NHL Power Rankings Ahead of Regular Season Start
32. Arizona Coyotes
As I alluded to in the opening slide, the Coyotes will be fighting an uphill battle throughout the 2022-2023 season. It’s been a long time since the Yotes were relevant, and this will be another season where this team will be forgotten about.
31. Chicago Blackhawks
Years of playoff appearances and Stanley Cup victories have finally caught up with the Blackhawks. Any team in the NHL would take some bad years if it meant winning championships, but unfortunately for the Hawks, they’ve reached the ugly part of that trade-off.
30. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are lacking talent and now have a head coach whose coaching methods come straight from 2004. Nothing about this team seems competitive, especially in an Eastern Conference that has only gotten better since the end of last season.
29. Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens did re-sign Jake Allen to man the crease, but with no Carey Price, this team is missing its backbone. Montreal followed up its 2021 Stanley Cup Final appearance with a last-place finish in 2022, and this time around, I’m expecting a repeat performance.
28. San Jose Sharks
To me, the Sharks are clearly the bottom feeder in the Pacific Division. While their division rivals have either elite talent or rising stars, San Jose is aging out of its championship window and will struggle mightily this year.
27. Buffalo Sabres
Every year I want to see the Sabres improve, but this year feels like one for most of their division rivals to thrive instead. Buffalo got left behind this offseason, and it’ll be another disappointing season in western New York as a result.
26. New Jersey Devils
Like the Sabres, the Devils should be taking steps forward, and maybe this will be the season that they do, but I’m skeptical. Things in the Metropolitan Division could get interesting, and the Devils could hang around, but until I actually see that, they’ll stay closer to the bottom of this list.
25. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets had an opportunity this summer to improve upon their weaknesses and become a contender once again in the Western Conference. Instead, this is a team with no direction and major flaws that should come into this year with average-at-best expectations.
24. Seattle Kraken
Seattle had a tough time during its inaugural campaign, but the Kraken had a strong offseason. With multiple Stanley Cup champions entering the mix in 2022, I see this as a team that could surprise some people.
23. New York Islanders
The Islanders said goodbye to head coach Barry Trotz, promoting from within to find his replacement. Without their Stanley Cup-winning coach and without any injection of offensive firepower, the Islanders won’t be competitive in the Eastern Conference.
22. Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver is the ultimate wild card. The talent is there to make the Canucks a team that you have to watch out for, yet the lack of success is evident. In a weak Pacific Division, Vancouver can’t be counted out, but has this team given us any reason to count them in?
21. Dallas Stars
It’s a new year but the same story for Dallas. Unless the newly signed Mason Marchment can provide an offensive boost for the Stars, this is an aged-out team that won’t be able to score enough goals to make the playoffs.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets made the signing of the summer when they inked Johnny Gaudreau. Add in a new deal for Patrik Laine, and this is a team with some serious star power. Does Columbus have enough depth and/or experience to make things interesting in the Metro?
19. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks feel poised to take a leap forward this year after signing a trio of high-quality players in free agency. Several playoff spots in the West are open for the taking, so is Anaheim ready to pounce and claim one of those spots?
18. Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights are in shambles. They have no number one goaltender, no depth, and the once fun expansion team is now one of the most disliked franchises in the NHL. The talent is there to make the playoffs, but Vegas has a lot of obstacles to overcome to get there.
17. Boston Bruins
The Bruins have been a competitive team for years, and this year should be no different. However, the B’s are dealing with some major injuries, and with the upgrades made during the offseason by other Atlantic teams, Boston may not reach its peak until it’s too late.
16. Ottawa Senators
As one of those teams that made major upgrades, the Senators have the playoffs in their sights. Cam Talbot will be in goal (eventually), Claude Giroux will help guide this inexperienced team, and Ottawa’s young stars are only going to get better. Don’t sleep on the Sens this season.
15. Detroit Red Wings
Similar to the Senators, the Red Wings added a host of new players in free agency. It’s been several years since Detroit was a perennial contender in the NHL, but general manager Steve Yzerman is working his magic, and the Wings should be a serious threat to make the playoffs.
14. Washington Capitals
The Capitals are in a similar position to the Bruins. Washington has an aging core and some key injuries, but what puts the Caps higher on this list is the addition of Darcy Kuemper.
This team addressed its biggest need over the summer, it’s just a matter of how much the veterans on the roster still have to give and whether or not they can overcome some major absences.
13. Nashville Predators
Last year, the Predators were swept out of the playoffs in round one by the Avalanche. Since then, Nashville has added players like Ryan McDonagh and Nino Niederreiter to help bolster a group that surprised some people last year.
This may be a high opening spot for the Preds, but I think this squad has a lot of potential and one of the top defenses in the NHL. Keep an eye on the Predators this season.
12. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings returned to the postseason last spring by virtue of young players improving and veteran players remaining relevant.
This year, LA will hope for Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson to stay healthy to give the club a boost. Los Angeles will also get a boost from the recently acquired Kevin Fiala as it hopes to take advantage of an underwhelming Pacific Division.
11. Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh was able to bring back key players like Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and more this summer, keeping the team’s championship window open. Of course, the Pens will have to prove that having not won a playoff series since 2018, they are capable of doing so in 2023.
The second and third positions in the Metro feel attainable for a number of teams, and with their core intact once again, the Penguins should be in contention once again for the postseason.
10. New York Rangers
The fact that the Rangers eliminated the Penguins last year is the only reason that they’re higher on this list. The reality for New York is that this offseason did not go well, as they lost more players than they added.
Still, the talent is there for the Blueshirts, and if the “Kid Line” can progress this season, fans can expect 2022 to be the first of many deep playoff runs for this group.
9. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers made a trip to the Western Conference Final last season after otherworldly performances by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. With Jack Campbell now in goal, Edmonton has to feel confident coming into the new season.
This team has every reason to make the postseason again, but is there enough depth on the roster to help it find sustained success?
8. Minnesota Wild
Without question, the Wild are talented. However, nothing about this version of the team feels any different than previous versions.
Minnesota did well to bring Marc-Andre Fleury back, but will that be enough to propel this team beyond round one? For now, with the focus on the regular season, the Wild will be just fine and will be a playoff again, as we’ve come to expect.
7. Florida Panthers
Last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners look different and a lot less deep this season.
The Panthers scored over four goals per game during the 2021-2022 season, but don’t expect that to be the case again this year. There may also be a goaltending controversy in Sunrise worth keeping an eye on.
All in all, Florida lost ground over the summer, but just how much ground did they lose?
6. St. Louis Blues
St. Louis proved last season that it was capable of scoring goals, and now this season, the questions are about goaltender Jordan Binnington.
With a roster in place that is similar to that of last season, the Blues should be favored to finish in the top three in the Central. If Binnington can bounce back from a difficult 2021-2022 campaign, this team could find itself higher than sixth sooner than later.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
The playoffs don’t treat the Maple Leafs well, but that’s not the stage of the season for which we’re preparing.
Toronto has been a great regular season team for years, and I see no reason that that will change now. Yes, Matt Murray has a lot to prove, but the pure talent on this team will be enough to keep them in a good position for the next several months.
4. Calgary Flames
No team had a crazier offseason than the Flames.
After losing both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, the Flames managed to still come out of the summer as a winner. Huberdeau signed a long-term contract, Andrew Mangiapane re-signed with the team, and Kadri came over from Colorado in free agency.
In a Pacific Division that has very few impressive teams, the Flames may cruise to a second straight division title and could be in Presidents’ Trophy contention as well.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes, headlined by what should be a stifling defense, have one of the best rosters in the NHL.
Carolina added big names like Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty this offseason to offset the loss of players that helped the Canes win the Metro last year. With other players like Paul Stastny and Calvin de Haan added to be depth players, this team should be complete once again.
Things feel very up in the air in the Metro behind the Hurricanes, so I like this team to repeat as division champions and pace the Eastern Conference for most, if not all of the regular season.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
As was the case last offseason, the Lightning have lost key pieces of their championship-caliber squad.
Forward Ondrej Palat signed with the Devils over the summer, while defenseman Ryan McDonagh was traded to the Predators. Yes, both players will leave sizable gaps in the Bolts’ lineup, but we’ve seen this team overcome similar departures in recent years.
The Atlantic has a plethora of question marks, making it winnable for this Tampa Bay team. It’s hard to imagine a fourth straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, but at this point, there’s no reason to drop last year’s runner-up out of the top two.
1. Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche lost a lot of important players over the summer, but that doesn’t mean that this team deserves to be bounced from the top spot entering this year.
Nazem Kadri, Darcy Kuemper, and Andre Burakovsky are some of the players that the Avs will be forced to replace, but even with the question marks in Colorado’s lineup, fans should be mindful of just how deep this club was last year.
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I don’t anticipate the Avalanche dominating the Western Conference the way that they did last season, but until we actually see this team take a step backward, it deserves the benefit of the doubt. For now, Colorado holds the top spot.