NHL Power Rankings: Early Favorites, Early Lie Detector Test

The first crack at the 2026-27 NHL pecking order always comes with more confidence than evidence, and that is part of the fun. ESPN’s way-too-early rankings are basically a front-office Rorschach test - who looks sustainable, who smells like regression, and who is getting too much credit for a hot finish. It is the kind of list that makes contenders defensive and rebuilds look a little less hopeless, which is exactly why people read it in June.