NHL Power Rankings: All Teams Ranked During the 2020 Stanley Cup Final

And then there were two.

Though the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning are more than 12 months into a hockey season that began with training camps last summer, there's still some work to do before either of them take a celebratory lap and pose for team pictures at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

As for the other 29 teams wishing they were spending their Septembers in Northern Alberta, there's no shortage of work for them to do, either, as they put pieces in place to make a run at their own banner-hanging event next year.

The B/R ice hockey brain trust has gotten together several times before and during the playoffs to rank the league's 31 teams from top to bottom, and we're doing so again as the tournament rolls toward its conclusion in the form of a best-of-seven finale between the Western and Eastern Conference champions.

All teams have gotten at least some start on preparations for the 2020 NHL draft, which follows the playoffs.

Read on to see where your favorite club sits in our final in-playoff NHL power rankings, which are based on regular-season, qualifying-, first-, second- and third-round performances (as applicable) and recent noteworthy team news.

31-25: Still a Ways to Go

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

31. Detroit Red Wings (17-49-5, 39 points)

They seem light years away after compiling just 39 points this season, but the Red Wings can trace their lineage all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Wings GM Steve Yzerman drafted many players on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster while serving as GM there until 2018. On the opposite side, Dallas GM Jim Nill worked in a variety of roles in the Detroit front office from 1994 to 2013. "It's nice to see," said Jimmy Devellano, a senior VP for the Wings. "Now we have to figure out how to get our house in order."

30. Ottawa Senators (25-34-12, 62 points)

The Senators will have three picks in the first round of the NHL draft (Nos. 3, 5 and 28) and seven selections across the first two rounds. That, according to Ottawa coach D.J. Smith, means the transition from doormat to contender could be a much quicker one if the right players are brought in. "When you're picking third, that guy may play a few games and may play the season," he said. "You don't know, but it's an opportunity to get what we think down the road is a franchise superstar kind of player."

29. New Jersey Devils (28-29-12, 68 points)

Count the Devils among the teams angling for ways to keep their prospects playing and developing even though they've been off the ice since March. New Jersey loaned left winger Janne Kuokkanen, picked in the second round in 2016, to Oulun Karpat of the elite league in Finland. The 21-year-old will leave the Finnish league to compete for a season-opening roster spot with the Devils whenever NHL teams begin reporting to training camp. He was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in February in a trade for Sami Vatanen.

28. Anaheim Ducks (29-33-9, 67 points)

It won't be the biggest splash of the offseason, but Ryan Miller's decision on whether to keep playing will affect the Ducks roster. The 40-year-old backup goaltender is an unrestricted free agent after making $1.125 million this season and playing 23 games with a .907 save percentage. He hasn't decided whether he'll keep playing given the pandemic and its impact on families. "If they're going to tell me we're going to be in bubbles for nine months, that's probably not fair to my wife and son," Miller told The Athletic.

27. San Jose Sharks (29-36-5, 63 points)

Former NHL tough guy Bob Boughner could be on the verge of adding another "former" to his resume, as in "former interim coach." Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that Boughner would be elevated to full-on head coach of the Sharks in the near future. Boughner took over in San Jose after Peter DeBoer was fired in December and went 14-20-3 in the season's final 37 games. Boughner played 630 games over 10 seasons in the league and scored 15 goals while amassing 1,382 penalty minutes.

26. Buffalo Sabres (30-31-8, 68 points)

The Sabres locker room got an infusion of experience and leadership with the team's acquisition of 35-year-old center Eric Staal, who arrived from the Minnesota Wild in a deal that sent Marcus Johansson the other way. Staal was a teammate of new Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams in Carolina, where they won a Stanley Cup in 2006. He's scored 436 NHL goals across 1,240 games and was the league's leading playoff scorer (19 assists, 28 points) in the championship run with the Hurricanes. 

25. Los Angeles Kings (29-35-6, 64 points)

The Kings retained the services of a productive blueliner when they signed 25-year-old restricted free agent Sean Walker to a four-year contract extension worth $10.6 million. Wagner was originally signed as an undrafted free agent after playing college hockey at Bowling Green. He scored five times and added 19 assists in 70 games for the Kings in 2019-20 and was second among Los Angeles defensemen in points, ice time and shots behind only Drew Doughty.

24-17: A Few Steps into the Journey

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

24. Montreal Canadiens (31-31-9, 71 points)

Defenseman Joel Edmundson was acquired by the Canadiens via trade and made a long commitment to the team just four days later, signing a four-year, $14 million contract rather than testing the market as a free agent. Now 27, he was drafted in the second round by the St. Louis Blues in 2011 and also played for the Carolina Hurricanes before being swapped to Montreal for a fifth-round draft pick. He scored 20 points in 68 games with the Hurricanes last season while making $3.1 million.

23. Chicago Blackhawks (32-30-8, 72 points)

A decision will have to be made on center Dylan Strome, who'll be a restricted free agent after making a base salary of $863,333 in 2019-20 while scoring 38 points in 58 games. He's not eligible for salary arbitration, which means the Blackhawks will automatically retain his services by making a qualifying offer, but that isn't a guarantee given a flat cap and myriad other players on the roster who are nearing free agency. "I've had success in Chicago, and I do like it there," Strome said, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. "We'll see what happens."

22. Arizona Coyotes (33-29-8, 74 points)

The Coyotes took care of necessary stabilizing business in the front office by hiring Bill Armstrong as their general manager, officially replacing John Chayka after he left the organization in July. Armstrong arrived after working with the St. Louis Blues as assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting. A month after Chayka exited, the team was punished by the league for scouting violations and will lose a second-round draft pick this year and a first-round pick next year.

21. Florida Panthers (35-26-8, 78 points)

The Panthers recently announced that assistant coach Mike Kitchen would not return to the team, and the NHL has since said that it is aware of an accusation that he kicked a player on the bench during a game with the Minnesota Wild. "The team made me aware of the incident a while ago," said GM Bill Zito, who was hired on Sept. 2. "We discussed with the team the appropriate approach. The team conducted its own investigation and made its own decision."

20. Minnesota Wild (35-27-7, 77 points)

The Mikko Koivu era with the Minnesota Wild is over. The 37-year-old native of Finland was selected by the organization in 2001 and played 15 seasons with the team, but he'll not be re-signed to come back for 2020-21, according to GM Bill Guerin. "His hard work, dedication and team-first mentality will be extremely difficult to replace in our lineup," Guerin said. Koivu's departure goes along with the trade of 35-year-old veteran Eric Staal as a sign that Guerin is remaking the roster in a big way.

19. Nashville Predators (35-26-8, 78 points)

If the Nashville Predators are interested in having center Mikael Granlund on the team in 2020-21, they're going to have to compete for his services. Adam Vingan of The Athletic reported that Granlund's agent, Todd Diamond, suggested there won't be a contract agreement made before his client becomes an unrestricted free agent after the Stanley Cup Final. "We will be seeing what the open market has to offer," Diamond said. Granlund made $5.75 million in 2019-20, scored 17 goals and had 63 points. 

18. Columbus Blue Jackets (33-22-15, 81 points)

The Blue Jackets, who were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, look at the Lightning's foe in the Stanley Cup Final—the Dallas Stars—and see a lot of similarities to themselves as strong defensive teams who rely on timely scoring, according to GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Columbus dropped four one-goal games to Tampa Bay in the teams' postseason series and is on the lookout for ways to boost production from its top-six forwards. The Blue Jackets have $7.0 million in available cap space.

17. Edmonton Oilers (37-25-9, 83 points)

The Minnesota Wild have dropped out of the Mikko Koivu business, but might the Edmonton Oilers have a spot for the former Wild captain? Perhaps. Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal suggests that the Oilers could make a run at the Finnish veteran both to address a dearth of quality faceoff men and to help welcome back 2016 first-round pick Jesse Puljujarvi should he decide to return to Edmonton. Koivu had 21 points in 55 games for the Wild this season while earning $5.5 million.

16-9: Halfway Home?

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

16. Toronto Maple Leafs (36-25-9, 81 points)

Could the Maple Leafs be in the mix for Alex Pietrangelo, the premier free-agent defenseman on the market who just happens to be a native of the Toronto metropolitan area? Maybe. Josh Wegman of The Score suggests that Pietrangelo will demand upward of $8 million per year, which means the Leafs would have to move significant salary to create space. Among those who might wind up expendable include forwards William Nylander, Alex Kerfoot and Andreas Johnsson and goalie Frederik Andersen. 

15. Winnipeg Jets (37-28-6, 80 points)

The Jets are approaching the 2020 draft and sitting in the No. 10 spot for the first round, though they'll have just three more picks after the initial one is made. Winnipeg has looked overseas for impact players in each of the past four years, with its first-rounders coming from Finland in 2016 (Patrik Laine), 2017 (Kristian Vesalainen) and 2019 (Ville Heinola) and Sweden in 2018 (David Gustafsson). Among the Jets' needs heading to the draft are a first- or second-line center and/or a big defenseman.

14. Pittsburgh Penguins (40-23-6, 86 points)

NHL vagabond Jared McCann's stay in Pittsburgh will last a bit longer after the Penguins signed him to a two-year deal worth $5.9 million to avoid him becoming a restricted free agent in October. McCann was drafted in the first round by the Vancouver Canucks in 2014, went to the Florida Panthers in a trade in 2016 and joined the Penguins in another deal in 2019. The 24-year-old forward scored 14 goals and had 35 points in 66 games in 2020-21 and added a single point in three postseason games.

13. Calgary Flames (36-27-7, 79 points)

It's hard to blame the Flames, particularly coach Geoff Ward, from looking at the Stanley Cup Final with more than a twinge of envy. Calgary faced the now-Western Conference champion Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs and had not only a 2-1 series lead but also a one-goal lead in the final minute of Game 4 before the Stars scored to send it to overtime and later won in the extra period. The Flames were also up 3-0 in Game 6 before losing 7-3. "Against us, they got better every game," Ward said.

12. Carolina Hurricanes (38-25-5, 81 points)

The Carolina farm system took a turn toward the Midwest with the signing of a three-year affiliation agreement with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. The Hurricanes had a decade-long relationship with the Charlotte Checkers, but the two sides could not reach a deal to renew a pact that would have kept the top affiliate just a two-hour drive from the NHL team. The Checkers won the AHL's Calder Cup in 2019 and will now work with the Florida Panthers. 

11. New York Rangers (37-28-5, 79 points)

As the clock ticks down toward Alexis Lafreniere's presumed arrival in New York with the No. 1 pick of the draft, fans of the Rangers are excitedly looking at some of the high-end prospects already in the pipeline. Right wing Vitali Kravtsov, selected ninth overall in 2018, had 15 points in 39 games with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack in 2019-20. The 6'3", 189-pounder has transitioned from there back to the KHL and scored six times in his first seven games.

10. St. Louis Blues (42-19-10, 94 points)

It's official. Almost. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will apparently not sign a deal with the St. Louis Blues before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in October, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. "We just think right now, with where things are at, that maybe it's best for both sides to see what's going on in free agency," Pietrangelo said. "What the team can explore, what I can explore, and if there are better fits for each side." The Blues captain made $6.5 million in 2019-20 and had 52 points in 70 games.

9. Washington Capitals (41-20-8, 90 points)

The Capitals are two years removed from a Stanley Cup championship and brought in a Cup-winning coach to restart the momentum toward another title run. Peter Laviolette, who guided the Carolina Hurricanes to that organization's lone Cup in 2006, was brought in to replace Todd Reirden, who coached in Washington for two seasons after Barry Trotz departed following the 2018 championship. "This is a winning organization with high expectations," Laviolette said.

8-3: Just off the Pace

John Locher/Associated Press

8. Boston Bruins (44-14-12, 100 points)

Given the reality that Torey Krug is on the way to unrestricted free agency, reports are circulating that the Bruins are doing due diligence and kicking the tires on the availability of Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The 29-year-old is signed through 2026-27 at $8.3 million per season and has scored 12 or more goals seven times in the NHL. He scored nine goals and added 21 assists in 66 games for the Coyotes in 2019-20 and had four points in nine postseason games.

7. New York Islanders (35-23-10, 80 points)

New York hasn't played a home game since March, but the connection to its fans remains strong. A cadre of supporters was at a Long Island airport when the team returned from Edmonton after falling in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. It was the longest playoff run for the Islanders since an Eastern final loss in 1993. In fact, they had won just two series in 27 years before beating the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers this summer.

6. Vancouver Canucks (36-27-6, 78 points)

Coming off a seven-game scrap with the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference semifinals, the Canucks are settling into what's sure to be a busy offseason for GM Jim Benning. Two Vancouver players are on a list of 10 players, compiled by Frank Seravalli of TSN, whose contracts are likely to be moved before play resumes. Restricted free agent defenseman Troy Stecher is due a qualifying offer of $2.3 million and forward Brandon Sutter has one more year on a deal paying him $4.4 million annually. 

5. Philadelphia Flyers (41-21-7, 89 points)

A seventh-game shutout loss to the New York Islanders kept them from a trip to the Eastern Conference Final as the No. 1 seed, but the Philadelphia Flyers—particularly captain Claude Giroux—are confident that the correct pieces are there for them to maintain their status as prime contenders. "The other years we made the playoffs and we lost in the first round, we didn't have the depth we have right now," Giroux said. "We just like the mix we have in the locker room."

4. Vegas Golden Knights (39-24-8, 86 points)

It may get done. But Robin Lehner is insistent that it isn't done yet. The "it" in question is a contract with the Golden Knights that would prevent the goaltender from becoming an unrestricted free agent in October. Reports surfaced that Lehner had agreed to a five-year, $25 million deal during the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, but Lehner took to a media conference call to say the reports weren't true. "If it would've been finalized, it would've been finalized, but it's not," he said.

3. Colorado Avalanche (42-20-8, 92 points)

What's sure to be an active offseason began for the Avalanche when they signed restricted free agent Logan O'Connor to a deal that will pay him $1.5 million over two years. The 24-year-old was an undrafted free agent and has scored two goals in 21 games with Colorado and 31 times in 104 games in the AHL. The Avalanche have been suggested as suitors for potential unrestricted free agents Taylor Hall and Alex Pietrangelo, among others. 

2-1: The Last Teams Standing

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

2. Dallas Stars (37-24-8, 82 points)

How They Got Here

Defeated Vegas 4-1 in Western Conference Final.

What to Watch

And the unlikely odyssey continues for goaltender Anton Khudobin, who's played for 13 teams in five leagues and three countries over 14 professional seasons. The Kazakh-born 34-year-old became the No. 1 for the Stars when incumbent Ben Bishop was hurt several weeks ago, and he got the team off to a sound Stanley Cup Final start with 35 saves in a Game 1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Khudobin is 8-0 in the last eight games in which he's faced at least 35 shots on goal.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-6, 92 points)

How They Got Here

Defeated New York Islanders 4-2 in Eastern Conference Final.

What to Watch

Tampa Bay went a dominant 12-4 during its first three series wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets (five games), Boston Bruins (five games) and New York Islanders (six games), but the start against the Dallas Stars was a little less rosy—thanks to just 14 shots in the first two periods as the Stars surged to a 3-1 lead. The Lightning still have more talent from the top of the roster to the bottom, but winning Game 2 is a huge priority against a disciplined team with a red-hot goaltender.