Super 16: Predators, Devils climb power rankings in busy offseason

The NHL offseason is in full swing now that the draft and the bulk of the free-agent frenzy is behind us. So what does it all look like now, a little less than three months before the season opens (Oct. 4 in Europe, Oct. 8 in North America)?

The first offseason edition of the Super 16 is here to provide the answer to that question.

The Florida Panthers are still the team to beat. The Stanley Cup champions, who when the season starts will be the defending Stanley Cup champions, are No. 1. The Edmonton Oilers, who lost Game 7 of the Cup Final by one goal, are No. 2. The New York Rangers, who won the Presidents’ Trophy last season, are No. 3.

None of that is surprising.

But the rise of the Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils, and the fall of the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights, might be somewhat surprising to anybody who hasn’t been paying attention. It shouldn’t be if you have been.

Twenty-six of the 32 teams received at least one voting point. The six that didn’t were the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames.

As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16, the voters put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like and a point total is assigned to each, with the team selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.

Here is the first look ahead to the 2024-25 season version of the Super 16, with a synopsis of where the team stands so far and the reason why the writer or editor assigned to that team ranked it where they did in their own Super 16, which is listed at the bottom.

1. Florida Panthers

Total points: 204
Last season: 52-24-6, first in Atlantic Division, won Stanley Cup

“The Panthers were crowned the Stanley Cup champions two weeks ago, so they’re still No. 1 in my Super 16. Their biggest offseason move so far was re-signing Sam Reinhart to an eight-year contract, keeping a key piece of their core, which remains intact with Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad and Sergei Bobrovsky. It will be difficult to replace Brandon Montour, who signed with the Seattle Kraken, but there’s still time this offseason for Florida to fill in the rest of its roster and take a shot at repeating.” -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

2. Edmonton Oilers

Total points: 190
Last season: 49-27-6, second in Pacific Division, lost in Stanley Cup Final (FLA)

“I have the Oilers at No. 1 in my Super 16. They were a victory away from winning the Stanley Cup this past season and went to work immediately on keeping the band together for another extended run in the playoffs. With the core pieces in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard and Stuart Skinner under contract for at least another season, interim general manager Jeff Jackson went out and solidified the rest of the roster. Taking over for Ken Holland, who did not return once his five-year contract expired July 1, Jackson re-signed forwards Connor Brown, Corey Perry and Mattias Janmark, and defenseman Troy Stecher, who all wanted another shot at the Cup. Jackson also signed free agent forwards Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, and defenseman Josh Brown to go along for the ride. The Oilers were the best team in the Western Conference last season and fell a goal short in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Panthers 2-1. Edmonton likely has the deepest forward group in the NHL and should once again be considered a Cup contender as the best team in the Western Conference.” -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

3. New York Rangers

Total points: 164
Last season: 55-23-4, first in Metropolitan Division, Presidents’ Trophy, lost in Eastern Conference Final (FLA)

“If we had done this ranking before July 1, I would have had them at No. 2. Even though the Oilers took the Panthers to seven games in the Cup Final, I still feel the Rangers were the second-best team in hockey last season. But it’s been a quiet offseason for the Rangers as far as moves are concerned, with veteran forward Barclay Goodrow being waived the biggest one. But there is plenty of noise around Jacob Trouba’s future with the team. The defenseman has two years left on his contract at $8 million a season, which takes up a good chunk of the NHL salary cap, and the Rangers have goalie Igor Shesterkin eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after next season. Still, this is a team that came within two wins of reaching the Stanley Cup Final, and a team that still has plenty of firepower. But there is no question some other teams have made the moves to jump ahead of them, most notably the Predators, Oilers and Boston Bruins, which is why I have the Rangers fifth in my own Super 16.” -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

4. Boston Bruins

Total points: 150
Last season: 47-20-15, second in Atlantic Division, lost in second round (FLA)

“To me, the Bruins are an improved team from last season, even if they took a step back from their greatest strength, a reason why I have them at No. 7 in my Super 16. Let me explain. The Bruins had the best goaltending in the NHL for the past couple of seasons with Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. They won’t be as good in net this season with the combination of Swayman and either Joonas Korpisalo or Brandon Bussi, but I think overall they’ll be a better team because of the additions of a No. 1 center and a big, physical defenseman, with Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov coming aboard in free agency. Lindholm is a poor man’s Patrice Bergeron, and stands to improve the team by slotting other centers lower in the lineup, by manning the bumper on the power play and by improving their results in the face-off circle. Zadorov could help form a power pairing with Charlie McAvoy, potentially a scary thought come the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins are still in dire need of a scoring wing for the second line, likely to play with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle, but overall I think they came out of the opening of free agency having addressed some areas of need.” -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

5. Dallas Stars

Total points: 147
Last season: 52-21-9, first in Central Division, lost in Western Conference Final (EDM)

“Here’s the conundrum I’m facing when ranking the Stars, and the big reason why I have them No. 9 in my own Super 16. Do I think Dallas, which has gone to the Western Conference Final two straight seasons, is still a strong team? Absolutely. Their forward depth is outstanding, and while they traded center Radek Faksa to the St. Louis Blues, they’ve got enough guys to make up for his loss. My concern is on defense. The Stars couldn’t sign Chris Tanev, their big acquisition prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. They bought out the remainder of Ryan Suter’s contract and let Jani Hakanpaa get to free agency, although he struggled with an injury through the end of the regular season. The Stars signed free agents Matt Dumba, Brendan Smith and Ilya Lyubushkin. Did they get stronger on defense? I’m not completely sure. But they went out and filled what they needed, and I look forward to seeing how it plays out on the ice.” -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

6. Colorado Avalanche

Total points: 139
Last season: 50-25-7, third in Central Division, lost in second round (DAL)

“I have the Avalanche No. 3 in my Super 16 because they don’t look much different from last season. And that’s a good thing. They re-signed Jonathan Drouin, who had great chemistry with Nathan MacKinnon on the top line, and Casey Mittelstadt, who gave them the steady second-line center that had been missing since their Stanley Cup championship in 2022. Their forward depth remains solid and could get a giant boost if Gabriel Landeskog is able to play after missing the past two seasons because of a knee injury. They still have arguably the best defense pair in the NHL in Cale Makar and Devon Toews, and I think the signing of defenseman Erik Brannstrom could be a sneaky good addition for the second power-play unit. With better health and a full season with MacKinnon, Mittelstadt and Ross Colton centering the top three lines, the Avalanche for sure are a Stanley Cup contender.” -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

7. Nashville Predators

Total points: 137
Last season: 47-30-5, fourth in Central Division, lost in first round (VAN)

“Things have to go right, but with Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, things typically do go right. The Predators made the biggest splash July 1 by signing Stamkos (four years, $8 million average annual value) and Marchessault (five years, $5.5 million AAV), along with defenseman Brady Skjei (seven years, $7 million AAV) and goalie Scott Wedgewood (two years, $1.5 million AAV). They also signed goalie Juuse Saros to a new contract that begins in 2025-26 (eight years, $7.74 million AAV) and re-signed defenseman Alexandre Carrier (three years, $3.75 million AAV). Toss in the fact that the core of Saros, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist still is intact, and the Predators, with their additions, look like a Cup contender on paper. It has to work out on the ice, but it’s hard to not love what they’ve done in Nashville, which is why I have them No. 6 in my Super 16, behind the Oilers, Panthers, Rangers, Bruins and Stars.” -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

8. Vancouver Canucks

Total points: 115
Last season: 50-23-9, first in Pacific Division, lost in second round (EDM)

“Quinn Hughes, who won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman last season, said in Las Vegas that the Canucks learned a lot last season about being a winning team and what it takes to be a contender. He said they will be better for it. He might very well be right. They took strides in that direction this offseason by signing three players in forwards Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen, and defenseman Derek Forbort, who all come from a winning culture in Boston. They will bring that to the Canucks, who need to build on last season’s success in order to establish the winning culture they want to have in Vancouver. Re-signing defenseman Filip Hronek and signing defenseman Vincent Desharnais, who also comes from a winning culture in Edmonton, are two important moves as well. I have the Canucks No. 8 in my Super 16. With Thatcher Demko back in goal and lessons learned from last season, they could find their way into the top five quickly. The Canucks are for real. They know it and now the rest of the NHL does too.” -- Rosen

9. Toronto Maple Leafs

Total points: 99
Last season: 46-26-10, third in Atlantic Division, lost in first round (BOS)

“Free agency certainly shuffled the rankings, with teams like the Devils, Maple Leafs, Bruins and Predators strengthening themselves while the likes of the Golden Knights and Hurricanes took a dip by losing significant assets. For me, after the top four of Florida, Edmonton, Dallas and New Jersey (and maybe the Rangers?), there are a chunk of teams that could finish anywhere between No. 5 and No. 13 -- that’s how close it is. I have the Maple Leafs at No. 8 and because of the shrewd additions of defensemen Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and goalie Anthony Stolarz, they could climb the rankings. Tanev in particular is the perfect fit, a shutdown, competitive, physical, top-pairing defenseman to play with Morgan Rielly, all boxes the Maple Leafs were looking to have checked off. But there still are key questions which could see them go down as much as up. Will the inexperience of goaltenders Joseph Woll and Stolarz, who have 117 career starts between them, be an issue? Will Ekman-Larsson be the Stanley Cup-winning version we saw with Florida or the struggling one prior to that in Vancouver? And will forward Mitch Marner be traded? Stay tuned.” -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

10. Carolina Hurricanes

Total points: 97
Last season: 52-23-7, second in Metropolitan Division, lost in second round (NYR)

“Who knows what the Hurricanes will look like this season? They lost the high-scoring winger they gambled on prior to the trade deadline in Jake Guentzel and they lost Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei, two huge pieces of their rock-solid defense. They may be transitioning to a new No. 1 goalie in Pyotr Kochetkov. They have a first-time NHL general manager in Eric Tulsky trying to rebuild on the fly. Those are all questions. But they have coach Rod Brind’Amour and his system, so whatever the Hurricanes are this season, it’s likely they still will be good enough for the playoffs, which is why I ranked them No. 11 in my Super 16, sixth among Eastern Conference teams.” -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

11. New Jersey Devils

Total points: 83
Last season: 38-39-5, seventh in Metropolitan Division, missed playoffs

“General manager Tom Fitzgerald was true to his word when he announced at his season-ending press conference in April that he’d go “big game hunting” in an attempt to return the Devils to playoff prominence. Fitzgerald was patient and calculated in his offseason maneuvering. He hired Sheldon Keefe as the 22nd coach in Devils history May 23 and acquired a starting goalie in Jacob Markstrom in a trade with the Calgary Flames on June 19. Fitzgerald then loaded up on the opening day of free agency, adding size and strength at both ends. On defense, Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon are upgrades at a position that needed some veteran pushback and experience. The Devils also signed forwards Stefan Noesen and Tomas Tatar, who are battle-tested veterans. I need to see how the goalie tandem of Markstrom and Jake Allen holds up considering they are 34 and 33 years old, respectively, and that’s why I have the Devils at No. 10 in my Super 16." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

12. Tampa Bay Lightning

Total points: 60
Last season: 45-29-8, fourth in Atlantic Division, lost in first round (FLA)

“It has been a busy offseason for the Lightning and general manager Julien BriseBois. Steven Stamkos, the face of the franchise for the past 16 seasons, now is wearing a Predators uniform. Mikhail Sergachev was traded to Utah. The Lightning have lost two key pieces. But BriseBois had a plan. The GM got a younger winger who is also a potential 40-goal scorer in Jake Guentzel. The Lightning added a reliable defenseman in J.J. Moser and a top prospect in forward Conor Geekie. Coach Jon Cooper still  will have a strong core with Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brandon Hagel. As always, the Lightning will be a playoff team, but maybe not a strong contender.” -- Jean-François Chaumont, senior writer LNH.com

13. Winnipeg Jets

Total points: 46
Last season: 52-24-6, second in Central Division, lost in first round (COL)

“Call me skeptical, but that’s how I feel about the Jets, which is why I have them No. 15 in my Super 16. They made it in on reputation, being a team that won 52 games and finished second in the Central Division last season. But the Jets haven’t done anything this offseason to improve the roster, at least not on paper. In fact, they don’t look nearly the same as they did at the end of last season when you consider that gone are defenseman Brenden Dillon (New Jersey), forwards Sean Monahan (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Tyler Toffoli (San Jose Sharks), and goalie Laurent Brossoit (Chicago Blackhawks). They signed goalies Eric Comrie and Kaapo Kahkonen, but only one can be Connor Hellebuyck’s backup. They re-signed defenseman Colin Miller. They still have to figure out what to do with forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who has one season left on his contract ($6 million AAV). They’re not a finished product, but they’re not a Stanley Cup contender as presently constructed. There is more work to be done, but for now the Jets are barely in my Super 16.” -- Rosen

14. Vegas Golden Knights

Total points: 42
Last season: 45-29-8, fourth in Pacific Division, lost in first round (DAL)

“The Golden Knights are used to turnover, but this is tough. They have lost Michael Amadio, William Carrier, Jonathan Marchessault, Alec Martinez, Chandler Stephenson and Logan Thompson, while adding Victor Olofsson and Ilya Samsonov. The loss of Marchessault especially stings, even if the 33-year-old received a five-year contract from the Predators, a term that didn’t make sense to the Golden Knights. He was a “Golden Misfit,” a member of the inaugural team. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs when Vegas won the Cup in 2023, and he led the Golden Knights in goals (42) and points (69) last season. Vegas still has lots of talent, but this is a step backward, which is why I have them at No. 13 in my Super 16." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

15. Los Angeles Kings

Total points: 39
Last season: 44-27-11, third in Pacific Division, lost in first round (EDM)

“Their moves were more under the radar, but I like what the Kings have done thus far this offseason. Darcy Kuemper should be motivated after essentially losing his job as the Washington Capitals’ starting goalie to Charlie Lindgren last season. Kuemper was solid in his brief stint with Los Angeles in 2017-18 (.932 save percentage in 19 games) and should form a solid tandem with David Rittich. Warren Foegele scored 20 goals for the Oilers and should provide offensive depth. Joel Edmundson provides another veteran presence on the back end. I have the Kings at No. 12 given the amount of talented teams across the League, but they have the pieces to be a force in the Western Conference.” -- Brian Compton, managing editor

16. New York Islanders

Total points: 16
Last season: 39-27-16, third in Metropolitan Division, lost in first round (CAR)

“The Islanders are No. 16 in our overall Super 16, and No. 16 in my own personal Super 16. I almost had the Utah Hockey Club ahead of the Islanders. I also almost put the Seattle Kraken ahead of them. But I decided making the playoffs last season and not losing anybody significant from the roster is enough for them to squeak into the rankings. I wasn’t alone. Of the 13 who participated in this exercise, six of us had the Islanders in the Super 16. They added some offensive punch by signing Anthony Duclair. That helps. They have the goaltending with Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. The high-end skill is there too with Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. They should be able to stay in the mix in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference. They’ll be a bubble team all through the season, but for now they’re inside the bubble.” -- Rosen

Others receiving points: Washington Capitals 14, Detroit Red Wings 8, St. Louis Blues 5, Seattle Kraken 3, Minnesota Wild 3, Utah Hockey Club 2, Ottawa Senators 2, Buffalo Sabres 1, Philadelphia Flyers 1, Pittsburgh Penguins 1

HERE’S HOW WE RANKED ’EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Nashville Predators; 9. New Jersey Devils; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Vancouver Canucks; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Winnipeg Jets

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHEAUMONT

1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Nashville Predators; 9. New Jersey Devils; 10. Vancouver Canucks; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Buffalo Sabres

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Nashville Predators; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Vancouver Canucks; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Carolina Hurricanes; 16. Vegas Golden Knights

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. New York Rangers; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Vancouver Canucks; 9. Nashville Predators; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Washington Capitals

TOM GULITTI

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. New York Rangers; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Nashville Predators; 9. Vancouver Canucks; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. New Jersey Devils; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Tampa Bay Lightning; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Los Angeles Kings

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Dallas Stars; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Vancouver Canucks; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Nashville Predators; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. New Jersey Devils; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Seattle Kraken

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Vancouver Canucks; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. New Jersey Devils; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Philadelphia Flyers

TRACEY MYERS

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Vancouver Canucks; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Nashville Predators; 9. Dallas Stars; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. New Jersey Devils

BILL PRICE

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Nashville Predators; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Vancouver Canucks; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. New Jersey Devils; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Tampa Bay Lightning; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Utah Hockey Club

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. New Jersey Devils; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

DAN ROSEN

1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. New York Rangers; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Nashville Predators; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Vancouver Canucks; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. New Jersey Devils; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. New York Islanders

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Nashville Predators; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Vancouver Canucks; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. New Jersey Devils; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Washington Capitals

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Vancouver Canucks; 11. Nashville Predators; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Utah Hockey Club