Hopefully, the 2021 NHL season will start sometime in the next few months. Reports have implied that a shortened season is likely on the way, but that Gary Bettman doesn’t want it to be any less than 48 games. Regardless the length of the season, it has the potential to be the most competitive one in NHL history. Due to the flat cap, most of the best teams or teams on the fringe of becoming top teams haven’t been able to improve their teams. This leaves free agents to sign with bottom teams, making them automatically more competitive. As a result, teams are slowly becoming closer and closer in caliber, making ranking every team extremely difficult, especially when plenty of contracts and free agents haven’t been signed yet, so these are subject to change. Regardless, here are Drive4Five’s 2021 NHL Power Rankings!

31. Detroit Red Wings

This team has certainly improved drastically. Replacing Jimmy Howard with Thomas Griess is a massive upgrade, and the additions of Bobby Ryan, Troy Stecher, and Vladislav Namestnikov should help temporarily. However, Steve Yzerman and the Wings still have to deal with a lot of brutal contracts and are in a complete rebuild. This team is still far below average in every facet in the game, and after a historically bad season, should stay in the basement.

30. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks just might be the worst team in the Western Conference. Their defense is overpaid (including Kevin Shattenkirk), and they have nearly no firepower on offense. When your leading scorer is Adam Henrique with 43 points, that presents a problem. This team’s only saving grace is John Gibson, who despite having a down season last year, is still a top goalie in the NHL. A team like Anaheim needs to commit to a rebuild like they have, but for now, it’s ugly.

29. Los Angeles Kings

After winning two cups last decade, the Kings have declined sharply and quickly. Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown and Johnathan Quick are no longer the same players they were, and many other key pieces of those teams have been traded or retired. This team is committing to a rebuild the right way. They have an insane prospect pool, and many young guns will get a chance to play this year. While the Kings will likely finish low in the standings, if young players develop and they win some games, this season should be viewed as a success for the organization.

28. Ottawa Senators

The Senators have made some pretty nice moves this offseason. As Craig Anderson retired, Matt Murray will have a chance to redeem himself with a change of scenery. They also brought in Evgenii Dadonov and Alex Galchenyuk in an attempt to bolster their offense. In short, Ottawa’s roster is a pretty significant upgrade from where it was last season. While this team likely still won’t be anywhere near the playoffs, a mix of acquired free agents and developing young players should equate to a more successful season.

27. Chicago Blackhawks

It sounds weird, but the Chicago Blackhawks are a bottom team. They shocked the hockey world and beat Edmonton in the Qualifiers during the Return to Play, then were eliminated in a rather one-sided series against Vegas. However, the team has formally announced a rebuild, much to the disdain of their star players. Corey Crawford left for free agency, and they are now left with Malcolm Subban and Colin Delia as a goaltending tandem. Their defense is one of the worst in the league, and their depth can use some help. It is clear they are in the early stages of a full-on rebuild.

26. New Jersey Devils

Before we get into the bad, the Devils will now have excellent goaltending night in and night out after they signed Crawford. Him and MacKenzie Blackwood are quietly one of the best goaltending tandems in the league, and there’s reason for optimism as a result. They brought in a couple players like Andreas Johnsson and Ryan Murray, but their core is still the weakest in the Metropolitan Division and their team defense is absolutely putrid. Unless Lindy Ruff and company can change that, this team will struggle as it’s tough to win giving up 35 shots a game.

25. Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo is an interesting team. With the signing of Taylor Hall, their top six will likely include him, Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, Victor Olofsson, Eric Staal, and Sam Reinhart. If utilized properly, that is a pretty solid top-six forward group, especially if Skinner has a bounce-back season. Their depth is questionable, with Zemgus Girgensons likely being the best piece in their bottom six. But, the main questions remain the culture in the organization, their defense outside Rasmus Dahlin, and whether Linus Ullmark is a legitimate starting goaltender in the NHL. We will have to wait to know the answers to these questions, but a LOT would have to go right for Buffalo to make a playoff push.

24. Minnesota Wild

In net, you can make the argument that the Minnesota Wild have gotten slightly better with the signing of Cam Talbot. Their goaltending tandem now appears to be Cam Talbot and Alex Stalock, which is far from stellar. Their top-four defense is quietly one of the best in the NHL with Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, and Matt Dumba. Their offense on the other hand, is one of the worst in the NHL. After moving on from Eric Staal and Mikko Koivu, the Wild are left with very limited skill and center depth up front. This is what keeps them from ranking high on our 2021 NHL Power Rankings.

23. Arizona Coyotes

It hasn’t been a great few months for the Coyotes. After getting obliterated by Colorado in the first round and losing ownership of their draft picks, Taylor Hall signed in Buffalo. This team has very little offensive firepower, and the majority of their defense is either old, overpaid, or both. The good news for the Yotes is that they have some of the best goaltending in the league, with Darcy Kuemper or Antti Raanta between the pipes every night, with Adin Hill as a tertiary option. Outside of the crease though, this team has a LOT of work to do.

22. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks had an atrocious season last year and finished last in the Western Conference, leaving their fans quite disappointed. However, they were the most injured team in the league and there is still plenty of skill within the organization. Their top six forward group isn’t bad, but their defense has struggled. A lot of this revolves around Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns’ play, which needs to be much better this season. But, if Devan Dubnyk can bounce back this year in a new home, the Sharks can be a sleeper pick for a wild card spot in the West.

21. Florida Panthers

Year after year, the Panthers are supposed to take the next step, but they never seem to. So, we will remain conservative with their spot on our power rankings. Bill Zito added some defensive and depth pieces, which they needed to desperately, and it will help them moving forward. Although, Evgenii Dadonov has now signed in Ottawa and Mike Hoffman is unlikely to re-sign. That destroys their top-six forward group, the one area of the game the Cats excelled in. Now, the Panthers are below average in every facet of the game. The most important year of Sergei Bobrovsky’s career is upcoming too.

20. Nashville Predators

Nashville’s Stanley Cup window has suddenly slammed shut. Jusse Saros is a solid young goaltender, and has seemed to win the starting role over veteran Pekka Rinne. They have one of the league’s best defenders in Roman Josi, as well as Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis to solidify their blue line. But, their offense has been disappointing over the past couple seasons. Players such as Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, and Filip Forsberg haven’t played nearly as well as their fans would have hoped. Like Minnesota, the offense is a concern and is the main factor holding them back in a tough Central division.

19. Winnipeg Jets

The Jets are not a bad team, they just aren’t complete as their defense is easily one of the league’s worst. While Connor Hellebuyck did win the Vezina Trophy this past year, you can’t rely on an incredible performance from your goaltender every night and it doesn’t seem as if Hellebuyck gets that privilege. On the other hand, their top-six forward group is loaded. Expect them to move a player like Patrik Laine for defense as they try to make their team more balanced and become contenders.

18. Montreal Canadiens

The Habs had a terrible regular season last year, but have proved in the playoffs that they can be a good team. When Carey Price is on top of his game, there are still few goalies in the NHL that can compete with him. Their defense is decent, with Shea Weber and Jeff Petry leading the charge. While the firepower on offense is minimal, what gives Montreal hope is their growing young forwards such as Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaneimi. They can compete for a playoff spot this year.

17. Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton will likely finish higher than 17th in the standings due to their historically good power play and top-end talent, but are one of the most incomplete teams in the league. Outside of the league’s best duo in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they’re missing almost everything. Their winger depth is awful, and their defense is quite questionable, especially with Oscar Klefbom being injured. Mikko Koskinen had a good season last year between the pipes, but a tandem of him and Mike Smith is nothing special. This team desperately needs to build around McDavid and Draisaitl before they can leave.

16. Vancouver Canucks

Last year was a fantastic one for the young Canucks, and this ranking may seem a bit low, they’ve lost a lot of key pieces in the offseason. Tyler Toffoli, Chris Tanev, Troy Stecher, and Jacob Markstrom are all major losses. Their defense will be significantly weaker next year and signing Braden Holtby may be unsettling, especially considering he just came off of the worst year of his career. If the defense can solidify and Holtby can bounce back, the Canucks can do some damage. If not, they’ll likely miss the playoffs. Very interesting team here.

15. Pittsburgh Penguins

It seems as if the Penguins are slowly getting worse and worse every year. They still should score a lot of goals. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel should continue to contribute offensively. On the contrary, their defense may be a concern. They brought in Cody Ceci and Mike Matheson, who are both coming off of terrible seasons. They also threw all their eggs in one basket by trading Matt Murray and giving Tristian Jarry the starter role. Expect the Pens to be in a lot of high scoring games this year.

14. New York Rangers

One of the fastest rebuilds in sports history is almost complete. The Rangers top-six is scary, and just got even better with Alexis Lafreniere. Igor Shesterkin seems as if he’s going to be a star goaltender as soon as next season as long as things don’t change, and there’s a lot to be excited for if you’re a Ranger fan. However, their depth and defense aren’t nearly up to snuff with the rest of their roster, and that may cost them in the playoffs or important divisional games. While they’re not a top team just yet, they can certainly compete for a playoff spot. Have to be able to rely on all four lines and keep pucks out of the back of the net to rank amongst the elite teams.

13. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs made a LOT of moves this offseason. They added some defensive depth in Zach Bogosian and TJ Brodie, which can help very much. They also added Jimmy Vesey, Wayne Simmonds, and Joe Thornton for their bottom six, which is not nearly as strong as it was last year as Kasperi Kapenen and Andreas Johnsson had to be moved for cap reasons. As shown, it’s tough to build a Cup team when over $40 million are invested into four players. The only thing we know about Toronto next year is that they are a much different looking team.

12. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets are the most criminally underrated team in hockey. John Tortorella is a superb coach, and their defensive style seems to drain teams out every year and it has worked in the playoffs against high scoring teams. With a solid defense and Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins between the pipes, this team doesn’t have any problems keeping pucks out of their net. It’s scoring that’s a major issue. Bringing in Max Domi creates so much more balance in their offensive lines and improves their offense as a whole drastically. A healthy Blue Jackets team can be dangerous and shouldn’t be slept on.

11. Calgary Flames

The Flames are coming off of a relatively disappointing season, especially after finishing second in the NHL in 2018-19 with 107 points. However, this team should be significantly better this year for one main reason- goaltending. Jacob Markstrom is a top goalie in the NHL, and a major upgrade over Cam Talbot to play with David Rittich. Players such as Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau had down seasons last year, and are more than capable of bouncing back. If their offense meets expectations and Markstrom continues to play on an elite level, the Flames have a good shot of winning their division.

10. Washington Capitals

We are kicking off the top ten with the Washington Capitals. The last couple seasons have ended in a disappointing way for Washington, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve won the Metropolitan Division five consecutive years and are still loaded up front. Their defense is average, but their top-end talent is some of the best in the NHL, making the Caps a very high scoring team. The question is whether Ilya Samsonov is ready to truly become a starter in the NHL after Holtby’s departure. Time will tell, but Washington is still a very real threat in the Metro and the Eastern Conference.

9. Carolina Hurricanes

As good as the Canes are, last year was quietly a disappointment. This was a stacked team that was supposed to dominate the Metropolitan Division, but ended up in fourth place and getting bounced by Boston in five games in the first round. In terms of skaters, Carolina is the best team in the Metro. They have star power, they’re deep, they have good two-way players and penalty killers, everything a championship team needs except for a star goaltender. Petr Mrazek and James Reimer are simply not good enough to lead a team to a Cup, as they are both fringe starters at best. Until Carolina addresses this problem, early playoff exits may become a pattern and they’re excluded from the very top group of elite teams as of now.

8. St. Louis Blues

It’s gut check time, St. Louis. Losing their captain, Alex Pietrangelo, hurts terribly. While Torey Krug is a decent replacement, he doesn’t nearly match Pietrangelo’s caliber and leadership. But still, this team is very deep and capable of competing amongst the top teams in the Western Conference. The biggest question, surprisingly, is Jordan Binnington. While he was decent in the regular season last year, his play dropped off significantly from his rookie season and his forgettable performance against Vancouver was the main reason for the Blues elimination in the Return to Play. The Blues can remain a top team or slowly slip away into mediocrity, depending on their goaltending and how they respond to losing their captain. You’ve got a lot to prove, St. Louis.

7. New York Islanders

After embarking on a historic playoff run, the Islanders look like they will be a very good team again heading into the 2021 NHL season. Losing Devon Toews hurts terribly, but he will likely be replaced with youngster Noah Dobson. The offense still needs a jolt, which may be provided by Oliver Wahlstrom or Kieffer Bellows. However, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Brock Nelson, and Anthony Beauvillier all seem to be improving significantly and that alone can help. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin will also have his rookie season in 2021. If he pans out, that is a major upgrade over their goaltending situation last year and it would create an excellent tandem with Semyon Varlamov. If Dobson, Sorokin, and Wahlstrom all get playing time and do relatively well, this team will be right back in the mix for the Cup.

6. Vegas Golden Knights

After bringing in Alex Pietrangelo, this ranking for Vegas may seem a bit low, but the bigger picture should help explain it. First, Nate Schmidt had to be cleared for cap, and the organization announced that Marc-Andre Fleury wouldn’t be traded despite Robin Lehner signing a contract extension. To stay cap compliant, this likely means two good forwards in addition to Paul Stastny are out. This takes a major hit at the team’s offense, and while Pietrangelo would help any team he joins, was it really necessary for Vegas? It caused Nate Schmidt to be dealt elsewhere, and may rip apart part of the forward core. There have also been some internal problems in the Sin City. While they still will be a stacked team, they’re not quite the top team in the West, and there’s reason for skepticism.

5. Boston Bruins

Boston was easily the team hurt most by the coronavirus pandemic and the NHL season pausing. Coming off of a Presidents Trophy winning season, the Bruins are still one of the league’s biggest threats. But, Torey Krug leaving for St. Louis is a major hit to their defense and it is now quite questionable. Connor Clifton, Jeremy Lauzon, and Kevin Miller may get full-time roles, which hurts their defensive depth. Regardless, they still have the best top line and goaltending tandem in the NHL, and their offensive depth did improve with the addition of Craig Smith. Despite the question marks on defense, Boston is still deserving of a top-five spot in the power rankings, even with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand likely missing the beginning of next season with injuries.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

A lot of people say the Flyers “overperformed” last season, and while that may be true to a certain extent, this team seems as if it will only get better. Players such as Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Travis Sanheim, Phillipe Myers, and Nolan Patrick are all young and have nothing but room to grow. Their depth throughout the lineup is incredible, and Carter Hart is one of the best young goaltenders in the league. While they can use another gunner up front, they’re still one of the most complete teams in the National Hockey League. They lost just six games out of 35 in regulation on home ice last year, and that didn’t happen by accident. The Flyers don’t seem to be a fluke.

3. Dallas Stars

The Stars may not be the third best regular season team in the NHL, but they are DANGEROUS come playoff time. Their defense and goaltending are some of the best in the NHL, but their offense is quite iffy. It surged in the playoffs, but that can’t be expected throughout a whole season as the Stars lack offensive skill on their roster. The good news for the Stars offense is that young players such as Rope Hintz, Denis Gurianov, and Joel Kiviranta will develop over time, and the Stars will gradually become a more high scoring team. It’s not a coincidence they were the closest team to beating the Blues in 2019 and made the Stanley Cup Final in 2020.

2. Colorado Avalanche

Joe Sakic is slowly building a superteam in Colorado. This team is loaded everywhere, and somehow doesn’t have any cap concerns. The additions of Devon Toews and Brandon Saad only make the Avs more dangerous, as they’ll be playing on a team with players such as Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Name Kadri, Ryan Graves, and Andre Burakovsky. The one question is whether Phillip Grubauer and Pavel Francouz can stay healthy, or if either goaltender can lead their squad to the Cup. With all that being said, Colorado has the potential to be the best team in the West for a LONG time.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

It’s only fair to give the #1 spot to the defending champs, as they are nearly a perfect team. While they’ll have to deal with the salary cap this winter and will likely have to move some players, this team no longer has the “choker” label attached to them and they’re stacked in every position. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the league’s best goaltenders, and their defense is deep and led by the NHL’s best defenseman in Victor Hedman. Of course their offense is stacked with star power, but their acquired depth pieces such as Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow is what helped them take the next step and win it all. It is always tough to defend a title, but it’s also tough to argue that the Lightning aren’t currently the best team in hockey.