2011-12 NHL Power Rankings: First Installment (Nov. 15, 2011)

Welcome to my first installment of the 2011-2012 NHL Power Rankings. Although we're over a month into the season, it's only now that we can truly start to rank teams based on how they look this year. Expect a new installment every two or three weeks.

Why read my power rankings? While it may be a tiresome topic, I feel like I bring a unique approach to my rankings. Rather than simply ranking the teams 1-30, I break them up into six categories:

Cup Favorites: Teams that should surprise no one were they to go all the way. The class of the league.

Cup Contenders: Teams that will surprise many if they go all the way, but shouldn't. Conference powers that are expected to at least make it out of the first round.

Sleepers: Teams that should make the playoffs, and are equipped to pull off a surprising playoff run. Last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning dominated this section of my rankings.

Bubble Teams: Teams that may or may not make the playoffs. A bubble team is talented enough to make the playoffs, but is not (or is not playing like) a legitimate threat.

Longshots: Teams that are not likely to make the playoffs. If they get hot, they could squeeze in as a 7 or 8 seed, but are fringe teams at best.

Bottom Feeders: Teams that are nowhere near contention and almost guaranteed a high draft pick. Even early in the season, landing in this category means that the playoffs are very unlikely.

Given this system, my rankings may not exactly reflect how a team has played to this point. A team may be playing over their heads, and land in the Cup Contenders category even though they have more points than a Cup Favorite. A team may be placed in the Sleepers category even if they are barely in playoff position, because, in my opinion, that team has underachieved to this point.

In the end, these rankings are more subjective than many, as there is no formula. But I believe that the only point of this type of writing is to stir up a discussion; formulaic power rankings lull most to sleep. As I'm probably doing right now.

So without further ado, here is the debut of my 2011-12 NHL Power Rankings:

Cup Favorites

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are one of the best defensive teams in the league and developing new offensive threats in Sidney Crosby's absence. It's so scary to think about adding the all-time top five forward that is Crosby to this current team.

2. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks started off 1-3, and are 8-2-1 since. They boast arguably the best top four defense corps in the league, and definitely the best top six forward corps. They'll be tough to beat for every team all season long.

3. Washington Capitals

The Capitals are asserting regular season dominance, like always. What makes this year's team look primed for a deep playoff run? A ton of depth and Thomas Vokoun.

Cup Contenders

4. Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks sit atop the Western Conference. This is not the same team that won the Cup two years ago, nor is it the same team that barely made the playoffs last year.

This is an offensively oriented team built around arguably the best center in the game right now, and if Corey Crawford can repeat last year's performance in the playoffs, look out.

5. Philadelphia Flyers

On paper, it's not much of a discussion as to who's the deepest team in the NHL. The Flyers have the best forward depth by a longshot, arguably the best defensive depth, and two goalies who certainly can dominate. The question is: will either of them?

6. Detroit Red Wings

The Wings won their first five, and were being called the best team in the world. They lost their next six, and panic ensued. They've won four straight since. Let's calm down now. This team is good enough to win the Cup every year. It's a matter of being patient and seeing if they will.

7. New York Rangers

The Rangers are currently tied with the Capitals for the NHL's best point percentage. This team has moved from sleeper to Cup contender, as they have added an elite top line to a team that already featured exceptional goaltending and a ton of great role players.

8. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are as well-constructed as any other team in the league. They have a goalie who can steal games like no other, a quick, puck-moving, two-way defensive corps, and an absolute abundance of goal-scoring threats. Sound like last year's Bruins a little bit?

Sleepers

9. Boston Bruins

After a brief stint as the Eastern Conference's worst team, the Bruins are back above .500. Oh yeah, and they lead the NHL in goal differential.

It doesn't look like Boston did enough this offseason to keep up with teams like Philly, Pittsburgh, and Washington, but they remain the NHL's toughest team to score on and can beat anyone in a playoff series.

10. Dallas Stars

I was perplexed before this season when everyone predicted the Stars to be a cellar-dwelling team after a 97-point season. They lost Brad Richards, who was not their team leader in goals or assists.

Believe it or not, Loui Eriksson, Brenden Morrow, Michael Ryder, Jamie Benn, Mike Ribeiro, Steve Ott, and Stephan Robidas can play, and they will be a contender if Kari Lehtonen stays for real.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel is, without a doubt, the early-season MVP of the NHL. He has either scored or assisted 25 of Toronto's 53 goals.

The Leafs have some very talented players underperforming right now, and still sit at sixth in the East. If their young studs and vets start to gel, this suddenly becomes a scary deep team.

12. Phoenix Coyotes

Like with Dallas, I was surprised by people's discarding of Phoenix this year after a 99-point season. Dave Tippett is one of the best coaches in the NHL, combining X's and O's genius with the ability to unify, fire up and keep his guys positive.

With growing young studs and Mike Smith looking better than Bryzgalov this season, the Coyotes may be better than last year.

13. Los Angeles Kings

The Kings were a trendy pre-season Stanley Cup pick. They added two offensively gifted forwards to a team that was only a goal scorer and playmaker away from being dominant.

However, the Kings have still struggled to put the puck in the net, with five D-men in their top 11 scorers. If the second and third lines don't get going, this team won't contend for the division title.

Bubble Teams

14. Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks were one win away from the Stanley Cup. Now they're a bubble team? While I fully expect Vancouver to make the playoffs, they simply do not look like a Cup contender this year.

Two of the three teams that they beat last year have dramatically improved, and the loss of Christian Ehrhoff has their blue line reeling. 

15. Minnesota Wild

The Wild have a great shot at the postseason, primarily due to playing in the NHL's weakest division. The Wild have excellent goaltending, a solid blue line, and a top line that is capable of much more than they've shown so far. Beyond them, goals will be hard to come by.

16. Tampa Bay Lightning

I have now placed the two teams that last year eliminated all three of my current Cup favorites in the "bubble teams" category. But to call the Lightning and Canucks sleepers is to say they are nearly Cup contenders, and it doesn't look like that's the case.

Tampa Bay's two playoff victims are much improved while the Lightning aren't, and Dwayne Roloson probably doesn't have another Conn Smythe-like bid in him.

17. Nashville Predators

The Predators allowed fewer goals than any team besides Vancouver last season. This was primarily due to the world-beating trio that is Shea Weber, Ryan Suter,and Pekka Rinne.

But exit Joel Ward, Steve Sullivan, Cody Franson and Marcel Goc, and you have the exact same team with less scoring depth and grit. A return to the playoffs is very possible; a return to the second round is far-fetched.

18. Florida Panthers

The Panthers were downright terrible last year, except for David Booth and Tomas Vokoun. Both of them are gone. And Florida finds themselves in seventh place and at plus-10 in goal differential.

Newcomers Kris Versteeg, Tomas Fleischmann, Brian Campbell, Tomas Kopecky, Ed Jovanovski, Marcel Goc and Sean Bergenheim give the Panthers a playoff-caliber roster for the first time this century.

19. Edmonton Oilers

I loved the Ryan Smyth acquisition, but no one expected it to be this successful. Smyth has 10 goals, and his leadership has been even more remarkable. The young stars that cover Edmonton's front lines are breaking out in a hurry, and the Oilers' return to glory looks to be closer than anyone anticipated.

It won't be this year, but if Khabibulin continues his return to pre-lockout form, the playoffs are within reach.

20. New Jersey Devils

After last season's start, being .500 through 16 games is great news for this team. But when you are built around Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, and neither has more than 10 points on the season, you aren't going to score enough goals to win consistently.

With Marty looking like he's done, even a red-hot Ilya and Zach mean little more than a first-round loss.

21. St. Louis Blues

The Blues are one of the NHL's deeper teams. Perhaps that's why injuries to David Perron and Andy McDonald haven't sent them reeling.

But for all the depth they have, they lack leadership, and 13 points between Chris Stewart and David Backes is pathetic. If Brian Elliott returns to earth, the Blues could indeed reel.

22. Montreal Canadiens- The Canadiens are somewhat of an enigma. As an eighth seed two years ago, they went to the conference finals. As a sixth seed last year, they pushed the eventual champs to the brink.

Despite all this, if I was coaching a playoff team, I couldn't help but get wide-eyed if I drew Montreal in the first round.

Longshots

23. Colorado Avalanche

One of the more head-scratching numbers in the league is Colorado's home/away splits. The Avs are 2-6-0 at home, and 6-3-1 on the road.

J.S. Giguere is also curiously outplaying Semyon Varlamov, but ultimately no goaltender will be able to keep the puck out of the net regularly this year behind a defensively challenged bunch of forwards and an inconsistent blue-line.

24. Carolina Hurricanes

Eric Staal is a minus-17. No one else in the NHL is worse than minus-12. The Canes also don't score on the PP, lose draws, get out-shot, and lose when they get out-shot.

They are playing bad hockey, and if it weren't for the remarkable Cam Ward and Jeff Skinner, they'd be at the bottom of the conference.

25. Anaheim Ducks

Like their southern California brethren, the Ducks cannot put the puck in the opposing net. Unlike their natural rivals, Anaheim cannot keep it out of their own. To make matters worse, they are ranked 29th in the league in face-offs.

This combination has them at 6-8-3, minus-15, and 14th in the west. They are only not a bottom feeder yet because one has to think the goals will eventually come.

26. Ottawa Senators

It's sad that 9-9-1 is impressive, but it is. It is also not going to last. Milan Michalek has 11 goals and Erik Karlsson has 16 assists.

Unless these guys are truly sudden superstars, the Senators league-worst 0.64/1 five-on-five scoring ratio will catch up to them, and a day in the top eight will be a distant memory.

27. Calgary Flames

Jarome Iginla is so busy worrying about how he's too good for the Flames that he has the worst rating on the team. The Flames have talent on their roster, but this team is simply broken.

I would say a hot Kiprusoff could carry them for a while, but he's been great this year, and all that's done is kept them out of the cellar.

Bottom Feeders

28. Winnipeg Jets

Why are the Winnipeg Jets so bad? Because the best part of their team is their blue-line, and they've allowed more goals than any other team in the NHL. 

29. New York Islanders-

The Islanders have a surprisingly decent top six, and three goalies who all look like they are worthy of the starting job. They also have, hands down, the weakest blue-line in the NHL, to go along with the worst forward depth.

The result is a team that simply cannot move the puck up ice or establish any sort of momentum in a game, making wins almost impossible to come by.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Jackets' early-season struggles leave them in a class of their own. They are 3-13-1, minus-26, and have zero points on the road this season.

Rick Nash is a minus-12, James Wisniewski a minus-10, Jeff Carter is injured and has yet to score a goal, and Steve Mason not of NHL starting-goalie caliber, with no backup of NHL backup-goalie caliber. The end result is a laughingstock.