This week, the NHL reaches another dubious milestone, as the league holds its first All-Star Game since the lockout (there was no game in 2006 due to the extended Olympic break). This is among the last post-lockout milestones that the NHL had to reach, meaning that the contest moves it one step further on the rebuilding path. Still, the league has a ways to go, as it misses out on the large-scale revenues and exposures of a national (American) television deal.
While the shift from the “Post-Lockout” era to the “Salary-Cap” era may shift seem purely nominal, it is of urgent importance that the NHL distance itself from the exclusively bad off-the-ice headlines of the lockout, to the parity-driven product that is emerging under the salary-cap, one in which the headlines are primarily focused on the ice. Today, I will look at the top-10 teams in the NHL. Four of these teams will most likely be playing in the Conference Championships; thus these four will receive the most exposure to a national television audience. The rivalry between Crosby and Ovechkin may drive the re-building effort in terms of marketing, but a competitive and exciting last two playoff round — when Crosby and Ovechkin are unlikely to be playing — could go a long way to restoring the interest of casual fans, and could convince somebody, anybody, to give the league a full-season national television deal, hastening the transition to the “Salary-Cap” era.
To make the list, I took the the team rankings in a number of statistical categories, averaged the numbers, and adjusted the order a bit to reflect reality. The result is the first edition of the Hurricanes are for Drinking NHL Power Rankings, because, after all, the Hurricanes are the defending champs.
1. Nashville Predators
Hmm, number 1 in wins and points, 8-2 record in their last 10, and outscoring their opponents by 17 over that span. Smells like the top team in the league. Their power play isn’t great, (14th), yet the team ranks second in scoring. They have only one star, Paul Kariya, but depth at every position, including goaltending. With how solid they are top-to-bottom, it’s no surprise that only four players on the roster are minuses. Their only weakness is at defense, where they lack a real impact defenseman, and give up far too many shots.
2. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are stacked. They have an elite-level sniper in Teemu Selanne, two of the top defensemen in the game, Chris Pronger and Scott Neidermayer, and a goaltender who has led them to the finals before, J.S. Giguere. The Ducks have elite special teams (#3 power play, #6 penalty kill). In other words, the Ducks are primed to go on another deep playoff run.
3. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks beat out the Sabres for third based on their play of late (7-3 in last 10 games). Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Jonathan Cheechoo may be the most talented trio of scorers league-wide, and it’s hard to top the goaltending tandem of Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov. The Sharks might run into trouble against deeper teams, but it’s hard to imagine anybody with the ceiling that they have.
4. Buffalo Sabres
Are the Sabres a paper tiger? They are number 2 in wins and points, and boast perhaps the most dynamic offensive attack in the game. But they have a middle of the road defense (15th in goals allowed), and mediocre special-teams (23rd in power play, 21st in penalty kill). The Sabres can light up anybody on any given night, but do they do the little things well enough to challenge for Lord Stanley’s Cup?
5. Detroit Red Wings
These aren’t the name brand Red Wings that we became accustomed to in the late nineties and early aughts, but they get it done on offense (10 in goals scored) and in their own zone (4 in goals allowed). The Wings still have luminaries named Chris Chelios, Niklas Lidstrom, and Dominik Hasek, mixed with good players like Pavel Datsyuk and Robert Lang. They might not have the ceiling of the teams above them, but the Wings will be playing when it counts.
6 (tie). New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars
These teams are very similar. They are both dominant defensively (respectively numbers 2 and 3 in goals allowed), and anemic offensively (respectively numbers 25 and 24). The Devils have excellent special teams (9th in power play, 4th in penalty kill), and goaltender Martin Brodeur can steal a playoff series by himself. The Stars rank 12th in both special teams categories, but may not last as long due to the amount of talent in the Western Conference.
8. Ottawa Senators
The hardest team to rank. The Senators can score with anybody, but they give up too many chances. With Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson, they can surely light the lamp. The Sens went 7-2-1 in their last ten games before the break, outscoring their opposition by 20 goals over that span, meaning that they are showing signs of putting it together. The East is the weaker of the two conferences, and the Senators should be able to take advantage of that during the second half. Look for them to move up in the power rankings as the season progresses.
9. Montreal Canadiens
The team I secretly root for. Residents of Toronto, Calgary, and Edmonton may disagree, but I think the Canadiens have the best fans in hockey. The atmosphere at a big Canadiens game reminds me of a European soccer match. On the ice, the Canadiens are good, but not great. The Canadiens have an adequate offense, and nobody is better on special-teams. But the Canadiens rank second-to-last in shots against, which forces goalie Cristobal Huet to stand on his head far too often. Montreal doesn’t have the firepower to trade chances with a team like Buffalo and expect to win a seven game series. Right now, they aren’t responsible enough defensively to outlast a team like the Devils in a playoff series.
10. Vancouver Canucks
Led by Roberto Luongo, and the most Swedish offense ever, the Canucks are a formidable team. The Canucks have the sixth ranked defense and the top penalty killing in the league. If the Swedes get on a roll watch out, cause the Canucks will fo some damage in the playoffs.
Honorable Mention:
Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild
Every family has that one degenerate gambaholic uncle, the one who was sneaking you beers when you were ten years old, or who split that 8-ball with you on the last family vacation. Born of my never ending quest to one day be that uncle, I present my gambling picks for the NHL Playoffs. These picks are for entertainment purposes only. In fact, you shouldn’t gamble. Ever. Your parents will put me in Shitsville.
