Article:Early 2008-09 NHL Power Rankings

It's summertime, which means baseball is in full swing, pro and college football seasons are right around the corner, and the NBA's free agency drama is heating up. But there's another sport out there that you may have heard of... No, not jai alai, I'm talking about hockey -- you know, the NHL, North America's 4th-most beloved sport?

Anyway, as you may or may not have noticed, the NHL's free agent frenzy has basically come and gone, so now seems like as good a time as any to take stock of the offseason's biggest changes and how they affect your favorite teams. Without further ado, here are the early power rankings for the 2008-09 NHL season: