Brophy on NHL: Power Rankings

Last season Power Rankings

TW	LW	Team	Our Take
1	NR	(54-15-13)	With last season's humiliating first round defeat still fresh in their minds, the Capitals should be pumped to make amends. Ovie and Co. will be very tough to take down this year.
2	NR	(49-28-5)	The Canucks took a giant step last season, but injuries were their undoing. If they stay healthy, they should be a serious contender to make it to the Stanley Cup final.
3	NR	(47-28-7)	Any team with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is automatically a contender. They key for the Pens, as usual, is what they get from the supporting cast and if Marc-Andre Fleury gets the job done in net.
4	NR	(48-27-7)	If Crosby and Malkin form the NHL's best 1-2 punch, then Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise just might be No. 2. The question is, can goaltender Martin Brodeur get it done in the post-season?
5	NR	(52-22-8)	The Hawks were full measure for winning the Cup last season, but salary cap considerations caused GM Stan Bowman to dismantle the club. Luckily, the most important pieces of the puzzle remain.
6	NR	(41-35-6)	If the Flyers young guns learned anything about preparation and good results last season, which you'd assume would be the case, there's no reason why they can't be a solid contender in the East.
7	NR	(51-20-11)	It's getting darned close to being time for this group of Sharks to go all the way. Nobody questions their talent; it's their drive that many wonder about. If this isn't the year, expect big changes.
8	NR	(34-36-12)	New GM Steve Yzerman was very aggressive in retooling a team that was a major disappointment last season. If Vinny Lecavalier finds his game and Martin St-Louis and Steven Stamkos continue to be scoring aces, the Lightning will enjoy a great bounce back season.
9	NR	(44-24-14)	While Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk remain among the best two-way players in the league, their supporting cast is getting pretty old. Unless some of the youngsters who were successful role players can step it up a notch, it could be a difficult year for the good folks of HockeyTown.
10	NR	(46-27-9)	The Kings have a wealth of young and developing talent and are definitely moving in the right direction. GM Dean Lombardi has done a nice job building the club through the draft while supplementing it with the occasional trade and free agent signing.
11	NR	(44-32-6)	Much will depend on Pascal Leclaire's ability to bounce back from an injury-filled season, but the Senators have a lot going for them including good veteran talent as well as a coach who gets the most out of his players in Cory Clouston.
12	NR	(39-30-13)	Much will depend on centre Marc Savard's ability to return healthy from post-concussion symptoms. The arrival of Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin should give the offence a boost and Tuukka Rask looks like the real deal in net.
13	NR	(39-33-10)	The most obvious question mark is between the pipes where Carey Price, who looked shaky in pre-season, will try to believe he is worthy of being handed the No. 1 goaltender's job. The Habs have now identified new captain Brian Gionta as the club's leader.
14	NR	(45-27-10)	Scoring may be an issue, but the Sabres can rest easy knowing they probably have the best goaltender in the NHL in Ryan Miller. It will be interesting to see if little Tyler Ennis can translate his AHL success to NHL glory.
15	NR	(43-30-9)	Left themselves with a tough act to follow, but the Avs have a wealth of budding young stars. He key will be managing expectations now that nobody will be surprised by how good they can be.
16	NR	(50-25-7)	The Coyotes are in a similar boat as the Avalanche in that they are another surprise team from last season that won't sneak up on anybody this year. The addition of ageless Ray Whitney was a nice off-season move by GM Don Maloney.
17	NR	(47-29-6)	This team is built nicely from the crease out with Pekka Rinne in net and young stars Shae Weber and Ryan Suter on the blueline. Scoring has long been a problem in Nashville and that likely won't change this season.
18	NR	(39-32-11)	The Ducks have one of the best top lines in the league, but there's quite a drop off up front beyond Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. And the defence doesn't come close to resembling the Stanley Cup defence from just a few years ago.
19	NR	(38-33-11)	The Rangers suffered the bitter disappointment of missing the playoffs following a shootout loss in Game 82. Probably wouldn't have made it to the final the way the Flyers, who got the eighth seed in the East did. If their young defence improves and the goaltending is there, they should compete for a playoff spot.
20	NR	(35-37-10)	The Hurricanes weren't nearly as bad as they played last season and this should be a better year. Watch for Brandon Sutter, recently named an alternate captain, to emerge as an impact player this season.
21	NR	(35-34-13)	This high ranking is mostly based on the fact Craig Ramsay is the team's new head coach. Ramsay has some good young talent to work with and you can be sure this team will play responsible defence.
22	NR	(27-47-8)	Going out on a limb with this one, but the Oilers could be the NHL's most improved team if the kids are alright. Throw the return of some key veterans and Tom Renney's ability to teach youngsters into the mix and Edmonton could challenge for a playoff spot.
23	NR	(30-38-14)	If the defence plays to its potential the Leafs should do a better job at assisting goalies JS Giguere and Jonas Gustavsson. Phil Kessel looks like he could hit the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his career.
24	NR	(40-32-10)	The Blues have a wealth of good, young talent, but if the players don't take the next step, this team could be in trouble. When Canadiens decided they didn't want goaltender Jaroslav Halak, their playoff hero, the Blues stepped in and snagged him. Could be one of the best off-season moves in the league.
25	NR	(32-35-15)	The Jackets didn't do much in the off-season so they must be counting on goaltender Steve Mason to bounce back from a dismal year and Rick Nash to find his scoring touch.
26	NR	(38-36-8)	This team desperately needs Martin Havlat to find his game. His numbers - 18 goals and 54 points to go with a minus-19 ranking - were bitterly disappointing. The Wild also hopes Mikko Koivu continues to develop toward stardom.
27	NR	(40-32-10)	How a team thinks it will contend with Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay as top-six forwards is one of the great mysteries entering this season. The Flames need Jay Bouwmeester to find the scoring touch he had in Florida that abandoned him last season, his first in Calgary.
28	NR	(34-37-11)	Injuries have already ravaged the rebuilding Islanders with Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo out. John Tavares didn't exactly rip it up last season, but after an off-season of rest, he should come back refreshed and stronger.
29	NR	(37-31-14)	The Stars face all kinds of question marks this season including their financial security. Goalie Marty Turco took a lot of heat last season and opted to sign with Chicago, but the reality is he played behind an awful defence that was not improved in the off-season.
30	NR	(32-37-13)	New GM Dale Tallon will have to hope his goalie, Thomas Vokoun, somehow manages to emerge as an MVP candidate for this club to get out of the basement.

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