Super 16: Defending Cup champ Golden Knights rule pre-training camp poll

Players are beginning to return to their NHL cities. If they're not already in town, they will be after Labor Day Weekend. Informal skates already are under way or set to begin shortly. And training camps will open across the NHL in about three weeks.

The 2023-24 season is almost here, which means it's time for the first installment of NHL.com's Super 16 power rankings, a weekly staple during the season.

As you will see below, the Vegas Golden Knights, the defending Stanley Cup champions, are still thought of as the best team in the NHL. But where do the Florida Panthers, defending Eastern Conference champions, rank in the pre-training camp edition of the Super 16?

Hint: It's not No. 2.

The Boston Bruins ran the table as the No. 1 team last season, when they set NHL records for wins (65) and points (135), but they took two major hits this offseason with centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci each retiring as an active player. So where do the Bruins rank now in the Super 16?

Hint: Not in the top half.

Are there teams that didn't make the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season in the Super 16 right now?

Yes.

Read on for more, but as a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the voters put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like and a point total is assigned to each, with the team selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.

There were 12 voters this week. Vegas was ranked first by 11 of them.

Here is the Super 16.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

Total points:191

"The champion is the champion until proven otherwise in my book. The Golden Knights still are the cream of the League. Do they have issues? Yes. They still don't have a clear-cut goalie and their forward depth could use some bolstering. But those were issues they overcame in winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in their six-season history. No reason they can't overcome them again. They have one of the deepest and most effective defenses in the League, anchored by Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore, and their offense is powered by center Jack Eichel, who appears to be hitting his prime after years battling injury with the Buffalo Sabres. Bruce Cassidy is an elite coach who had all the answers last season, his first with Vegas after keeping the Bruins elite throughout his tenure there. Simply put, the road to relevance goes through Vegas until somebody proves that it doesn't." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Total points: 160

"After reaching the Eastern Conference Final last season before losing to the Florida Panthers, the Hurricanes are poised to be Stanley Cup contenders again this season following an active offseason. Carolina kept its core intact by re-signing captain Jordan Staal and fellow forward Jesper Fast along with goalies Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta. They supplemented the core by signing gritty forwards Michael Bunting and Brendan Lemieux, and defensemen Dmitry Orlov, Tony DeAngelo and Caleb Jones. Having forward Andrei Svechnikov healthy after recovering from ACL surgery will help, but adding another goal scorer remains on the Hurricanes' wish list in their quest to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2006." -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

3. Dallas Stars

Total points: 148

"I look at the Stars and see the favorite to win the Stanley Cup this season. It's hard to see a hole in their lineup, outside of maybe depth on defense. The top line of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski could be the most dangerous in the NHL, and Dallas added to its forward depth with Matt Duchene, who scored 43 goals two seasons ago. It has one of the top defensemen in the NHL in Miro Heiskanen, a proven big-game goalie in Jake Oettinger and an experienced coach in Peter DeBoer. The Stars reached the Western Conference Final last season; I think this time they can go one step further." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

4. Colorado Avalanche

Total points: 144

"Sure, the 2022 Stanley Cup champions didn't get out of the first round of the playoffs last season but there's still a ton to like about the Avalanche. Let's start with the obvious: Center Nathan MacKinnon and forward Mikko Rantanen continue to be difference-makers; each had NHL career highs in points last season, MacKinnon with 111 (42 goals, 69 assists) and Rantanen with 105 (55 goals, 50 assists). And Cale Makar is one of the elite defensemen in the League. Colorado solidified its center depth by acquiring Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators on June 24 and Ross Colton from the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 28. Captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss his second straight season after having cartilage transplant surgery on his right knee May 10, but that doesn't change the fact the Avalanche are lined up for a strong 2023-24. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

5. New Jersey Devils

Total points: 142

"The Devils aren't going to surprise anyone this season after finishing with the most wins (52) and points (112) in their history and advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012. New Jersey signed its key free agents, including forwards Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt and Erik Haula, and acquired veteran forward Tyler Toffoli in a trade with the Calgary Flames on June 27. New Jersey should have four solid forward lines, but it remains to be seen if the defense can duplicate the effort it put forth a season ago after the loss of veterans Damon Severson (via trade) and Ryan Graves (free agency). Luke Hughes should be able to fill one of those roles along the blue line. Another area to watch closely is in goal, where Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid likely will battle for the No. 1 role in training camp." -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

6. Edmonton Oilers

Total points: 134

"The Oilers feel they have unfinished business after being eliminated in the second round by the Golden Knights last season. Edmonton believes its championship window is wide open. It returns the core of its roster, led by centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the top two scorers in the NHL last season, and added forward Connor Brown to replace Kailer Yamamoto in a top-six role. Defensively, the Oilers are anchored by Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm, along with the emerging Evan Bouchard, who led all NHL defensemen in playoff scoring last season (17 points; four goals, 13 assists), despite Edmonton playing 12 games. Goaltending will have to improve for the Oilers to challenge for the Stanley Cup. Jack Campbell struggled in his first season in Edmonton and lost his starting job to rookie Stuart Skinner, who struggled in the playoffs with a 3.68 goals-against average and .883 save percentage in 12 games. A better performance in net, and the Oilers may have been able to get past the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Golden Knights." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

7. Toronto Maple Leafs

Total points: 123

"These have been anything but the dog days of summer for incoming Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, who helped architect new contracts for center Auston Matthews and coach Sheldon Keefe in less than a week. Treliving has left the so-called Core Four of Matthews, forwards Mitchell Marner and William Nylander and center John Tavares intact, but changed the vibe surrounding Toronto's supporting cast by bringing in free agent forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves. All three offer different combinations of hustle and muscle, a mix Treliving described as potentially addressing the issue of needing to bring "more snot to our game." The bottom line: As always, the Maple Leafs, fair or not, will be judged on postseason success, not regular-season achievements." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

8. Tampa Bay Lightning

Total points: 89

"The Lightning lost two more key members of their Stanley Cup teams from 2020 and 2021 this summer. Forward Alex Killorn left as an unrestricted free agent, signing a four-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks, and forward Pat Maroon was traded to the Minnesota Wild. Center Ross Colton, who scored the Cup-clinching goal in 2021, was traded to the Avalanche. Last offseason, forward Ondrej Palat departed as a free agent to the Devils and defenseman Ryan McDonagh was traded to the Nashville Predators. Two years ago, Tampa Bay traded center Tyler Johnson to the Chicago Blackhawks, lost center Yanni Gourde in the expansion draft to the Seattle Kraken, and saw forwards Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman leave as free agents. But through it all the Lightning have adjusted, adapted and continued to rely on the likes of centers Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, forward Nikita Kucherov, defensemen Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak, and, of course, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. They will do the same again this season, and despite all the players who have departed, the Lightning remain a Cup contender." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

9. Florida Panthers

Total points: 82

"The Panthers are coming off an epic run to the Stanley Cup Final. Problem is, they're still recovering from it. Forward Matthew Tkachuk has said he is feeling better after sustaining a fractured sternum in Game 3 of the Final, but it remains to be seen when he'll be ready. Defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour each had offseason shoulder surgery, putting their availability for the start of the season in question. Free agency brought big changes on defense too, with Radko Gudas and Marc Staal departing and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niko Mikkola and Dmitry Kulikov arriving." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

10. Boston Bruins

Total points: 80

"It's hard to know where exactly to slot the Bruins this season. On one hand, they set NHL all-time records last season for wins (65) and points (135). On the other, they lost their top two centers to retirement in future Hall of Famer Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, subtracting a combined 35 years of experience, stellar 200-foot play and leadership. They'll need help at center during the season if they're going to seriously contend once the playoffs start. But I still believe this is a playoff team, even with the significant losses, with a more-than-solid defensive core and a goalie tandem that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL last season in Jeremy Swayman and reigning Vezina Trophy-winner Linus Ullmark." -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

11. New York Rangers

Total points: 79

"The Rangers have plenty of questions heading into training camp. How will they look under new coach Peter Laviolette, who takes over for Gerard Gallant, let go after two seasons and a first-round playoff exit last season? Will they take to Laviolette's up-tempo, aggressive, in-your-face system and style? Will forwards Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere emerge as go-to scoring threats? Where will forward Blake Wheeler fit in, with the assumption he will play a top-six role? Answers will come in due time. But there should be no questioning their high-end scoring ability, strength on defense and superior goaltending with Igor Shesterkin. They have the tools to be a top three team in the Metropolitan Division and a Stanley Cup threat. The window is open and the Rangers need to deliver." -- Rosen

12. Seattle Kraken

Total points: 65

"The big question for the Kraken heading into training camp is what to expect in year three. Will they build off last season's success, when they had 46 wins, 100 points, clinched a playoff berth, and were one win from the Western Conference Final? Or will they regress and miss the playoffs with many teams in the West improving this offseason? They proved in the postseason you don't need a superstar player if everyone chips in, with 18 of the 20 skaters who dressed for at least one playoff game scoring at least one goal. They added defenseman Brian Dumoulin, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, and forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare for experience and also have a deep prospect pool, including center Shane Wright, forward Tye Kartye and defenseman Ryker Evans. Seattle proved it has what it takes to make the playoffs and I believe it can do so again this season." -- David Satriano, staff writer

13. Los Angeles Kings

Total points: 61

"Coming off a 104-point regular season, the second-best in their history (105 points in 1974-75), the Kings are aiming higher, as evidenced by their all-in trade with the Winnipeg Jets for Pierre-Luc Dubois on June 27 and signing the power forward to an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value). This expensive commitment to an impact player forced general manager Rob Blake to go bargain hunting for the rest of his shopping list. With insufficient cap space to attract a proven No. 1 goalie, Los Angeles opted for affordable one-year deals with veterans Cam Talbot and David Rittich to complement Pheonix Copley and likely compete for a timeshare in net. With three of their competitors in the Pacific Division stuck in lengthy rebuilds, the Kings rightfully want to make the best of the fortunate timing." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

14. Pittsburgh Penguins

Total points: 49

"There is renewed hope in Pittsburgh that the still current era of centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang could feature a fourth Stanley Cup run despite a hiccup last season, when the Penguins missed the playoffs by one point, ending a streak of postseason appearances that began in 2007. They made arguably the biggest splash of the offseason by acquiring two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks in a three-team trade Aug. 6. Karlsson won the Norris last season, voted as best at the position in the NHL, when he had a League career-high 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists), becoming the first defenseman since Brian Leetch in 1991-92 with at least 100. Pittsburgh's new general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas, who took on the roles formerly held by Ron Hextall (GM) and Brian Burke (president), has remade a good portion of the roster. In addition to acquiring Karlsson, the Penguins also acquired forward Reilly Smith in a trade with the Golden Knights on June 28 and signed defenseman Ryan Graves as a free agent July 1. Gone are defensemen Dumoulin, Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta, forwards Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker, and goalie Casey DeSmith. Optimism is back in Pittsburgh, but will it last?" -- Rosen

15. Minnesota Wild

Total points: 31

"The Wild have been unable to parlay regular-season success into lengthy playoff runs, eliminated in the first round twice after back-to-back 100-plus point seasons. They are led up front by forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy, and center Joel Eriksson Ek, each of whom provided production last season. Supplemental scoring might again be an issue. Minnesota ranked 23rd in the NHL in goals-for last season (239) and will need to rely on strong defensive play to stay competitive in the Central Division. Jared Spurgeon is expected to lead on the blue line at each end of the ice, and Jonas Brodin, Jake Middleton and Alex Goligoski each must make up for the departure of Matt Dumba to the Arizona Coyotes. Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury will split the responsibilities in goal again; each was solid last season and will need to be even better this time for the Wild to get back into the playoffs." -- Van Diest

16. Buffalo Sabres

Total points: 30

"Defenseman Owen Power was 8 years old the last time the Sabres made the playoffs. Forward JJ Peterka and goalie Devon Levi each was 9. Centers Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs each was 10. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was 11. Do you get the picture? It's been a while, 2011 to be exact, since Buffalo qualified for the postseason, but the aforementioned players were brought in to help end what seemingly has been an endless streak of empty springs in Western New York. The Sabres believe they can do just that and the time is now, after missing the playoffs by one point last season. They're a year older and a year wiser now, and they added veteran defensemen Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton. Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022 and Clifton played in the Cup Final with the Bruins in 2019. The Sabres have higher expectations now so there is some pressure to deliver, but Buffalo is buzzing about this team and rightfully so." -- Rosen

Others receiving points: Calgary Flames 5, Winnipeg Jets 5, New York Islanders 5, Ottawa Senators 4, Detroit Red Wings 3, Vancouver Canucks 1, Nashville Predators 1

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Los Angeles Kings; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16. Florida Panthers

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. New Jersey Devils; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Buffalo Sabres; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Florida Panthers

TOM GULITTI

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Seattle Kraken; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Tampa Bay Lightning; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Dallas Stars; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Seattle Kraken

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. New York Rangers; 13. Seattle Kraken; 14. Buffalo Sabres; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Calgary Flames

TRACEY MYERS

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Seattle Kraken; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. New York Rangers; 14. Detroit Red Wings; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. New York Islanders

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. Nashville Predators

DAN ROSEN

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. Seattle Kraken; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Vancouver Canucks

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Seattle Kraken; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. New York Rangers; 13. Buffalo Sabres; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Minnesota Wild

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Seattle Kraken; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Ottawa Senators

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Dallas Stars; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Tampa Bay Lightning; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Los Angeles Kings

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16. Ottawa Senators