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It's time for regular-season hockey.

And that means it's also time for the full-fledged return of NHL Power Rankings -- the weekly pecking order of contenders (and pretenders) on the ice, a regular symbol of bragging rights for the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins and a 31-team rundown that's sure to have at least one fan base in dismay every Monday.

Speaking of the Penguins, they sit atop the kickoff edition of the 2017-18 rankings, and that's by default. Sorry, but even if you and I can agree that Pittsburgh has a ways to go before earning the three-peat title, there's nothing we can do but give Sidney Crosby and Co. the props they deserve. Even if they'll get plenty of those at the White House. (*Winces*)

Until further notice, the Pens are the favorites out of the Eastern Conference, where some of the 2016-17 heroes (looking at you, Ottawa Senators) are bound for regression but others, like the back-to-full-health Tampa Bay Lightning, should legitimately give Pittsburgh a run for its money. The Western Conference, meanwhile, is home to Sidney Crosby 2.0 -- er, Connor McDavid -- and a hot playoff pick in the Edmonton Oilers, but there isn't a whole lot of clarity other than that, what with postseason regulars like the Chicago Blackhawks potentially in for a stumble.

Feast your eyes and debate away. Just remember these things are subject to change. And they will. The first edition of our 2017-18 NHL Power Rankings:

Biggest Movers
13 Lightning
8 Sharks
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Teams
  
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1 Penguins There's no reason they should not be here. Lots of familiar faces left over the summer, but when you win back-to-back titles and you're stocked from top to bottom not only with elite playoff experience and premier goal scorers but up-and-coming stars up front and in the net, the odds are in your favor. -- 14-8-9
2 Oilers If the Penguins didn't exist, they'd probably be the favorites to win it all, mostly because their two big-money youngsters, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, headline one of the league's fastest offenses. Don't forget about Cam Talbot, either. 1 15-12-6
3 Ducks They're a little banged up, but their defense is top notch. Their biggest obstacle: The Oilers. 1 20-12-1
4 Predators How in the world can they top the way they peaked in 2016-17? Either way, their rock-solid core gives them a great shot at returning to the playoffs in better standing. Keep an eye on Pekka Rinne over the long haul. 2 13-15-4
5 Lightning This is awfully high for a team that didn't even make the playoffs a year ago. But when a top-10 offense gets Steven Stamkos back, it's hard not to be excited. 13 18-12-3
6 Blue Jackets Artemi Panarin is a stud addition. How soon will he accept that he probably won't get as much help as he did in Chicago? 4 13-13-6
7 Wild Who knows if Bruce Boudreau will finally get over the hump in the playoffs, but the firepower here is too great to count out. At a time when Chicago looks to be headed downhill, the Wild should surge back to the postseason. 6 19-9-5
8 Blackhawks Tough call here. The Blackhawks are talking up their nostalgic embrace of Brandon Saad, but in the long run, this year is setting up to be the one in which Chicago finally takes a real tumble -- as if the 2016-17 playoffs wasn't one already. 3 13-13-6
9 Flames Their defense is for real, especially with Travis Hamonic now aboard. They're not coming out of an easy division, though. 8 13-16-4
10 Maple Leafs Yes, they still need defense, but if you don't salivate just a little thinking about Auston Matthews and Patrick Marleau playing together, you must be a Habs fan. 1 14-12-5
11 Canadiens Speaking of the Habs, this is kind of a boom-or-bust season. Swapping Alex Radulov and Andrei Markov for Jonathan Drouin and Karl Alzner isn't a bad deal for Montreal, even if the latter got overpaid. Their run probably depends on Carey Price staying healthy. 3 17-11-4
12 Capitals If you're a Caps fan, how do you feel about this? An offseason ravaged by unsurprising cap issues has ransacked the team's depth, and yet this is also a club coming off two straight Presidents' Trophy campaigns. Either way, the arrow is pointing down. 5 18-10-4
13 Senators Here's the thing with Ottawa: They deserve all the props in the world for their 2016-17 run. Who cares about "boring?" They have grit. And yet their conference finals push seems like too much to replicate for a team that lost Marc Methot and will again be banking on a big year from an aging Craig Anderson. 3 15-13-4
14 Stars If Jim Nill's revamped roster doesn't crack the playoffs, Dallas is in big trouble. No one got busier than the Stars this offseason. An x-factor: Ben Bishop in the net. 6 22-7-5
15 Rangers Some say they'll only go as far as Henrik Lundqvist takes them. And that's probably not the most comforting notion considering the age of "The King." Still, the defense in front of Lundqvist is better. 4 16-14-4
16 Blues If the early-season injuries don't completely damage their spirits, the Blues could be sneaky playoff contenders. Jake Allen showed a lot last postseason. 2 12-15-7
17 Hurricanes Maybe a near-top-15 finish is pushing it this early, but aren't all these rankings premature? Carolina finally looks like it might have the veteran pieces to secure a wild-card spot. Scott Darling's got a big spotlight. 5 21-9-2
18 Jets The core is there for an ultra-competitive surge in a few years' time. For now, with Steve Mason in the net, they figure to be a little better than most think but still on the fringe of a tough Central. 5 15-15-2
19 Bruins The blue line is there, the goalie is there and the Bruins avoided a big boo-boo by retaining David Pastrnak. But they face a tall task in the Atlantic if Tampa Bay, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa play up to their potential. 3 19-14-0
20 Sharks Good for them to keep Joe Thornton, but he alone isn't going to save the Sharks from relying too much on their defensemen. 8 16-14-3
21 Flyers The Nolan Patrick pick alone gave them a solid summer. But you can't trade away Brayden Schenn and bank on Brian Elliott at goalie if you're serious about making a run. Check back at the deadline. 6 16-9-6
22 Islanders The biggest question for the Islanders doesn't even seem to pertain to playoff potential. It's all about John Tavares' (murky?) future. 3 19-11-3
23 Kings Still waiting to hear how the Kings got any better since overhauling their staff. 2 14-9-9
24 Coyotes For a team ranked in the bottom half here, they're sure interesting. Unlike most franchises in a rebuilding phase, they went out and added immediate veteran help, including Derek Stepan. Look for an improvement from a year ago. 3
25 Sabres From Jack Eichel and Evander Kane to first-rounder Casey Mittelstadt, there are some young pieces here. The question is when they'll get enough help to take the next step. 3 14-14-4
26 Panthers Bob Boughner should bring a fresh voice to town, but this team still has to find an identity. Letting Jonathan Marchessault walk so easily was puzzling. 1 17-13-2
27 Devils The only real focus for Devils fans should be on the future. And after the offseason, the future looks a whole lot brighter. 1 18-14-1
28 Canucks Under Travis Green, the Canucks actually sought some veteran help right off the bat, but they've still got a ways to go across the board. 3 12-17-3
29 Red Wings It's a sad story here, where Detroit embraces its new arena as it also copes with the unceremonious halt to its longtime playoff streak. Bad salaries are holding the Red Wings back. They need trade chips to start creating themselves in house. 5 18-12-3
30 Golden Knights Marc-Andre Fleury will probably take a boatload of shots this year, but he's also got some proven scorers on his side. Vegas should be a little better than you think. 1 16-6-9
31 Avalanche Looks like Matt Duchene is sticking around for now. It also looks like the Avs aren't any better in any significant way from their awful 2016-17. 1 23-2-7