Top ten best teams for the 2021 NHL season (part 2)

Boston Bruins

It seems that Boston Bruins was the team hurt most by the COVID-19 pandemic and the NHL season postponement. Coming off of a Presidents Trophy winning season, the Boston remains one of the NHL’s biggest threats. However, the team is suffering a big hit in their defense since Torey Krug left for St. Louis. Kevin Miller, Jeremy Lauzon, and Connor Clifton may be assigned full-time roles, which hurts their defensive depth. However, they still have the league’s best top line and goaltending tandem, and their offensive strength was improved with the addition of Craig Smith. In spite of the question marks on defense, the Bruins is still deserving of a top-five spot in the power rankings.

Vegas Golden Knights

After signing Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas has earned higher ranking in the league, but not in the top list. The organization has announced that Marc-Andre Fleury wouldn’t be traded in spite of Robin Lehner signing a contract extension. This likely means two good alternatives for Paul Stastny being out. This takes a major hit at the Vegas’ offense. There have been some internal problems in the team, too. Although they still will be a stacked team, they can’t remain the top team in the West.

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders is going to be a very good team again heading into the 2021 season after embarking on a historic playoff run. Although losing Devon Toews terribly hurts the team, he is likely to be replaced with youngster Noah Dobson. The team’s offense still needs a jolt, which may be given by Oliver Wahlstrom or Kieffer Bellows. However, Brock Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau all seem to be significantly improving while goaltender Ilya Sorokin will also have his rookie season next year, which alone can help the whole team. If Wahlstrom, Dobson, and Sorokin get playing time and do well, the Islanders will be right back in the mix for the Cup.