NHL Power Rankings 2011-12: Power Ranking All 30 Teams Post-Free Agency

With some big free agents already having been signed and players being swapped in blockbuster trades, the NHL has already undergone massive change in a couple of weeks.

Mike Richards is a King, Brad Richards is a Ranger and Brent Burns is Shark.

Heatley has gone Wild.

The Flyers blew up their team, Chicago dumped a contract and Buffalo decided to spend.

All this madness calls for some order.

The following are all 30 teams, ranked after all transactions (signings, trades, etc.) based on who is currently on their roster.

NOTE: I've made a few assumptions here regarding RFAs, most notably that Shea Weber and Steven Stamkos will re-sign with Nashville and Tampa Bay, respectively.

30. Calgary Flames

Notable additions:

Chris Butler (D)

Butler is a young guy who should be solid in years to come, but the Flames are in need of more of a youth movement than this.

29. Winnipeg Jets

Notable additions:

Eric Fehr (RW), Tanner Glass (LW), Derek Meech (D/LW), Rick Rypien (C)

The Winnipeg Jets' main concern in the offseason was keeping their core intact.

However, they were able to add two former Canucks, Glass and Rypien, who will bring experience to a young team, and Fehr, who has long been with a division rival.

Derek Meech comes from Detroit, another team with sustained success.

28. Florida Panthers

Notable additions:

Sean Bergenheim (F), Brian Campbell (D), Tomas Fleischmann (LW), Marcel Goc (C), Ed Jovanovski (D), Tomas Kopecky (F), Jose Theodore (G), Scottie Upshall (RW), Kris Versteeg (RW)

The Panthers had money to spend, and GM Dave Tallon went crazy in the offseason.

He traded Campbell, who he originally signed to a big-time deal in Chicago, and brought back Jovanovski, who was originally drafted by the Cats in 1994.

Florida also poached Bergenheim from in-state rival Tampa Bay and added Theodore, who had his best years with rival Washington.

He also looked for potential: Fleischmann, Goc, Upshall and Versteeg are all in the prime of their career and should mesh well with the young Panthers.

The Panthers' additions may not put them in the playoffs, but the team took the right step in the offseason.

27. Phoenix Coyotes

Notable additions:

Alexandre Bolduc (C), Boyd Gordon (F), Marc-Antoine Pouliot (C), Mike Smith (G), Raffi Torres (LW)

The biggest offseason move for the Coyotes was to re-sign Keith Yandle, but they also dipped into the free agent pool to improve their team.

Smith has big boots to fill. He'll be expected to come in and compete for the starting goaltending position.

If he does, he'll be a hero for people with generic names everywhere. If he doesn't, Phoenix will feel Bryzgalov's loss.

Bolduc and Torres both played for the Canucks last year and should bring a winning atmosphere to the team.

Gordon, who comes from Washington, can also bring that winning flavor.

Pouliot is a solid depth player.

26. Ottawa Senators

Notable additions:

Alex Auld (G), Nikita Filatov (LW), Zenon Konopka (C), Mike McKenna (G), Mark Parrish (RW)

The Senators are entering a rebuilding phase and did not make many major additions.

They looked to shore up their goaltending by bringing in Auld and McKenna to compete with incumbent Craig Anderson.

Konopka will bring toughness to a team with a soft reputation.

Filatov could prove to be a big-time value pick. Originally drafted sixth overall (2008) by Columbus, the mercurial Russian winger was dealt to Ottawa for a third-round pick during this year's NHL Entry Draft.

25. New Jersey Devils

Notable additions:

Maxim Noreau (D)

After a huge offseason last year, when New Jersey brought over Ilya Kovalchuk from Atlanta (now Winnipeg), the Devils played it safe this offseason.

In fact, the team still has yet to name a replacement for Jacques Lemaire.

The team, as a whole, is a question mark:

Will they improve now that the core has been together a year (with Kovalchuk)?

Or are they in need of a massive makeover?

24. New York Islanders

Notable additions:

Marty Reasoner (C)

The Islanders did not want to hamper the development of their young team and are not expected to be a contender this year, so they did not make too much of a splash in free agency.

However, adding a veteran in Reasoner is a solid move in the short term.

Reasoner is a veteran who had a leadership position in Florida last season and will help guide a young team.

New York still has a while to go before being serious contenders, especially in the competitive Atlantic division, but as Tavares, Okposo and Co. develop as players, the team will have a bright future ahead of it.

23. Edmonton Oilers

Notable additions:

Cam Barker (D), Eric Belanger (C), Yann Denis (G), Ben Eager (LW), Josh Green (LW), Darcy Hordichuk (LW), Ryan Smyth (LW), Andy Sutton (D)

Edmonton is looking to turn things around sooner than later, and brought in a slew of new players in order to help them do so.

Smyth asked LA to send him back to Edmonton, where he was originally drafted (6th overall, 1994) and played 12 seasons.

Even at age 35, Smyth is capable of scoring 20 goals a season.

They looked for other experienced players in Belanger and Sutton and depth in their other signings.

The Oil also took a risk on Barker, who was trouble in Minnesota and left under bad terms.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Notable additions:

Jeff Carter (C), Mark Dekanich (G), Radek Martinek (D), Craig Rivet (D), James Wisniewski (D)

The Blue Jackets appear to be all-in.

They dealt for Carter, who should be a good compliment for Rick Nash, and picked up Wisniewski, who was very productive on the Islanders and Canadiens last season.

Rivet and Martinek will bring experience along the blueline.

Dekanich, a minor-leaguer, usually wouldn't be mentioned here, but he's a Nashville product, and many great goaltenders have come out of the Music City.

21. St. Louis Blues

Notable additions:

Jason Arnott (C), Brian Elliott (G), Kent Huskins (D), Jamie Langenbrunner (F), Scott Nichol (C)

St. Louis has playoff aspirations, and bringing in veterans Arnott and Langenbrunner should help the team achieve those.

Elliott has been brought in to compete with Jaroslav Halak for the starting goaltenidng position.

Huskins and Nichol spent last season with the Sharks and should bring some of the winning culture with them.

20. Dallas Stars

Notable additions:

Jake Dowell (C), Radek Dvorak (RW), Vernon Fiddler (F), Adam Pardy (D), Michael Ryder (RW), Sheldon Souray (D)

Richards is a big, but expected, loss for Dallas in the offseason.

The Stars, however, did not sit on their hands.

Ryder is a potential 30 goal scorer, and Dowdell and Pardy are in the prime of their careers.

Dvorak and Fiddler are both a solid veteran presence.

The biggest question mark is Souray, a wily vet who stirred up some trouble in Edmonton.

19. Toronto Maple Leafs

Notable additions:

Tim Connolly (C), Philippe Dupuis (C), Cody Franson (D), John-Michael Liles (D)

As the Maple Leafs climb closer to being a competitive team, they continue to make small additions that make a big difference over the course of a season.

Connolly has been a 15-goal scorer in Buffalo since 2001.

Dupuis and Liles have been a major part of the picture in Colorado for years. Liles has the capability of scoring 10-plus from the blueline if he's healthy.

Lombardi has speed, but only played two games for Nashville last year.

It's the first time in a while that this can be said, but Toronto could be a playoff team this year.

18. Colorado Avalanche

Notable additions:

Jean-Sebastien Giguere (G), Jan Hejda (D), Chuck Kobasew (RW), Joakim Lindstrom (C), Semyon Varlamov (G)

After their blockbuster trade with St. Louis last year, Colorado is looking to win with a revamped core this year.

Veteran Giguere and Washington castoff Varlamov will compete for the goaltending job.

Lindstrom is a journeyman player that could get more ice time with a young team.

Hejda and Kobasew will not provide much on the scoring front, but are good in their own end.

The Avs will, however, rely more on incomer Erik Johnson, Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly to fill the building once again.

17. Carolina Hurricanes

Notable additions:

Brian Boucher (G), Tim Brent (C), Tomas Kaberle (D), Alexei Ponikarovsky (LW), Anthony Stewart (RW)

The Hurricanes are a team on the brink of making the playoffs, and, as history has indicated, this is a team that can make a splash in the late rounds.

Carolina lost Eric Cole, a 26-goal scorer, which will set them back, but Ponikarovsky and Stewart both are capable of providing offense (although neither has scored 20 recently).

Kaberle was the big pickup in the offseason. He was a major part of Boston's playoff run and brings experience to a young team.

With their young talent and added depth, Carolina may be headed to the playoffs this season.

16. Minnesota Wild

Notable additions:

Dany Heatley (F), Mike Lundin (D), Jed Ortmeyer (RW), Darroll Powe (F), Devin Setoguchi (RW), Jeff Taffe (C)

In two blockbuster trades, the Wild acquired Heatley and Setoguchi for the Sharks. Both players will be expected to shoot (and score) a lot for Minnesota this season.

They also acquired two Minnesotans, Ludin (Apple Valley) and Taffe (Hastings), who will add depth.

Powe and Ortmeyer are defensive-minded forwards who will fit in well with the Wild.

This is the most excited fans in Minnesota have been about the Wild post-Gaborik.

15. Anaheim Ducks

Notable additions:

Jeff Deslauriers (G)

Kurtis Foster (D)

Jean-Francois Jacques (LW)

For a team that needs to take advantage of their playoff appearance and Selanne's good years (eventually he'll have to slow down), the Ducks were relatively dormant in the offseason.

Foster is a solid defenseman, but the team needs more along the blueline.

Jacques and Deslauriers are both projects, although the latter could land the backup goaltending spot on the team this season.

14. Montreal Canadiens

Notable additions:

Peter Budaj (G)

Erik Cole (RW)

By adding Budaj, a longtime member of the Avalanche, Montreal brought in a reliable backup.

However, the big addition is Erik Cole, who netted 26 goals for Carolina last season.

His scoring will be welcomed by the usually offensively-anemic Canadiens.

13. Nashville Predators

Notable additions:

Niclas Bergfors (RW)

Brett Lebda (D)

Zack Stortini (RW)

Shea Weber must be re-signed first, but the Predators might still have some wheeling-and-dealing to do.

Currently the team with the second-lowest payroll ($41.2 million), they are $7 million under the $48.3 floor.

Bergfors may thrive with the youth around him, Lebda brings veteran experience on the blueline and Stortini's gritty play fits in in Nashville.

However, the Preds need to capitalize on their success and new-found prominence in the Music City, and that might mean a little more spending.

12. Buffalo Sabres

Notable additions:

Christian Ehrhoff (D), Ales Kotalik (RW), Ville Leino (F), Robin Regehr (D)

After years of apathy from the Sabres brass, the ownership has changed and brought with them a wind of change.

The biggest arrival in Buffalo is Ehrhoff, a German defensemen who scored 14 goals for the Canucks in the past two seasons.

Kotalik and Regehr bring a veteran presence from Calgary, and Leino had a breakout season last year in Philly, scoring 19 goals for the Flyers after three middling seasons in the NHL.

The Sabres' spending should pay dividends next season.

11. Chicago Blackhawks

Notable additions:

Andrew Brunette (LW), Daniel Carcillo (LW), Jamal Mayers (RW), Sean O'Donnell (D), Rostislav Olesz (F)

For the Blackhawks, it is almost more about what they dumped (Brian Campbell's salary) than what they added.

However, Olesz, who came over in that trade, should thrive in a better environment with former teammate Michael Frolik.

Brunette and O'Donnell are veterans who are still productive in their advanced age.

Carcillo brings toughness that will be loved by the Chicago crowd.

Mayers didn't stick in San Jose, but is also a gritty player who will bring toughness to the Windy City.

10. Washington Capitals

Notable additions:

Troy Brouwer (LW), Jeff Halpern (C), Roman Hamrlik (D), Tomas Vokoun (G), Joel Ward (RW)

Washington will be contenders again this season with the moves they made in the offseason.

Vokoun answers the goaltending question in the nation's capital.

Ward and Brouwer are both 20-goal scorers, but bring vital playoff experience.

The organization is familiar with Halpern, who played in Washington before a stint in Tampa.

Hamrlik will bring toughness in the defensive zone and is another familiar player. He is the often-forgotten "other first-round pick (1992)" Tampa made in their franchise history. Lecavalier (1998) and Stamkos (2008) are the other two.

The Caps will be ready to compete once again next year.

9. Philadelphia Flyers

Notable additions:

Ilya Bryzgalov (G), Jaromir Jagr (RW), Andreas Lilja (D), Brayden Schenn (C), Wayne Simmonds (RW), Maxime Talbot (F), Jakub Voracek (LW)

The Flyers blew up their core, shipping off Jeff Carter (to Columbus for Jakub Voracek) and Mike Richards (to LA for Braden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds) and handing over the team to James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux.

Experts around the league speculated the move was to add Bryzgalov (nine years, $51 mil).

He is expected to be the missing piece in net.

Instead of going back to Pittsburgh, Jagr joined the rival Flyers (the team threw $3.3 mil at him).

At 39, Jagr is enigmatic: He could be a major factor or he could struggle to keep up with a faster league.

Talbot is not as big of a pickup, but he's remembered for netting the game-winning goal in Pittsburgh for the rival franchise's Stanley Cup victory in 2009.

Overall, the Flyers will be scrutinized in Philadelphia and the NHL community because of their aggressive moves this offseason.

They will probably be better in the long run, but it is uncertain that they have gotten better for next season.

8. New York Rangers

Notable additions:

Tim Erixon (D)

Brad Richards (C)

Michael Rupp (C/LW)

Richards was the big name on the free agent list this offseason, and the Rangers certainly have improved from landing the former Stars and Lightning star.

Rupp, one of few players to be drafted twice, has improved his production and ice time in his last two years in Pittsburgh (he previously played for New Jersey and Phoenix).

He's a better addition than many people realize.

Jan Erixon, Jan's father, was a solid player for the Rangers in the late '80s and early '90s and may be given an opportunity to make a name for himself after being traded by Calgary.

The Richards pickup, along with the two other additions, may be enough to get the Blueshirts out of the first round next year.

7. Los Angeles Kings

Notable additions:

Colin Fraser (C)

Simon Gagne (LW)

Mike Richards (C)

By acquiring Richards (Mike, not Brad) and Gagne, the Kings fans should expect this team to get past the first round this year.

Richards is in his prime, he's 26 and is capable of scoring 30-plus goals.

Gagne, a former teammate in Philly, is aging (31), but can still score.

Fraser isn't a scorer, but will bring toughness to the team.

6. Tampa Bay Lightning

Notable additions:

Mathieu Garon (G), Bruno Gervais (D), Matt Gilroy (D), Ryan Shannon (F)

Tampa Bay may have lost Sean Bergenheim to Florida and Mike Lundin to Minnesota in the offseason, but GM Steve Yzerman made some astute moves in the offseason.

Garon has never been outstanding, but brings experience to the goaltending position.

Gervais and Gilroy are solid defensemen who should shore up the blueline for the Bolts, and Shannon brings depth to the team.

Fans in Central Florida should expect good hockey again next season.

5. Detroit Red Wings

Notable additions:

Mike Commodore (D)

Ian White (D)

The Wings are going to stick with their core until it fails, so no major moves were necessary.

However, their two pickups were solid additions to the team.

Commodore, a veteran journeyman, will fit in as an older player, and White is a player in his prime who made an impact with the Sharks last season.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

Notable additions:

Steve Sullivan (LW)

Boris Valabik (D)

The Penguins were pretty quiet in the offseason.

Sullivan is a solid veteran who made an impact in Nashville over the past few years, and Valabik has some NHL experience.

However, Sullivan's career is waning, and Valabik spent most of the past few years in the AHL.

The biggest additions for Pittsburgh, in reality, are getting Crosby and Malkin back next season.

3. Vancouver Canucks

Notable additions:

Andrew Ebbett (LW), Mark Mancari (RW), Marco Sturm (F), Alexander Sulzer (D)

The Canucks suffered a few casualties after the Stanley Cup appearance, but nothing they shouldn't be able to overcome.

Sturm is an established player who will be able to come in and make an immediate impact.

Unfortunately, Ebbett, Mancari and Sulzer are projects, but they could develop into something.

2. San Jose Sharks

Notable additions:

Brent Burns (D), Ben Guite (C), Michal Handzus (C), Martin Havlat (F), Jim Vandermeer (D)

In their dual blockbuster moves, the Sharks added a scoring defensemen (Burns) and a gritty forward (Havlat) to compliment a core that has reached the Western Conference Finals two years in a row.

If he stays healthy, Burns could be a major difference-maker on the blueline and outscore long-time Shark Dan Boyle.

Havlat brings that grit and toughness that the San Jose faithful feels Heatley lacked in the playoffs.

Guite and Vandermeer are question marks, but Handzus should get some serious time on the penalty kill.

1. Boston Bruins

Notable additions:

Joe Corvo (D)

Benoit Pouliot (LW)

The Bruins are pretty happy with their core, but made two tweaks that may help them defend their title.

Corvo is a veteran who has had multiple solid seasons, especially for the Kings and Hurricanes, and can provide 10-plus goals (he had 11 last year) for Boston on the blueline.

Pouliot was drafted fourth overall in 2005 and has the potential to be a big-time scorer, but has yet to display his offensive prowess in Minnesota or Montreal since being drafted.