We should wait until closer to the preseason before posting in this thread. Chances are that some teams are closer than others to being ''finished'' as far as roster-building goes, and that affects our reads on the current overlook of the canadian teams quite a bit.
To begin with, I personally think there could be some degree of change to Montreal's roster between now and the preseason. As things stand the team has about 8.9M$ of LTIR space to fill out 2 roster spots if Byron is indeed out 6+ months as some reports said. That is a LOT of room to make additions and MB has reportedly been busy calling other GMs about potential trades. They could also stand pat, but the possibility to add some players is definitely there.
Then you add in the fact that Calgary still has lots of space under the cap to make some moves and could add quite a bit to their team, same for Ottawa despite Melnyk being Melnyk.
The other teams I don't see as moving a lot of guys in the coming days, but again, still lots of uncertainties there.
Basically, all of our lists are dependent on the rosters staying exactly the same from now to the season, and I don't think they will.
Anyways, my little rant finished here is how I see things as they currently stand and the current power rankings of the canadian teams for the regular season.
1 - Toronto > The team has lost some key players at the forward position but the additions of Ritchie and Bunting, as well as more frequent duties for Robertson, should lessen the blow quite a bit. The Leafs are still the class of Canada as far as roster quality goes for the regular season. All they need now is just a playoffs series win.
2 - Edmonton > They should have a more balanced attack this season though I think they gave Hyman a couple years too much. I'm still not a fan of their defense and goalie tandem but hey, improved depth scoring combined with McDrai? That's a lot of goals scored potentially, and too much to discount when you consider the fact that aside from Vegas the rest of the Pacific division is basically wide-open.
3 - Winnipeg > Schmidt/Demelo should help them carry the load defensively and they really haven't lost anyone too important so they should be good again this year. The Jets' defense should be much-improved from last year but I expect some more regression by Wheeler and I don't think they will be as good as the Oilers/Leafs for the regular season.
4 - Vancouver > I would have put Montreal at this position were it not for the fact that the Canadiens will be playing in arguably the strongest division in the entire NHL and that the Canucks should have an easier time making the playoffs in the relatively weaker Pacific division. Although Vancouver improved its depth by acquiring Garland, OEL and Dickinson, their defense is still suspect in my opinion and Demko needs to prove himself more, hence why I see the above three teams as better right now.
5 - Montreal > Pretty good Stanley Cup final run not withstanding, this defense-first team has just lost its best defender/captain in Weber to LTIRetirement and their best defensive forward in Danault to free agency. Those are no small losses, and pretty hard to bounce back from. As it is right now, the defense is merely ''okay'', Price hasn't been good/healthy in the regular season for a couple years now, and although the forward position is very deep there are still question marks there as far as consistent scoring goes. I think this team has the biggest variance of all canadian teams as far as where it could end up in the standings though I think Montreal ultimately misses the playoffs.
6 - Calgary > Coleman is a good player and a good get, but the contract is too long. Their defense without Giordano isn't great (I think it is worse than Montreal's and only marginally better than Vancouver's), their forward lines lack a bit of depth although I still like their top-end, and their goaltending is merely "good". The Flames still have a bit of money to acquire offensive depth and defensemen, but I just don't think they will be a playoff team come April 2022.
7 - Ottawa > They had a good run last year from the mid-way point of the season, when they'd basically been eliminated from the playoffs already, but I don't think that they will continue that hot streak this year. Aside from Chabot their defense is suspect at best and will need to continue being carried by very young players/rookies the way things currently stand, which isn't a recipe for success in my opinion. Then we look at the goalies and yeah, Murray hasn't been good at all for a couple seasons now. Forwards-wise there is a lot of depth/speed/grit/skill but most of their best players there are very young and I expect a bit of a sophomore slump from players like Stutzle and Norris which could hurt the Sens' chances at being a competitive team in 2021-2022. Of all the canadian teams the Sens are the only team I am confident in saying that a bottom-5 finish to the season is more likely than qualifying for the playoffs.
