Updated: January 17, 2013, 3:41 PM ET

Power Rankings: Kings with a crown

Week:

By Scott Burnside (Posted January 17, 2013)

So, we are just two days from the start of the lockout-shortened 2013 NHL season. Next time around, my good friend Pierre LeBrun will be making a hash of these Power Rankings, so herein a final preseason look with at least some clarity at how things look -- in other words, who has the power and who does not.

Now for the Burnside Power Rankings:

2012-2013 Power Rankings: Week 1
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	TRENDING	COMMENTS
1	Los Angeles 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	No Anze Kopitar and no Willie Mitchell early in camp, and all eyes will be on Jonathan Quick as he returns from offseason back surgery. Still, the boys with the rings are the ones to beat until they tell us otherwise.
2	New York 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	They might not be the consensus pick to come out of the Eastern Conference, but many observers believe that the Rangers with Rick Nash in the lineup will be the ones hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.
3	St. Louis 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	This is our Stanley Cup pick. Well-coached, deep up and down the lineup and exceptional in goal, the Blues will be looking to prove that last season's Central Division title was just a step on the way to their first championship.
4	Pittsburgh 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Kris Letang and a fine supporting cast make the Pens as dangerous a team as there is in the league. Can the defense and goaltending hold up? We have the Pens going to the finals.
5	Boston 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin will face loads of pressure, but the Bruins will again ice a big, talented lineup. Watch for Tyler Seguin to take another big step forward.
6	Phoenix 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Head coach Dave Tippett thinks this Coyotes team might be better than the one that went to the Western Conference finals last spring. He might be right.
7	Minnesota 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	OK, we buy the buzz. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter will have lots of help in Minnesota, and as long as the goaltending holds up, the Wild could end up on top of a wide-open Northwestern Division.
8	Vancouver 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Ryan Kesler's ongoing injury issues mean the Canucks are thin down the middle, and there remains the issue of what will happen to Roberto Luongo. Still a threat in the West, though.
9	Philadelphia 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Without Chris Pronger, the Flyers might not be as formidable as they were a couple of years ago. But deep and skilled up front, the Flyers still look like a lock to make the playoffs.
10	Florida 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	The Southeast Division might end up being the closest of the six divisions, but we still give the nod to its defending champs. The Panthers need to sort out injury issues and get Dmitry Kulikov signed, but there's lots to like. Keep an eye on rookie Jonathan Huberdeau.
11	Chicago 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Netminder Corey Crawford has to prove he is better than he showed in the playoffs against Phoenix, but the Hawks remain blessed with talent up and down the lineup and a core that knows how to win. A slow start will not, however, do much for Joel Quenneville's job security.
12	Washington 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	We expect big things from Adam Oates behind the Caps' bench, and Nicklas Backstrom's insistence that he is healthy and ready to go is a huge bonus. Interesting battle shaping up in goal between Michal Neuvirth and playoff hero Braden Holtby.
13	Carolina 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Jordan Staal and Alex Semin will boost the offense, and Kirk Muller has laid a nice foundation after taking over as head coach a little more than a year ago. The playoffs are imperative for a team that has missed three times since advancing to the 2009 Eastern Conference finals.
14	Anaheim 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	The Ducks found a groove under coach Bruce Boudreau, who replaced Randy Carlyle, but fell short of the playoffs. No excuses this season. Management must deal quickly with the contract issues of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.
15	Colorado 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	If the Avs resolve the Ryan O'Reilly contract issue ASAP, they could be poised to sneak into the playoffs. Semyon Varlamov needs another strong season to prove his durability and status as No. 1 goaltending material.
16	Tampa Bay 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	All eyes are on Anders Lindback as he tries to prove he has the goods to be a No. 1. The Lightning should be much better on the back end with Sami Salo and Matt Carle in town. Steven Stamkos should again be among the league's most dominant offensive players.
17	Nashville 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	No Ryan Suter means the Predators will be looking from within to shore up their blue line and produce enough offense to see them back to the playoffs for the eighth time in the past nine seasons.
18	Ottawa 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	The surprise trip to the playoffs last season will be a tough act to follow, as will an equally surprising Norris Trophy win for dynamic blueliner Erik Karlsson. Still, they hit the jackpot with Paul MacLean, a finalist for coach of the year.
19	Detroit 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	The departures of Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart have created a huge void on the blue line. Can Damien Brunner make the jump from the Swiss league? More to the point, is this the season the Wings finally tumble out of the playoffs?
20	Dallas 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	The Stars have to get Jamie Benn under contract but otherwise look like they've addressed issues with offense and -- they hope -- the power play by adding Ray Whitney, Jaromir Jagr and Derek Roy.
21	New Jersey 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Never count out the Devils, but the absence of Zach Parise looms large. Martin Brodeur (40) and Johan Hedberg (39) have experience but did not play during the lockout. How does a reluctant Ilya Kovalchuk fit in? Adam Henrique needs to build on his impressive rookie campaign.
22	Buffalo 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Ryan Miller will look to lead the Sabres back to the playoffs after a disappointing turn last season. Steve Ott is in and Derek Roy is out as the Sabres look to redefine their image.
23	San Jose 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	The Sharks will return pretty much the same lineup that limped into the playoffs as the seventh seed and was ousted in five games by St. Louis. We're not sold on the goaltending, and someone needs to drag this team back into contention.
24	Edmonton 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Everyone's post-lockout darlings are hoping that hot starts by a clutch of young players at the AHL level during the lockout will translate into a hot start in the NHL. Goaltending is still a question mark. It will be interesting to see how free-agent sensation Justin Schultz does after lighting up the AHL.
25	Montreal 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	We applaud the hirings of GM Marc Bergevin and head coach Michel Therrien. It was high time Therrien got to coach another team. But he has his hands full, especially with P.K. Subban still without a contract.
26	Calgary 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	The Flames have insisted that no one ask Jarome Iginla about his contract status again. Ha, ha. Oh, seriously? The best way for that to happen is to win a bunch of games out of the gate.
27	New York 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Lots of moving pieces up front, but to have an outside shot at a playoff berth, the Isles need to get reluctant defender Lubomir Visnovsky back from Europe and Evgeni Nabokov back to his former self.
28	Winnipeg 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	The Jets need to learn to win away from the raucous MTS Centre, and they need to find out what kind of character is in Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien and Ondrej Pavelec.
29	Toronto 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Firing your GM a week before the start of the regular season doesn't help your continuity or consistency. The Leafs are thin down the middle, and goaltending is still a mystery. Playoff misery is likely to extend into the second post-lockout era.
30	Columbus 0-0-0	-- Last Week: NR	Maybe the Blue Jackets can avoid the miserable start that doomed last season from the get-go, but they're still not a very good team in a very tough conference. Long road ahead for new president John Davidson.

Power Rankings: Kings with a crown

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