Here’s Where Bruins Land On NHL.com’s Season-Opening Power Rankings

NHL.com counts the Boston Bruins among the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Final contenders.

Staff members at the league website voted the Bruins No. 4 on Wednesday in the season-opening edition of their weekly “Super 16” power rankings. The Bruins’ current rank on NHL.com’s poll is one spot lower than their summer position, which they landed just after losing to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are NHL.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the championship, some distance ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Blues and Bruins.

NHL.com also identifies Patrice Bergeron’s recovery from a groin injury as the team’s biggest “hit” this week, while it cites David Krejci’s expected absence due to a lower-body injury as the biggest “miss.”

Boston will begin its 2019-20 campaign Thursday against the Dallas Stars.