NHL Power Rankings: Pre-Season

The pre-season NHL Power Rankings are based on last season's playoff performance and moves made in the off- season. The Avalanche are the pre season No. 1, while the Panthers are outside the top five.

The defending champions Colorado Avalanche are the top team.

Tampa Bay Lightning are going for their fourth straight Cup final appearance. They are ranked No. 2 in the NHL's pre-season power rankings.

New York Rangers are ranked third in the NHL's pre-season power rankings. They had a surprising playoff run last season.

Max Pacioretty and Brent Burns have been signed by the Montreal Canadiens. The Carolina Hurricanes have made the playoffs four seasons in a row.

Jack Campbell was traded to Toronto. Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray were signed instead.

Calgary Flames are 50-21-11-10, +85, CF%, 3rd, xGF%, 5th. They have made key additions in Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri.

Jack Campbell is the most talented goalie in the Connor McDavid era. He's also the least experienced.

Matthew Tkachuk is the new addition to the Florida Panthers. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs to their in-state rival.

David Perron is no longer with the Blues. The Avs lost just three times at home in the playoffs. Thomas Greiss will try to replace David Perroon.

Pittsburgh Penguins are 10th in the NHL. Jeff Petry has been signed to take some pressure off Kris Letang. They blew a 3-1 lead against the New York Shesterkins.

Minnesota Wild lost Kevin Fiala and almost $13 million in cap space.

David Krejci's return gives the Boston Bruins another option behind Patrice Bergeron. Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy are out of the lineup.

Washington Capitals are 13th in the NHL Power Rankings. Nicklas Backstrom is no longer a player for the Caps.

Ryan McDonagh joined the Nashville Predators. Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen are the main offensive threats for Nashville. Nashville has the second-longest current post-season streak at eight seasons.

The Los Angeles Kings are expected to take a big leap with a wave of young talent. They lost their first-round playoff series without Drew Doughty.

Vegas Golden Knights are having a disappointing start to the season. They are struggling to find a way to replace Robin Lehner.

Dallas Stars are ranked 17th in the NHL Power Rankings. Peter DeBoer will be their new coach. Jason Robertson is out for the start of the season.

Vancouver Canucks are ranked 18th in the NHL Power Rankings. Andrei Kuzmenko's signing is a good addition for the Canucks.

The New York Islanders finished the season with a record of 37-35-10. They didn't make any big-name signings during the summer.

Winnipeg Jets are 20th in the NHL Power Rankings. Rick Bowness was an odd choice for a team without a bona fide defender and an overworked goalie.

The Ottawa Senators are 21st in the NHL standings. Alex DeBrincat was one of the new faces during the Summer of Dorion.

Detroit Red Wings are 22nd in the NHL. They have made a number of acquisitions, including Ville Husso.

Johnny Gaudreau left Calgary for Columbus. Jarmo Kekalainen has made aggressive moves to get his team into the playoff conversation.

New Jersey Devils have made the playoffs just once in 10 seasons. Ondrej Palat and the Lightning lost to Palats and Palad in the last playoffs. Vitek Vanecek might be the more impactful move for the Devils.

Buffalo Sabres are 25th in the NHL Power Rankings. Last season they scored 232 goals, the most in over a decade. They lost none, so they are trying to build on the optimism sowed last season.

Seattle Kraken are struggling. They need to improve their play. They have added more scoring in Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky. Shane Wright was drafted at the draft. Phillip Grubauer's play has taken a plunge into Puget Sound.

John Klingberg was acquired by the Ducks as an asset-management move by new GM Pat Verbeek.

Brent Burns left San Jose Sharks after 11 seasons. New GM Mike Grier is trying to untangle the team's cap mess. Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are signed, leaving Mario Ferraro as their top defender.

Philadelphia Flyers are 29th in the NHL Power Rankings. John Tortorella was hired as a coach.

Montreal Canadiens are 30th in the NHL Power Rankings. Carey Price retired and Nick Suzuki is the new player.

Arizona Coyotes are ranked 31st in the NHL's pre-season power rankings. Bill Armstrong has $20 million in cap space this season and an additional $ 20 million next season.

Chicago Blackhawks are in the process of gutting their roster and have a long road ahead. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are both entering the final year of their contracts.