BREAKING DOWN EACH NHL TEAM
Here’s a look at how things could shape up, in predicted order of finish:
WEST DIVISION
Colorado: Formidable up front and driven by puck-moving defensemen — including rookie of the year Cale Makar and new addition Devon Toews — the Avalanche are poised for a deep playoff run.
St. Louis: They lost size when standout defenseman Alex Pietrangelo left as a free agent but gained a power-play catalyst by signing defenseman Torey Krug. They’ll miss Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder surgery), but Mike Hoffman should give them a shot at adding to their 2019 Cup championship.
Vegas: Pietrangelo is a good addition, but to make room for his seven-year, $61.6 million deal the Golden Knights had to trade core defenseman Nate Schmidt and No. 2 center Paul Stastny. The Golden Knights are solid in goal with Robin Lehner and MarcAndre Fleury.
Kings: The progress made last season by Matt Roy and Alex Iafallo and the potential for youngsters Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte to bring scoring this season gives them a chance to return to the playoffs.
Minnesota: Left wing Kirill Kaprizov comes from Russia with big expectations. The Wild’s top four defensemen (Jonas Brodin, Matt Dumba, Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter) are their backbone, and Cam Talbot should upgrade their goaltending.
Arizona: Their new general manager, Bill Armstrong, has his work cut out. His team is scrappy and has some skill but lacks the scoring to go far.
Ducks: Goalie John Gibson will keep them in most games despite regularly being subjected to too many shots.
San Jose: Sharks were last in the West last season completely on merit, or lack thereof, and they don’t have young talent to offer imminent help.
NORTH DIVISION
Toronto: The Maple Leafs benefit from realignment taking Boston and Tampa Bay out of their path.
They didn’t get younger or faster by adding Joe Thornton (41) and Wayne Simmonds (32) but they added brawn. Their offense is impressive.
Edmonton: Scoring champion and MVP Leon Draisaitl, scoring runner-up Connor McDavid and the No. 1 power play didn’t save the Oilers from being upset by Chicago in the qualifying round last season.
Vancouver: The Canucks are on the rise, led by center Elias Petterson (27 goals in 68 games last season), gifted defenseman Quinn Hughes and San Diego-born goalie Thatcher Demko.
Calgary: Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are coming off so-so seasons but Matthew Tkachuk (23 goals in 69 games) should be his usual productive and pesky self. Signing free agent Jacob Markstrom was a necessary goaltending upgrade.
Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie after facing a league-high 1,796 shots last season and compiling a .922 save percentage. He’s likely to again be at the mercy of the Jets’ thin defense.
Montreal: The Canadiens made good complementary moves to bring in winger Tyler Toffoli and defenseman Joel Edmundson, as well as goalie Jake Allen to partner with No. 1 goalie Carey Price.
Ottawa: The rebuild continues for the Senators, who ranked 30th in points and at or near the bottom in most categories. Forward Brady Tkachuk and defenseman Thomas Chabot stand out on a weak team.
CENTRAL DIVISION
Tampa Bay: Winger Nikita Kucherov, who led the Cup champions in playoff scoring with 34 points in 25 games, had hip surgery and is expected to miss the regular season. That’s a tough loss but the talented Lightning can absorb that and win again.
Carolina: Sebastian Aho (38 goals in 68 games last season), Andrei Svechnikov (24 goals, 61 points) and Teuvo Teravainen (63 points) are dazzling. The Hurricanes’ defense is capable, but the question is whether goalies Petr Mrazek and James Reimer can do their part over the long haul.
Columbus: Max Domi gives the Blue Jackets a solid No. 2 center behind Pierre-Luc Dubois, who
has been rumored to want a trade. Defensemen Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are impact players.
Dallas: Last season’s surprise West champions are hurting: Leading scorer Tyler Seguin (hip surgery) and goalie Ben Bishop (knee surgery) are expected to be out until March or April.
Nashville: Norris Trophy winner Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis are franchise players and forward Filip Forsberg has scored at least 20 goals for six straight seasons, but the Predators’ trademark defensive play sagged last season.
Florida: Jonathan Huberdeau was a standout with 23 goals and 78 points in 69 games but losing Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov to free agency means the Panthers will have to rely too much on Huberdeau.
Chicago: Stalwart team captain Jonathan Toews missed camp because of an unspecified illness and there’s no timetable for his return and forward Alex Nylander underwent knee surgery that will keep him out long term. Play the kids and hope for luck in the draft lottery.
Detroit: A difficult climb continues for the Red Wings, who last season ranked last overall (1749-5, 39 points) and in goal differential (minus-122).
EAST DIVISION
Philadelphia: Carter Hart is the Flyers’ best goaltender find since Ron Hextall repelled pucks and opponents three decades ago. Hart gives his teammates noticeable confidence.
Washington: Alexander Ovechkin shared the NHL goal-scoring lead last season with 48 and has a lot left to give a veteran team that hired turnaround specialist Peter Laviolette as coach. It will be
strange to see longtime Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, 43, in a Capitals uniform.
Boston: Losing Chara and Torey Krug to free agency left big gaps on defense. Top-line winger David Pastrnak (hip surgery) will miss the first few weeks but winger Brad Marchand (sports hernia surgery) might be ready opening night.
New York Islanders: They solved a major problem late in training camp by signing center Mathew Barzal, who led them in regularseason scoring and had 17 points in 22 playoff games as they reached the East final.
Pittsburgh: A team with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on board should be a sure Cup contender every year, but the Penguins have been eliminated in the first round each of the last two seasons.
New York Rangers: Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good: the Rangers won the draft lottery and chose phenom Alexis Lafreniere No. 1. He will have a big adjustment to make, especially in a compact schedule against a lot of heavy hitters.
Buffalo: The Sabres pulled off a surprise by signing free agent forward Taylor Hall for a year. He should provide the support long craved by Jack Eichel (career-best 36 goals last season).
New Jersey: The rebuilding Devils were jolted when goalie Corey Crawford, who signed with them as a free agent, retired during camp. The Devils hope 2019 No. 1 pick Jack Hughes can improve on his seven-goal, 21-point production last season.