Originally posted on The Score
This is the preseason edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday during the regular season.
In this edition, we look at how the teams stand following preseason play as we prepare to enter the season.
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Led by the incomparable Connor McDavid and an insane supporting cast that includes Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers once again project to be an absolute wagon in 2024-25. Edmonton was just one win away from lifting the Stanley Cup last spring, and the talented squad is undoubtedly motivated by this piece of unfinished business. That's a scary thought for the 31 other NHL teams.
The defending champions enter this campaign as a serious threat to repeat - or failing that, to at least reach the Cup Final for a third straight season. Sam Reinhart might not score 57 goals again, but the newly re-signed forward should continue to thrive alongside fellow core pieces Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.
The Stars remain one of the NHL's most well-rounded teams despite losing Joe Pavelski to retirement and Chris Tanev in free agency. Dallas' top nine is deep and boasts some promising, young talent with Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque, and Logan Stankoven. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen is exceptional at both ends, but the 2023-24 Western Conference finalists ultimately need goaltender Jake Oettinger to have a bounce-back campaign.
Is this the last dance for the Rangers as we currently know them? It could be, according to captain Jacob Trouba. With several key players set to receive major pay raises next year, including Alexis Lafreniere, K'Andre Miller, Ryan Lindgren, and Igor Shesterkin, this season is easily New York's best shot at winning the Cup. The pressure is on.
Despite iffy goaltending, the Avalanche will be a threat as long as their core is in place. However, their depth on the wings will be tested early with Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, and Artturi Lehkonen likely out to begin the season. Landeskog hopes to return early in the year, but it remains to be seen how effective he'll be after three knee surgeries and two seasons off.
Devils fans, rejoice. Barring disaster, New Jersey will almost certainly be a better team than it was in 2023-24. General manager Tom Fitzgerald was finally able to address his team's glaring goaltending problem this summer by acquiring veteran Jacob Markstrom. We also can't overlook the impact a healthy Dougie Hamilton will have, as the stud blue-liner missed most of last season with a torn pectoral muscle.
The Bruins have a clear identity as arguably the top defensive team in the league. Past Selke runner-up Elias Lindholm fills a huge void as the team's top center, and 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov makes the blue line that much bigger and formidable (Charlie McAvoy is the smallest of the starting six at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds). The Bruins are incredibly difficult to play against and will be a tough out in the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs didn't make the big trade the front office alluded to (and many fans viscerally wished for), but they do look like a stronger team thanks to some defensive reinforcements. Offensive depth and goaltending are question marks, but, once again, nothing matters for Toronto until playoff time.
It was again the summer of Barry Trotz, as the general manager took some big swings for his club, bringing in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. The Predators surpassed their modest expectations last season, but the buzz is steadily building. However, Trotz said it best - Nashville is just a good team in "fantasy hockey" until it starts winning games.
The biggest question for the Canucks is the health of elite starting goaltender Thatcher Demko, who is out indefinitely with a unique muscle injury in his knee. Vancouver should be able to stay afloat with its tandem of Arturs Silovs and Kevin Lankinen, but its ability to replicate last season's success gets murkier the longer Demko remains on the shelf.
It was a transitional summer for Carolina, and the end result has us feeling as though the consistently great Metropolitan Division squad is going to take a step back this season. The Hurricanes lost star forward Jake Guentzel and weren't able to find a suitable replacement, while blue-line fixtures Skjei and Brett Pesce are no longer in the picture. However, Carolina still factors to be competitive thanks to its strong core and coach Rod Brind'Amour.
The Golden Knights lost mainstays in the offseason and didn't do much to replace them. Still, Vegas could surge up this list if it proves the departures of Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson, in addition to numerous depth pieces, can be offset by marquee deadline adds Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl.
The Lightning lost the face of their franchise when Stamkos departed, and they "replaced" him with Guentzel. There's no replacing Stamkos, the longtime Tampa captain who buried 40 goals at age 34 last season. The Bolts will be worse off without their heart and soul, and they also traded Mikhail Sergachev. Yes, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman should keep them in the playoff hunt, but the Lightning may no longer be a true Cup contender.
The Jets didn't have a particularly active offseason but are in good shape to compete for a playoff spot so long as Connor Hellebuyck is between the pipes. Another X-factor is Nikolaj Ehlers, who spent most of the summer surrounded by trade rumors and is in the final year of his contract.
The Capitals are doing their best to remain competitive in the twilight of Alex Ovechkin's career, and they deserve some props for that. Washington made at least one major addition at all three positions, bringing in Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy, and Logan Thompson. Dubois is the most interesting acquisition, though. Will the fourth team be the charm for the inconsistent forward?
Two Kings from last season (Dubois and underrated defenseman Roy) are now Capitals, and L.A. franchise fixture Drew Doughty will be out for a while. So the Kings' already tenuous status as a borderline playoff team is looking even more questionable now. Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield will have to do a lot of heavy lifting.
Other than the signing of Anthony Duclair, there wasn't much to note from the Islanders' summer. It keeps New York in the murky middle of the NHL standings as a regular wild-card contender that ultimately doesn't make much noise.
Is this the year Ottawa makes the leap and snaps its seven-year playoff drought? If former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark can provide reliable goaltending, it could be. That was the Senators' Achilles heel a year ago, as they finished 32nd in the league with an .888 save percentage.
The Wild remain in cap-constraint hell with $14.74 million in dead money on the books from the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise contract buyouts of July 2021. As a result, general manager Bill Guerin wasn't able to add anything of consequence to help Minnesota make the playoffs, but he believes his team can rebound from an underwhelming 2023-24 season if his players stay healthy.
Will a new home bring about a new outlook for Utah? General manager Bill Armstrong isn't rushing to pencil his rebuilding club into a playoff spot just yet, but he thinks the team is past the point of taking on bad contracts for picks. That's progress. With an improved blue line that features John Marino and Mikhail Sergachev, Utah at least projects to be competitive and could make things interesting in the Western Conference wild-card race.
The Sabres expected a playoff berth last season after finishing just one point out in the previous campaign. Things didn't go according to plan, and they had an uninspiring offseason in response to extending the NHL's longest postseason drought. Lindy Ruff is back behind the Buffalo bench, but that may not be enough to change the Sabres' seemingly cursed fortunes.
Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are locked in, but is Detroit good enough yet to end its playoff drought? A full year of Patrick Kane in the fold should help, but the Atlantic Division is a gauntlet, and we're not too bullish on the Cam Talbot-Alex Lyon tandem in goal.
Though the Blues finished top 16 league-wide, St. Louis missed the playoffs and were six points out of the final spot in the West. GM Doug Armstrong made a bevy of moves this summer, headlined by the offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. Still, it feels like there's a gap between last year's postseason teams out of the West and the Blues.
The Penguins will need to drastically flip the script with the man advantage in order to have any chance at returning to the postseason. They converted on 15.3% of their power plays to rank 30th in the league a year ago. That's hard to believe considering the top unit features three surefire future Hall of Famers.
It's a new-look Kraken with a fresh head coach, Dan Bylsma, and big-money signings, Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson. A year removed from a surprise playoff appearance and first-round upset over the Colorado Avalanche, Seattle may need to reset expectations after a disappointing campaign.
The Flyers themselves will admit they're still a long way from contending, and even though they might not be very good yet, at least electrifying prospect Matvei Michkov will be involved this year.
While Canadiens fans would love to see the team turn the corner in their rebuild and make a push up the standings, that's far easier said than done in the deep Atlantic Division. If Montreal continues to make progress - specifically with its young, core players - that's a success.
Connor Bedard is going to have more established linemates to play with this season. The Blackhawks surely hope Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi are able to stay healthier than Taylor Hall, who was meant to be Bedard's top running mate in 2023-24 but could only play in 10 games because of injuries.
The young Ducks appear destined to continue floundering in 2024-25. Cutter Gauthier looks ready to make the jump to the NHL, and he comes with plenty of promise. However, Anaheim remains one of the league's worst clubs on paper.
Johnny Gaudreau's death leaves a massive hole in Columbus both on the ice and, most importantly, in the community at large. There isn't much else left to say here. We hope the Blue Jackets are able to support each other during what is an extremely difficult time for the hockey world.
Things are going to get worse before they get better in Calgary. While some effective veterans still remain intact, this is one of the worst rosters in the NHL, with major holes at center, on defense, and in goal. Flames fans better be ready to embrace a full rebuild.
The Sharks won't be as painful to watch as they were last season, but someone's got to take the last spot. The presence of Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Tyler Toffoli, and Yaroslav Askarov will likely have San Jose climbing the ranks at some point this campaign, but not just yet.
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Originally posted on The Score
Published: 1 month ago
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