2022 Preseason NHL Power Rankings
The NHL writers of TWSN have compiled a list of the top 32 teams in the league. The rankings are based on the average rank of each team.
The Coyotes are tanking for the lottery next year to land Connor Bedard. They will be in the bottom of the NHL standings for a second consecutive season.
Flyers are in a bad shape after injuries to Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis. They have a questionable new coach in John Tortorella and a roster that screams mediocrity.
The Blackhawks tried to build a team around Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews last year but it didn't work out. They are going to be bad even if they don't trade the players.
The Montreal Canadiens are expected to be in the hunt for the lottery this year. The team needs to change their mindset and improve their performance. They have reason to hope under the new direction of Martin St.Louis and the youngsters of Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkosvky.
The Sharks are ranked 28th in the NHL's preseason power rankings. They are going to have to deal with the struggles of navigating how they want to rebuild as a franchise with few assets to dangle for trades.
Buffalo Sabres have a lot of young talent spread across the roster. The foundation they have is probably the best in the league at the moment.
Seattle Kraken have added André Burakovsky and Oilver Bjorkstrand to their roster. Matty Beniers and Shane Wright are the team's two young centers. Seattle is not as exciting as Las Vegas but they are more patient and ready to deal with building their franchise the right way.
The Winnipeg Jets are in decline. They have enough talent to make it into the playoffs. Rick Bowness is a good replacement for the departed Paul Maurice. The Jets have been ranked in the top-25 in each of the last three NHL preseason rankings.
Johnny Gaudreau signed for Columbus. The Jackets are going to have some growing pains, but they have a great group of forwards.
The Ducks are another young team with great veteran additions to gear up for a regular season push. John Klingberg and Ryan Strome have been added to the team.
The New Jersey Devils are trying to win the offseason sweepstakes. They have added Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula, Brendan Smith, and Vitek Vanecek. New York is expected to make the playoffs since 2018.
The Senators have invested heavily in their team in the last few years. Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat are the latest additions. The team has a lot of potential to be a contender in Atlantic Division and even make the postseason.
The Islanders are probably the most mediocre team in the league. They didn't have a strong offseason but they just signed Mathew Barzal on an eight-year, 73.2 million dollar deal. Long Island will take another step back this year if the team remains as is with an aging supporting cast around BarZal.
Detroit Red Wings are rebuilding and have one of the deepest rosters in years. They are a sneaky pick to win a Wild Card spot this year.
The Canucks are going to be a team to keep tabs on this season. They re-signed J.T. Miller and are betting on the core they've put together over the last few years.
The Dallas Stars are a team with unknown expectations and streaky runs during the season. The Stars need to balance an aging veteran core with developing their younger talent.
The Bruins are ranked 14th in the NHL's preseason power rankings. They have a lot of injuries to overcome this season. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are returning. Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand are injured.
