Ranking NHL teams by tiers: The August bottom 15
Welcome to theScore's August ranking of all 31 NHL teams for the 2018-19 season, sorted by tiers.
This is the first installment of the two-part series. Part 2, which addresses the top 16 teams, will be published Thursday.
OK, let's go.
The Lose For Hughes Rebuilders (8th tier)Futility could lead to prized prospect Jack Hughes
Detroit is in dire need of bottoming out and 2018-19 might be the season to do so. Its defense is a trainwreck and a large chunk of its forward group is either old and regressing or young and underperforming. While many players have negotiated no-trade/no-move clauses, the Wings should still try to sell assets - Gustav Nyquist, for one - during the season.
The Habs are in a world of hurt right now. Between GM Marc Bergevin's eternal search for a first-line center, the Max Pacioretty rumors, Shea Weber being sidelined until December, and a pedestrian roster in front of Carey Price, there is a lot of negativity to pass around. They could use another top-five pick, so a loss-filled season may be best.
If the most dysfunctional organization in the league trades its best player prior to November, it will have parted ways with Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, Derick Brassard, and Kyle Turris in the span of a year. Starting goalie Craig Anderson apparently wants out, too. Things are bound to get worse before they get better in Sens land.
The post-Sedin era is off to a rocky start. The Canucks signed veterans to long-term deals this offseason, despite not being in a position to even think about contending. Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, and Elias Pettersson are fantastic pieces to build around, but as currently constructed, they are probably the worst team in the Western Conference.
The Baby Steps Rebuilders (7th tier)Revving up or taking a giant step back
The Alex Galchenyuk-Max Domi swap made Arizona a better team. Youngsters like Clayton Keller, Christian Dvorak, Dylan Strome, and Jakob Chychrun provide hope and should collectively move the needle in 2018-19. Antti Raanta appears to be a legitimate No. 1, which is a massive development for a Coyotes squad with a steep hill to climb.
After years of hopelessness, the Sabres are finally headed upstream. Winning the Rasmus Dahlin sweepstakes helps, as does Casey Mittelstadt's progress. Goalie Carter Hutton and winger Conor Sheary were nice offseason additions. Everybody expected more wins in 2017-18, so nothing is guaranteed here. Head coach Phil Housley has much to prove.
No more John Tavares, plus no more Calvin de Haan, plus no surefire goaltending fix equals a plummet down the standings. Mat Barzal's encore should be a treat, and incoming veterans might keep them afloat, but the Isles will struggle to both score and stop the opposition from scoring. For the wrong reasons, their terrible penalty kill is something to monitor.
The Playoff Dreamers (6th tier)Volatility in competition with promising assets
The elephant in the room for this playoff-starved franchise has been and continues to be goaltending. It's tempting to label Carolina a sleeper due to its tremendous shot-suppression numbers, bulletproof defense corps, and selection of Andrei Svechnikov, but it always seems to disappoint. Last year, starting goalie Scott Darling took the fall.
On the expectation scale, there might not be a club with greater variance than the Avs. They lack depth up front and on the back end, yet last year managed to finish 10th in goals for and 14th in goals against. Their special teams flourished in head coach Jared Bednar's second year, though their five-on-five metrics were ugly. In a word, unpredictable.
The Playoff Sniffers (5th tier)Warts all over but postseason berth possible
Is it realistic to expect the 'Hawks to miss the 2018-19 playoffs? Yes. Is it also realistic to expect them to make it? Yes. Chicago is the archetype for wanting to win ASAP but just not having the high-end prospects - or cap space - to supplement a solid core. Shedding Marian Hossa's deal helps, however, it's offset by Corey Crawford concerns.
Jim Montgomery replaces Ken Hitchcock behind the bench. Miro Heiskanen and Valeri Nichushkin are moving to Dallas. John Klingberg is tasked with building off a Norris Trophy-caliber season. Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Alexander Radulov can't keep dragging the forwards along. No playoff games since 2016. Intrigue is written all over this Stars team.
Connor McDavid has the ability to lift a team - any team - into the playoffs. He's dominant for 20 minutes a night, and someone could write a book about what happened last year during the other 40. The supporting cast, which didn't receive any significant reinforcements via free agency, needs to be better. Special teams is a sore thumb.
No offseason splashes for a group that is decidedly strong enough to play spring hockey but lacks the type of game-breakers typically required to go on a deep run. The same old story for the Wild, who are stuck in the Western Conference's icky middle. And, as expected, those matching Zach Parise/Ryan Suter contracts have not aged well.
The Devils played it coy this summer. Out are forwards Michael Grabner, Brian Gibbons, and Patrick Maroon, and defenseman John Moore. In is ... no one of significance. Nothing wrong with being cautious - especially amid a rebuild - however, reigning MVP Taylor Hall and well-respected coach John Hynes will need support sooner than later.
The Rangers, who allowed the fourth-most goals last year despite employing Henrik Lundqvist, could actually remain moderately competitive thanks to a decent core. Or, as laid out in plain terms by management in February, they could fully transition into teardown mode and sell off Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, etc. A course-setting year ahead in NYC.
Coming Thursday: Tiers 1-4
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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