4-time documented NHL Handicapping Champion Jeff Hochman (JH-Sportsline) updates his Top 30 NHL teams every two weeks. Lets get started with his opening NHL Power Rankings for the week of October 4th.
No. 1 Vancouver Canucks (0-0-0-0) Northwest Division
Key additions on defense with Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuls give the high-scoring Canucks their best all-around team since 2007. Roberto Lunongo must hold up from playing a lot of minutes as their is no experienced goalie behind him. Elite team.
No. 2 Washington Capitals (0-0-0-0) Southeast Division
Head Coach Bruce Boudreau employs a very aggressive style on offense which helped the Capitals lead the NHL in four offensive categories last season. The defense and goal-tending need to match the offense or this team will fall from the rankings. Elite team.
No. 3 Detroit Red Wings (0-0-0-0) Central Division
They’re balk folks and well-rested! Actually, they never really went away. Detroit suffered numerous key injuries last season. After the Olympic Break, Detroit was an NHL-best 16-3-2 and looked liked the dominate team it has been for many many years. Elite team.
No. 4 Chicago Blackhawks (0-0-0-0) Central Division
Off-season subtractions leave your Defending Stanley Cup Champions a bit rattled, but the big six are still there. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell, and Marian Hossa will cause fits for most teams. Marty Turco should be solid in front of a very formidable defense. Should be another big year in the Windy City! Elite team.
No. 5 Pittsburgh Penguins (0-0-0-0) Atlantic Division
This team only had 45 regular season wins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2009. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malken, Jordan Staal, Paul Martin, Jay McKee, Zbynek Michalek, Marc-Andre Fleury in Goal, a great coaching staff, and a new crib to play in, Pittsburgh should a lot of games. Elite team.
No. 6 Boston Bruins (0-0-0-0) Northeast Division
The Bruins will be much improved on offense with the additions of Nathan Horton, Jeremy Reich, and Gregory Campbell, to go along with the leagues #2 ranked defense. Boston will be motivated from day one after their playoff collapse last season. Great team.
No. 7 New Jersey Devils (0-0-0-0) Atlantic Division
The New Jersey Devils will always play suffocating defense (#1 Defense in 2009) and they now have Ilya Kovalchuk for the entire season. This team should be moving up the rankings from this spot. Martin Brodeur, who was born in the same year as me is showing no signs of slowing down. His 2.24 GAA in 2009 ranked No. 2 in the East. Great team.
No. 8 San Jose Sharks (0-0-0-0) Pacific Division
The Sharks have no weakness and added the defending Stanley Cup Champion’s goalie to their deep roster. Antti Niemi will be motivated all season long and he has the skills to be a Top 5 goalie in 2010-11. Great team.
No. 9 Los Angeles Kings (0-0-0-0) Pacific Division
The Kings had 15 players reach at least 10 goals last season and figure to be just as dynamic this season. The Kings make it very difficult for opposing teams to lock down on one particular player, making them a tough match-up on most nights. Most people should know by now the Kings have a big, fast, and a highly-skilled defense that will keep them close in most games when their offense goes away. A big reason is amazing play of Drew Doughty and Rob Scuderi. Great team.
No. 10 Buffalo Bills (0-0-0-0) Northeast Division
No team has more stability than the Sabres. Head Coach Lindy Ruff has witnessed 154 NHL Coaching changes during his tenure in Buffalo. Now in his 13th year, Ruff has a 483-361-62 record in his career, all with Buffalo. When you have Ryan Miller in Goal you’re going to win a lot of games. His 2.22 GAA ranked No. 1 last season. Very good team.
No. 11 Philadelphia Flyers (0-0-0-0) Atlantic Division
This team is loaded and would be ranked higher, but injuries to Ian Laperriere and Michael Leighton in Goal, could have this team starting slow. All eyes will be on playoff-hero Brain Boucher, who stepped-up big time in the playoffs last spring, and should get most of the starts while Leighton misses at least the first month of the season. Very good team.
No. 12 Tampa Bay Lightning (0-0-0-0) Southeast Division
Guy Bocher was the league’s most valuable free agent head coach and will be a great fit for this team. The Southeast division has produced the lowest number of combined points for the last six straight seasons. I would expect the same to hold true this season. Only the Washington Capitals advanced to the playoffs last season from the Southeast Division, giving the Lightning an advantage with a weaker schedule than other teams in the Eastern Conference. With an exciting mix of savvy veterans and young talent, the Lightning have the pieces in place to make a return to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Good team.
No. 13 Ottawa Senators (0-0-0-0) Northeast Division
The Senators have made the playoffs in nine of the last ten years. Adding Sergei Gonchar to a very talented offensive team can only help them improve off their 44-win season last year. I have a very good vibe about this team in 2010-11. Good team.
No. 14 St. Louis Blues (0-0-0-0) Central Division
Adding Jaroslav Halak in goal will be huge for a team that doesn’t have at least one 25-goal scorer on their roster from last season. Davis Payne will be the full-time head coach after going 23-15-4 after he took over for Andy Murray.
No. 15 Phoenix Coyotes (0-0-0-0-) Pacific Division
Last year’s surprise team will take a step back this season but should still make the playoffs. They had 38 wins in 2006, 31 in 2007, 38 in 2008, 36 in 2009, and than jumped to 50 wins last season. Still a playoff team just not an Elite team.
No. 16 Colorado Avalanche (0-0-0-0) Northwest Division
Another team that took many experts by surprise last season with 43 wins, after just 32 victories two years ago. Craig Anderson faced a lot of shots last season and this year should be no different. If he plays like he did last season they will make the playoffs, but if Anderson falters it will be a long season in the Mile-High city.
No. 17 New York Rangers (0-0-0-0) Atlantic Division
This team will be on a mission after missing the playoffs by a single point last season. The big question will be, does this team have enough offense to go with their top-notch goalie? Henrik Lundqvist will need a repeat of his 2.38 GAA performance from last season if the Rangers want to make the playoffs in 2010-11.
No. 18 Nashville Predators (0-0-0-0) Central Division
Barry Trotz is arguably the best coach in all of Hockey. He’s the only coach Nashville has ever known and his players run his system flawlessly. They have made the playoffs in four out of the last five years and are the Minnesota Twins of the NHL. Never count them out!
No. 19 Calgary Flames (0-0-0-0) Northwest Division
Great defense, but will they be able to score enough? Offense has been this team’s problem, but have still made the playoffs in four of the last five years. They missed the playoffs last year and might be on the outside looking in, once again in 2010-11.
No. 20 Toronto Maple Leafs (0-0-0-0) Northeast Division)
Adding Dion Phaneuf to a team with a chip on their shoulder will do wonders in Toronto. If J.S. Giguere falters they have another potential stud in goal with Jonas Gustavsson. The wait is over as the Maple Leafs are a team on the rise. The Leafs five-year playoff drought might come to an end this seson.
No. 21 Dallas Stars (0-0-0-0) Pacific Division
Long time Stars’ Mart Turco and Mike Modano are gone. This team just doesn’t have enough depth to contend, and will likely miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
No. 22 Anaheim Ducks (0-0-0-0) Pacific Division
Filling the void left by the retirement of one of the greatest Blue-Liners of all time, Scott Niedermayer will hurt this team. Defense and Special teams are a major concern heading into this season.
No. 23 Montreal Canadiens (0-0-0-0) Northeast Division
Did the Canadiens make the right choice in keeping Carey Price instead of playoff-hero Jaroslav Halak? Time will tell but one thing is for certain—Montreal has some of the fastest skaters in all of Hockey. They can be a match-up nightmare for some slow-skating teams!
No. 24 Atlanta Thrashers (0-0-0-0) Southeast Division
Don’t let the ranking fool you. After a plethora of free-agent signings, the Thrashers are headed up this list. I like what I see in Hotlanta!
No. 25 Carolina Hurricanes (0-0-0-0) Southeast Division
After winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, the Hurricanes have made the playoffs just once. After a decade-low 35 wins last season, expect a healthy Carolina team to make some strides this season.
No. 26 Minnesota Wild (0-0-0-0) Northwest Division
They play hard every night, but a lack of talent and payroll flexibility makes it extremely difficult. The Wild have missed the playoffs two straight seasons and it seems unlikely they will make it this year.
No. 27 New York Islanders (0-0-0-0) Atlantic Division
They improved from 26 wins in 2009 to 34 wins last season. The Islanders have some good young talent and it would not shock me if they reach the 40-win plateau this season. Look for Rick DiPietro to have a nice bounce-back season in goal, now that he is two years removed from his injury.
No. 28 Florida Panthers (0-0-0-0) Southeast Division
Scoring will be a major problem this season, but they have drafted well and things could be looking up. I just don’t see them improving for at least two more seasons.
No. 29 Columbus Blue Jackets (0-0-0-0) Central Division
They have only made the playoffs one time out of the last five years. That was two years ago when they had their best regular season record with 41 wins. For a team that plays in a very tough division like the Central, makes it very tough for Columbus to reach post-season play in 2010-11.
No. 30 Edmonton Oilers (0-0-0-0) Northwest Division
They won’t end the year at No. 30 on my Power Rankings, after bottoming-out last season with just 27 wins. The lowest in all of Hockey. Things are looking up for the Oilers as Tom Renney is a great coach who should turn this team around in due time!
Be sure to pick up Jeff’s NHL picks all season long at www.rocketmansports.net!
