NHL Power Rankings: Week 1

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NHL Power Rankings

Current Rank	Last Week	Change	Team	W-L (ATS)	Power Rating	Team Comments
1				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-202	Unlike in 2010, when they were forced to tear down their roster, the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks remain relatively intact entering 2013-14.
2				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-199	The star power is there for the Penguins to take another run at the Cup, but they'll need to stay healthy, something that has been fleeting in recent years.
3				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-195	Sure, the B's lost Tyler Seguin and Nathan Horton, but Seguin had clearly worn out his welcome and Horton wasn't worth the ticket price to re-sign him.
4				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-191	Without a wealth of true goal scorers up front, the Blues will once again be forced to win with defense and goaltending. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
5				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-185	The Kings weren't far off returning to the Cup Final for a second straight year, and the pieces are in place to get there again in 2014.
6				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-181	The window is closing on the Datsyuk-Zetterberg era in Detroit. The addition of Daniel Alfredsson should infuse some additional life into an already solid squad.
7				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-176	Adam Oates did an excellent job with the talent on hand last year and now there's reason to believe the Caps can return to 'Cup contender' status.
8				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-173	The Sharks looked like they had the make-up of a legit contender last year, but once again wilted in the playoffs. This could be the last kick at the can for Thornton, Marleau and Boyle - at least in San Jose.
9				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-169	The addition of Bobby Ryan and the return to health of Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson has optimism running high in Ottawa this fall.
10				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-166	Is John Tortorella the answer in Van-city? It remains to be seen whether his coaching style - a stark contrast to that of Alain Vigneault will work.
11				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-161	Losing Bobby Ryan hurts, but there is plenty of young talent on board to pick up the slack. Anaheim has no fewer than three goaltenders capable of carrying the load.
12				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-157	Carl Hagelin and Ryan Callahan will both be sidelined to open the season so the Rangers depth will be tested early on.
13				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-151	The Habs will once again be asking a lot of goaltender Carey Price, who needs to bounce back following a rather disappointing lockout-shortened season.
14				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-149	Everything broke right for the Leafs last season but the jury is still out on whether that had something to do with the truncated season. They'll get a good test on opening night in Montreal.
15				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-145	This should be the year that things fall into place for the Wild, with the duo of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in their second year with the team.
16				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-141	This might prove to be a little high for the over-achieving Islanders, but they should bring plenty of confidence to the ice after nearly upsetting the Penguins in the opening round of last spring's playoffs.
17				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-136	Adding some blue line reinforcements will help but the jury is still out on whether the Flyers can get by with their goaltending.
18				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-131	Hopes have never been higher in Columbus as the Jackets look to build on last year's phenomenal finish.
19				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-127	The Lightning have been a major disappointment in each of the last two years but there's no shortage of talent on board and some continuity in goal with Ben Bishop.
20				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-123	There are a ton of question marks, but there's really nowhere to go but up for the Stars. At least their new unis are an upgrade.
21				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-118	It all comes down to whether goaltender Cam Ward can stay healthy. If he can, the 'Canes could make some noise in the East.
22				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-114	The Devils didn't stand pat after losing Ilya Kovalchuk to the KHL, acquiring the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Ryan Clowe and Damien Brunner among others.
23				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-111	Is this the year the young Oilers finally come into their own? That's a big question mark, but new head coach Dallas Eakins should have them pointed in the right direction.
24				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-109	The Jets made positive strides a year ago, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. I'm not sold on their goaltending - a big reason I have them ranked so low.
25				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-105	If Seth Jones and Filip Forsberg step in and produce the way they can, the Predators could turn things around in a hurry.
26				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	-102	Mike Ribeiro will give the 'Yotes an offensive boost, but this is still a team lacking punch. They'll need a bounce-back year from goaltender Mike Smith.
27				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	102	I like the way the Avs roster shapes up, but they're still a year or two away from contending for a playoff spot.
28				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	105	Perhaps the window of opportunity has already closed on the Sabres. Ryan Miller will need to shoulder much of the load in order for them to stay competitive.
29				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	108	Will the Tim Thomas experiment work out? The Panthers are banking on an awful lot of youngsters to carry them this season.
30				0-0-0-0 (0-0-0)	112	The Flames are entrenched in a long rebuilding project. Needless to say, it's going to be a long season in Calgary.