NHL: Power Rankings

Hey everyone.  This is my list for power rankings entering this season.  I know nearly everyone will disagree somewhat, but I am sticking by these picks!

1. Los Angeles Kings:  The Kings have proven to be a team that can turn it on down the stretch.  They are one of the deepest teams up front.  Youngsters Toffoli and Pearson are creating some great chemistry with Jeff Carter, which makes all 3 of the Kings' top lines extremely dangerous.  Very few teams have the luxury of this depth.  Combine that with Johnathan Quick, and stellar defense; You have a team built for success.

2. Boston Bruins:  The Bruins are quite possibly the best defensive team in the league.  They always bring great centerman, and physical defense to the table.  Tuuka Rask will put up great numbers once again playing behind the likes of Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Zdeno Chara.   These guys will be crucial to the teams' overall success.  Don't forget about newcomers Rielly Smith and Carol Soderberg, though.  Both these guys will be looking to follow up last year with another great season.  With these two in the mix, the Bruins will have a very deep roster.

3. Anaheim Ducks:  The Ducks are looking a little better than last year.  I believe adding Kesler will help round out the offence a little more.  Now the team can hopefully lighten the load for Getzlaf and Perry.  With the added depth, expect the teams youngsters to improve drastically.  With Cam Fowler, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler; the team has four very dangerous players in the prime of their careers.  If they can find security in goal, they will put up some great numbers this season.

4. St. Louis Blues:  The Blues have been my pick to win a cup for the past several years.  They have  depth in every position that can grind the opposition down.  If the pieces fall into place offensively, the Blues will be very dangerous.  Vladamir Tarasenko started to look dangerous offensively late last season, and Jaden Schwartz is still showing signs of development.  Adding Stasny will only boost the team up in the standings.  I guess it does not hurt to have Shattenkirk, Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester on the back end either.

5. Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche really turned it on down the stretch last season.  They did not have the success they wanted in the post season, but we have to remember that the entire team is still very young.  Matt Duchene, Nathan Mckinnon and Gabriel Landeskog are still developing.  To have this kind of success so soon is startling, and they will continue to improve.  Adding Jarome Iginla should help the young forwards develop quicker.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins:  The Penguins are a big question mark for me when it comes to the playoffs.  Crosby and Fleury are so inconsistent in big games.  On top of that, Crosby and Malkin have reported injuries entering pre-season. To mane thins worse, Letang is coming off of a serious stroke from last season.  The talent is there, but the team will have to face a lot of adversity if they want to succeed.

7. Chicago Blackhawks: The Hawks are still one of the powerhouses in the West, but they do lack some depth compared to the other Western teams.  Don't get me wrong, they are a very deep and skilled team.  However, the conference is strong and the Blackhawks are no longer the top dogs in the West.  Key pieces like Toews and Kane will ensure the teams stays competitive for years to come.

8. New York Rangers:  The Rangers made it clear that they are a competitor in this league last season.  They battled hard all playoff long, and Henrik Lundqvist proved that he is an elite goaltender once again.  They still have key pieces in place, including King Henry, Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh.  Losing Brad Richards to the Blackhawks could prove to be an issue later on this season if they cannot keep up offensively.

9. San Jose Sharks:  The Sharks are one of those teams that always seem to be in the mix.  They usually tear up the regular season, but flounder come playoff time.  I rate them in the top ten because the roster is very similar to last season, and I believe that Pavelski and Couture are ready to take on control of the team.  Guys like Joe Thorton and Patrick Marleau will still be there as well, which adds some serious depth for the Sharks offense.

10. Tampa Bay:  The Lightning are not an overly dangerous team apart from a few select players.  However, they do have Stamkos who is quite possibly the best scorer in the league.  He should be healthy to start the season and will likely start potting goals right off the hop.  They have some depth as well, with the likes of Ondrej Palat, Valterri Flippula.  I expect Ben Bishop to be steady in goal again this year, and he is the main reason why I am comfortable putting Tampa in my top ten.

NHL: Reemergence of Two Way Forwards

It has been a long time since the era of the tough guy.  However, the two way game has never been more important than in the modern day NHL.  Offense and point production will always be huge, but advanced statistics have shown us the benefit of having stellar two way players.  All the elite rosters around the league have a few guys on the team who are willing to bring it defensively.  I have created a short list of all the greatest two way forwards from around the league.

Patrice Bergeron: The "second line" center for the Bruins tops my charts on this list.  Last season, he held the title for most face-off wins.  Most of these draws are on shifts where he is expected to shut down the oppositions top line.  Sure, Boston has a good defense core; However, Bergeron rarely gets the chance to play a purely offensive style.  Even while shutting down the opposition, he managed to put up 62 points last season.  He was also second in the league with a plus / minus rating of +38, only beat out by teammate David Krejci.

Marian Hossa: Hossa has found a home playing with some great talent in Chicago.  His style is based purely around puck possession.  He has phenomenal hands, which he uses to create turnovers and take away shooting lines from the opposition.  When he has the puck, he turns into a nightmare for defenders.  He puts the defender on his back and literally skates around looking for openings.  He draws a lot of penalties and allows his teammates to find open spaces.  This big Slovakian winger put up 30 goals, 30 assists and finished the regular season as a +28 skater.  His two way game is unmatched, and I believe he is crucial to the success of any team he plays on.

Pavel Datsyuk: Datsyuk is quite possibly the most dangerous player on this list simply because he has the smoothest set of hands in the league today.  His career is packed with highlight reel goals which most NHL players can only dream about.  He has been a cornerstone on the Red Wings for many years, and has had a lot of success with the team.  He has won the Selke and Lady Byng awards multiple times.  He also had his name engraved on Stanley's cup twice, in 2002 and 2008 with his fellow Red Wing teammates.  His offence has been tailing off the last couple years with age and lack of surrounding talent. He is still nearly a point per game guy, but I am anticipating that these numbers will further tail off this upcoming season.  I anticipate 50-60 points from the future Hall of Famer, and at least a couple highlight reel moves to add to his portfolio.

David Backes: Backes is the captain of the Blues, and has made quite the name for himself in his last few seasons.  I chose him for this list because he plays a very well rounded style.  However, what sets him apart is his "old school" hockey mentality.  He is an extremely competitive player who never quits, even when the whistle blows.  It is not uncommon for him to engage players during and after plays.  He is a hit machine, and drops the gloves fairly frequently.  When he is not engaged in the extracurricular, he is usually grinding down opponents and taking away space for opposing forwards.  He takes the bulk of the Blues' important draws, and is one of the best penalty killing centers around.  Offensively, he is no slouch either.  He put up 57 points, and finished the regular season as a +14 skater.  I expect him to maintain these stats and help the team make a more successful playoff push this season.

NHL: Top Duo's

In the last couple seasons, I have been noticing that many teams have some extremely dynamic duo's.  I am looking for many of these guys to make a splash in this upcoming season.

Crosby and Kunitz:   This duo has been dominant throughout the past several years.  Crosby is probably the most dominant offensive player in the game; hands down.  He has won countless awards, and is considered the best by many of his peers.  Kunitz has found a home playing on the wing with Sid.  Kunitz is definitely a great complimentary player who even found his way onto team Canada this year, playing alongside Crosby.  The one flaw with this duo is the simple fact that Crosby dominates the stat category.  Kunitz is often criticized for not matching Crosby's point production.  Last year alone, Crosby put up nearly 40 more points than Kunitz while playing on the same line.  Regardless, the two will not likely be split apart anytime soon and should once again be a dangerous duo come regular season.

Toews and Kane: These two guys have become the face of the Chicago Blackhawks.  The two young forwards have just re-signed with the team for 10+ million dollars per season.  These deals are long term and it appears that Chicago will keep these guys as the team's core.  Captain; Johnathan Toews is just 26 and has already won every possible team accolade in the sport, including a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold as well as a World Junior Gold.  His partner in crime; Patrick Kane, has made a reputation for his flashy moves and ability to come up huge when the game is on the line.  They scored only 69 and 68 points a piece last season, but they have already won Stanley's Cup twice in their short careers'.  The success of the team is one of the main reasons why these two shine so brightly.  They have led the team into the elite of the West, and they should carry the Hawks to another strong season.

Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry: This Anaheim duo is looking to challenge for top duo once again this season.  They both have averaged roughly a point per game for the last several seasons and will once again look to break 80 points a piece.  These two guys play a much different style than many on this list.  They both like to play physical and are known for being gritty.  Getzlaf beat Perry by 5 points last season, but many consider Perry to be the stronger offensive threat.  Many fantasy owners are considering Perry the best multi-category forward available this year.  I am expecting these guys to carry the team once again this year.  However, this year they might be a little stronger all around as the Ducks seem to be surrounding them with a somewhat decent roster.  

Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin:  This duo is a relatively new superpower in the West.  Nonetheless, they have literally carried the teams entire offence.  Last season, they both scored over 30 goals.The next highest goal total for another Star player was 17.  Without them, I believe that Dallas would be living the the basement of the West.  The pair combined for 161 games, and 163 points last season.  I expect them both top exceed 80 and have a strong year all around.  Young line mate Valeri Nichushkin seeems to be developing very well for his age.  The kid is a monstrous winger and will help open up space with Jamie Benn.  I know we are talking about duo's, but up until lately, the pair have not had anybody to play with.  This should only help them prosper as a line.  

Henrik and Daniel Sedin: These guys are an often overlooked of late.  They seemed to have hit their prime during the 2010-11 seasons, and just kind of faded from that point,  In that season, Daniel put up 104 points, and Henrik racked up 94.  Plain and simple, when Vancouver is rolling, these guys are rolling.  This was the same year that the Canucks had some depth down the lineup.  Kesler was scoring, and the Canucks Defense was dominant.  For the first time in three years, the Canucks are coming into a season looking great.  They have added some pieces, and the Sedins should see a lot more opportunities for good match-ups.  With new management and proper coaching, the two should see limited minutes, but in prime situations.  I can honestly say that I am expecting 70+ points each from these guys.  I believe that the Canucks will shock the West this year and make a push for the top 6 in the Conference.  

Missed the Cut:

Richards and Carter

Datsyuk and Zetterberg