Ranking NHL teams by tiers: The August top 16
Welcome to theScore's August ranking of all 31 NHL teams for the 2018-19 season, sorted by tiers.
This is Part 2 of the two-part series. Part 1, which addresses the bottom 15 teams, can be found here.
Alright, let's dig in.
The Wannabe Contenders (4th tier)
Multi-round playoff run not out of the question
The Flames added defenseman Noah Hanifin and forwards Elias Lindholm, Derek Ryan, and James Neal, while subtracting defensemen Dougie Hamilton and a few other pieces. Don't know about the long-term play - ditching Hamilton is risky business - but the moves inject much-needed scoring help for 2018-19. Expect that woeful, 29th-ranked shooting percentage to rise.
The PR hit and potential for off-ice issues aside, the Panthers made out like bandits in the Mike Hoffman trade. They bought low on a top-flight winger tailor-made for fringe superstar Aleksander Barkov. Rookies Owen Tippett and Henrik Borgstrom could add even more skill. Major question: Will Roberto Luongo, 39, continue to age gracefully?
Props to John Stevens and his coaching staff. Living up to their pre-season words, the Kings capitalized on scoring opportunities more often in 2017-18, bagging 2.89 goals per game versus 2.43 the year prior. They're still relatively slow and old, yet it's hard to ignore a team that allowed a league-low 202 goals, is led by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, and signed Ilya Kovalchuk.
The Flyers landed the best UFA not named John Tavares, inking James van Riemsdyk to a seven-year deal. Through a short-term lens, the acquisition signals the Flyers are serious about pushing the envelope in the Eastern Conference. Their stable of quality forwards, namely Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux, give them a fighting chance.
The Dark-horse Contenders (3rd tier)
Pieces assembled, circumstances imperfect
The clock is ticking in Anaheim. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, the pillars of this Ducks era, are 33, while their partner in crime, 33-year-old Ryan Kesler, is hurting. With the likes of John Gibson, Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell, Jakob Silfverberg, and rookie Sam Steel supporting the Big Three, this group is equal parts relevant and vulnerable.
On one hand, youngsters Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are already one of the best defense pairs in the league, sophomore Pierre-Luc Dubois isn't even scratching the surface, and Sergei Bobrovsky is a constant Vezina threat. On the other hand, offensive engine Artemi Panarin may be traded before October, dampening all of the above.
The Sharks should be high on themselves following a 100-point season, a decent playoff run, and Evander Kane's extension. Their core - despite being injected with some youth, like Timo Meier - is quite old, however, and GM Doug Wilson didn't make a single meaningful UFA signing this summer. In short, San Jose is very good but not great.
One of the busiest teams in free agency, the Blues upgraded their center and wing positions by signing David Perron, Patrick Maroon, and Tyler Bozak, and acquiring Ryan O'Reilly via trade. All four should help revive the club's 30th-ranked power play and give netminder Jake Allen some cushion. Watch out for uber-talented winger Robby Fabbri.
Listen, what Vegas accomplished as an expansion franchise was nothing short of spectacular. The Golden Knights will always be 2018 Cup finalists, and they're certainly still a dangerous squad. Projecting a repeat outcome, however, would be naive. They have cap space and plenty to love - especially that Jonathan Marchessault line - but let's not get carried away.
The Conditional Favorites (2nd tier)
Elite teams stalled by question marks
So long as Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak remains the Best Line in Hockey™, the Bruins will be a wrecking ball. Helping their cause: defenseman Charlie McAvoy, 20, who's inching toward stardom. Boston obliterates opponents on the shot-attempt and scoring-chance counters but is devoid of championship depth at all positions.
Until they show definitive signs of aging, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin give any roster immediate Cup credibility - especially one coached by Mike Sullivan. Consider, too, the Penguins' ridiculous power play (26.2 percent to pace the NHL in 2017-18), their ability to control five-on-five play (fifth in Corsi), and a potential bounce-back year from Matt Murray.
Behold, the ultimate matchup nightmare: 50 minutes per game against Auston Matthews, John Tavares, or Nazem Kadri. Mix in Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Patrick Marleau, and some soldiers, and you have the NHL's premier forward collection. Nevertheless, despite also having a top-10 goalie, the Leafs are being held hostage by back-end deficiencies.
Finally, the Caps have swagger. They re-signed John Carlson, Evgeny Kuznetsov has cemented himself as a star, and nobody should be worrying about Braden Holtby. Yet, let's not forget: that Cup-winning team struggled to score, and posted poor underlying numbers during the regular season. New bench boss Todd Reirden has work to do.
The Unconditional Favorites (1st tier)
Star-studded, deep - simply a cut above the rest
In finding a way to optimize that all-world blue line, the Preds have established themselves as the NHL's preeminent switch team. Led by P.K. Subban, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, and Roman Josi - and now featuring Dan Hamhuis on the third pair - their D impacts every play, working with their forwards and goalies to overwhelm the opposition. The Preds are scary.
The Bolts have it all: an enviable GM-coach combo, a track record of playoff success, favorable underlying numbers, a formidable attack, a strong defense corps, Vezina-calibre goaltending. On paper, they possess the NHL's best roster, and it's reasonable to expect 22-year-old Brayden Point and 20-year-old Mikhail Sergachev will improve in 2018-19.
Something special is brewing in Manitoba. The Jets, who had their first taste of playoff success this spring, are stacked at forward (even without Paul Stastny), own an underappreciated defense, and boast one of the top 25-or-under goalies in Connor Hellebuyck. There isn't a club with a better mix of young and old, and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has cap room.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)