NHL power rankings

Here's how Tim Sassone ranks the 16 teams that he believes will make the NHL playoffs:

1. Boston Bruins

The Bruins shouldn't miss Phil Kessel. They remain loaded up front, have Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara anchoring the defense and a Vezina Trophy winner in goal in the underrated Tim Thomas.

2. San Jose Sharks

Dany Heatly was a major acquisition to play with Joe Thornton. The Sharks should have another big regular season, but another playoff flop could cost GM Doug Wilson his job.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

As long as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin stay healthy, the Stanley Cup champs will be right there again. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury finally showed why some think he has passed Roberto Luongo as the best in the game.

4. Washington Capitals

There's nothing stopping the Caps from winning the Stanley Cup if goalie Semyon Varlmalov proves to be the real deal. Alex Ovechkin willscore 55-60 goals again and can take this team a long way on his back.

5. Calgary Flames

After four straight first-round playoff exits, is new coach Brent Sutter the guy to get the Flames over the hump? Is there a better 1-2-3 punch on defense than Robyn Regehr, Jay Bouwmeester and Dion Phaneuf?

6. Blackhawks

It won't be easy for the NHL's whiz kids to keep the momentum going with everyone gunning for them now. If the Hawks are going to win their first division title since 1992-93, goalie Cristobal Huet must deliver big time.

7. Detroit Red Wings

Are the Red Wings good enough defensively to make up for the losses of Hossa, Samuelsson and Hudler up front? Likely not, and that's a lot of pressure on aging goalie Chris Osgood. The Wings slip enough for the Hawks to pass them.

8. New Jersey Devils

The Devils have turned back the clock and brought back Jacques Lemaire to coach. Zach Parise is a stud scorer, but will Lemaire's defense-first philosophy make him and his teammates boring again? Goalie Martin Brodeur still has game at 37.

9. Vancouver Canucks

It's the same story for the Canucks, who will go as far as goalie Roberto Luongo takes them. The last time we saw Luongo he was getting torched by the Hawks for 7 goals in Game 6. The Canucks could miss dearly Mattias Ohlund on defense.

10. Buffalo Sabres

The gritty Sabres are short on star power, but they are a hard-working bunch that comes to compete every night. If Ryan Miller ever is to become a star goalie, now is the time for him to step up in class.

11. Carolina Hurricanes

Eric Staal is such a good hockey player. He'd be a superstar in a major market with two 40-goal seasons already under his belt before age 25. This is a hard-nosed team that always gets above average goaltending from Cam Ward.

12. Philadelphia Flyers

There's a lot to like about the Flyers, especially the addition of Chris Pronger on defense. But is Ray Emery the answer in goal? It's a huge gamble by GM Paul Holmgren.

13. Anaheim Ducks

Too bad Bob Pulford never let Bob Murray be a real GM with the Hawks. Murray has done a terrific job of reloading on the fly while keeping the Ducks contenders. The line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan is one of hockey's best.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets

GM Scott Howson and coach Ken Hitchcock are on the right track and a superstar to build around in winger Rick Nash. Rookie of the year Steve Mason was one of the best goalies in the NHL last season and needs to maintain that level.

15. Montreal Canadiens

Talk about an extreme makeover. GM Bob Gainey brought in an entirely new first line in Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta while changing half the defense. But all that won't matter of goalie Carey Price doesn't step up.

16. Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are on their way up. Any team would love to have young defensemen Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson to build around, and some scouts think Jonathan Quick is a keeper in goal. Veteran Ryan Smyth will help an underrated offense.

Sassone's predictions

Western Conference finals: San Jose over Blackhawks

Eastern Conference finals: Boston over Washington

Stanley Cup champion: Boston

Hart Trophy (MVP): Alex Ovechkin, Washington

Art Ross Trophy (Scoring): Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh

Norris Trophy (Defenseman): Chris Pronger, Philadelphia

Selke Trophy (Defensive forward): Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit

Adams Trophy (Coach): Brent Sutter, Calgary

Calder Trophy (Rookie): John Taveras, N.Y. Islanders