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Weekend NHL rankings: Early-season picks for one of the best, the worst and one of the best bandwagon groups

We’re again, it’s means too early, and we wouldn’t have it another means. Welcome again to the weekend NHL rankings, during which I’ll begin off each week of the season by serving up a high 5, a backside 5 and a bonus 5, with a couple of of the week’s extra attention-grabbing groups tossed into the combination.

First, let’s be clear about what this rating is all about. These of you who’ve been round for previous seasons ought to know the drill by now, and in that case skip on right down to the bandwagon rankings. However when you’re new, it’s price a fast apart on what we’re really making an attempt to do right here.

These rankings are supposed to be a long-term view, the place we attempt to determine which group will win the Stanley Cup and which is able to end useless final. That implies that whereas we’ll nonetheless react to what we see on the ice and who beats who, short-term swings might not have as a lot affect as you’d count on. A group will be the Cup favourite even after a three-loss week, and one group beating one other doesn’t essentially imply they transfer up and take their spot. For those who’d choose a extra short-term view, the Friday rankings have you ever lined. Round these components, it’s extra of a slow-and-steady method.

Which means we received’t overreact to a sport or two right here and there. It additionally implies that if we’re improper a couple of group from the beginning, we run the danger of staying improper for longer than we have to, so the way-too-early opening rankings can matter. The hole between being conservative and simply being cussed is usually a difficult one. Or not less than, that’s what the feedback part likes to inform me.

We’ll get to the facility rankings in a bit. However first, this week’s bonus 5, during which I’m going that will help you discover a second-favorite group.

Bonus 5: This yr’s best groups to bandwagon

5. Edmonton OilersProfessional: They’re a legit Cup contender weighed down by three a long time of distress, so it received’t really feel like a front-runner decide though it completely is. And on the checklist of enjoyable issues a fan can do on this sport, cheering for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is just about proper on the high. Con: It all the time ends badly in Edmonton. Hasn’t began so nice both.

4. Ottawa SenatorsProfessional: They’re a enjoyable, younger group on the verge of lastly breaking again into the contenders tier. And new possession means a current historical past of sideshows must be firmly up to now. Con: Their path again to the playoffs this yr is more durable than you’d suppose, and may imply you’re rooting towards an excellent higher bandwagon decide that we’ll get to in a second.

3. New Jersey DevilsProfessional: It’s been a tough decade or so in New Jersey, however now the Devils have emerged for instance of a rebuild performed proper. They’ve obtained ability, they’re enjoyable to look at, they usually have a legit shot on the Cup. Con: You’re actually a yr late on this one.

2. Arizona CoyotesProfessional: Laz just about laid it out in September. Each fan has taken a kick on the Coyotes over time, together with you. But when they will put all of it collectively this yr, the vibes will likely be off the charts. Con: “Placing all of it collectively” may nonetheless depart them 10 factors out of a playoff spot, so be sure you are available in with real looking expectations.

1. Buffalo SabresProfessional: A unending rebuild and the longest playoff drought in historical past may each lastly come to an finish, and it may occur with a younger group led by a rookie goalie, a stud on the blue line and a pleasant large up entrance. Truthfully, until you’re a fan of a direct rival, you must be rooting for the Sabres. Con: Don’t underneath any circumstances google “Buffalo Sabres franchise historical past.”

OK, on to the primary week of scores …


Street to the Cup

The 5 groups with one of the best probabilities of successful the Stanley Cup.

Final yr, there have been solely two groups that hit No. 1 within the high 5. The Colorado Avalanche held it for the primary 5 weeks, after which the Boston Bruins took over for the remainder of the season en path to their file 135 factors. Then neither group received a playoff spherical. What can I let you know, typically I put the “sluggish” in sluggish and regular.

5. Edmonton Oilers (0-2-0, -8 true objectives differential*) — The Oilers didn’t wait lengthy for our first true “uh oh” second amongst contenders, as they obtained completely pumped by the Vancouver Canucks on opening night time. They had been higher on Saturday, however misplaced a detailed one. I’m not apprehensive, as you may see by their rating. However the door to the room the place we preserve the fear has been nudged open only a crack.

4. New Jersey Devils (1-0-1, +1) — Feeling fairly, fairly good about my Jack Hughes MVP prediction. Feeling much less good about them dropping to the Coyotes, however shootouts aren’t actual.

3. Carolina Hurricanes (2-1-0, -1) — The large takeaway up to now: The offense appears high quality, because the Hurricanes scored 5 objectives in every of their first two video games. I do not know what to make of final night time’s loss in Anaheim, aside from you most likely simply burn the tapes and/or have your coach make everybody do burpees till they cry.

2. Vegas Golden Knights (3-0-0, +9) — The schedule hasn’t precisely served up a murderers’ row of early exams, however you may solely play the groups they provide you. The Knights have seemed scary up to now.

1. Dallas Stars (1-0-0, +0) — They had been my preseason Cup decide, so I’ve to present them the one spot out of the gate. We’ve solely obtained one sport to work with up to now, an uninspiring shootout win over the St. Louis Blues, however that’s high quality. We’ll get our first actual take a look at the Stars towards a contender tomorrow after they face the Golden Knights.

*Targets differential with out counting shootout choices just like the NHL does for some motive.

Not ranked: Colorado Avalanche — First issues first. As longtime readers know, the “not ranked” part journeys up plenty of newcomers. To be crystal clear, this part is an opportunity to speak about any group outdoors the highest 5 that appears attention-grabbing. That’s it. We’re not naming a sixth-place group. If we needed to do this each week, we’d simply have a high six. We don’t. It’s a high 5, after which one additional group. Do you see a six wherever? You don’t. So don’t complain concerning the Not Ranked group being ranked “forward” of whoever else, as a result of that isn’t what’s taking place. They’re not sixth.

All that stated, the Avalanche are the sixth-best group this week.

A minimum of, I’m fairly certain they’re. I commute on this group, one which’s 16 months faraway from a championship but additionally coming off a first-round exit to an growth group. I’m fairly certain they’ve obtained a lot elite expertise, together with the just-recently locked-up Devon Toews, that they’re a slam dunk contender that ought to most likely be within the high 5. Then I keep in mind Gabriel Landeskog is out for the yr, the Stars wish to take over the division, the highest of the West may be very powerful, and the Avs have already proven us the little margin for error they will have, and immediately I’ve a troublesome time discovering top-five room for them.

They’ve taken care of enterprise early, banking 4 factors of their first two, though they wanted a shootout to do it in San Jose.

The celebs have seemed like stars, which is what you wish to see. So yeah, they’re sixth, until anybody needs to speak me out of it.


The underside 5

The 5 groups which can be headed towards useless final, and one of the best lottery odds for Macklin Celebrini or Cole Eiserman.

In case your group is on this part, otherwise you suppose they may be, be sure you’re all caught up on Corey’s 2024 draft preview.

5. Chicago Blackhawks (1-2-0, -1) — Connor Bedard appears like the actual deal, the goaltending appears high quality, they usually beat the Pens and performed the Bruins powerful earlier than dropping to the Habs. For those who’re a Hawks fan, I believe you’ll completely take Week 1.

4. Montreal Canadiens (1-0-1, +1) — They’ve been feisty up to now, and will most likely be 2-0 after a late collapse in Toronto. There are some winnable video games sprinkled by the early schedule, so they might not maintain down their spot within the backside 5 for lengthy.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets (1-1-0, +0) — Two video games in they usually’ve misplaced to a foul Philadelphia Flyers group and overwhelmed an excellent New York Rangers group, which is complicated however we’ll permit it. In the meantime, Zach Werenski is already on the IR, and Elvis Merzlikins left Saturday’s sport.

Additionally, this was simply imply:

2. Anaheim Geese (1-1-0, +0) — Welcome to the 2023-24 season, Geese. Go sit on the sidelines for the primary week whereas everybody else is taking part in, then soar proper in with video games towards the Golden Knights and Hurricanes, on back-to-back nights, with journey in between. I’m certain that may go nice for you. (Checks the rating of final night time’s sport.) Huh. Truthfully, there could also be no surer factor in these rankings than the Geese taking part in the final sport of each weekend late on a Sunday and ensuring that sport messes up no matter I’ve already written, and I respect their dedication to the bit.

1. San Jose Sharks (0-1-1, -3) — Their nearly comically brutal early schedule has led to a pair of losses, though they took the Avalanche to coin flips. Filip Zadina getting an early objective is a pleasant signal for a low-risk gamble that might repay properly.

Not ranked: Seattle Kraken Keep in mind what we stated on the high about not overreacting to at least one week? That most likely got here as a reduction to Kraken followers, who watched their group stumble out of the gate with two regulation losses earlier than dropping Saturday’s shootout. Worse, final yr’s breakthrough offense has been held to simply two objectives. It’s not good.

That not-overreacting factor can work each methods, after all — final yr, I spent the primary 10 weeks of the season refusing to imagine what the Kraken had been telling us, earlier than lastly admitting I had all of them improper. And even then, I didn’t go overboard and put them within the high 5. You possibly can make the case that I used to be too sluggish to react to the Seattle story final yr, however I’m definitely not going to let a sluggish begin fear me this time.

As an alternative, I’m simply going to level out that this week’s schedule may be very attention-grabbing. The Kraken are again dwelling, however they’ve obtained the Avalanche, Hurricanes and Rangers. That’s a troublesome slate for a group that hasn’t discovered its groove but, though you might additionally take a look at it as a pleasant early-season measuring stick. Subsequent week they’re again on the street with a cease in Detroit adopted by Carolina, Florida and Tampa, so not a lot simpler.

In brief, we don’t know a lot concerning the Kraken but as a result of it’s solely been three video games. However by the point we get to 10, we’ll have a clearer image, and it will likely be one which both entails some spectacular wins over sturdy contenders or an ugly-looking file that may have individuals muttering about one-year wonders.

(Prime pictures of Stars’ Jamie Benn, Sharks’ Tomas Hertl, Matt Benning and Marc-Edouard Vlasic: Sam Hodde / Getty Photographs and Andreea Cardani / NHLI by way of Getty Photographs)


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