NHL Predictions: League Standings 3 Years from Now

In the world of professional sports, as in life, a lot can change in a short period of time.

It's not unusual to see a team that was near the bottom of the league standings halfway through the season end up in the playoffs by the time the regular season has concluded.

Rarely do clubs finish in the same position two years in a row, and many fail to even qualify for the playoffs after doing so the previous season.

This can sometimes be attributed to bad luck, but it is more commonly the result of poor play, the loss of key players, the decline of aging veterans and the growing pains that frequently plague inexperienced players.

With that said, a small number of teams have mastered the art of success and find ways to routinely win games and make postseason appearances. The Detroit Red Wings are a perfect example of this. They have been exceptional at the draft for years, finding gems like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg in late rounds, and haven't missed the playoffs since 1991.

The majority of NHL teams, though, are not like the Red Wings and better fit the description written above the last paragraph. League standings vary year by year due to many factors that are near impossible to predict.

I decided to give it a try, though. Here's what I see the final standings looking like in three years.

(These rankings do not take future trades, free-agent signings or draft picks into account, as those factors are unpredictable. They were created by forecasting the progression of each club's current players and prospects, as well as the likely regression of aging players.)   

30. Calgary Flames

After being one of the top teams in the Western Conference for the past few seasons, the Calgary Flames missed the playoffs last year and look to be headed towards a full rebuild. 

They have already shipped veteran rearguard Robyn Regehr to Buffalo in exchange for two prospects, making it quite clear that they will not be pushing for a playoff berth and will instead focus on acquiring young talent and disposing of players who are past their prime. 

Though young pivot Mikael Backlund and two-way defenseman Mark Giordano have displayed tremendous potential and appear to be comfortable competing at the NHL level, top player and team captain Jarome Iginla and starting goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff are approaching the end of their careers and will almost certainly begin to decline in the very near future.

The Flames have a decent group of prospects but are short on elite, NHL-ready talent. They'll be back in the playoff race five or six years from now but will finish dead last in three seasons.   

29. Phoenix Coyotes

The Coyotes seemed to finally be ready to contend and make noise in the playoffs two seasons ago following several years of lackluster seasons and rebuilding. Though they did earn themselves a playoff spot last year and the year before, they were ousted in the first round both times. 

Now, their former goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, is a Philadelphia Flyer and their best forward, Shane Doan, is well beyond the prime years of his lengthy career.

Phoenix has no legitimate starting netminder and failed to improve their underwhelming offense this offseason. It's highly unlikely they return to the playoffs again this year and things will quickly begin to go downhill for the struggling franchise as their top players and strongest leaders, such as Shane Doan, Ray Whitney and Derek Morris, continue to regress due to age.

Keith Yandle, Martin Hanzal, Mikkel Boedker and Kyle Turris are exciting young players who appear poised to enjoy bright futures in the NHL, but they won't be able to carry the Coyotes on their backs. Look for the Desert Dogs, who may be playing in a different city, to be basement dwellers three years from now.      

28. Minnesota Wild

The Wild have been a middle-of-the-pack club for several years now. Having undergone some serious retooling this summer, their lineup will be full of new faces in 2011-12. 

The biggest changes made in Minnesota involved two trades with the San Jose Sharks. The first saw promising blueliner Brent Burns and a 2012 second-round pick exchanged for sniper Devin Setoguchi, prospect Charlie Coyle and a 2011 first-round pick and the second deal sent speedy winger Martin Havlat to the Sharks for sniper Dany Heatley. 

While the Wild acquired some serious offensive talent in these deals, they lost their top defenseman and took on an albatross contract in Dany Heatley, who will earn $7.5 million for the remainder of his current contract. This leaves their blue line shallow and inexperienced and will put a huge amount of pressure on aging goalie Nicklas Backstrom.

Offensively, Minnesota is in pretty good shape for the foreseeable future. The greatest concern for them moving forward is the fact that Backstrom won't be capable of performing at an elite level for much longer and there are no replacements for him currently in the pipeline. Add to that a sub-par defense corps lacking a true No. 1 defenseman, and the end result is a team that will struggle to win hockey games for the next few years.    

27. Ottawa Senators

After being a perennial playoff team for several years leading up to last, the Senators fell apart under their new coaching staff, had a fire sale at the trade deadline and ended up with a top-10 pick in this summer's entry draft.

The most glaring weakness in their lineup is goaltending. Pascal Leclaire, who was brilliant with the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to being dealt to Ottawa, spent the majority of his tenure with the Senators on the injured reserve and is no longer with the team. The backup plan, youngster Brian Elliott, failed to secure the starting position and was promptly traded to Colorado in exchange for Craig Anderson. Though Anderson played well for Ottawa at the end of last season, he is old, unproven and has very little experience as a starting netminder.

Loaded with talented prospects like Jared Cowen, Mika Zibanejad, Matt Puempel and Robin Lehner, the Senators have plenty of potential stars waiting in the wings and should return to the playoffs within the next five seasons. However, the rebuild has just begun and years one through three of the process will likely be ugly as poor goaltending and a mediocre group of forwards continue to be issues. 

26. New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have benefited greatly from playing in front of one of the league's all-time greatest goaltenders in Martin Brodeur. Despite having an average offense and mediocre defense for the last few seasons, they have managed to orchestrate numerous successful regular seasons and deep playoff runs thanks to terrific netminding from their legendary goalie.

Things quickly changed for the Devils, however, when Brodeur's play dropped off considerably last season, exposing a weak defense. With star forward Zach Parise sidelined for the year, New Jersey also struggled to put pucks in the back of the net. The result was a final standing low enough to not only miss the playoffs, but also have a top-five pick in the 2011 entry draft.

New Jersey will certainly benefit from the addition of newly drafted defenseman Adam Larsson, who appears ready to step right into the lineup and make an immediate impact. However, the decline of Brodeur is of concern because they have no young, NHL-ready netminders in their prospect pool capable of taking on a starting position. Additionally, the Devils have very few promising forward prospects in the system outside of Mattias Tedenby and Jacob Josefson.

The next few years will be tough for them as they adjust to life without Martin Brodeur.      

25. Florida Panthers

The Panthers have been basement dwellers for several years now and that isn't likely to change any time soon. Though they were very active in reshaping their roster this summer, Florida management failed to attract any big-name players and the team lost talented goaltender Tomas Vokoun, who signed a one-year contract with Washington in July.

Florida will have one thing they haven't had in a long time this year: depth at the forward position. They are lacking top-end offensive talent, but they brought in solid second- and third-line players in Scottie Upshall, Tomas Kopecky, Marcel Goc, Sean Bergenheim, Tomas Fleischmann and Kris Versteeg. This will give the Panthers a plethora of options when setting their forward lines and provides them with terrific scoring depth.

Goaltending and the lack of a true first line will hold Florida back until their prospects are ready to contribute at the NHL level. A tandem of Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen simply will not carry any team into the playoffs, never mind a club that is already lacking in elite talent on both offense and defense. Unless promising youngster Jacob Markstrom, a recently drafted Swedish goaltender, can exceed expectations by making the jump to the NHL and holding down a starting job, Florida will continue to finish near the bottom of the standings for at least another few years.  

24. Toronto Maple Leafs

Ridiculed by many for trading two first-round draft picks, both of which ended up being top-10 choices, and a second-round pick for underachieving sniper Phil Kessel, Toronto GM Brian Burke has made several drastic changes to the roster since joining the organization. In addition to acquiring Kessel, Burke pried defensemen Dion Phaneuf and Keith Aulie from Calgary, oft-injured winger Joffrey Lupul from Anaheim and added blueliners John-Michael Liles and Cody Franson in separate deals with Colorado and Nashville.

On paper, the Maple Leafs are a moderately deep team on both ends of the rink and have a solid young goalie in James Reimer to boot. The biggest problem for this club has been key players, like Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf, performing below expectations, thus putting the load on less-talented and less-experienced players. Team chemistry has also been an issue, as the roster has been tweaked heavily each of the last three years.

The main reason Toronto is ranked so low is because their best players are young and inconsistent. James Reimer has yet to play a full season in the NHL and is already being penciled in as the starting goaltender. Kessel and Phaneuf, as previously mentioned, are highly talented players who have shown flashes of brilliance in the past but have failed to perform at that level on a nightly basis. Luke Schenn hasn't even re-signed with the Leafs yet, and though a deal will probably get done before the season starts, his future with the organization is uncertain.

Without their key players consistently performing at an elite level, the Maple Leafs are destined to endure more lackluster seasons and are highly unlikely to see playoff action any time soon.      

23. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets were active this offseason in both the trade and free-agent markets. After dealing for sniper Jeff Carter to fill the first-line center position, GM Scott Howson signed veteran forward Vaclav Prospal and two-way defenseman James Wisniewski to further address the pressing needs of his team. 

Unfortunately for Columbus, several holes remain unfilled and they are severely lacking in overall depth. Outside of Wisniewski and Fedor Tyutin, the Jackets defense is extremely weak and inexperienced. Their group of forwards is underwhelming when you look beyond Rick Nash, Jeff Carter, Kristian Huselius and RJ Umberger. Finally, they have a young and highly inconsistent starting goalie in Steve Mason and their backup has played only one game in the NHL.

Unless Mason can start competing at a consistently high level and prove himself worthy of a starting job, the Blue Jackets' poor defense will be exposed and they will not have the offensive firepower to make up for it. Expect at least a few more seasons of mediocrity for Columbus.   

22. Winnipeg Jets

After several poor seasons in Atlanta, the Thrashers were relocated to Winnipeg this offseason, prompting the return of the Winnipeg Jets franchise. While this news brings excitement to many, and for good reason, Jets fans will need to be patient with their team for the next few years. 

Winnipeg is loaded with young talent, particularly at the forward position, but they have lacked an elite scorer ever since Ilya Kovalchuk left and their defense is suspect. Goaltending shouldn't be an issue for them, as Chris Mason is a steady veteran and Ondrej Pavelec looks poised to take the next step and establish himself as a bona-fide starting netminder at the NHL level.

With talented youngsters Bryan Little, Evander Kane and Alexander Burmistrov on board and distinguished leader Andrew Ladd signed for the long haul, the Jets are in good shape moving forward and should be pushing for a playoff spot in four or five years. The next three, however, will consist of finishing in the lower third of the league standings. 

21. Dallas Stars

The Stars head into the 2011-12 season without their former scoring leader and top player Brad Richards, who signed a lucrative long-term deal with the New York Rangers in July. This creates a massive hole in their lineup and will undoubtedly result in Dallas struggling to produce offensively until the hole is filled. 

With a solid defense headlined by Stephane Robidas and newly acquired Alex Goligoski and excellent goaltending provided by Kari Lehtonen, the Stars will manage to stay competitive even with their offensive woes. Andrew Raycroft is a capable veteran backup and blueliners Trevor Daley and Nicklas Grossman are both effective top-four defensemen who complement Robidas and Goligoski nicely.

Still, Dallas will be hard-pressed to make a strong playoff push with an offense that consists primarily of bottom-six caliber players. They won't be finishing in the bottom five any time soon, but they're still years away from being true contenders.  

20. Montreal Canadiens

With an undersized and aging group of forwards and a major lack of experience between the pipes, the Montreal Canadiens will soon be out of the playoff picture as their skilled veterans start to decline. Overpaid pivot Scott Gomez has already displayed signs of regression and will be a major burden on Montreal's salary cap for the next three years.

In addition to Gomez, the Canadiens also have veterans Brian Gionta and Erik Cole under contract at the forward position and Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek and Hal Gill signed on the back end. These five players will be given key roles on the team but will not be capable of competing at a high level for much longer as age becomes an issue.

With very little promising young talent outside of PK Subban, Carey Price and Max Pacioretty, Montreal will struggle to make up for the production lost when their top players become non-factors. Price is a terrific young netminder who may develop into one of the best goalies in the NHL, but without a deep, talented team playing in front of him his play alone will not earn the Canadiens a playoff berth.    

19. Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup behind stellar netminding from Cam Ward in 2006 and have only made the playoffs once ever since. Despite being led by one of the league's top centers and playing in front of a premier goaltender, the Hurricanes have struggled to win hockey games in recent years primarily due to a lack of secondary scoring and a sub-par defense.

Beyond Eric Staal, Tuomo Ruutu and young phenom Jeff Skinner, the offense is average at best. Jussi Jokinen was impressive last season but is inconsistent and generally considered to be a third-line player. Brandon Sutter, though still young and oozing potential, is no more than a third-line center at this point in his career, and doesn't possess the offensive tools to ever be a first-line forward.

On defense, Carolina has two legitimate top-pairing rearguards in Joni Pitkanen and recently signed Tomas Kaberle. Behind those two, they have a declining Bryan Allen, an offensively challenged Tim Gleason and three inexperienced and unproven players in Jamie McBain, Derek Joslin and Jay Harrison.

High-end production from Staal and Skinner, supplemented with steady goaltending from Cam Ward, won't be enough to get the Hurricanes back into the playoffs. Scoring depth and a better defensive corps will be needed before they are truly competitive again.  

18. New York Islanders

After several seasons of basement-dwelling and stocking up on high draft picks, the Islanders have assembled a club full of elite young talent that is beginning to look ready to make a playoff push. Their days of finishing in the bottom 10 of the league standings may finally be behind them as former first overall pick John Tavares begins to establish himself as a point-per-game center.

The emergence of Tavares, coupled with continued improvement from power forward Kyle Okposo, pivot Josh Bailey, rugged defenseman Travis Hamonic, sniper Michael Grabner and bueliner Andrew MacDonald, will help the Islanders climb up the league standings and possibly earn a spot in the playoffs in the not-so-distant future.

It probably won't happen in the next three years, though they will come close, but don't be shocked to see the New York Islanders playing postseason hockey and contending for the Stanley Cup four or five years from now.  

17. Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers have finished dead last two years in a row, collecting two first overall picks in the process. Though they couldn't be further from the playoffs right now, many of the prospects they added over the last few years from finishing so low in the standings will be ready to make impacts at the NHL level three years from now.

2010 first overall pick Taylor Hall, a crafty and dynamic scoring winger, had an impressive rookie season and will build on that in 2011-12 and in the years to come as he develops into a top-flight scorer. Add youngsters Sam Gagner, Jordan Eberle, Linus Omark, Magnus Paajarvi and 2011 first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins into the mix and the result is a potentially lethal offense moving forward.

Edmonton also has a few talented young blueliners in the system, as well. Theo Peckham and Taylor Chorney have impressed in their brief stints with the team, and Alex Plante and Jeff Petry are highly touted prospects currently playing in the AHL. 

Goaltending is an issue for the Oilers and it will need to be addressed sooner or later if they hope to become competitive again. Devan Dubnyk has shown promise but has struggled with consistency and is not quite ready for a starting job. This season won't be a great one for Edmonton, but don't be too surprised if they fall just short of the playoffs in three years.  

16. Nashville Predators

Home to one of the deepest defenses in the NHL, the Nashville Predators have put together a few impressive regular seasons in recent years but have failed to go far in the playoffs. They were ousted in the second round by Vancouver last year and have never made it beyond that point in franchise history.

The Predators are led by one of the league's finest two-way rearguards in Shea Weber, who is supported on the back end by steady defenseman Ryan Suter, stay-at-home blueliner Kevin Klein and young up-and-comer Jonathon Blum. Team defense has been consistently sound for several years and they have developed a reputation around the NHL as an extremely tight, defensively responsible club.

Offense is what has been holding Nashville back and costing them hockey games. Patric Hornqvist has been counted on to be the team's go-to scorer and he has failed to meet expectations in that role. Martin Erat, David Legwand and recently acquired center Mike Fisher are all quality top-six forwards, but none of them are legitimate first-liners.

Beyond them, the Predators offense consists of third- and fourth-line players or players like Colin Wilson and Sergei Kostitsyn, who have the talent to play top-six minutes but haven't displayed the consistency and work ethic required to get that kind of ice time.

Nashville's defense and goaltending are too strong for them to fall out of the playoff picture any time soon. They'll sneak in and secure the eighth seed, but they won't be serious contenders until they add some firepower to their lineup.     

15. Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche shocked the hockey world two seasons ago by making the playoffs the year after finishing third-to-last in the final standings. They were quickly knocked out in Round 1 by the San Jose Sharks, but the young squad showed resilience and poise and seemed ready to make another run at it the following year.

This wasn't the case, however. Colorado ended up missing the playoffs altogether last season and finished in the bottom third of the standings. Team scoring was nonexistent outside of Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene and they lacked a legitimate top-pairing defenseman for most of the season until they dealt for Erik Johnson. Goaltending was also a concern, as veteran Craig Anderson, who played very well for the Avalanche a year prior, performed poorly for most of the season and was promptly traded to Ottawa in exchange for young netminder Brian Elliott.

Though still young, Elliott has yet to show that he has what it takes to be a starting goalie in the NHL. So, Colorado swapped a first-round pick in next year's draft for Russian goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who will step in as the No. 1 goalie for the Avs this season. This addition is sure to aid the team as they vie for a spot in the playoffs yet again, and with solid depth at both offense and defense, it won't be long until the Avalanche return to playing postseason hockey.  

14. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have one of the best first lines in the NHL in Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. They also have two very talented puck-movers on the blue line (Cam Fowler and Lubomir Visnovsky) and solid goaltending with Jonas Hiller.

If Getzlaf and Hiller hadn't missed significant time last season, it's likely that the Ducks would have ranked higher in the standings and gone deeper in the playoffs.

Their defense and goaltending are strong enough to keep the Ducks in the playoffs for the foreseeable future, even without talented veteran Teemu Selanne. Offensive depth behind the first line, however, will be an issue moving forward and is what will keep Anaheim from being true contenders any time soon. Jason Blake and Saku Koivu are well beyond the prime years of their careers and the rest of the forwards on the current roster are bottom-six grinders.

13. Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings have enjoyed huge amounts of success in recent years and haven't missed the playoffs since 1991. Their achievements can be credited, in large part, to exceptional drafting and terrific player development. 

Led by Nicklas Lidstrom, who's widely regarded as one of the greatest defensemen to ever play the game, Detroit is home to several of the league's top players, including Henrik Zetterberg and perennial Selke nominee Pavel Datsyuk. They'll remain an elite team for another year or two, but the Wings will soon be without Lidstrom, whose shoes are far too big for anyone else to fill. 

Additionally, Datsyuk and Zetterberg are now in their 30s and several of Detroit's other key players, such as Dan Cleary, Todd Bertuzzi, Thomas Holmstrom and Brad Stuart, are approaching the end of their careers and will most likely no longer be with the team three years from now. 

The Red Wings have always found ways to succeed and they won't be missing the playoffs at any point in the near future. Still, they won't be the same without Nicklas Lidstrom and will likely be in the midst of a transitional phase in a few years.  

12. Tampa Bay Lightning

The emergence of electrifying pivot Steven Stamkos as a first-line center and top-flight goal scorer seemed to rejuvenate a struggling Lightning franchise almost instantly. The Bolts made the playoffs last season for the first time in four years and orchestrated an impressive playoff run that got them all the way to the conference finals.

Complemented by veteran winger Martin St. Louis, power wingers Steve Downie and Ryan Malone and longtime captain Vincent Lecavalier, Stamkos headlines a deep and versatile group of Tampa Bay forwards that ranks among the best in the NHL.

The Lightning also ice a solid defensive corps led by aging Swede Mattias Ohlund and rugged veteran Eric Brewer. Their defense also includes 2009 second overall pick Victor Hedman, who is beginning to look more and more comfortable taking on a larger role at the NHL level.

The main concern for Tampa moving forward is goaltending. For now, Dwayne Roloson remains a reliable starting netminder who can compete at a high level for another year or two. However, he's 41 years old and doesn't have much gas left in the tank at this point in his career. With no strong goaltenders in the pipeline, the Lightning will still be able to rely on their strong offense to produce on the scoresheet and get them into the playoffs, but won't be a real threat to the league's top teams.      

11. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres made a few big splashes this summer in an attempt to revamp their defense and add some scoring depth. First, they shipped a pair of prospects to Calgary in exchange for stay-at-home rearguard Robyn Regehr. They proceeded to sign free-agent prize Christian Ehrhoff, a smooth-skating offensive defenseman, and shifty winger Ville Leino. 

Equipped with an even mix of experienced and youthful talent on defense and a world-class goalie in Ryan Miller, the only shortcoming for Buffalo is a lack of elite talent up front. They have a sold group of top-six forwards consisting of Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford, Ville Leino and Tyler Ennis, but none of these forwards are top-flight, point-per-game players.

Still, there's a boatload of skill, speed, physicality and experience on Buffalo's roster and they will soon be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.  

10. St. Louis Blues

St. Louis is home to an incredibly deep collection of young forwards and budding defensemen. The list is extensive, but it includes two-way blueliner Alex Pietrangelo, newly acquired puck-mover Kevin Shattenkirk, power forward Chris Stewart, pivot TJ Oshie and speedy goal scorer David Perron, among others.

They haven't been serious contenders since the early 2000s, but the Blues, who also possess high-end veteran talent in captain David Backes, playmaker Andy McDonald and defenseman Barrett Jackman, are on the rise and will soon be appearing in the playoffs on a regular basis.

Supported by solid netminding from Jaroslav Halak, expect St. Louis to be a top-10 team three years from now.   

9. Chicago Blackhawks

After bringing home the Stanley Cup in 2009-10, the Blackhawks had a forgetful season last year. They finished eighth in the Western Conference and were swiftly eliminated by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the playoffs. 

Chicago had to rid themselves of some of their bigger contracts after winning the Cup in order to fit under the salary cap, which led to a series of drastic lineup changes as they traded off forwards Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager and Kris Versteeg and defensemen Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Sopel, in addition to a few others. They also had to cut ties with goalie Antti Niemi, who was an integral part of their championship win.

The end result was a team severely lacking in bottom-six depth and a legitimate No. 1 goaltender. Though Corey Crawford performed admirably in that role, he is unproven and inexperienced and cannot be relied upon to carry the Hawks deep into the playoffs. Chicago's key players (namely Johnathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Dave Bolland, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith) are still young and signed on for the foreseeable future, so they will remain one of the NHL's top teams as long as their strong core remains intact. 

8. Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks finished the regular season as the league's best team last year, earning them the Presidents' Trophy and the top seed in the playoffs. Their strong play continued through the postseason and carried them all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost a hard-fought series against the Boston Bruins.

Their top players, such as the Sedin twins and goalie Roberto Luongo, are beginning to near the final years of their primes, and Luongo is already starting to show signs of decline. For this reason, the Canucks probably won't still be at the top of the standings three years from now. 

Having said that, Vancouver is not without high-end young talent. Gritty center Ryan Kesler is among the league's best two-way pivots, sniper Mason Raymond has struggled with consistency but has tremendous potential, recent first-round pick Cody Hodgson has huge upside and their backup goaltender, Corey Schneider, has performed well at every level of hockey he has played and will soon be ready to take on a starting position. 

The Canucks will fall in the standings a little, but they'll still be one of the NHL's elite teams and a strong Cup contender in three seasons. 

7. New York Rangers

With the signing of top free-agent Brad Richards earlier this offseason, the Rangers finally have a top-tier first-line center to complement sniper Marian Gaborik. The addition of Richards, coupled with the further development of youngsters Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky, give the Blueshirts an insanely deep offense riddled with reliable, two-way players. 

New York also has a strong, albeit very inexperienced, defense corps headlined by defensive stalwart Marc Staal. Dan Girardi and Steve Eminger provide further veteran stability to a young group of blueliners that includes recent first-round draft picks Michael Del Zotto and Tim Erixon, Michael Sauer and former Montreal prospect Ryan McDonagh.

To top it all off, the Rangers are backed by one of the NHL's top five netminders in Henrik Lundqvist. A team as complete and deep as this one will enjoy success for years to come and won't have any problems reaching the playoffs and contending for the Stanley Cup.  

6. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks have consistently put forth strong regular-season performances in recent years and have won the Pacific Division title each of the last four seasons. The issue for them has been continuing their strong play into the postseason, where they have struggled to win hockey games.

After years of first- and second-round exits, San Jose finally managed to reach the conference finals in 2009-10 and did so again last season. They were ousted both times, though, and have never made a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history.

GM Doug Wilson made some serious changes to his roster this summer and the new-look Sharks appear poised to make another deep playoff run this season. The players who have left the team include young goal scorer Devin Setoguchi, winger Dany Heatley, veteran forwards Scott Nichol and Jamal Mayers and defensemen Kent Huskins, Ian White and Nicklas Wallin. Joining the fold are former Minnesota Wild Brent Burns and Martin Havlat, physical blueliners Colin White and Jim Vandermeer and towering center Michal Handzus.

After addressing their most pressing issues, the Sharks will likely be among the NHL's top five teams this season, but the imminent decline of aging stars Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle and Patrick Marleau will cause the team to slip a bit in the league standings a few years from now. A solid young core made up of Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Jason Demers and Marc-Edouard Vlasic will prevent them from slipping too far, though.    

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins may be in trouble this year as superstar Sidney Crosby battles post-concussion symptoms that may keep him sidelined for most of the season. The absence of Crosby will force Evgeni Malkin to return to point-per-game form and lead Pittsburgh's offense and will bump two-way center Jordan Staal up to the second line, where he will take on increased offensive responsibilities.

Assuming that Crosby can make a full recovery, the Pens will be in good shape moving forward beyond this season. They have unmatched depth at the center position, two very good top-six wingers in Chris Kunitz and James Neal and an experienced group of veterans to fill out their bottom six.

Additionally, Pittsburgh has one of the strongest and most balanced groups of defensemen in the NHL. Kris Letang has emerged as an elite offensive defenseman and Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin are experienced and reliable rearguards who bring stability to the blue line.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is also a huge part of the Penguins' core and is a key component to their success. As long as Crosby can stay healthy you can expect to see Pittsburgh near the top of the league standings for at least the next few years.  

4. Washington Capitals

Russian sensation Alex Ovechkin headlines a dynamic and highly talented Capitals squad. With several consecutive successful regular-season campaigns under their belt, the Caps have been unable to make it deep into the playoffs as their top players have struggled to elevate their play when it matters most. 

With all the talent Washington has throughout their roster, it's hard to imagine them not being one of the NHL's top-ranked teams any time soon. In addition to Ovechkin, the Capitals have an elite first-line center in Niklas Backstrom, a skilled yet inconsistent sniper in Alex Semin and a terrific two-way center and fearless leader in Brooks Laich. They also have smooth puck-mover Mike Green and a terrific pair of young blueliners in John Carlson and Karl Alzner on the defensive side of the puck. 

What will make the Capitals more deadly than ever this season and in the years to come is an elite goalie tandem consisting of Michal Neuvirth and Tomas Vokoun. Neuvirth showed the hockey world that he's ready for a starting gig at the NHL level and Vokoun has been a reliable, high-end netminder for most of his career. The sheer amount of skill Washington has on both ends of the ice, combined with this duo of strong goaltenders, will make them very hard to beat.  

3. Boston Bruins

The defending Stanley Cup champs relied heavily on their aging veterans to step up in key moments last season, but they have enough young talent in their lineup and in the farm to remain competitive for years to come. 

Starting goalie and playoff MVP Tim Thomas, who was sensational for the Bruins all year long, probably won't be with the team in three years as he approaches the final stage of his career. Top defenseman Zdeno Chara is also nearing the last prime years of his distinguished NHL career and likely won't be as dominant on either end of the ice three seasons from now. 

Regardless, Boston's offense is stacked with skillful youngsters like David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton, Brad Marchand and 2010 second overall pick Tyler Seguin. Their prospect pool is also full of quality forwards, the most notable of which are Jordan Caron and Ryan Spooner.

In regards to goaltending, the Bruins have an extremely gifted backup in Tuukka Rask, who is still young and should be able to take over for Tim Thomas within the next two years. Boston has enough depth at each position to remain a top team without Thomas.  

2. Los Angeles Kings

Years of lackluster regular seasons and top-10 draft picks have finally come to an end for the Los Angeles Kings, who are now among the league's best teams. They've made the playoffs the last two years and, despite being defeated in the first round both times, are built like a team that's almost ready to win it all.

The Kings are lead by young power forward Dustin Brown and world-class center Anze Kopitar. Together, this duo drives the offense with secondary support from Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll. L.A's offense was vastly improved this offseason with the additions of Mike Richards and Simon Gagne, who played together in Philadelphia for several years and are expected to be major contributors on the scoresheet.

Concerning team defense, the Kings have two very promising young rearguards in Jack Johnson and Drew Doughty, though the latter has yet to re-sign with the team. Also on the back end are reliable stay-at-homers Rob Scuderi and Willie Mitchell, who provide a calming veteran presence for the otherwise inexperienced defense corps.

This will be the year that the Kings establish themselves as true Cup contenders and make a deep playoff run. Three years from now, when Kopitar, Doughty and Johnson have further developed and the young goalie tandem of Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier has more NHL experience, don't be surprised if L.A is the top team in the Western Conference.  

1. Philadelphia Flyers

After a hectic summer that saw two of their best forwards traded away, the Flyers have a new look and an overall deeper team heading into the 2011-12 season. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, who were both signed to long-term contracts recently, were dealt for high draft picks and skilled young forwards Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek in two separate swaps with Los Angeles and Columbus. 

Philadelphia also managed to finally add a quality netminder by signing free-agent Ilya Bryzgalov to a lengthy contract earlier in the offseason. Already one of the best teams in both the Eastern Conference and the NHL, the Flyers now ice the deepest group of forwards in the league and are backed by a steady defense and an elite goalie.

The reason they will be at the top of the standings three years from now is because most of their key players still have plenty of gas left in the tank. Forwards Claude Giroux and James VanRiemsdyk had breakout seasons last year and have yet to reach the prime years of their careers. Newly acquired forwards Schenn, Simmonds and Voracek are even younger and Sean Couturier, who fell to the Flyers in this summer's entry draft, is a highly touted prospect who should be NHL-ready within the next two years.

The Flyers have supreme talent and unparalleled depth at every position and are, without question, well on their way to becoming the NHL's best club. Look for them to be atop the league standings in three years.