Top 10 NHL teams to watch this season

Hockey fans, the 2022-2023 NHL season is finally here! It was a long, hot summer, but we all powered through and can now enjoy our favorite sport once again! However, with 32 NHL teams playing 82 games EACH this season, it will be nearly impossible to watch every single game. So apart from watching your favorite team, which teams should you follow this year? Click on to discover which NHL hockey teams, according to a ranking by USA Today Sports, are worthy of your time!

If you haven't been following Colorado Avalanche (they won the Stanley Cup last season, so you probably aren't a hockey fan if you haven't!), now is the time to start!

With players like Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche is among the strongest NHL teams this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning has had a slow start this NHL season; however, the team has returned with all its best players, with the exception of Ondrej Palat and Ryan McDonagh. 

After their runner-up finish in the quest for the Stanley Cup last season, the Lightning is more motivated to succeed this season than ever before, which will undoubtedly make for some good viewing this NHL season. 

Love them or hate them, the NHL just wouldn't be the same without The Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs have an incredibly talented team, from Auston Matthews to Mitch Marner; this Canadian team makes their opponents tremble. 

In addition to the pure talent you will witness while watching the Leafs, and you can also enjoy the teams' crazy fans, known for being among the most obnoxious in the NHL.

The Edmonton Oilers currently have one of the best hockey players in the world playing for them: Connor McDavid. Without a doubt, the Oilers should be on any serious hockey fans must watch list.

Add in Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane, and the Oilers are a veritable powerhouse of a team this season. The Oilers have also recently rid themselves of Mike Smith and scored Jack Campbell as the teams' starter for the following five seasons, making for a very promising future.

The New York Rangers surprised everyone with their success last season, largely thanks to Igor Shesterkin. The Rangers have an incredibly talented team this season, so mark their games on your calendar.

From Chris Kreider, and Artemi Panarin, to Mika Zibanejad, the other teams should be shivering in their boots (or skates, instead!). Add in emerging stars like Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, and the Rangers promise to provide some high-quality hockey matches for fans to enjoy this season.

The Calgary Flames kept viewers entertained last season and promise to do so again! Since Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri joined the Flames, the already outstanding team has improved dramatically. 

The Calgary Flames will be on fire this season, and some claim they may be the second-best team in the West, all the more reason to follow their games!

The Carolina Hurricanes have been among the leading NHL teams for years. Carolina games are always fun to watch, from Andrei Svechnikov's awesome offensive skills to the team's defensive mastery. 

Add in the incredible fan celebrations in the Storm Surge, and there are many reasons to follow the Carolina Hurricanes!

Fans were worried when the Florida Panthers traded away their two best players, including Matthew Tkachuk, during the off-season. The jury is still out on whether or not this decision will benefit the team or not.

The Panthers are known for being an impressive offensive team and scoring goals in droves which makes for some exciting hockey. With goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky still on the ice until Spencer Knight takes on the role full-time, the season will undoubtedly be filled with ups and downs for the Panthers.

You should probably tune in to watch the Columbus Blue Jackets this season, even if it is only to see how Gaudreau works out on the team! Watching Patrik Lain and Johnny Gaudreau working together will undoubtedly be a sight to see.

Who knows if the Blue Jackets will even make the playoffs this year, but it doesn't matter. The addition of Gaudreau will have hockey fans tuning in to watch the Jackets.

Pierre Dorion's "rebuild" of the Ottawa Senators just might have worked because the Sens line-up is looking strong this season. Dorion brought in Giroux and DeBrincat along with younger talents such as Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle, and Brady Tkachuk, making for an impressive team. 

Who knows how this will pan out this season for the Ottawa Senators, but the potential with this team sure is exciting!