the first time in 20 months, the future truly looks bright on Broadway.

23. Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes were a huge surprise last season. Despite having numerous key injuries, including one to their starting goaltender in November, they finished just four points out of a spot in the postseason.

There are some things worth noting about this, though. Firstly, it will take more than 90 points to earn a postseason spot in the Western Conference. Only the 2015-16 Minnesota Wild required fewer points to make the postseason since the start of the 2013-14 season. Secondly, the Coyotes got terrific goaltending, and goaltending is a bit unpredictable.

The addition of Phil Kessel should help their chances of making the playoffs. He’s the most talented player they’ve had in quite some time. Kessel is lethal when he has the puck. His postseason heroics helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups.

It’s clear the Coyotes are more talented than they were last year. But I’m curious if they’ll remain as strong as they were defensively. Last year, they were terrific defensively, but it cost them on offense. It’s up to head coach Rich Tocchet to balance the Coyotes offensive talent and their blueline talent.

Arizona making the postseason is certainly plausible, but it’s still not likely. If they continue to get great goaltending, the Coyotes should make the playoffs. But I’m not sold they will.

22. Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks made quite a few splashes this offseason. As is tradition, general manager Jim Benning went shopping on the first day of free agency. He signed defenseman Tyler Myers to a long-term deal and gave short-term ones to Jordie Benn and Oscar Fantenberg. The Canucks needed defensive help and they got it, albeit at an expensive price.

At the 2018 draft, they traded for Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Miller. He’s not a star, but he’s a skilled player with a bit of an edge to his game. Miller should be a nice fit anywhere in the lineup. They doubled down on skilled players who are gritty by signing Micheal Ferland later in July.

I’m a huge fan of the Canucks top-six forwards and their top-four defensemen are (finally) respectable. However, it’s the bottom part of their lineup that worries me. The Canucks third and fourth lines aren’t looking good at all. Especially since Vancouver put Sven Baertschi on waivers. He has issues with concussions, but he could have added some much-needed skill to their bottom six.

Vancouver has the tricky part of building a contender figured out. They have a young, exciting core. However, the Canucks lack depth, which is why I have them out of the postseason. Benning isn’t doing a good job of taking advantage of Elias Pettersson’s entry-level contract. He’s dirt-cheap right now. It’ll be much harder to build a contender once Pettersson is making a ton of money.

21. Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild can’t wait for the puck to drop on Opening Night. When it happens, it will officially end an offseason from hell. All of their off the ice drama was on full display this summer, as the Wild fired general manager Paul Fenton after just over a year. Despite being an aging team, Minnesota doubled down on their age by signing Mats Zuccarello to a long-term deal.

Minnesota has some very good players. Jason Zucker is primed for a bounceback year and the Wild should be very grateful Phil Kessel reportedly refused to be traded there. Eric Staal is a solid player, though his days of scoring over 30 goals are probably over. Mikko Koivu’s offense is declining, but he’s still a defensive wonder. When he’s healthy, Zach Parise is a consistent producer.

The Wild’s blueline is quietly one of the best in the NHL. Minnesota fell off a cliff last season after Matthew Dumba’s injury. That’s not a coincidence. Ryan Suter remains as steady as they come. Jared Spurgeon is among the NHL’s most underrated players.

Goaltending is what will probably keep the Wild from the postseason. Devan Dubnyk has not been nearly as good as his raw stats might suggest. The Wild make his job pretty darn easy, yet Dubnyk has struggled. Their backup, Alex Stalock, doesn’t inspire much confidence either.

If Dubnyk bounces back and can be an above-average goaltender, the Wild have a solid chance of making the postseason. But don’t hold your breath.

20. Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are a hard team to figure out. Honestly, I could see them making the postseason or I could see them finishing in last place. The Flyers have enough strong pieces to be a contender, yet they still have enough question marks to make it very hard to buy into them.

Center Sean Couturier should be in the Selke Trophy discussion every year. He is marvelous on both ends of the ice. Couturier was a Selke finalist in 2017-18 and you could make the case he was even better defensively last season. The difference? Mediocre goaltending.

The Flyers set a record of ineptitude last season, as they had eight different goalies appear in a game, the most in NHL history. It’s pretty appropriate the Flyers hold that record, given their complicated history with goaltending.

That history might be over thanks to Carter Hart. He was thrown into the flames last season, making his NHL debut in just his first professional season. Hart was impressive last season despite not even being old enough to legally buy alcohol in the United States. If he takes a step forward, the Flyers could make a run for the postseason.

Ultimately, though, the Flyers defense will likely keep them from making the playoffs.

19. Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks were historically bad defensively last season. Yet thanks to an impressive offense led by Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, they nearly made the postseason. This summer, the Blackhawks made it their goal to improve their defense. I believe they did, but it’s fair to ask just how much they improved it.

Trading for Calvin de Haan was a nice move. He has a significant history of injuries, but when he’s healthy, he’s quietly a pretty solid defenseman. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Olli Maatta (acquired for Dominik Kahun) is likely the slowest skater in the NHL. But Maatta is positionally sound and can kill penalties.

The Blackhawks lost Henri Jokiharju, which is a fairly big blow. He wasn’t awful last year despite being thrown to the wolves as far as his deployment. The Blackhawks still have very impressive depth on their blueline, but I don’t get why they traded Jokiharju for just Nylander. They easily could have gotten more.

Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner has his work cut out for him. He’s going from arguably the best defense in the NHL to one of the worst, even with the Blackhawks improvements. Chicago has enough talent up front to make a strong push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but I think they’ll fall just short.

18. Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens were mighty unlucky last season. They had 96 points, which is usually good enough to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But unfortunately, the Eastern Conference was strong last season, which means the Canadiens didn’t make the playoffs.

So why am I down on the Habs this season? I’m down on them for several reasons. The primary reason is because their division rivals all got better. Tampa Bay lost Miller, but signed Patrick Maroon, Curtis McElhinney, and Kevin Shattenkirk. Also, they still have the best roster in the NHL on paper.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs added Tyson Barrie. Yes, it came at the expense of Nazem Kadri, but the Leafs right side of the blueline is better than it has been in years. The Florida Panthers signed Sergei Bobrovsky, Brett Connolly, and Anton Stralman.

The Canadiens offseason was defined by what didn’t happen. Montreal signed Sebastian Aho to an offer sheet, but they forgot to make it hard to match. The Canadiens biggest offseason addition was Ben Chariot. That’s not going to cut it in the Atlantic Division.

Montreal’s process is very strong. I was amazed by their two-way play last season. But they needed to add some talent and that’s something they didn’t do. You need skill to win in the NHL and unless Jesperi Kotkaniemi takes a huge step forward, I don’t think the Habs have enough skill to make the postseason.

17. New Jersey Devils

This was my toughest decision. I like the New Jersey Devils a lot and I think their offseason was terrific. But I have them falling just short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They’re going to give the Metropolitan Division a heck of a run. The Devils will scare the daylights out of the New York Islanders who (spoiler!) are likely going to make the postseason. But I just don’t see them making the postseason.

That said, the Devils are definitely on the right path. I wish I had the kind of luck the Devils have in the draft lottery. They’ve been handed two number one picks (Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes) in the past three drafts. Those are two franchise centers. They’re not quite as good as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but the Devils are strong down the middle for the first time in a while.

New Jersey’s defense is better thanks to the addition of P.K. Subban. He’s coming off a rough year, but I believe it was more due to injuries than a decline. Subban’s impressive resume gives me hope he’ll bounce back. His Norris Trophy days are probably over, but he’s still easily one of the best defensemen in the NHL.

It’s going to come down to goaltending and I don’t think the Devils will get good enough goaltending to make the postseason. That said, goaltending is volatile and they do have talent there. Cory Schneider finished the 2018-19 season strong and has been impressive in the preseason. But I’m still not sold on him because of how bad he has been over the past three years.

MacKenzie Blackwood is a nice Plan B. His lack of success on his resume is a bit concerning, but he impressed me last season. However, teams now have video of him, so it’ll be interesting to see how Blackwood adjusts.

The playoffs are a realistic goal for the Devils. If everything goes right for them, they could easily make the postseason. But unless the Islanders fall off (which is entirely possible), I don’t see it happening.

16. New York Islanders

Last season, the New York Islanders took the NHL by surprise. Despite losing John Tavares in free agency, they made the Stanley Cup Playoffs and nearly won the Metropolitan Division. Head coach Barry Trotz had a plan and every one of their players bought into it.

The Islanders will once again have to overcome quite a bit of adversity to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They will be without their Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner, who signed with the Blackhawks. The Islanders are replacing him with Semyon Varlamov. That’s quite a dropoff. Mitch Korn is a goaltending guru, but he’ll have his work cut out for him with Varlamov. Thomas Greiss is a reliable tandem goalie but has never had much success as a starter.

Last season, the Islanders struggled mightily to score goals. They didn’t add anyone who should make an impact there except for Derick Brassard. And the impact he makes likely won’t be that great. The Islanders are banking on their power-play improving. If they can fix their power-play, that should help them fight off regression.

The Islanders defense was terrific last season and it might be even better this season. Devon Toews was terrific in a sheltered role and proved he deserves more minutes in the postseason, where he was arguably the Islanders’ best defenseman. Noah Dobson will probably start the year in the NHL. If he can stick, I think he’ll make their defense a bit more productive.

I’m fairly down on the Islanders because of their lack of improvements. But Trotz and Korn have had success in the past with similar teams. I’ll give them the benefit of a doubt, but they better watch out for the Devils.

15. Winnipeg Jets

A year ago, the Winnipeg Jets were Stanley Cup contenders. I had them ranked sixth overall. Now the Jets are going to struggle just to make the postseason. It’s far from a guarantee that they make it, but they’ve got so much talent, it would be embarrassing if they don’t.

The Jets took a while to do it, but they were able to sign Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor, their top two RFAs. But other than that, Winnipeg was pretty darn quiet this offseason. They traded Jacob Trouba for Neal Pionk, who struggled with the New York Rangers. Pionk has looked surprisingly solid in the preseason, but the larger sample size still says he’s barely an NHL caliber defenseman.

Winnipeg got a huge surprise recently when Dustin Byfuglien left the team. He is reportedly pondering his future. If the Jets don’t get Byfuglien back, their blue line is going to be out of sorts. He’s the heart and soul of the Jets. Byfuglien’s unique skill set is one that will be very hard to replace.

The Jets forwards should carry them this season. Laine is a terrific goal scorer and I’m banking on him bouncing back from a roller-coaster season. Nikolaj Ehlers is a strong bounce-back candidate as well. Mark Scheifele might be the best NHL player that nobody talks about. All he does is consistently produce at an extremely impressive rate.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Winnipeg misses the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they have way too much talent for me to bet against them. Even if they don’t have Byfuglien. But it’s remarkable how fast the Jets have gone from being a Stanley Cup contender to barely being a playoff-caliber team.

14. Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers have been a pretty mediocre franchise throughout their existence. They’ve only made the postseason two times in the 21st century and just five times overall in 25 seasons. Meanwhile, their neighbors, the Tampa Bay Lightning, have been a model of consistency over the past five seasons.

It’s clear the Panthers had enough of mediocrity, as they opened their checkbooks this summer. Goaltending was their biggest issue last season, as their .891% save percentage was the second-lowest mark in the league. The Panthers solved that problem by signing two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Bobrovsky’s coming off a down year, but I’d wager he’ll bounce back. He’ll have a strong defense in front of him. Speaking of their defense, the Panthers also signed Anton Stralman from the Lightning. Long-term, I don’t like the deal. But he should help them out short-term. Brett Connolly was a nice addition as well.

But their biggest addition came very early. The Panthers wooed three-time Stanley Cup champion coach Joel Quenneville to do what all old people do – move to Florida. He has a very talented roster to work with and the playoffs should be the bare minimum for this group.

The Panthers are basically doing what the Blue Jackets did at the 2019 trade deadline, except they’re investing long-term. Failure isn’t an option. Failing to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be nothing short of unacceptable.

13. Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars nearly upset the Stanley Cup champions in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It took the St. Louis Blues seven games and two overtimes to dispose of their adversaries in the second round. The Stars did a lot to improve their team this summer, but they still have a few question marks.

Their biggest move was definitely signing Joe Pavelski. He’s getting old, but he’s also one of the most consistent players around. I would be shocked if Pavelski scores over 30 goals again, but you can pencil him in for at least 20 goals. He should add a new dimension to their power play too, as he’s one of the most effective guys around the net.

I like the Corey Perry signing, though I don’t think he has much in the tank. Still, he can be a very effective pest and there aren’t many situations he hasn’t gone through. Perry enters the 2019-20 season with a ton of motivation to prove to himself and everybody else that he’s still an NHL-caliber player. He’s dirt cheap, so even if he doesn’t work out, it doesn’t really matter.

Andrej Sekera was a solid pickup as well. He should give them more defensive depth, which was a bit of a concern last season.

The Stars will rely heavily on their goaltending. Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin were unbelievable last season. They formed an extremely effective tandem. Khudobin did well enough to allow the Stars to rest Bishop, which likely helped keep him fresh.

In a tough Central Division, the Stars are going to need their young players to step up. They’re clearly a playoff team, but they could be so much more if Roope Hintz and Jason Dickinson (among others) can step up.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the 2019-20 season with a few concerns. That said, nobody can boast the elite talent they have. The Penguins have Sidney Crosby, who needs no introduction. He’s easily one of the best five players in NHL history. Evgeni Malkin is coming off a down year, but you can bet he’ll be motivated to bounce back. And, as a Capitals fan, believe me when I say a motivated Malkin is a very dangerous Malkin.

There’s also Kris Letang, who’s consistently among the best defensemen in the NHL. Few defensemen can impact a game on offense like he can. And despite what some might think, Letang’s pretty good defensively too. He takes risks, but he does a lot more good things than bad things.

The Penguins forwards are outstanding. They have a bunch of guys who can play all over the lineup. This should give head coach Mike Sullivan a ton of options, which is never a bad thing. Unfortunately, their defense isn’t nearly as good. Letang and Brian Dumoulin are legit top-pairing defensemen, but other than Marcus Pettersson, the rest of their defense doesn’t inspire much confidence. Justin Schultz, for what it’s worth, has looked great in the preseason.

Crosby and Malkin are capable of carrying the Penguins far. But carrying the Pens deep into the postseason might be a task too tall for two of the best centers of all-time.

11. San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks have had a lot of regular-season success over the past decade. Unfortunately, this has failed to translate to postseason success. The Sharks are an aging group, but they’re led by an impressive group of top-notch players.

Even without Joe Pavelski, this team should compete for the Stanley Cup. Their blueline will carry them, as they have two of the most dynamic defensemen in the NHL. Erik Karlsson has won two Norris Trophies and Brent Burns has won one and has been a finalist several times.

Obviously, the big question with Karlsson is his health. But even a less than 100% Karlsson is capable of doing things most defensemen could only dream of doing. With Burns and Karlsson leading their blueline, the Sharks have one of the most potent groups of top-four defensemen in the NHL. Especially if Marc-Edouard Vlasic can bounce back from an uncharacteristically weak season.

Logan Couture, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Evander Kane, and Kevin Labanc lead a solid group of forwards. Joe Thornton might be old, but he’s still one of the best passers around. The Sharks are going to miss Pavelski, though, and they didn’t really do anything to replace him.

San Jose is going to need a bounce-back year from Martin Jones. The Sharks had the worst goaltending in the league last year and Jones was the biggest offender. San Jose has an aging roster and it’s fair to wonder how long they can keep it up. I think they have at least one more good run left in them.

10. Colorado Avalanche

For the second straight year, the Colorado Avalanche made the postseason despite having a flawed roster. This is largely due to Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen leading one of the NHL’s most lethal forward trios. The Avalanche have a strong, young core and they’re clearly on the rise.

This summer, the Avs addressed their depth concern by trading for Nazem Kadri. He has flourished in a second-line role in the past. Kadri gives the Avalanche two legitimate centers to lead them down the middle. He also gives them a bit of an edge that they lacked at times last season.

The loss of Tyson Barrie (traded for Kadri) is notable. But thanks to the emergence of Cale Makar, it shouldn’t be a significant loss. Makar leads a quickly improving Avalanche blueline. Erik Johnson is a steady force to be reckoned with. Samuel Girard is phenomenal in transition and his refusal to commit penalties is impressive for a defenseman.

Colorado is banking on Philipp Grubauer stepping into a starting role for the first time in his career. He’s done quite well in limited sample sizes, helping the Washington Capitals win the Metropolitan Division down the stretch in 2017-18 and helping the Avs make the postseason in 2018-19.

The Avalanche are clearly Stanley Cup contenders. But will the additions of Kadri, Joonas Donskoi, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and Andre Burakovsky be enough to take them to the next level?

9. Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames won the Pacific Division last season. However, they saw a disappointing end to their season, as they were eliminated by the Avalanche in five games during the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Calgary’s goaltending was a concern last season and that hasn’t changed one bit. David Rittich started the season strong, but faltered as the season went on. Cam Talbot has a history of success, but it’s been a while since he’s been good.

The Flames have an impressive group of players at the top of their lineup. They have the reigning Norris Trophy winner in Mark Giordano leading their blueline, along with T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic, and Noah Hanifin.

Additionally, their top-six forwards are quite impressive. Johnny Gaudreau quietly flirted with 100 points, picking up a career-high 99 points. Center Sean Monahan was a point-per-game player for the first time in his career with 82 points in 78 games. Matthew Tkachuk emerged as one of the best young players in the NHL with 77 points while living up to his last name by being a pest.

However, the bottom of the lineup isn’t that great. Their fourth line was good at dominating possession but didn’t score much. I don’t see that changing. And with Milan Lucic likely on their third line, they’re probably going to struggle to score there as well.

The Flames are Stanley Cup contenders, but they’re unquestionably a flawed team. Can their top talent help Calgary overcome their flaws? That’s the $64,000 question for this group.

8. Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes became a bunch of jerks last season. After a recent history filled with underachieving despite underlying stats, the floodgates of goals opened. The Hurricanes were one of the best scoring teams in 2019, as they posted the seventh-highest 5v5 goals per hour rate after New Year’s Day.

Things really changed for the Hurricanes after they traded for Nino Niederreiter. He was a perfect fit for the team and he helped the Canes top-line take over games. Sebastian Aho emerged as one of the NHL’s premier young forwards and Andrei Svechnikov is a rising talent.

The Hurricanes strength, though, is their blueline. Nobody can boast their overall defensive depth and very few can best their talent. Leading the way is Jaccob Slavin, who is finally not underrated. Dougie Hamilton was terrific with him last season. Jake Gardiner and Brett Pesce should form an amazing second pairing. Even the Hurricanes third pairing is looking strong.

However, it’s time to address the pink elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about – their goaltending. Last season, the Hurricanes got average goaltending and that was enough to push them into the postseason. Petr Mrazek’s history is inconsistent at best. He was strong last season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he took a step back.

More importantly, the Hurricanes don’t have a great Plan B like they did last year. Curtis McElhinney served as the Canes’ security blanket in goal. This year, that role’s going to be played by James Reimer. He’s clearly a step down from McElhinney.

In front of their goaltenders, the Hurricanes are unquestionably Stanley Cup contenders. But in net, I still have some concerns.

7. Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators had an interesting offseason. General Manager David Poile pursued Matt Duchene for quite some time, but kept on falling short. Poile finally got his white whale, signing Duchene to an eight-year deal in free agency. The Predators have been looking for a second-line center and he should be the answer.

However, signing Duchene came at an expensive price. Much like when the Predators traded for Ryan Johansen, the Predators had to weaken their greatest strengths – their blue line. This time around, the Preds had to trade P.K. Subban for salary cap reasons. And unlike the Johansen trade, the Predators didn’t get a good return.

Even without Subban, Nashville has one of the top bluelines in the NHL. Roman Josi is a wonderful talent and one of the best defensemen in the NHL. The scary part? He might not be the best defenseman on his own team. In my humble opinion, that title goes to Mattias Ekholm. He’s always made a huge impact in possession, but now he’s starting to produce.

The Predators power play was inexcusably dreadful last season. They’re hoping their power play will be better and given their talent, I’m optimistic they’ll bounce back. The Predators have an impressive group of guys at the top of their lineup, but I’m skeptical of the guys below them.

6. Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals roster is starting to get old. It’s hard to believe Alex Ovechkin is already 34 years old and Nicklas Backstrom turns 32 years old in November. Their Stanley Cup window is closing and this might well be their best chance to win another Stanley Cup for a while.

There are very few safe bets in the NHL. The Washington Capitals are one of them. Every year, you can pencil them in for at least 100 points. They’ve reached that total in each season since 2014-15. The Capitals have also won the Metropolitan Division four consecutive times. They have the talent and depth to be serious Stanley Cup contenders.

Evgeny Kuznetsov could be primed for a bounce-back season. Even in a down year where he was awful defensively, his ridiculous impact on offense allowed him to be well-above-average as a center. T.J. Oshie and Jakub Vrana should continue to flank him.

The Capitals spent their offseason retooling their roster. Credit general manager Brian MacLellan for a job well done. He remade the third line by re-signing Carl Hagelin and adding Richard Panik, who has posted strong underlying numbers despite facing tough competition.

On the fourth line, the Capitals added Brendan Leipsic and Garnett Hathaway. They’re both very hard guys to play against and should make the fourth line about as pesty as they come. The additions of Hathaway and re-signing of Hagelin tell me the Caps are looking to be more aggressive on the penalty kill, which is a good sign.

John Carlson is among the NHL’s best defensemen. In his first year under his mega-deal, he had his finest season. Carlson has a few defensive concerns, but he more than makes up for it with his offense.

In net, Braden Holtby remains a franchise goaltender. Between Pheonix Copley and Ilya Samsonov, they have two capable backups. The latter will likely start the season in the AHL and appears to be the heir to Holtby’s throne. Holtby, by the way, will be a free agent after this season.

The Capitals have some flaws, but their top-end talent has proven time and time again they can overcome them. Objectively, this Caps team looks better on paper than the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2018. They’re deeper and more skilled. But of course, history will only remember them if they deliver another Stanley Cup.

5. Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights were one of the best teams in the NHL as far as expected goals before the trade deadline. At the deadline, Vegas pulled off a massive haul, acquiring Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators. After they got him, they were simply phenomenal.

A full season from Stone should be enough to push the Golden Knights to the top of the Pacific Division. Their top-nine forwards are quite impressive. They effectively have two top lines, which is something very few teams can boast.

The William Karlsson line needs no introduction. Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, and Reilly Smith led Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018. They took a slight step back in production last year, though this was expected. The trio dominated possession and remained terrific as far as expected goals.

In the postseason, Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Paul Stastny emerged as a huge threat. If they can build off their success, which has admittedly come in a small sample size, they might be the Knights’ best forward line. Which, given the success of the Karlsson trio, is saying something.

Defensively, Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore are stars. Brayden McNabb and Jon Merill are perfectly capable partners for Schmidt and Theodore (respectively). Their third pairing is a bit iffy, but their top two pairings should help minimize that issue.

As long as Marc-Andre Fleury keeps avoiding the decline all goaltenders eventually face, the Golden Knights are a serious threat to the St. Louis Blues throne.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs enter the 2019-20 season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. If they do it, it will be due to their outstanding talent up front. The Leafs struggled to find playing time for Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Nazem Kadri last season. Maybe getting rid of Kadri will help persuade head coach Mike Babcock to ride his top two horses, Matthews and Tavares, for over 20 minutes a night.

Toronto’s top concern heading into the summer was their defensive depth. By adding Tyson Barrie, they now have a legitimate group of top-four defensemen. Morgan Rielly leads the quartet after having the best season of his career.

Cody Ceci has awful underlying stats, but let’s be fair – he’s never played with anyone as good as Rielly. The Leafs have enough options that even if Ceci doesn’t work, someone likely will. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle Rasmus Sandin, who surprised people by making the Opening Night roster. Once Travis Dermott gets healthy, the Leafs blueline will be deeper than people think.

Frederik Andersen is one of the best goalies in the NHL. His workload is a bit much, but he still puts up very impressive numbers. The Leafs would be wise to try to find a reliable backup goalie so they don’t have to exhaust Andersen before the postseason starts.

This is a critical season for the Leafs. If they don’t show some significant improvement, there could be some major changes.

3. Boston Bruins

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins are roughly equal in my book. Remember, the Leafs were the only team in the East who really gave them much of a challenge in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I’m giving the nod to the team who has come out on top between the Leafs and Bruins the past two postseasons.

One thing to keep an eye on – the Bruins didn’t improve this summer. However, the rivals they need to keep an eye on did. Or at the very least, they stood still. Meanwhile, the Bruins lost Marcus Johansson.

Their Stanley Cup chances fall on the shoulders of their best players. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak form arguably the best forward trio in the NHL. However, they were mighty quiet in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Bruins weren’t a strong team at five-on-five last season. They relied quite heavily on their power-play, which was brutally efficient. The Bruins need to be better at five-on-five to maximize their chances of winning, but as they showed last season, their power play is good enough to overcome that flaw.

Defensively, Zdeno Chara remains timeless. He’s a future Hall of Famer and it’s remarkable he’s well over 40 years old, yet he still plays at such a high level. Putting Charlie McAvoy next to him seems to be helping Chara overcome his lack of speed and minimal impact on transition.

Torey Krug has a significant offensive impact from the blue line. Quietly, Brandon Carlo’s turned into a pretty solid defenseman. His impact on defense makes him the perfect candidate to play with Krug, who is never shy to push the puck up the ice.

The Bruins are a tested bunch. But they’re also a year older and they didn’t add much young blood to their roster. Still, the Bruins are about as good of a bet as you can get in the NHL. They’re going to be great. But will they be great enough to bring home another Stanley Cup?

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a great example of why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are so frustrating. Imagine, dominating the entire regular season and finishing with the most points of the salary cap era. And then you have four bad games and you’re out of the postseason.

Despite being swept by the Blue Jackets, the Lightning remain the best team in the Eastern Conference. Sure, they’re going to miss J.T Miller. But they were able to add Patrick Maroon, who gives them a skilled forward who can play a little bit heavy and gritty.

The past two seasons have seen Andrei Vasilevskiy get tired in the playoffs. Perhaps that’s why the Bolts went out and added one of the NHL’s premier backups in Curtis McElhinney. Having him around should ease Vasilevskiy’s workload, which should keep him fresh for a long postseason run.

No team can match Tampa’s top-notch talent. Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, and Steven Stamkos lead their forwards. Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh lead their defense. Vasilevskiy is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. In the past two seasons, they’ve had a Hart Trophy winner, an Art Ross winner, a Norris Trophy winner, and a Vezina winner. Their depth is pretty darn strong too.

Instead of blowing things up, the Lightning tinkered with their roster. I can’t fault them for believing so strongly in their core. It’s second to none. Four bad games don’t erase 82 games of dominance. The Lightning are rightfully the favorites to come out of the East.

1. St. Louis Blues

As expected, the reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues will start the 2019-20 season as the top team in the NHL power rankings. They’ve earned it and the Blues are bringing back most of the same roster that went from worst to first.

The Blues had the second-best record in the NHL after January 1. And they deserved to. The Blues dominated on both ends of the ice and they finally got timely goaltending. With Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko leading their forwards, the Blues are efficient and lethal on offense.

Defensively, the Blues are easily one of the best teams around. Few teams can trot out a group better than Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, and Justin Faulk. Not to mention Vince Dunn and Robert Bortuzzo. It appears the Blues will ask Faulk to play on the left side. If it pays off, they’ll have a great chance of defending their Stanley Cup.

Ultimately, their chances of repeating are going to fall on their hero Jordan Binnington. 12 months ago, he was an afterthought in the Blues organization. Now, he’s a champion. Binnington was terrific after taking over in net. He struggled at times during the postseason, but he showed impressive resilience, especially after losses.

Stanley Cup Prediction

I’m going with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Dallas Stars. The Stars are built more for postseason success than regular season success and I really like them defensively. As far as who will win… Lightning in six.