Monday: Power Poll

This week's rankings:

1. Detroit Red Wings: They're old, sure, but they know how to win. Datsyuk and Lang add scoring punch to the Yoda-esque Yzerman.

2. Montreal Canadiens: They're off to a fast start, with a victory over the rival Maple Leafs under their belts.

3. Atlanta Thrashers: Strong offensively -- and that was before signing Ilya Kovalchuk. The addition of Peter Bondra has already shown dividends. If Kari Lehtonen can get back on the ice following his groin injury, this team will be tough to beat.

4. Nashville Predators: Adding veteran Paul Kariya adds a wealth of knowledge to a young team waiting for Daymond Langkow to step up and be the star everyone in Music City hopes he will be.

5. Edmonton Oilers: This surprising start could flame out quickly with Ryan Smyth going down indefinitely with an injury.

6. Los Angeles Kings: Look out Clippers! You're now the third best team to play at Staples Center. The addition of the attention-grabbing Jeremy Roenick (the NHL's version of Terrell Owens) definitely makes the Kings worth watching.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning: You can't count out the champs, even without former goalie Nikolai Khabibulun. This team can score whenever, wherever with Brad Richards, Vinny Lecavalier and mighty midget Martin St. Louis.

8. Ottawa Senators: Sens fans will wait to see if the Dany Heatly/Marian Hossa trade was the right move for management to make. But Heatly, Jason Speeza and a steady defense already makes Ottawa a contender.

9. Florida Panthers: It's been a decade since this team was in the Stanley Cup Finals, but the road looks brighter (maybe it's the Miami sun?) for this team with arguably the best goalie in the NHL in Roberto Luongo (He sounds like he should be a character on "Miami Vice.") and veterans Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts.

10. New Jersey Devils: This team remains solid but continues to get older. Netminder Martin Brodeur continues to be a top-tier goalie, but this team faces salary cap problems and don't be surprised if it has to dump some significant names soon.

11. Boston Bruins: With all-star Joe Thornton, this club is a scoring threat but always seems to underachieve. Could this be the year to reverse the curse? (Oops, wrong Boston team.)

12. Philadelphia Flyers: This team has been off to a shaky start, but expect that to change soon. Peter Forsberg, Simon Gagne and Michael Handzus should put the scare into any goalie. Expect better things from the Broad Street Bombers.

13. Vancouver Canucks: Todd Bertuzzi is back -- for better or worse -- and that should help the 'Nucks' offense to complement their stellar D.

14. New York Rangers: Like the Bruins, this team seems to disappoint despite considerable talent. This team will score points with a healthy Jaromir Jagr. The real test will be in goal, where Kevin Weekes will have to come through for this team to have a chance.

15. Calgary Flames: The Flames hope to pick up where they left off when they lost the deciding game of the Stanley Cup Finals two years ago. Jarome Iginla is one of the top players in the league but this team has come out of the gate slow. Goalie Miika Kiprusoff must produce consistently.

16. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: If goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere can return to his stellar form when the Quackers made the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago, then this team has nothing but upside.

17. Dallas Stars: Last year, Mike Modano suffered offensively. If that happens again then this team will be branded as "old." Marty Turco remains one of the better goalies in the league.

18. New York Islanders: My apologies to the Creator, but maybe a little Satan isn't a bad thing. That is, the additon of Miroslav Satan, whom the Islanders hope bolsters their offense.

19. Colorado Avalanche: The loss of Peter Forsberg is huge, and this team still hasn't found a suitable replacement for the retired Patrick Roy in goal. Joe Sakic can still be "da man," but this team lacks firepower, especially with Milan Hedjuk hurt.

20. Pittsburgh Penguins: If Mario Lemieux can stay healthy -- and that's a BIG if -- then the Pens could find much success this season. Sidney Crosby couldn't have asked for a better place to start his NHL career.

21. Minnesota Wild: Critics question this team's ability to find success in the new, faster NHL. If its defense and strong goaltending can continue then the Wild could surprise its Northwest Division rivals, but don't expect Minnesota to win any high-scoring slugfests.

22. Phoenix Coyotes: Coach Wayne Gretzky picked up his first win Saturday when his team defeated the Minnesota Wild. With Ladislav Nagy back from a stint on the IR and winger Shane Doan, this team will improve, albeit slowly.

23. Toronto Maple Leafs: Adding Eric Lindros shows this team is borderline desperate for offense. Mats Sundin's eye injury only makes a bad team worse.

24. Washington Capitals: Alexander Ovechkin is the real deal, having scored at least one point in each of Washington's first four games. That being said, the Caps have given up more goals than any team in the league and allows too many power play opportunities for its opponents.

25. San Jose Sharks: Goalie Evgeni Nabokov keeps this team solid in goal, but the rest of the team is unproven. Johnathon Cheechoo needs to live up to expectations.

26. Carolina Hurricanes: This team has a future star in Eric Staal but little else going for it. Tell me, why is this team playing in North Carolina?

27. Columbus Blue Jackets: Rick Nash is a young star, no doubt, but there isn't much talent around him. This team's strength is its defense, and that's not saying much.

28. Chicago Blackhawks: It's a shame that such a large city has had to put up with such a sorry team for so long. Adding goalie Nikolai Khabibulun was a start, but where is the offense?

29. Buffalo Sabres: A small-market team with small-market talent.

30. St. Louis Blues: St. Louis fans are feeling the blues losing Chris Pronger to Edmonton and having an overweight Keith Tkachuk. At least the Cardinals can distract Missouri sports fans for a little while longer.