The Rangers are expecting big things this season from free-agent signing Scott Gomez. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The National Hockey League dropped the puck on the 2007-08 season over the weekend for the first time ever in London, England, where the Los Angeles Kings and defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks split a two-game series.

Action gets underway in North America Oct. 3 with four games, including the Montreal Canadiens at Carolina and Toronto hosting the Ottawa Senators.

While all 30 teams have dreams of winning the Cup, only a handful have a legitimate chance of hoisting Lord Stanley's mug.

The Ducks will attempt to become the first team since Detroit in 1998 to repeat as champions, while the Carolina Hurricanes — who won in 2006 — try to get back to the post-season dance with virtually the same lineup from a year ago.

It's been 14 years since the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. Since then, no Canadian club has managed to win the coveted trophy, though they've come close.

Three months ago, the Ottawa Senators reached the Cup finals for the first time in the team's modern history, but fell in five games to the bigger, grittier Ducks. Senators rookie general manager Bryan Murray addressed the need for size up front by trading Peter Schaefer to Boston for six-foot-two, 210-pound Shean Donovan over the summer.

Canada's five other squads — Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver — also made moves in the off-season in hopes of gaining an edge on the competition.

Here's a breakdown of the teams to watch on the road to the Stanley Cup finals:

THE FAVOURITES

New York Rangers
2006-07 record: 42-30-10 (94 points, sixth in Eastern Conference)
Playoffs: Conference semifinals (lost to Buffalo in six games)
New faces: Chris Drury (C); Scott Gomez (C); Brandon Dubinsky (C); Andrew Hutchinson (D); Thomas Pock (D)
Departures: Matt Cullen (C); Brad Isbister (LW); Michael Nylander (C); Jed Ortmeyer (RW); Karel Rachunek (D); Sandis Ozolinsh; Kevin Weekes (G)
Outlook: General manager Glen Sather signed skilled forwards Gomez and Drury over the summer to join the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan. It could be enough to offset a defence devoid of a star. Michal Rozsival, Marek Malik and Fedor Tyutin won't strike fear into opponents. However, top prospect Marc Staal could catch on to bolster the unit. Centre Matt Cullen (41 points in 80 games) was dealt back to Carolina to free up some room under the salary cap if Sather wants to add a defenceman before the trade deadline. Goaltender Henrik Lundquist will be leaned on to duplicate or better his 37 wins of last season. He led all netminders with a 1.80 goals-against average after the all-star break.

Ottawa Senators

Ottawa's Mike Fisher will try to improve on his 22 goals from a season ago. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

2006-07 record: 48-25-9 (105 points, fourth in Eastern Conference)
Playoffs: Stanley Cup finalist (lost to Anaheim in five games)
New faces: Shean Donovan (LW); Nikos Dimitrakos (RW); Nick Foligno (LW); Brian Elliott (G)
Departures: Mike Comrie (C); Peter Schaefer (LW); Oleg Saprykin (LW); Tom Preissing (D)
Outlook: The Senators return almost the same team that reached the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in the team's modern history. The biggest change is behind the bench, where assistant coach John Paddock takes over from Bryan Murray, who replaced fired general manager John Muckler. Shean Donovan was acquired in the off-season to add grit up front, a glaring weakness in the Cup final against Anaheim. The defence, led by Wade Redden and Chris Phillips, remains one of the best in the league. But who will score consistently behind front-liners Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza? Centre Mike Fisher (22 goals) signed a five-year extension and needs to step up, as does Antoine Vermette and Patrick Eaves. Ray Emery, who continues to recover from wrist surgery, must also prove he's not a one-year wonder in net.

Anaheim Ducks
2006-07 record: 48-20-14 (110 points, second in Western Conference)
Playoffs: Stanley Cup final (defeated Ottawa in five games)
New faces: Todd Bertuzzi (RW); Bobby Ryan (RW); Mark Mowers (RW); Brandon Segal (RW); Mathieu Schneider (D); Shane Hnidy (D); Maxim Kondratiev (D); Jonas Hiller (G)
Departures: Dustin Penner (LW); Ryan Shannon (RW); Shawn Thornton (RW); Ric Jackman (D)
Outlook: How will the Ducks avoid a Stanley Cup hangover, unlike Carolina a year ago? The return of forward Teemu Selanne and playoff MVP Scott Niedermayer (both pondering retirement) would enhance their chances. Fortunately, Anaheim has enough depth throughout the roster to compensate for the potential losses. Bertuzzi and Schneider (out at least three weeks with a broken ankle) are solid additions. Youngsters Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz (career-best 25 goals, 60 points) should offset the loss of Penner (29 goals), while rookie Bobby Ryan made the team and looked good with Bertuzzi and Getzlaf late in camp. Anaheim also boasts top checking line of Travis Moen, Rob Niedermayer and Samuel Pahlsson. Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere (hernia surgery) will miss the start of the season.

Detroit Red Wings
2006-07 record: 50-19-13 (113 points, first in Western Conference)
Playoffs: Conference finals (lost to Anaheim in six games)
New faces: Dallas Drake (RW); Matt Ellis (LW); Brian Rafalski (D); Derek Meech (D); Kyle Quincey (D)
Departures: Todd Bertuzzi (RW); Robert Lang (C); Kyle Calder (LW); Mathieu Schneider (D); Danny Markov (D)
Outlook: Remain the class of the Central Division after topping 108-point mark for a seventh consecutive season. Red Wings will benefit from playing lowly divisional opponents Chicago, Columbus and St. Louis a combined 24 times this season. Detroit will be even scarier if it can get injury-free seasons from left-winger Henrik Zetterberg and defenceman Niklas Kronwall. Zetterberg and centre Pavel Datsyuk (87 points) could be split up to balance scoring lines. With 18 returnees, GM Ken Holland didn't need to make many off-season moves, but did sign Brian Rafalski to replace Schneider. Expect Rafalski to shine alongside five-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom. And watch for Finnish winger Valtteri Filppula to make an impact. Goalie Dominik Hasek (38 wins, 2.05 GAA) must stay healthy and won't be overworked.

ON THE RISE

Colorado hopes Ryan Smyth can help them get over the playoff hump. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Colorado Avalanche
2006-07 record: 44-31-7 (95 points, ninth in Western Conference)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
New faces: Ryan Smyth (LW); Ben Guite (RW); Scott Hannan (D); Jeff Finger (D); Tyler Weiman (G)
Departures: Brett McLean (LW); Pierre Turgeon (C); Patrice Brisebois (D); Ken Klee (D); Ossi Vaananen (D)
Outlook: Avalanche will look to build on late-season run of a year ago when they finished 15-2-2, only to miss playoffs by one point. But unlike recent years they were able to dip into the free-agent market and added left-winger Ryan Smyth and defenceman Scott Hannan, who bring much-needed grit and physicality. Blue-line will also be bolstered by return of healthy Jordan Leopold, who missed 67 of Colorado's 82 games last season with a groin injury and broken wrist. Potent offence includes reliable Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk, Andrew Brunette, youngsters Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny, and former Czech scoring star Jaroslav Hlinka. However, there remains a question mark in goal, with Peter Budaj (31 wins) and Jose Theodore, who is coming off minor knee surgery.

Pittsburgh Penguins
2006-07 record: 47-24-11 (105 points, fifth in Eastern Conference)
Playoffs: Conference quarter-finals (lost to Ottawa in five games)
New faces: Petr Sykora (RW); Darryl Sydor (D); Ty Conklin (G); Dany Sabourin (G)
Departures: Michel Ouellet (RW); Nils Ekman (LW); Ronald Petrovicky (RW); Chris Thorburn (C); Joel Kwiatkowski (D); Josef Melichar (D); Eric Cairns (D); Jocelyn Thibault (G)
Outlook: It's hard to find fault in a team loaded with young talent — reigning NHL scoring champion Sidney Crosby and top rookie Evgeni Malkin — and experience. They could lead the league in goals after finishing third last year. Crosby, who enters his first season as captain, is surrounded by Stanley Cup-winning wingers in Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts and newcomer Petr Sykora. What could keep Pittsburgh away from the elite of the conference could be its defence, which lacks toughness, but the addition of free agent Darryl Sydor will help. Former Canadian world junior captain Kris Letang might challenge for league rookie of the year honours. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury finished tied for third in the NHL with 40 wins last year but must continue to work on his rebound control and puck handling.

ON A SLIDE

Nashville Predators
2006-07 record: 51-23-8 (110 points, fourth in Western Conference)
Playoffs: Conference quarter-finals (lost to San Jose in five)
New faces: Radek Bonk (C); Martin Gelinas (LW); Jed Ortmeyer (RW); Greg de Vries (D); Kevin Klein (D); Dan Ellis (G)
Departures: Peter Forsberg (C); Paul Kariya (LW); Scott Hartnell (LW); Kimmo Timonen (D); Vitaly Vishnevski (D); Tomas Vokoun (G)
Outlook: GM David Poile was forced to shed payroll with team up for sale and lost key cogs throughout the lineup — forwards Peter Forsberg, Paul Kariya, Scott Hartnell and defenceman Kimmo Timonen, who accounted for 185 points last season. Starting goalie Tomas Vokoun was traded to Florida for draft picks, while forward Steve Sullivan (22 goals, 60 points) is out until at least December following a second back surgery, putting extra pressure on forwards Martin Erat and Alexander Radulov (37-point rookie campaign). Dan Hamhuis, Shea Weber and Marek Zidlicky anchor solid defence, but can Chris Mason duplicate last season's effort in net (24 wins, 2.38 GAA in 40 games)? Backup Dan Ellis is unproven at the NHL level.

Buffalo Sabres
2006-07 record: 53-22-7 (113 points, first in Eastern Conference)
Playoffs: Conference finals (lost to Ottawa in five)
New faces: Michael Ryan (C); Jocelyn Thibault (G)
Departures: Daniel Briere (C); Chris Drury (C); Dainius Zubrus (RW)
Outlook: The NHL's highest-scoring team (308 goals) might have taken the hardest hit in free agency, losing centres Briere (95 points) and Drury (69). Don't forget the trade of backup goalie Martin Biron to Philadelphia late last season that left the Sabres weaker in net. But GM Darcy Regier managed to sign former Pittsburgh Penguin Jocelyn Thibault (2.83 GAA in 22 games in 2006-07) to play behind Ryan Miller, who posted a 40-16-6 record in his second season in Buffalo. Sabres are solid up front with Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Maxim Afinogenov and Jason Pominville. Tim Connolly could begin season as team's No. 1 centre. Defence was dealt a blow by loss of veteran Teppo Numminen, who will miss the start of the season following heart surgery.

BACK IN PLAYOFF MIX

St. Louis Blues
2006-07 record: 34-35-13 (81 points, 10th in Western Conference)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
New faces: Paul Kariya (LW); Keith Tkachuk (C); David Perron (LW); Hannu Toivonen (G)
Departures: Dallas Drake (RW); Radek Dvorak (RW); Glen Metropolit (C); Ville Nieminen (LW); Vladimir Orszagh (LW); Jamie Rivers (D); Curtis Sanford (G)
Outlook: The Blues could squeak into the post-season if they continue to thrive under coach Andy Murray, who posted a 27-18-9 record (.538 winning percentage) after taking over from Mike Kitchen. St. Louis had the fourth-lowest goal total in the NHL last season (214) but addressed that weakness by re-signing Keith Tkachuk and luring free-agent Kariya, who had 76 points in 82 games for Nashville in 2006-07. If healthy, the Blues have top talent (Eric Brewer, Jay McKee and Barret Jackman) and depth (Christian Backman and Bryce Salvador) on defence. Erik Johnson is a legitimate candidate for the Calder Trophy as top rookie and could play the point on the power play. Toivonen spent training camp battling Jason Bacashihua for the backup goalie job.

Carolina Hurricanes
2006-07 record: 40-34-8 (88 points, 11th in Eastern Conference)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
New faces: Matt Cullen (C); Jeff Hamilton (C); Wade Brookbank (D)
Departures: Anson Carter (RW); Josef Vasicek (C); David Tanabe (C); Anton Babchuk (D); Andrew Hutchinson (D)
Outlook: A healthy defence and strong goaltending will be the key to returning to the post-season. Carolina signed goalie Cam Ward to a three-year, $8-million US deal and the 2006 playoff MVP responded by shedding 20 pounds in the off-season to help improve his lateral movement. Ward ranked 31st in the league in goals-against (2.93 a game) and 34th in save percentage (.897) last season. A full campaign with Frantisek Kaberle and Bret Hedican on the blue-line will help. Kaberle is coming off knee surgery, while Hedican missed 32 games a year ago because of hip and back injuries. Forwards Eric Staal, Rod Brind'Amour, Justin Williams, Ray Whitney and Erik Cole should produce more this season if healthy. Checking centre Matt Cullen returns after one season with the New York Rangers.

THE DARK HORSES

Anze Kopitar had a great rookie season, but can he beat the sophomore jinx? (Francis Specker/Associated Press)

Los Angeles Kings
2006-07 record: 27-41-14 (68 points, 14th in Western Conference)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
New faces: Ladislav Nagy (LW); Michael Handzus (C); Kyle Calder (RW); Patrick O'Sullivan (C); Brad Stuart (D); Tom Preissing (D); Kevin Dallman (D); Jason LaBarbera; Jean-Sebastien Aubin (G)
Departures: Jamie Lundmark (C); Alyn McCauley (C); Tom Kostopoulos (RW); Aaron Miller (D); Jamie Heward (D); Mike Weaver (D); Sean Burke (G)
Outlook: GM Dean Lombardi would have preferred to build from the net out over the summer but was forced to do the opposite after he couldn't trade for goaltender Tomas Vokoun. Instead, he added forwards Ladislav Nagy, Michael Handzus and Kyle Calder, who join the skilled Mike Cammalleri, Alexander Frolov, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, all of whom are 25 years old or younger. Unless Jason LaBarbera lights it up, it's likely another year out of the playoffs. LaBarbera sported a 2.21 goals-against average last season, tops in the American Hockey League. Jonathan Bernier and Jean-Sebastien Aubin are battling for two spots after Dan Cloutier was waived. A strong defence will be further bolstered by young free agents Preissing, Stuart and highly touted rookie Jack Johnson.

Washington Capitals
2006-07 record: 28-40-14 (70 points, 14th in Eastern Conference)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
New faces: Michael Nylander (C); Viktor Kozlov (RW); Nicklas Backstrom (C); Tom Poti (D)
Departures: Kris Beech (C); Jiri Novotny (C); Bryan Muir (D)
Outlook: Yes, the once-lowly Capitals could be battling for a playoff spot in late March. That is, if their free-agent signings pan out, top prospect Nicklas Backstrom excels in a scoring role and the young defence corps can handle big minutes. Offensively, Washington will be led by Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Michael Nylander, who returns after two seasons in New York. He set career highs for goals (26) and points (83) with the Rangers last season. Six-foot-five, 230-pound forward Viktor Kozlov, coming off a 25-goal season with the New York Islanders, will centre one of the scoring lines, while young winger Tomas Fleischmann flashed the tools of a top-six forward in training camp. Free agent Poti and Brian Pothier will anchor the top two defensive pairings in front of reliable goaltender Olaf Kolzig.