NHL Future Power Rankings: Prospect, cap, roster predictions

While the goal of every NHL general manager is to put together a roster that wins the Stanley Cup, the reality is that teams are on different timelines when it comes to their championship contention.

So which teams are in the best shape for the next three seasons? That’s where the Future Power Rankings come in.

These rankings consider how teams are set up for success this season as well as the next three seasons. We had a panel of writers and editors rate each team in four categories — roster (with an emphasis on players 26 and under); prospects; cap situation and contracts; and front office, ownership and coaching — using this scale:

• 100: A+ (elite)

• 90: A (great)

• 80: B (very good)

• 70: C (average)

• 60: D (very bad)

• 50: F (disastrous)

After averaging the results from the panelists, each of the four categories was weighted to create the overall score: roster (35%), prospects (25%), cap/contracts (20%) and owner/GM/coach (20%). The result is a comprehensive ranking based on how well each team is positioned for the future, plus insights on every team from Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Rachel Doerrie.

Read through the entire file from No. 1 to No. 32, or jump ahead to your team by using the quick links below:

Jump to a team:
ANA | BOS | BUF | CGY
CAR | CHI | COL | CBJ
DAL | DET | EDM | FLA
LA | MIN | MTL | NSH
NJ | NYI | NYR | OTT
PHI | PIT | SJ | SEA
STL | TB | TOR | UTA
VAN | VGK | WSH | WPG

Why they’re here: Carolina is a perennial Stanley Cup contender for good reason. Coach Rod Brind’Amour constantly gets the most out of his roster, and it’s a great one with enviable forward depth (led by Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and newcomer Jack Roslovic, having his best season in years) and a booming back end that stays stingy.

Where the Hurricanes constantly face issues is with goaltending (Frederik Andersen is out long term with an injury), although young Pyotr Kochetkov continues to show promise. Carolina is built to win now and so it does, sitting top five in offense (averaging four goals per game), top 10 in defense (giving up fewer than three goals per night) and boasting solid special teams. Even scarier? Carolina has a strong prospect pool — think Alexander Nikishin, Bradly Nadeau and Jackson Blake, who could all make an NHL jump sooner than later. — Shilton

Cause for concern: Fair or unfair, the largest (and only?) concern facing the Hurricanes is if they can win…