Coach: Ken Hitchcock (second season).

Record: 49-22-11, 109 points, second in West.

Playoffs: Lost to Los Angeles in second round.

Notable: The Blues are Bruins West. Sound in goal with Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott. Alex Pietrangelo could push for the Norris Trophy shortly. Four-line depth up front, led by David Backes, St. Louis’s version of Patrice Bergeron. Even an ex-Bruin in Vladimir Sobotka.

2. Los Angeles Kings

Coach: Darryl Sutter (second season).

Record: 40-27-15, 95 points, eighth in West.

Playoffs: Won Stanley Cup.

Notable: The Cup hangover shouldn’t be an issue because of the lockout. The majority of the roster is returning. Might take some time for Jonathan Quick to find his puck-stopping rhythm because of offseason back surgery. Anze Kopitar will not be ready to start because of a knee injury.

3. Vancouver Canucks

Coach: Alain Vigneault (seventh season).

Record: 51-22-9, 111 points, first in West.

Playoffs: Lost to Los Angeles in first round.

Notable: Marblehead’s Cory Schneider replaces Roberto Luongo as the top dog in goal. Schneider has the talent to be a No. 1. Canucks will need Schneider to be sharp early. Vancouver will be without second-liners Ryan Kesler and David Booth to start. Lots of pressure on Henrik and Daniel Sedin to carry the offensive load.

4. Phoenix Coyotes

Coach: Dave Tippett (fourth season).

Record: 42-27-13, 97 points, third in West.

Playoffs: Lost to Los Angeles in conference finals.

Notable: Mike Smith submitted a career season (38-18-10, 2.21 goals-against average, .930 save percentage) last season. Smith is aided by Tippett’s defense-first system. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle will see lots of ice time on the blue line. Shane Doan is one of the league’s best leaders.

5. Minnesota Wild

Coach: Mike Yeo (second season).

Record: 35-36-11, 81 points, 12th in West.

Playoffs: Did not qualify.

Notable: Hard not to improve when you bring in the heavy artillery. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, signed to identical 13-year, $98 million contracts, give the Wild instant top-tier talent. Mikko Koivu is a solid two-way center. There isn’t much defensive depth, so Niklas Backstrom better be sharp in goal.

6. Edmonton Oilers

Coach: Ralph Krueger (first season).

Record: 32-40-10, 74 points, 14th in West.

Playoffs: Did not qualify.

Notable: The Oilers may finally see their reward for previous rotten seasons. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had been skating regular shifts in Oklahoma City. Justin Schultz, a free agent out of the University of Wisconsin, may have been the AHL’s best defenseman. As always, goaltending will be the difference. Devan Dubnyk has potential, but has yet to establish himself as a consistent goalie.

7. Detroit Red Wings

Coach: Mike Babcock (eighth season).

Record: 48-28-6, 102 points, fifth in West.

Playoffs: Lost to Nashville in first round.

Notable: Impossible to replace Nicklas Lidstrom, one of best defensemen ever. The Wings also lost ex-Bruin Brad Stuart. Niklas Kronwall will have to assume more ice time as a top-pairing D-man. Loads of skill and experience up front in Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Dan Cleary, and Johan Franzen.

8. Chicago Blackhawks

Coach: Joel Quenneville (fifth season).

Record: 45-26-11, 101 points, sixth in West.

Playoffs: Lost to Phoenix in first round.

Notable: The Blackhawks have varsity skill up front in Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Patrick Kane. Same on the back end with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Not so in goal. Corey Crawford has never been a go-to goalie. Who’s to say things will change this season?

9. Nashville Predators

Coach: Barry Trotz (14th season).

Record: 48-26-8, 104 points, fourth in West.

Playoffs: Lost to Phoenix in second round.

Notable: The Predators lost Ryan Suter to free agency, and nearly said goodbye to Shea Weber via a Philadelphia offer sheet, which they had no choice but to match. With Suter gone, Weber and Pekka Rinne will have to be even sharper. As usual, Nashville has no game-changing forwards.

10. Anaheim Ducks

Coach: Bruce Boudreau (second season).

Record: 34-36-12, 80 points, 13th in West.

Playoffs: Did not qualify.