Power Feelings: Change at the top
This may look to you like a standard NHL “power rankings” but let me assure you, friend, that it is anything but. These rankings are based entirely on how I feel about a team’s chances of winning the Cup, meaning you can’t tell me I’m wrong because these are my feelings and feelings can’t be wrong.
Please enjoy the Power Feelings.
32. San Jose Sharks (Last time: 32)
I don't know that it's telling tales out of school to think these guys are going to be awful again this year. Feels like that's the plan. Feels like after picking a college hockey player in Boston the last two drafts, they'll want to do it again. Feels like that would be a good idea.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets (LT: 31)
Obviously there are a lot of extenuating circumstances with any analysis of this roster but they would need a bunch of their kids to take a big step to even be middling. Unfortunately I just don't see it.
30. Anaheim Ducks (LT: 30)
They gotta at least hope they can take a step with their young group. There are looming trades that might move some guys up the depth chart but I guess we'll just have to see if that ends up meaning anything.
29. Chicago Blackhawks (LT: 29)
The local media is trying to put a positive spin on an abysmal preseason. The preseason, to be clear, means absolutely nothing, but when you're doing damage control before Game 1, that seems bad.
28. Calgary Flames (LT: 23)
You know how they say if you two goalies, you have no goalies at all? The Flames seem to have three goalies. I don't know how to do the math on that.
27. Montreal Canadiens (LT: 28)
Some tough injury news in the preseason but given the state of the roster and where the other teams in their division seem to be, it looks like it's gonna be another rough season regardless. You just hope to see improvement from the ever-growing group of good young talent.
26. Seattle Kraken (LT: 26)
They got better on paper in the summer but that's a jam-packed division and also improving on a not-great roster doesn't inspire the hope I think they'd like to see in Year 4.
25. St. Louis Blues (LT: 19)
The Blues are the first team on this list here that I don't expect to be good, but it wouldn't shock me if they put together a decent enough season. The only caveat is they got great goaltending last year and finished seven points out of the playoffs. If the goaltending is even just a little above average, and nothing else changes much, it could get real rough.
24. Utah Hockey Club (LT: 25)
Tough to play against, better blue line, new market. But they gotta show me they can be different before I'll stop thinking of them as "still just the Coyotes," y'know?
23. Buffalo Sabres (LT: 24)
Hate to do this to 'em but I just don't think adding Jason Zucker and a couple depth forwards moves the needle for these guys.
22. Washington Capitals (LT: 16)
They got better this summer after making the playoffs, but in their case, "making the playoffs" felt like a one-in-a-million fluke. I like most of their additions. I don't know how much they help a team that got outscored by almost 40 last year.
21. Philadelphia Flyers (LT: 17)
Last year they had lots of reason for hope and were sunk by horrible goaltending down the stretch. Yup, they added a Calder favorite, but they didn't do anything about the goaltending at all. Maybe it improves naturally, but an improvement from "putrid" to "enough to get them into the playoff convo" seems unlikely.
20. Detroit Red Wings (LT: 20)
Wouldn't be surprised if they took a step but I'm not holding my breath. I just don't see them having enough talent to push the top four in the division.
19. Ottawa Senators (LT: 27)
Same thing as with the Wings, except: If they get Vezina-quality goaltending, which is possible if not particularly likely, there's a path for these guys.
18. New York Islanders (LT: 15)
What you think of the Islanders' chances kinda feels like it has to be based on the Penguins. If you think the Pens' rough season last year was a bit of a fluke (and I do, personally), the Isles take a step back. If not, they're at least in the running.
17. Minnesota Wild (LT: 21)
Tough to know what to make of these guys. If some of their young players step up, they're a playoff team for me.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins (LT: 18)
I've said for years that I will believe in the Pens until they give me a reason not to, and I'm willing to believe that last year was just One Of Those Things. The ceiling is pretty low, though. And if they miss out on the playoffs again, I don't know what comes next.
15. Los Angeles Kings (LT: 14)
I wrote about this recently: The Kings should be fine in the division even without their No. 1 defenseman available for months on end. But that's only because the Kraken, Flames, Ducks, and Sharks are so clearly a mile below them in quality. The Canucks, Golden Knights, and Oilers are also significantly better on paper, so the question is whether the Kings are better than the fifth-place team in the Central. Thrilling storyline for the season, huh?
14. Winnipeg Jets (LT: 7)
They were only a borderline great team last season because of the goaltender. If he takes a step back, let's just say the new coach might have his hands full trying to make up the difference. It's very much within the realm of possibility.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (LT: 11)
The key players are getting just a little bit older every day and while they did add talent up front, you gotta think the glory days are probably behind them in terms of being truly Cup Competitive. Still really good, but there might just be a bit less zip on the fastball.
12. New Jersey Devils (LT: 22)
I'm gonna take a wait-and-see approach on the ceiling here but I think with the completely new goaltending, more health for the top players, and the new coach, the floor is way higher than it was last year. If this is a top-five team, would you really be that surprised?
11. Vancouver Canucks (LT: 6)
I'm mostly putting them this low because I don't know how you can trust the goaltending as it stands right now. Totally plausible they can weather the storm for a short period of time, like say a month. What about if Thatcher Demko is out until, say, mid-December? The range of outcomes here is immense, so I'll put them right in the middle of what I see as the worst-case scenario (out of the playoffs) and the best outcome (pushing 110ish points again).
10. Boston Bruins (LT: 8)
I think they improved this summer in some ways but the loss of a reliable security blanket at the backup position could be a big problem for them. They got a lot of points out of the battery of the last few years, and they just took a huge downgrade on half of that. So I like the added offense and (maybe) improved D, but the goaltending just got a little iffy for 30ish games.
9. Nashville Predators (LT: 13)
I wanna see them do it without having to go on a 20-game point streak or whatever it was, but I have a lot of confidence they can be more consistent throughout the season. Lots to like here, and they have the assets to add to the roster as needed.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (LT: 12)
One of these days this team is gonna be "mostly healthy" all season. Hell, it might be this year. Ya never know!
7. New York Rangers (LT: 3)
Potentially a big step back from winning the Presidents' Trophy last year and I expect them to still be good, but the specter of the roster being shaken up if they can't deliver another deep playoff run is looming here. Of all the elite teams in the league, this is the one I can most easily see flubbing an early playoff matchup.
6. Florida Panthers (LT: 2)
Hard to come back from winning a Cup and do it again. But they certainly have the talent to be right there at the end of the season.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs (LT: 9)
Lucy holding the football but I am apparently willing to bet one of these days ol' Charlie Brown is gonna kick it.
4. Dallas Stars (LT: 1)
Great team. What else can ya say? That's an awful tough division, though, isn't it? Honestly, flip a coin between them and the Avs. I have no real preference between them.
3. Colorado Avalanche (LT: 5)
See above. I guess I just take the "proven MVP/Norris-level" players ahead of the Stars' "potential MVP/Norris-level" players.
2. Carolina Hurricanes (LT: 10)
I imagine this is going to be a controversial choice but I'm buying stock now just in case they finally deliver on all that promise. I think the division has come back toward them in terms of roster quality. I'm fully ready to be made fun of for this take but sometimes you have to be a little bold. Have I made it clear I don't love the East as a whole, by the way?
1. Edmonton Oilers (LT: 4)
They went to Game 7 of the Cup Final then they got better in the summer. What if the big guns show up on Day 1 extremely pissed off? Would you want to stand in their way?
