We are just about three weeks away from regular season NHL hockey! Here are how teams stand going into training camps in our first set of power rankings for the 2014-15 season.
30. Carolina Hurricanes
After a massive spending spree two summers ago, the Hurricanes enter the 2014-15 season as the favorites to land prized prospect Connor McDavid. This team is not strong on any side of the puck and will struggle in an improved Metropolitan Division this year.
29. Edmonton Oilers
This team has been rebuilding for years and just has not gotten any better. The Oilers will struggle again this season and will likely end up shipping off some of their core players.
28. Ottawa Senators
Ottawa was a major disappointment last year in their first year since 1995-96 without captain Daniel Alfredsson. This offseason, they lost their new captain (and best player) Jason Spezza without adding much.
27. Buffalo Sabres
Last year's worst team has dug itself out of the cellar after a pretty decent offseason. Let's see how much the Sabres can progress in their rebuilding process.
26. Winnipeg Jets
The top six is pretty good, but the rest of the team is very weak. General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff needs to make a big move if he wants his Jets to crawl out of last place in the Central any time soon.
25. Calgary Flames
They still have a ways to go before their plan comes to fruition, but the Flames are headed in the right direction. If the youngsters pan out, Calgary will return to contention soon.
24. Florida Panthers
In the 2011 offseason, the Panthers made a plethora of big moves and surprisingly made the playoffs the following season. They had a similar offseason this past summer and could be a candidate to be a surprise team.
23. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto looked like it would be a playoff team for the second year in a row, fell on its face, and did nothing to improve this offseason. Expect the Leafs to start out well again, but falter down the stretch...again.
22. New York Islanders
Entering their final offseason in Uniondale, the Isles may have a shot to end their tenure at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum with a playoff appearance. It will take a lot, though. New York made solid improvements at forward and between the pipes, but the changes still may not be enough to crack the top eight.
21. Nashville Predators
The Preds are an iffy team this season. Goaltender Pekka Rinne needs to stay healthy, the offense needs to score enough, and the entire team needs to come together under a coach not named Barry Trotz for the first time in the franchise's history. If everything works out, Nashville could be headed for a surprising playoff appearance.
20. Arizona Coyotes
With Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the blue line and Mike Smith in net, Arizona could be considered a playoff bubble team this year. In a tough Western Conference, though, a playoff appearance could be out of the question.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets
A second-consecutive playoff appearance seemed like a definite possibility this upcoming season, but now the Jackets are in a bind with the whole Ryan Johansen contract dispute. If they do not get a deal settled, they will be without their best player and could get swallowed up in an ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division
18. New Jersey Devils
New Jersey was 0-13 in shootouts last year and missed the playoffs by five points. Just a few more shootout wins and they would have been playing some more April hockey. Will it happen this year? It's a possibility. Also, heard of goaltender Cory Schneider? He's good. Very good.
17. Vancouver Canucks
Believe it or not, Vancouver won the Ryan Kesler trade. Low expectations and a new head coach could cause the Canucks to be a huge surprise this season. But, for now, seventeenth is a safe place to rank them.
16. Philadelphia Flyers
The Broad Street Bullies will really miss veterans Scott Hartnell (now a Blue Jacket) and Kimmo Timonen (blood clots in his lungs) this season. Philadelphia better hope that the team that showed up in the second half of the 2013-14 season shows up again this year, rather than the early-season version that struggled mightily.
15. Washington Capitals
After a disappointing season in which they missed the playoffs, Washington made some big improvements on the blue line this offseason and hired a fantastic new head coach in Barry Trotz. Expect them to play postseason hockey again in the spring of 2015.
14. Colorado Avalanche
The Avs were clearly the biggest surprise in hockey, going from the league's second-worst record in 2013 to the best record in the Central Division in 2013-14. Plenty of Colorado's success was due to the fantastic play of goaltender Semyon Varlamov and a fabulous rookie head coaching season from Patrick Roy. But was Varlamov's 2013-14 a fluke? Will Roy undergo a sophomore slump behind the bench? Are veterans Jarome Iginla and Daniel Briere enough to make up for the departure of superstar Paul Stastny? Expect this team to take a step back this year.
13. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks took a 3-0 series lead on the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs...before losing four straight and watching the Kings raise the Stanley Cup two months later. Oddly enough, the Sharks were quiet this offseason. If it is broke...fix it! San Jose didn't get the memo.
12. Detroit Red Wings
Hockeytown witnessed a substandard 2013-14 season and an absolutely horrific offseason, as General Manager Ken Holland could not land any top free agents. Why are the Red Wings ranked so high? Last year's struggles are explainable in one word: injuries. Detroit's current top six forwards missed an average of 37 games last season. And Detroit still made the playoffs. This year has to be better, right?
11. Minnesota Wild
The Wild had a very good playoff run last year and should definitely be expected to return, even in an incredibly tough Central Division. The goaltending situation is a huge question mark, but this team is solid all-around otherwise.
10. Montreal Canadiens
The Habs may be a candidate for a disappointing year for several reasons. First of all, the team lost some key veterans and franchise cornerstones this past offseason. Second, Carey Price should be expected to come back down to earth this year. Nevertheless, this team went to the Eastern Conference Final last season and should definitely be considered Canada's best squad.
9. Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa had a fantastic season in 2013-14 and the Bolts are bursting at the seams with young talent. This offseason, they bolstered their blue line with additions like Jason Garrison and Anton Stralman. The question mark comes in goal; can Ben Bishop duplicate his unbelievable performance from last season? If so, this team can win the Stanley Cup. If not, the Lightning may miss the playoffs.
8. Dallas Stars
Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn formed one of the NHL's best duos last season. Now throw in Jason Spezza to the mix. That's just scary.
7. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks finished with the second-best record in hockey last season, but they get docked down to No. 7 after losing some key veterans and role players this offseason. They are a lock for the playoffs, but do not expect them to be a President's Trophy contender again this season.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
This past offseason was weird in Pittsburgh. Head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Ray Shero were fired after a pretty good season, and the Pens added enforcers like Steve Downie and Dan Carcillo. Pittsburgh is a definite Stanley Cup contender, but Marc-Andre Fleury is still an issue in net at times and nobody knows how the team will fare under new head coach Mike Johnston.
5. New York Rangers
After winning the East and coming up short in the Stanley Cup Final, the Broadway Blueshirts will look to finish the job this season. They definitely have what it takes, with an extremely strong blue line and Henrik Lundqvist in net. But will the offense produce enough to get it done?
4. Boston Bruins
Boston may take a step back after winning the President's Trophy. Losing Jarome Iginla leaves a void at right wing and the strict new rules about embellishment could come back to bite the Bruins. Still, Boston remains arguably the top team in the Eastern Conference and a top Stanley Cup contender.
3. St. Louis Blues
Two straight years, two straight first round losses. Adding Paul Stastny to the roster this offseason may help the Blues offense enough to go on a long playoff run and cement themselves among the NHL's elite.
2. Chicago Blackhawks
The Hawks were a goal away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight year and are still loaded with talent. Will they win another championship this year or will years of long playoff runs get to them?
1. Los Angeles Kings
Rule Numero Uno about preseason power rankings: always rank the champs first. Nobody has proven they are better than the Kings yet. Also, Los Angeles seems flawless in nearly every facet of the game. A repeat may in fact be in store.