PWHL Power Rankings: Who is the preseason number one?

Boston takes top spot in The Hockey News' preseason PWHL power rankings, but how long will they stay there, and who will get out to a fast start?

The puck is set to drop on the inaugural PWHL season. Right now, Boston looks like the safest bet to start strong, but in a league where everything is new and anything can happen, teams will likely rise and fall throughout the year in what will certainly be a tight playoff race. 

Here a look at The Hockey News' preseason power rankings.

1. Boston - It's hard to look at Boston's roster and not see depth and strength. Up front Alina Muller, Hilary Knight, Loren Gabel, Jamie Lee Rattray and co will threaten offensively. It's the mix of youth and experience that should have fans excited. Gigi Marvin will only get better as she gets more reps, and Sophie Shirley and Thereza Schafzahl look like sleeper candidates for a strong season. Shiann Darkangelo brings a wealth of two-way experience, and Taylor Girard is one of women's hockey's most underrated power forwards. Couple that with one of the PWHL's more well rounded bluelines, and the rock solid goaltending tandem of Aerin Frankel and Emma Soderberg, and it will be up to Boston to underperform, or another team to over perform on expectations to move them out of top spot.

2. New York - New York is a fast, and already cohesive group. They were the surprise of the Utica Preseason Camp, and for that, they land second spot in The Hockey News' preseason power rankings. Up front, it's not only Abby Roque, Jessie Eldridge, and Alex Carpenter, it's Elizabeth Giguere, Jade Downie-Landry, Emma Woods, Jill Saulnier, and others. Tempo and pace were the words used by players and staff in the organization. Their top four blueliners will be spectacular once Micah Zandee-Hart returns, and Corinne Schroeder and Abbey Levy enter with something to prove, and the talent to do it.

3. Ottawa - If there's a team who could outperform expectations this year, it's Ottawa. They could also struggle. To open the year, we're going to give them the benefit of the doubt as they had several promising characteristics in Utica. First, their top four on the blueline of Aneta Tejralova, Jincy Roese, Savannah Harmon, and Ashton Bell are one of the most mobile groups out there. Up front, Ottawa has a lot of players with something to prove, and in a new league, with new opportunities, the road is clear for them to do it. They also have a mix of skilled players in Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, and Hayley Scamurra who can help lead through the early stages.

4. Minnesota - Minnesota will likely have highs and lows, but in Utica they proved that no one should count them out. Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Susanna Tapani, Kelly Pannek, and Denisa Krizova are a formidable group who showed they can turn the tables and comeback from anything. Lee Stecklein will need to carry a lot on the blueline, but she'll have support behind her in Nicole Hensley, who made some superhero saves in the most recent Rivalry Series. Consistency will be key for Minnesota. One thing to watch is how the drama of a last second coaching change from Charlie Burggraf to Ken Klee will impact the team early.

5. Toronto - The loss to Victoria Bach up front hurt Toronto's scoring depth and speed. They still have the artillery to compete with anyone in Sarah Nurse, Natalie Spooner, Jesse Compher, Brittany Howard, Blayre Turnbull, and Emma Maltais. It's a strong top six that may also include Hannah Miller. On the blueline, Renata Fast might be the best in the league at her position, and Toronto was able to bolster their blueline with the pickup of Maude Poulin-Labelle off waivers. The real question mark remains in their crease where Kristen Campbell will be counted on as the number one for the next three years, regardless of performance. 

6. Montreal - No team looked like they had more fine tuning to do in the preseason than Montreal. Marie-Philip Poulin was quiet, which will only last so long, but they also didn't get much supporting offense. The return of Erin Ambrose will dictate a lot of their success, as Montreal released Poulin-Labelle, betting on rookie Mariah Keopple, and PHFers Catherine Daoust and Brigitte Laganiere to round out their blueline. Luckily for Montreal, Ann-Renee Desbiens can hold the fort until something clicks, but there wasn't a lot of evident chemistry in Utica. Expect line juggling early until Montreal hits their stride. If Poulin, Laura Stacey, and others can come alive early, Montreal could be the fastest climber on this list.