Espn Hockey Power Ratings?

Question

ESPN rated the Red Wings number one going into next year. Do you have anyone else? And why?

Answer 1

I believe that with any "power ranking" on sports websites, the team that won the Cup the previous year starts off in the number 1 position the following season.  I suppose this is logical, though there will always be arguments for and against this when the Free Agent period is going on and players start to move around.

Still, in this case, I think you have to continue to argue in support of the Red Wings being the #1 team.

The Red Wings did not lose anyone significant from their Championship team, and instead they would seemingly have improved with their excellent free agent acquisitions!

  Now, other teams have improved substantially, and I would suggest that Tampa Bay and Chicago have done the most to improve.  However, these two teams had a lot of room for improvement.

  So, to answer your question, I can not honestly state that I think any team other than the Red Wings should be #1 in a power ranking.  Even if teams that were "close" did more to improve their team than did the Red Wings in this offseason, you never know how those new acquisitions are going to "gel" into their new team.  The Rangers are seemingly always big "changers" in the offseason and yet these changes seem to make little difference from year to year!

  I know you probably don't want to hear that I think that no other team should be #1 other than the Red Wings, but I just can't see a legitimate argument where that ranking for them is wrong.

... And I am a Leaf fan, though I truly hate to admit it at the moment!!!!  ;-)

Answer 2

I can't see how anyone one could, honestly.  The best team in hockey kept all their guys, filled the hole of back up goalie by grabbing Ty Conklin and Added Marian Hossa.  The have a good chance to be even better, which is scary, because Lidstrom said last years team was the best team he'd ever played on.

Answer 3

Defending Stanley Cup champions and an even deeper roster this year. I cant imagine how anyone could start out the new season as the #1 team. That being said, being #1 at the end of the playoffs is a much more desirable ranking. There are plenty of teams anxious to knock off the Wings and some will have a legitiment shot at it. But at the moment they have earned the right to be ranked #1 just like any other year....the defending champion should be the team to beat. Sorry, nobody else but the rest of my preseason top 5 are the Pens, Sharks, Rangers and Stars (I just like the moves they have made and Turco finally played the Wings solidly).

Answer 4

I think Detroit has got the presidents trophy in pretty clear sight right now but the Stanley Cup is as open as it ever was. San Jose is a great team that replaced the loses that they took with better players, it is no doubt that Detroit is the best team in the league and if they were to win the Stanley Cup again they would deserve it even more, but they have a tendency to do bad in the first round and sometimes lose it in the first round so that could happen. Detroit is definitely the favorite going into this season even though the Stanley Cup champions aren't always the favored team or the best team going into the next year even if they kept their lineup intact because the Stanley Cup champions aren't always the best team but they were the best team last year and they made a huge addition adding Marian Hossa to the team so things are looking up for Detroit.

Answer 5

Well I would argue for my favorite team but no in the offseason I have no issue with red wings being rated number one.  It doesn't mean they will win the cup.  There are times when a team is rated preseason number one that don't make the playoffs.