They lost in the Western Conference Final to the Los Angeles Kings last season, but the Chicago Blackhawks open the season on top of the TSN.ca NHL Power Rankings, ahead of three others from the Western Conference, including the defending-champion Kings, St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks.

There's not a lot to choose between the Blackhawks and Kings, the two premier franchises in the league over the past five seasons, but the Blackhawks' addition of Brad Richards is enough of an upgrade in their second-line centre spot to give Chicago the slight edge.

The top-ranked team from the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins, come in at five, one ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins. While those are familiar contenders, the East does appear wide open for challengers to bring down those perennial top teams.

The Dallas Stars are a team on the rise, opening this season at seven, after adding Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky in the offseason.

Going the other way, the Colorado Avalanche sit at 13, despite finishing third in the league standings last year, as their statistical profile -- which includes poor possession numbers and inflated percentages -- suggests they are prime regression candidates.

Among Canadian clubs, the Montreal Canadiens, at nine, are ranked highest. There's a large group just outside the forecasted playoff picture. The Vancouver Canucks at 17, Winnipeg Jets at 19, Calgary Flames at 20, Ottawa Senators at 21 and Toronto Maple Leafs at 23 are all within striking distance with good breaks or favourable percentages.

The Edmonton Oilers, at 27, are again the lowest-ranked Canadian team, ahead of Florida, Carolina and Buffalo at the bottom of the chart.