The Chicago Blackhawks are the NHL's defending champions. The San Jose Sharks and the Vancouver Canucks remain top contenders in the West, and the Los Angeles Kings are on the rise.
But do not forget about the team that has been a powerhouse in the West since the mid-1990s: the Detroit Red Wings. Since winning back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998, Detroit have been a constant in the championship chase, including two more titles in 2002 and 2008.
The Wings were swept out of Round 2 by the Sharks last spring. While that could be interpreted as the start of a decline, it is more likely they will skate into this season refreshed and ready to once again challenge for the title. The Wings reload year after year, and can afford that luxury thanks to stellar drafting and a core of all-stars.
With Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom up front and Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and Niklas Kronwall on defence, Detroit are always in the running.
The storyline in Hockeytown this season might be the swansongs of future Hall of Famers Lidstrom and Mike Modano. Lidstrom has been the definitive defenceman of his generation, and Modano, the all-time leading US-born scorer, will both turn 41 during the play-offs. They are on their last legs, but don't count out the game's grand old men - or their Detroit teammates.