2013 Pre-Season Power Rankings #20-11

Hello & welcome to part 2 of our 3 part series of preseason power rankings! Here we have the bulk of the league. We're starting to look at potential playoff teams & maybe even Stanley Cup contenders. Let's get started:

#20

Anaheim Ducks
Good News: Teemu Selanne is back again for another year with his buddies in Anaheim. The Ducks looked strong towards the end of the season but came up short. If they want to succeed this year, they need Bobby Ryan & Corey Perry to really contribute.

#19

Ottawa Senators
More Good News: It also seems like Daniel Alfredsson will be returning to his club. Craig Anderson seems to be their #1 this year which will be a huge part to their success if he can lock it down this season. Also expect Jason Spezza & Erik Karlsson to be tipping points on whether this team makes a playoff run this season.

#18

Colorado Avalanche
Colorado has the talent & youth but what they don't have is clutch. Last season's efforts fell short at the end and that's obviously not a good thing when you're in a shortened year. If Matt Duchene can get things rolling with Paul Stastny, you'll have two very dangerous lines that will make the Avalanche a threat for the postseason.

#17

New Jersey Devils
The reigning Eastern Conference champs are back!....but with out their top line! The reports circling about the uncertainty of Ilya Kovalchuk's return & the loss of leader Zach Parise makes this team a sure bet to not repeat this year as conference champs. The Devils are still incredibly strong without them.

#16

Washington Capitals
Alot of people jump on the Capitals train every year, & who wouldn't when you got ELITE talent in Alexander Ovechkin. The Capitals added a few pieces to the puzzle in the offseason to try and beef up for the suddenly strong Southeastern division this year. With a good start this year Washington can easily become a favorite.

#15

Florida Panthers
Last year was one of the most heart-breaking losses any team had in the playoffs. After a double-overtime, Game 7 defeat to the eventual Eastern Conference champs, many people were left wondering whether or not the Panthers could of made it that far. With new "possible" addition Alex Kovalev & the rise of Jonathan Huburdeau, Florida looks as strong or even stronger than last year.

 

#14

Minnesota Wild
I know what you're thinking: "How could this be such a low ranking?? These guys are stacked this year!" Well there's a little thing called "chemistry" which we haven't seen yet since Zach Parise & the gang haven't even skated together yet in a game. This rank will rise no doubt by the end of the season.

#13

Nashville Predators
Isn't it fun watching a scrappy, hard-nosed team destroy boards night after night? The Predators lost a big piece with Ryan Suter, but with Shea Weber still in the mix sometimes you can be thankful that at least you have one!I expect big things from this Nashville team regardless of their loss.

#12

Phoenix Coyotes
Two words: Mike Smith. Geez this guy is a brick wall isn't he? It sometimes makes me wonder what a crazy fanbase this team would have if it was located somewhere else. Phoenix deserves an NHL franchise, but I'm not going to get into that. Expect nothing buy excellence this year from this squad.

#11

Carolina Hurricanes
The only reason I'm ranking Carolina this high is because, unlike Minnesota, there is "chemistry" here. The Staal brothers lived with each other as children for Christ's-sake. If Cam Ward pulls out a stellar year whilst Alexander Semin smooths in a nice transition, the Hurricanes will be the favorite in the Southeast.


Well there you have it! expect the final installment tomorrow including our #1 spot! Enjoy!

2013 Pre-Season Power Rankings #30-21

So we're back with the T.O.A. Power Rankings! This is the first installment of three depicting what we should be looking at in terms of strength entering the 2013 shortened season. Counting down from #30, let's take a look shall we:

#30

Columbus Blue Jackets
Coming off a difficult season, the Jackets are probably heading for another one. This team was exciting maybe one or two years in their franchise history, but after loosing Rick Nash to N.Y. they'll have to dig deep to get out of the cellar.

#29

New York Islanders
The Rick DiPietro saga seems to have cursed these guys for some time now. Even with John Tavares (who I believe can and will probably end up being moved) & Michael Grabner, this team struggles to get anything going. Hopefully Evgeni Nabokov can salvage a lot of games for them this year.

#28

Montreal Canadiens
I'd really like to give this club a higher ranking, but with their on again-off again success it seems pointless. Last season was a nightmare for players and fans and unless someone other than Carey Price really shines out there then this Canadiens squad is destined for the bottom in 2013.

#27

Winnipeg Jets
There are many reasons why I can place the Jets higher in our rankings, but to me there is just too much wrong going on right now. The lockout delayed what should've been the first season of a new realignment, allowing the Jets to keep there travel costs down. But with a condensed, mainly Eastern Conference schedule & talent that is still developing, I see Olli & the Jets staying right around here.

#26

Toronto Maple Leafs
It's sad when you have this many Canadian teams stuck in the bottom, but it's also sad when you have a franchise that has some of the top talent in the league that can't get it together. Some teams wish they had the fan base this club has, but when strange moves like firing Brian Burke happen then you realize why Toronto is ranked so low.

#25

Buffalo Sabres
Ryan Miller was once the best goaltender in the U.S. He's still an incredible talent, but he's not pulling out wins for his team like he used to. Players like Jason Pominville & Tomas Vanek aren't playing like that Sabres team from a couple years agao. Last years playoff push wasn't enough, and unless they pick up the pace in this condensed schedule they'll get swept behind.

#24

Calgary Flames
Calgary hasn't been elite for a while, but with all the talent they have I can't put them any lower than this. An aging Jarome Iginla & an apathetic/unmotivated Jay Bouwmeester haven't been getting the job done along with everyone up in the tundra.

#23

San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have been getting it done for a while & I'm sure they wished they never let Milan Michalek skate away in another jersey. This year's a little different though. Can they continue to get it done with both Big Joe Thornton & Patrick Marleau? Can Logan Couture razzle dazzle these guys deep into the playoffs? This year's a little different.

#22

Tampa Bay Lightning
It seems like father time has forgotten about Vincent Lecavalier & Martin St. Louis. They have to give alot of credit to the young, budding superstar that is Steven Stamkos for their seemingly new fresh legs. Beyond that the addition of Matt Carle & the idea of Victor Hedman contributing give Tampa a nice chance to make some noise this year. But they'll need alot more push to make it past the stromg Southeast Division this year.

#21

Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn seems to be the only real "star" on this Stars team. I mean yes, you now have one of the most prolific figures to ever play hockey in Jaromir Jagr, but he's now 40 & looking slow. The team lacks depth. The window on this team is closing quick with the long tenured veterans, but what's interesting is that this team is still scary on any given night.


Well, that rounds up the first of a three part installment on the pre-season rankings. Stay posted for part two: #20-11 coming soon!