from Scott Cullen of TSN,

1. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
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After putting up 120 points last season, the Capitals still ended up bounced from the second round of the playoffs. It’s not going to be easy to duplicate that kind of regular season, but the roster remains really strong, adding forwards Lars Eller, Brett Connolly and rookie Zach Sanford to improve their depth. With Dmitry Orlov expected to take on a bigger role on the blueline, Washington starts this season as strong as any team in the league.
Key Injuries: None.

2. SAN JOSE SHARKS
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Reaching their first Stanley Cup Final should have the Sharks hungry for more and there is a lot of continuity from last year’s finalists. They added winger Mikkel Boedker and defenceman David Schlemko, but it’s the high-end talent at the core of this team – Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic – that puts the Sharks in position to make another run.
Key Injuries: None.

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