The 2021 NHL season is here! After awarding the Stanley Cup in September following a most unusual 2019-20 season, we're back on the ice again. Four new divisions, 56-game schedules and, most importantly, 116 consecutive nights of NHL games, beginning Wednesday.
For our first week of power rankings, we offer a reason for hope for each team entering this season.
How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1 to 31 -- taking into account past results and offseason additions -- and those results are tabulated in the list featured here.