I can't fathom the Canucks beating the Blackhawks in the standings. The Ducks and Blues are taking some chances with their goaltending this year, and the Kings' style doesn't seem suited to be as dominant in the regular season, but I still peg them above the Canucks. That puts the top 4 spots basically out of reach in my mind.
Dallas has added loads of depth, but Lehtonen has been injury prone. Minnesota has a great roster and great goaltending, but relies heavily on Suter at the blueline. Colorado lost Stastny but MacKinnon is the real deal and Iginla will score goals. They may need to add to their blueline but have $10 million in cap space. The Sharks lost Havlat and Boyle, but both guys have declined and the team has cap space to work with. They may still be looking to make moves, and have a strong push of young talent. The Canucks could possibly catch one of these teams with a little luck, but I wouldn't bet on it. That puts 8 spots likely out of reach, though a lot could change with injuries and losing streaks.
I expect the Predators to take a step forward this year with a healthy Rinne, addition of Neal, and $15 million in cap space. Phoenix always seems to have respectable seasons despite a lack of top end talent up front. This is the tier I see the Canucks in right now.
I expect the Flames, Oilers and Jets to round out the bottom. The Oilers may start to emerge as a competitive team, and the Jets have cap space and are a goalie upgrade away from being promoted to a higher tier too, but until I see improvement I'm not betting on it happening. The Flames are rebuilding.