The Vegas Golden Knights will be looking to take a page out of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s book.
Tampa Bay won back-to-back championships just two years ago, and now, in just their seventh season of existence, the Golden Knights will have their chance to do so.
Vegas and the Lightning just so happen to be among the top teams in the power rankings to start the season, but with a number of other hungry contenders, both squads will have their hands full as they try to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.
32. San Jose Sharks
This may be the worst team in the salary cap era, with Mack truck-sized holes at every turn and very few up-and-comers ready for the big time. Check back at the draft lottery.
31. Montreal Canadiens
Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki are a good starting point, but it’s debatable if 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky is ready for the NHL.
30. Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Bedard will provide much-watch viewing, and Lukas Reichel is another cornerstone on a team that purged itself to be at the bottom last season.
29. Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim finished dead last in 2022-23 yet didn’t win the lottery. New coach Greg Cronin will help this team, which boasts a few very talented youngsters, learn how to actually defend.
28. Philadelphia Flyers
The return of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson may help, and coach John Tortorella will demand the best from his team, but the Flyers will be cannon fodder in the powerful Metropolitan Division.
27. Columbus Blue Jackets
It was necessary to try shoring up the defense with Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov, but the weak goaltending and the dearth of forward talent will show injuries were not the only reason the Blue Jackets were bottom feeders last season.
26. St. Louis Blues
A slow defense corps, often combustible goaltender and forward crew that looks nothing like the Stanley Cup winning team of 2019 will prove the Blues must continue to rebuild.
25. Detroit Red Wings
Adding Alex DeBrincat could be a big plus for a team that has dubious goaltending, and defense corps with players plugging holes behind Moritz Seider and Jake Walman and a weak crew of forwards.
24. Arizona Coyotes
A playoff berth is still a year or two away, but the Coyotes have made the turn by acquiring solid defensemen to work alongside a burgeoning corps of forwards that will add another blue-chip piece in Logan Cooley.
23. Washington Capitals
Yeah, injuries took their toll last season, but with Washington’s aging crew, that’s to be expected with a club whose sole focus is helping Alex Ovechkin break the goal-scoring record.
22. Nashville Predators
Goaltender Juuse Saros nearly pulled the Predators into a playoff spot last season, but even with him and one of the best defensemen in the league in Roman Josi, there is little chance of even being close this season.
21. Ottawa Senators
There are plenty of reasons to like Ottawa’s chances to be in the thick of the playoff fight and maybe even make it, but the questionable goaltending and lack of depth at both forward and defense could be the death knell.
20. Vancouver Canucks
There shouldn’t be the chaos of the last two seasons, in which the coach was fired, but even with Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and a healthy Thatcher Demko in goal, it won’t be enough.
19. Winnipeg Jets
There appears no chance top center Mark Scheifele and star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will stay and sign contract extensions, which will be an over-riding storyline throughout a season that’s starting with injury woes.
18. New York Islanders
Full and healthy seasons from Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat would provide a chance for a team that lacks scoring depth and relies too much on goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
17. Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres have so much offensive ability and are fun to watch, but relying on rookie goaltender Devon Levi to be the stop gap at this point in his career appears far-fetched for a team with too little attention to defending.
16 Pittsburgh Penguins
Adding Erik Karlsson will stoke more offense for a team that’s doing all it can to wring out more success with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but whether it’s enough appears to be a coin-flip.
15. Seattle Kraken
Reaching the second round of the playoffs was a great story. At question is whether all of those players who over-achieved can do it again, especially if Philipp Grubauer is as middling in goal as he was in the regular season.
14. Calgary Flames
It’s fair to expect Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and Jacob Markstrom will have bounce-back seasons. Uncertain is whether pending UFAs Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov will re-sign and how those decisions impact life on and off the ice.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning
Starting the season without No. 1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will make it much more of a dogfight to make the playoffs than the Lightning are used to experiencing.
12. Minnesota Wild
Being handcuffed to the tune of more than $15 million against the cap because of buyouts to Ryan Suter and Zach Parise has greatly impacted the ability to add much-needed offensive firepower.
11. Boston Bruins
Last season’s record-breaking squad is still a playoff team, but losing top two centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci would impact any team, and cripple most.
10 Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have built a fantastic top three forward lines and very strong defensive group. Relying on a goaltending tandem of Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley, as much as he saved last season, is tempting fate.
9. Florida Panthers
The defending Eastern Conference champions earned their trip to the Stanley Cup Final, but being without their top two defensemen in Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour until December will put them in a tough spot off the hop.
8. New York Rangers
New coach Peter Laviolette is the next man tasked with finding a way to guide Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko to reach their potential on an otherwise very good team.
7. Dallas Stars
The young guns — forwards Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, defenseman Miro Heiskanen and goalie Jake Oettinger — are a fantastic four. Can Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin re-ignite once again?
6. New Jersey Devils
Adding Tyler Toffoli provides more offense to an already strong squad boasting a slew of rising stars. Last season’s second-round playoff loss was a huge learning experience and reminder of what it takes to reach the next level.
5. Edmonton Oilers
It sure feels like a Stanley Cup crown is all that’s missing for Connor McDavid. The Oilers continue to push closer, adding his junior teammate Connor Brown for the latest boost, making this the best chance McDavid has had yet.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
Adding grit with the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and even Ryan Reaves shows that this team is really trying to be prepared come playoff time. Toronto has an amazing array of forward talent, but gaping holes on defense, which also need addressing.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
The time has come for Carolina to realize its potential. Injuries to Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty derailed the Hurricanes last season, but this is a potent and deep club that plays at a breakneck speed and hopes more snarl in the lineup will lead to the next level.
2. Colorado Avalanche
The 2022 champs have tried to strengthen their lineup with Jonathan Drouin to add more offensive punch, while Ryan Johansen and Ross Colton will provide missing forward depth. Provided injuries don’t crush them again, the Avalanche will be in the hunt.
1. Vegas Golden Knights
Yes, it is very difficult to repeat, especially in the salary cap era. Vegas, however, boasts essentially the same squad that marched to the crown. The potential for injuries to be an issue remains high, but this is a well-built and deep team.
–Field Level Media