Wild

Sarah McLellan's NHL power rankings

Find out where our Wild beat writer predicts the team to finish.

By Sarah McLellan

January 13, 2021 at 2:27AM

The Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2020 and might again in 2021. (Jason Franson • The Canadian Press via AP/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

Star forward Nikita Kucherov is out for the season because of a hip injury, but most of the lineup that hoisted the Stanley Cup in the bubble is back.

2. Vegas Golden Knights

Not only do they have one of the most dynamic offenses in the league, but the Golden Knights have an airtight goaltending tandem in Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury.

3. Colorado Avalanche

A bona fide contender, the Avalanche is set at every position.

4. Washington Capitals

After signing with the Capitals, goalie Henrik Lundqvist announced he will miss the season because of a heart condition.

5. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers will cruise if they can rediscover the rhythm they had before the bubble.

6. Dallas Stars

Last season's Western Conference champions will get off to a late start after a COVID-19 outbreak.

7. Boston Bruins

A new era starts in Boston without Zdeno Chara, who left for Washington.

8. St. Louis Blues

Gone is Alex Pietrangelo (to Vegas), but the Blues are still deep.

9. Vancouver Canucks

Youngsters Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are elite, and now they have a Stanley Cup champion in Braden Holtby backstopping them.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

Although they didn't make it past the play-in round last year, the Leafs should vie for a division title.

11. Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the NHL's most dangerous duo.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins

Even with a new goalie in charge in Tristan Jarry, the Penguins' window to win hasn't closed.

13. Carolina Hurricanes

Led by under-the-radar players, the Hurricanes are solid.

14. Calgary Flames

Jacob Markstrom moved over from Vancouver, giving the Flames a new look between the pipes.

15. New York Islanders

With Mathew Barzal at the helm, the Islanders showed just how competitive they can be during last season's playoff run.

16. Winnipeg Jets

The Jets are a handful with Connor Hellebuyck in net and Patrik Laine up front.

17. Columbus Blue Jackets

Max Domi and Mikko Koivu are the newcomers, but defensemen Zach Werenski and Seth Jones set the tone.

18. Nashville Predators

Even though the Predators' core is aging, the group is still strong.

19. New York Rangers

Reigning top pick Alexis Lafreniere is joining a roster on the rise.

20. Florida Panthers

Better play from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is vital.

21. Montreal Canadiens

One of the wild cards in the North Division, the Canadiens have the potential to build on their unexpected success in the playoffs.

22. Wild

The lineup is different, but time will tell if the results change, too.

23. Arizona Coyotes

While their offense may be iffy, the Coyotes are rock-solid in net with Darcy Kuemper.

24. Buffalo Sabres

Taylor Hall is on a one-year contract, but the Sabres need to improve all over the ice.

25. Chicago Blackhawks

One of the surprises in the bubble, the Blackhawks might have a tough time catching teams off-guard while captain Jonathan Toews is sidelined by illness.

26. Los Angeles Kings

This is still a veteran squad, but the Kings are getting younger.

27. Anaheim Ducks

Not much has changed in Anaheim, but the future looks encouraging with exciting prospects in Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale in the organization.

28. San Jose Sharks

Steadier goaltending and bounce-back seasons from Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns are key.

29. Ottawa Senators

Growing pains likely will continue, especially in the new all-Canadian division.

30. New Jersey Devils

The team lost its most intriguing offseason acquisition last week when goalie Corey Crawford decided to retire.

31. Detroit Red Wings

More veterans have joined the mix, but the Red Wings are facing another year of rebuilding.

about the writer

Sarah McLellan

Minnesota Wild and NHL

Sarah McLellan covers the Wild and NHL. Before joining the Minnesota Star Tribune in November 2017, she spent five years covering the Coyotes for The Arizona Republic.