The past season saw Anaheim raise the Stanley Cup in dominant fashion. Will they repeat this year? Read on to find out.

1. Anaheim Ducks ‘ They lost Teemu Selanne and got a solid veteran in Todd Bertuzzi to replace him. Their defense is the best in the NHL and J.S. Giguere is as solid a goalie as you can find. With no serious injuries, they will repeat as Stanley Cup champs.

2. Detroit Red Wings ‘ A few moderate departures, but nothing big enough to hurt the Western Conference powerhouse; and with the addition of Brian Rafalski at the blue line they will give Anaheim a run for their money in the West. If they want to beat Anaheim, then Dominik Hasek will have to stay healthy in net.

3. Minnesota Wild ‘ Longtime goaltender Manny Fernandez is gone, but have no fear, Niklas Backstrom is here; the first year goalie led the NHL with a 1.79 goals against average and a .929 save percentage, however, he did not play a substantial number of games. But with right-winger Marian Gaborik healthy the Wild were unstoppable last season, posting a 33-9-6 record with him in the lineup.

4. Calgary Flames ‘ A lot of minor departures in the off-season with one big addition: a new coach in Mike Keenan. As long as all-star Jarome Iginla stays healthy, the Flames will be sure to make some noise this year.

5. San Jose Sharks ‘ A lot of critics have them picked to win the Cup, but not me. Goaltender Evgeni Nabakov does not have the alternating goalie system to rely on this season after co-starter Vesa Toskala was dealt to Toronto. However, their offense will give them enough push to be a strong five-seed.

6. Vancouver Canucks ‘ The combination of the Sedin twins will need some help this year on offense; they can’t carry the load again. Goalie Roberto Luongo had his best season yet and as an MVP candidate he will have to carry this team into the playoffs.

7. Colorado Avalanche ‘ This is where it gets tough. I feel Colorado has the veteran leadership and talent to outplay a lot of teams this year in the West. Ryan Smyth was a great off-season addition. But goalie Peter Budaj has to be better in net, even with a backup like Jose Theodore.

8. Nashville Predators ‘ Too many off-season departures to be as good as they were last season. Chris Mason will have his work cut out for him as the new starting goalie.

9. Dallas Stars ‘ I don’t want to put them this high, but this team knows how to win. With a solid defense, great veteran leadership and a star (no pun intended) goalie like Marty Turco, the Stars might be able to squeeze into the playoffs.

10. Los Angeles Kings ‘ The team with the most potential in the entire league, especially with young guys like Anze Kopitar and Alexander Frolov; and with off-season pickups like Michael Handzus and Ladislav Nagy, the Kings will improve from last season. But they still need a goalie that can win.

11. St. Louis Blues ‘ Some great acquisitions of veteran players will at least give them a respectable record by season’s end.

12. Edmonton Oilers ‘ After trying to steal Thomas Vanek from the Sabres, the Oilers finally landed their mark in All-Star defenseman Sheldon Souray. But it’ll take more than him to lead this team to the playoffs.

13. Chicago Blackhawks ‘ A lot of departures with no real talent coming in. I don’t see any improvement from last season.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets ‘ There is some talent here, and hey, they could be ranked last.

15. Phoenix Coyotes ‘ If they don’t finish last, I’ll be impressed.