Please keep in mind that all these media outlets publish their rankings on different days of the week (and Hockey Prospectus is only once a month). Also keep in mind that this ultimately means next to nothing next to actual playoff seeding and Stanley Cup victories.
Website | Last Week | This Week | Comment |
CBC | X | X | Nothing published yet. |
CBS | X | 3 | The big question: was last postseason's showing an aberration or is the defense really that abhorrent? We lean toward the former. … Don't underestimate the addition of Tomas Vokoun as a backup to Marc-Andre Fleury. |
ESPN | 3 | 4 | The loss of Jordan Staal shouldn't be totally overlooked, but in the end, if the Pens can go a long enough stretch with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury all doing their thing at the same time, they're Cup-worthy. I mention Fleury because it will be interesting to see how he rebounds after his Red Light Racicot performance in the opening round against Philly. |
FOX | X | X | Nothing coherent published yet. |
The Hockey News | X | X | Nothing published yet. |
NHL | X | X | Nothing published yet. |
Sports Illustrated | X | 1 | Sidney Crosby was always respected as a player, but now he's probably a lot better-liked among his peers. He was seen as a solid soldier for the NHLPA, earning lots of public and private praise from grateful members. Will that mean he'll get a free pass in games? Nope — no friends in hockey except those wearing the same logo on the front. But I'll predict that Crosby will, in fact, receive a higher level of "respect" on the ice, which is why I think he'll lead the league in scoring. No, he didn't play for anyone during the lockout and there could be some rust on him, but he'll also be rested and raring to go. Losing Jordan Staal will hurt, but Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still the class of the league among forwards. |
TSN | X | 1 | A healthy Sidney Crosby paired with reigning MVP Evgeni Malkin makes the Penguins the team to beat, but they will need their complementary players to perform well and, after Marc-Andre Fleury's playoff flop, Tomas Vokoun could be a valuable insurance policy in net. |
Hockey Prospectus | X | X | Nothing published yet. |
Aggregate rating last week: 3 (from one source). This week: 2.25. ESPN's ranking published October 8.