With the puck about to drop on the NHL regular season, expectations begin to increase across the league, from Stanley Cup-winning veteran experience to young franchises looking for post season appearances. Despite October being the beginning of opportunity for 32 teams, only half of them will make it into late April.

Here are my top 10 power ranking predictions going into opening night on Tuesday.

1- Carolina Hurricanes

A storm will surge over the NHL this year as I think the Hurricanes are the most balanced team in the National Hockey League. With the defense led by 22-year veteran Brent Burns as well as Jacob Slavin who was arguably one of the best defenseman last year in the post season, this team will be tough to score on. 

The high-speed offense in Raleigh contains various weapons including Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, who will continue to be an issue for defenses. Frederic Anderson backing this stacked team in the net has made me think they are the best team to enter the upcoming season.

2- Toronto Maple Leafs

Although Mitch Marner is wearing different colors this season, the Maple Leafs still have Captain Auston Matthews, William Nylander and young star Matthew Knies. This team is consistently good throughout the regular season and are sure to make the playoffs as they look to ultimately end their Stanley Cup drought of 58 years. 

Both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll were incredible in the post season and helped push the series against the Panthers to seven games. Defensively, Morgan Reilly is a good and experienced assistant captain, but is not enough of a difference maker on the back end to put them above Carolina.

3- Dallas Stars

The Stars have made two consecutive conference finals in the last two years on the back of young goaltender Jake Oettinger. If Dallas’ top offensive players like Jason Roberston, Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen can stay healthy and productive like they have been in recent memory, I would put the Stars right behind the Hurricanes as the second-most balanced team, especially with their defensive talent in Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley.

4- Washington Capitals

The Capitals finished second in the league last year and have a balance of both veteran experience and young talent. With the team captained by the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin, and veteran enforcer Tom Wilson, the young stars like Dylan Strome and Alexei Protas will only continue to develop. 

With their prospect pool containing Andrew Cristall, as well as Sonny Milano, I think this team can add even more depth offensively, to help with their elite goalie tandem in Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren.

5- Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers were first on this list as of a few weeks ago. However, with Barkov missing the entire regular season and Matthew Tkachuk being absent until as early as December, this team will be missing arguably their two best players for half of the year. 

This team is still full of talent with elite netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, veteran forward Brad Marchand and three-time Stanley Cup champion Carter Verhaeghe. This team has won two consecutive championships for a reason, as their depth has been unmatched, but without their two top guys I don’t think they will be as dominant during the season.

6- Winnipeg Jets

The Jets are coming off of a President’s Trophy season last year as their net is walled by Vezina Trophy-winning Connor Hellebuyck. They are a team who consistently perform regularly in the season but are usually disappointing in May. 

On paper, this team is very good with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor leading their offense. It should be interesting to see the newly added veteran and Winnipeg-native Jonathan Toews as he returns from a two-and-a-half-year hiatus. Despite the addition, I do not see them repeating as the league’s frontrunners as I believe they will drop off just a little.

7- Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have an extremely speedy offense led by Nathan Mackinnon who is second to only Connor McDavid when it comes to talent in the league. The Avalanche also have a top two defensemen in Cale Makar and a team built for the playoffs when it comes to experience. 

However, their goalie situation is not great, but it is enough to crack the top 10 as a team heading into this season. Unless Mackenzie Blackwood can step up in a big way this season in net, I think it will be Colorado’s downfall.

8- Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers have made the cup final in back-to-back seasons but have come up short due to their lack of goaltending and defensive depth. McDavid will be, as always, a key factor in this team’s success in a contract season and will be able to propel Edmonton to the playoffs with the help of German center Leon Draisaitl.

9- Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights added Mitch Marner in the offseason which will be a huge contribution for them. The Knights are a contending team every year, especially with a roster consisting of Mark Stone and Jack Eichel, who provide Vegas with a ton of offensive firepower. 

Although they are decent on the back end, Adin Hill has not been the goaltender of recent years, and I think it causes Vegas to drop down on this list below the eight teams above.

10- Los Angeles Kings

In Anze Kopitar’s final season, I think the Kings will make their yearly first round appearance in the playoffs. With another strong goaltending performance from 2022 Stanley Cup champion Darcy Kuemper, they can crack the top ten. 

As far as offense goes, Quiton Byfield has been a phenomenal young star for them and can really elevate the offense. Corey Perry, I think, will be an interesting addition to this team, but I think it’s hard to say if he truly adds any major contributions to the team he has defeated in the playoffs in the last two seasons.

Just outside this list are the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. After the summer offseason, the NHL season begins on Tuesday Oct. 7.