NHL preseason power rankings: Setting the stage for 2023/24 season

By Cole Shelton

Modified Oct 09, 2023 13:55 GMT

The 2023-24 NHL season is set to kick off tomorrow night (Tuesday, Oct. 10) as all 32 teams look to hoist the Stanley Cup in June. Heading into the season, there are several teams who have a great chance of winning the Cup, while others are in a rebuild and are likely to get a high draft pick this season.

Ahead of the puck drop on the season, here are the power rankings for the 2023-24 NHL season.

2023-24 NHL season power rankings

#1, Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas is the reigning Stanley Cup champions and they are the team to beat entering this season.

#2, Colorado Avalanche

Colorado was stunned in the first round last season and Nathan MacKinnon will be as motivated as ever to get the Avalanche another Stanley Cup.

#3, Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina may have the best team on paper, and enter the season as the best team in the Eastern Conference.

#4, Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who are the best two players in the NHL. If Edmonton gets good goaltending, they could be the team to beat.

#5, New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have been a team on the rise for years, but the core is finally in place and the Devils are a legit Cup contender.

#6, Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs come in at 6th on the NHL Power Rankings

Toronto finally got past the first round last season, but goaltending and defense are still a question mark.

#7, Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars could be a sneaky team to win the Cup this season, especially if Jake Oettinger remains one of the best goalies in the NHL.

#8, Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles went out and acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois to strengthen their center depth. However, their goaltending looks like it could be an issue.

#9, New York Rangers

New York is led by goalie Igor Shesterkin who can put the team on his back this season.

#10, Seattle Kraken

Seattle looked like a surprise last season, but the Kraken should prove it wasn't a fluke.

#11, Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers made a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season and bring back a very similar roster this year.

#12, Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay could be on the downfall

The Tampa Bay Lightning would be higher on this list had Andrei Vasilevskiy not gotten hurt. If Tampa Bay can be around .500 until their star goalie gets back, the Lightning will be in good shape to go on another run.

#13, Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins lost Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci but still have a solid roster that should put them in the playoffs.

#14, Minnesota Wild

Minnesota is in cap hell for this season and next due to the buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, however, the Wild still should be a playoff team.

#15, Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh went out and added Erik Karlsson which should help the Penguins get back in the playoffs this season.

#16, New York Islanders

The Islanders will go as far as Ilya Sorokin takes them.

#17, Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo is a team on the rise but is likely a year away from making the playoffs.

#18, Ottawa Senators

Similar to Buffalo, Ottawa is likely a year away from making a real push to contention.

#19, Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets have to make a decision on Connor Hellebuyck. If they decide to trade the goalie, Winnipeg will likely enter a rebuild, but with Hellebuyck in the net, they could remain a playoff team.

#20, Calgary Flames

Calgary has a new head coach and the Flames should be better without Darryl Sutter leading the charge.

#21, Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings remain outside the NHL playoff picture

Detroit did get better this off-season but still looks set to be outside the playoffs come May.

#22, Washington Capitals

As long as Alexander Ovechkin is still playing, the Capitals have a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.

#23, Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver is a team in the middle and need to decide if they are going for it or will try and rebuild.

#24, Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators have a new GM in Barry Trotz, who is trying to change their culture. It'll likely take a couple of years for Nashville to get back into playoff contention.

#25, Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus had a hectic off-season with the Mike Babcock saga, but the Blue Jackets are a young team with a lot of promise.

#26, St. Louis Blues

If Jordan Binnington rebounds, St. Louis could be much higher on this list. However, the goalie struggled badly last season and it doesn't seem like it will get better.

#27, Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia is starting its rebuild and has a good core to work with.

#28, Montreal Canadiens

With Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Kirby Dach among others all young and under contract, Montreal's future is bright but still needs another year or two of rebuilding.

#29, Arizona Coyotes

Arizona raised its floor in the off-season but is far from a playoff team.

#30, Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago drafted Connor Bedard first overall. in the NHL draft

Even after getting Connor Bedard first overall, this is just the beginning of the Chicago Blackhawks rebuild.

#31, Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are in the middle of their rebuild, but another top-five pick is likely for them this season.

#32, San Jose Sharks

San Jose should be the favorite to land the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, and it could be a long season for their fans.