Edited Jul. 17, 2022 at 6:36 p.m.
Here are my way to early division rankings for next year (thanks to @PointStamkosVasilevsky219188 for the idea):
Metro
1) Canes
2) Rangers
3) Devils
4) Penguins
PLAYOFF CUTOFF
5) Blue Jackets
6) Capitals
7) Islanders
8) Flyers
The hurricanes and devils got way better, simple as that. I believe the devils have what it takes to make that next step. The rangers will still be a very good team, considering they have the best netminder in the league. I think the penguins make the playoffs for 1 or 2 more years and that’s it. Any team with Mike Sullivan as the head coach has a chance. The blue jackets should be a better team then they were last year, but their defense is too leaky for their goaltending tandem, and I believe that will ultimately be their downfall. Great future for them though. The islanders are old and dreadful to watch, and adding Romanov doesn’t move the needle at all. They have a rookie head coach, and their forward group is too slow (outside of Barzal) to compete for a playoff spot. The flyers are, well the flyers.
Atlantic
1) Panthers
2) Lightning
3) Senators
4) Maple Leafs
PLAYOFF CUTOFF
5) Red Wings
6) Sabres
7) Canadiens
8) Bruins
I still think the panthers are the best team in the division. Paul Maurice was a solid hire, and I absolutely adore the additions of Rudolf Balcers and Colin White. I bet one, if not both, of them breakout. The lightning are the lightning, and the senators had a video game offseason. The Sens d is a little bit of a mess, but they can score with the best of them, and the talbot acquisition was sneaky good. I think the Wings and Sabres will be in it right until the very end, and both teams will have a good enough showing to restore hope in their fanbases. The Habs should be way better than they were last year, but the division is just too stacked for me to put them any higher. The bruins age, injuries and lack of depth will hurt them next year. Their dcore for the first few months of the season when Gryz, McAvoy and Carlo are injured will be the worst in the league. And there is still no guarantee Bergeron and/or Krecji comes back, and I question how effective Krecji would be even if he did come back.
Central
1) Avalanche
2) Stars
3) Wild
4) Blues
PLAYOFF CUTOFF
5) Jets
6) Predators
7) Coyotes
8) Blackhawks
The avalanche will be just as dominant this year as they were last. I think Jake Oettinger is poised for a breakout year, and is a dark horse Vezina candidate. DeBoer also has a tendency to lead teams into the playoffs, how far they get is more of the questions surrounding him. If the Wild do get kaprizov back, they should be fine. Their offseason wasn’t the greatest, but they should be fine. I absolutely did not like the Blues offseason, electing to keep Leddy over Perron. Their defense is kind of a mess in my eyes. Not to mention the fact Tarasenko could still be on the way out. The predators, even with Forsberg back, are such a meh team to me, and they can’t keep up with the best. The coyotes and Blackhawks will Duke it out for Bedard.
Pacific
1) Oilers
2) Kings
3) Golden Knights
4) Flames
PLAYOFF CUTOFF
5) Canucks
6) Kraken
7) Sharks
8) Ducks
The oilers got better this offseason. So did the kings. That’s why they’re 1 and 2 for me. The knights getting healthy should make them a formidable team again, even without Patches. Bryce Cassidy was also a great hire. The flames certainly won’t be as good as they were last year after losing Gudbranson 😉, but they still have a deep roster, and a reigning Vezina candidate. I expect the kraken to get better this year, with Beniers playing a full year and Burakovsky (and potentially Klingberg) joining the squad. The sharks are the islanders of the west, and the ducks should be absolutely dreadful with the losses of Lindholm, Milano, Manson, Getzlaf and potentially Gibson in the last few months. They look like they have a bright future, but they’re still a few years away
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