The Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup on Monday finally brought to a close the 2019-20 NHL season. More than six months after the regular-season schedule was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and two months following the start of the NHL's return-to-play postseason tournament, the offseason finally begins.

Because of the long delay in staging the playoffs, the offseason calendar (h/t CapFriendly) was also affected. The first round of the NHL draft will be held on Tuesday, and Rounds 2 through 7 will take place on Wednesday. On Oct. 9, free agency begins at noon ET.

Decisions made by the 31 teams during those dates and throughout the offseason will affect their on-ice performances when the NHL returns to action next season. Several of the teams that either missed the playoffs or were eliminated over the course of the postseason have already gotten a head start on next season with trades and free-agent re-signings.

Here's a look at where your favorite NHL team stacks up entering the offseason. This ranking was based on regular-season and playoff performance, as well as salary-cap space and noteworthy team and players news.

31 to 25: The Rebuilding Clubs

31. Detroit Red Wings (17-49-5, 39 points)

Finishing with the NHL's worst record was bad enough, but sliding to fourth overall in the draft lottery was insult to injury. Nevertheless, the Red Wings are still well-positioned to select a quality prospect. They also have 10 picks in this year's draft, including three in the second round. General manager Steve Yzerman recently made a move to bolster his blue line by acquiring Marc Staal from the New York Rangers.

30. Anaheim Ducks (29-33-9, 67 points)

GM Bob Murray must address the lack of scoring punch and sloppy defensive play that kept his Ducks out of playoff contention last season. The Ducks hold the sixth and 27th overall picks in the upcoming draft. They're pressed for cap space ($81 million invested in 21 players) but could get $6.875 million in cap relief if Ryan Kesler remains on long-term injury reserve.

29. New Jersey Devils (28-29-12, 68 points)

With the seventh, 18th and 20th picks in the draft, the Devils could use one of those selections and their $26.2 million in cap space to land a good NHL player from a cap-strapped rival. They also removed the interim tag from general manager Tom Fitzgerald and hired Lindy Ruff as head coach and Mark Recchi as an assistant coach.

28. Ottawa Senators (25-34-12, 62 points)

The Senators hold the third, fifth and 28th selections among their 13 picks in this year's draft. GM Pierre Dorion could draw on some of those for trade bait. He also has just $38.2 million invested in nine players. While the Senators aren't expected to spend to the cap, Dorion has plenty of room to add some good players via trades or free agency.

27. San Jose Sharks (29-36-5, 63 points)

Built to be a playoff contender, the Sharks will attempt to bounce back from a horrible 2019-20 performance. They recently made interim head coach Bob Boughner their full-time bench boss. The Sharks have a veteran roster led by Logan Couture, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, but they also have $67.3 million committed to 16 players. That doesn't leave much room for significant lineup additions.

26. Buffalo Sabres (30-31-8, 68 points)

New Sabres GM Kevyn Adams wasted little time making his first significant deal, trading Marcus Johansson on Sept. 16 to the Minnesota Wild for Eric Staal. The move provides a welcome boost of skill and experience to their second-line center position. With $47.8 million invested in 11 players, Adams has some room to re-sign key players and make another solid addition or two.

25. Los Angeles Kings (29-35-6, 64 points)

The draft lottery moved the Kings from fourth to second overall, ensuring they will land a quality prospect who could be NHL-ready next season. With 11 picks in the draft, including seven in Rounds 2 through 4, GM Rob Blake could use some of those as trade chips for experienced help. He also re-signed defenseman Sean Walker and forwards Austin Wagner and Carl Grundstrom.

24 to 17: The Playoff Hopefuls

24. Arizona Coyotes (33-29-8, 74 points, eliminated in the first round)

The Coyotes hired former St. Louis Blues assistant general manager Bill Armstrong as their new GM, but he is facing a difficult offseason. They've got $80.3 million invested in 17 players, leaving little room to re-sign left wing Taylor Hall. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and goaltender Darcy Kuemper are fixtures on TSN's trade bait board. If rebuilding is in order, the Coyotes could regress next season.

23. Chicago Blackhawks (32-30-8, 72 points, eliminated in the first round)

Salary-cap space is a longstanding issue with the Blackhawks. They have $73.6 million tied up in 17 players, with goaltender Corey Crawford and forwards Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome to re-sign. They risk losing Crawford to the unrestricted free-agent market unless an affordable extension can be negotiated. GM Stan Bowman could be forced to make a cost-cutting trade or two.

22. Florida Panthers (35-26-8, 78 points, eliminated in the qualifying round)

Long-time GM Dale Tallon was relieved of his duties following the Panthers' playoff elimination and replaced by Bill Zito. His first big move was shipping Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour to the Pittsburgh Penguins for veteran winger Patric Hornqvist. The Panthers have $59.7 million invested in 12 players with wingers Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov becoming UFAs on Oct. 9.

21. Minnesota Wild (35-27-7, 77 points, eliminated in the qualifying round)

GM Bill Guerin is already having a busy offseason. He traded Eric Staal to Buffalo for Marcus Johansson, acquired center Nick Bjugstad from Pittsburgh for a fifth-round draft pick and re-signed defenseman Jonas Brodin to a seven-year contract extension. The Wild still need depth and a scoring center, making blueliner Matt Dumba a possible trade candidate. They also hold the ninth pick overall in this year's draft.

20. Nashville Predators (35-26-8, 78 points, eliminated in the qualifying round)

GM David Poile must address his club's weak secondary scoring following their qualifying-round upset by the Coyotes. With $73.3 million committed to 18 players, he doesn't have much wiggle room to acquire skilled scoring depth. He could attempt to trade overpaid center Kyle Turris or buy out the remaining four years of his contract.

19. Montreal Canadiens (31-31-9, 71 points, eliminated in the first round)

The strong postseason performances of young centers Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi provide hope for next season. GM Marc Bergevin recently bolstered his depth by acquiring goaltender Jake Allen and defenseman Joel Edmundson. With 11 picks in this year's draft and $10.2 million in cap space, Bergevin has the assets to pluck a good player from a cap-squeezed club.

18. Columbus Blue Jackets (33-22-15, 81 points, eliminated in the first round)

A lack of scoring punch dogged the Blue Jackets throughout this season. They have $74.4 million tied up in 22 players with restricted free agents Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Anderson to re-sign. The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported GM Jarmo Kekalainen said a chronic wrist injury makes forward Brandon Dubinsky ($5.875 million) unable to play again, which could see him placed on long-term injury reserve.

17. Edmonton Oilers (37-25-9, 83 points, eliminated in the qualifying round)

The Oilers have two superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and an improving defense corps. However, they lack a reliable starting goalie and a skilled right-wing scorer. GM Ken Holland must re-sign or replace UFA goalie Mike Smith and re-sign restricted free agents Andreas Athanasiou, Ethan Bear and Matt Benning. With $11.2 million in cap space, there won't be much left for additions.

16 to 11: Middle of the Pack

16. Winnipeg Jets (37-28-6, 80 points, eliminated in the qualifying round)

A porous blue line and lack of a skilled second-line center hampered the Jets throughout 2019-20. That's sparked speculation GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could use right winger Patrik Laine as a trade chip to address those needs. Sportsnet's Ken Wiebe considers it unlikely but doesn't dismiss the possibility. The Jets also hold the 10th overall pick in this year's draft and have $15.5 million in cap room.

15. Calgary Flames (36-27-7, 79 points, eliminated in the first round)

Another early playoff exit could prompt GM Brad Treliving to make some roster changes. His biggest move thus far was removing the interim tag from head coach Geoff Ward's title. The Flames have $16.9 million in cap space, but Treliving must re-sign or replace pending UFA goalie Cam Talbot and defensemen TJ Brodie, Travis Hamonic and Erik Gustafsson.

14. Toronto Maple Leafs (36-25-9, 81 points, eliminated in the qualifying round)

Getting bounced from the qualifying round by Columbus could put pressure on Leafs GM Kyle Dubas to improve his defense corps. He freed up some cap room by shipping Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh on Aug. 25, picking up the 15th overall pick as part of the return. With only $6.1 million in cap space, Dubas must get creative to add a top-four, right-shot defenseman.

13. Pittsburgh Penguins (40-23-6, 86 points, eliminated in the qualifying round)

GM Jim Rutherford is already wheeling and dealing to shake things up. He acquired speedy winger Kasperi Kapanen from Toronto at the cost of a first-round pick. He also traded Nick Bjugstad to Minnesota and shipped Patrick Hornqvist to Florida for Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour. With $6.1 million in cap space, he could trade goaltender Matt Murray and re-sign Tristan Jarry.

12. Carolina Hurricanes (38-25-5, 81 points, eliminated in the first round)

With a solid defense corps and an offense powered by Sebastian Aho and Alexander Svechnikov, the Hurricanes are a rising force in the East. However, they need an experienced starting goalie and a secondary scorer. With only $7.78 million in cap space, however, there's not much room for GM Don Waddell to address those needs.

11. New York Rangers (37-28-5, 79 points, eliminated in the qualifying round)

The Rangers hold the first overall pick and are expected to select top prospect Alexis Lafreniere. GM Jeff Gorton's trade of Marc Staal to Detroit and buyout of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist gives the Blueshirts $23.1 million in cap space to re-sign RFAs Ryan Strome, Tony DeAngelo, Alexandar Georgiev and Brendan Lemieux. He could also put some of that toward adding a player via trade or free agency.

10. St. Louis Blues (42-19-10, 94 Points)

Despite finishing the regular season on top of the Western Conference, the Blues dropped all three of their round-robin games and were upset in the first round by the upstart Vancouver Canucks in six games. It was a bitter finish to their reign as Stanley Cup champions.

The Blues enter an offseason of uncertainty. On Sept. 18, defenseman and team captain Alex Pietrangelo told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford he could test the free-agent market on Oct. 9. Meanwhile, winger Vladimir Tarasenko underwent another shoulder surgery and will be reevaluated in five months' time.

GM Doug Armstrong already has $76.3 million invested in 22 players next season. If he hopes to re-sign Pietrangelo, he'll have to make a cost-cutting trade or two, but that could weaken his overall roster depth. The Blues could face starting next season without their best defenseman and their top forward.

9. Boston Bruins (44-14-12, 100 Points)

Having reached the 2019 Stanley Cup Final and won the 2019-20 Presidents' Trophy with the best regular-season record, the Bruins were the favorite entering this year's postseason. However, they lost all three round-robin games, regained their form to eliminate the Hurricanes from the first round but were bounced in five games in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

There's a sense the Bruins' championship window might be closing. A lack of reliable secondary scoring proved their undoing in the playoffs. Veterans Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and captain Zdeno Chara are aging, while puck-moving defenseman Torey Krug could depart via free agency. Restricted free-agent winger Jake DeBrusk is due for a raise.

General manager Don Sweeney has $67 million invested in 19 players. If Krug isn't re-signed, he could put some of that cap space toward adding a second-line winger. However, he'll still have to find a replacement for Krug on the blue line.

8. Washington Capitals (41-20-8, 90 Points)

Only two years removed from their Stanley Cup championship, the Capitals were quickly eliminated in five games from the first round by the New York Islanders. That brought about a coaching change, as Peter Laviolette took over from Todd Reirden.

Laviolette has coached three teams to the Stanley Cup Final, winning the Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006. He's a no-nonsense bench boss who expects a full effort from his players, something that was lacking by the Capitals in this postseason. GM Brian MacLellan could find it difficult to bolster the roster for Laviolette, with $72.5 million already invested in 17 players.

Despite their early playoff exit and the expected departure of goaltender Braden Holtby via free agency, the Capitals have the talent to remain among the NHL's top 10 next season. Captain Alex Ovechkin, defenseman John Carlson and forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom still provide considerable skill and experience.

7. Vancouver Canucks (36-27-8, 78 Points)

The Canucks got the furthest of the Canadian teams in the 2020 postseason. They eliminated the Minnesota Wild from the qualifying round and upset the 2019 Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues before falling in seven games to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Led by young stars Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser, the Canucks are a team on the rise on the Western Conference. Nevertheless, GM Jim Benning faces a busy offseason. Key players such as goaltender Jacob Markstrom and winger Tyler Toffoli are unrestricted free agents. He must also shore up a defense corps that gave up the third-most shots-against (36.7) during the playoffs.

Complicating efforts for Benning is his $14.2 million in cap space, most of which could go toward re-signing Markstorm and Toffoli. It won't leave much room to improve the blue line unless he can shed additional salary.

6. Philadelphia Flyers (41-21-7, 89 Points)

After a solid regular season under head coach Alain Vigneault, the Flyers went unbeaten in the round robin and eliminated the underdog Montreal Canadiens in six games in the first round. Their playoff run came to an end in the second round, falling to the New York Islanders in seven games.

While several of their veteran scorers struggled during the postseason, the Flyers remain a team on the upswing in the Eastern Conference. They finally have stability in goal with young Carter Hart, Sean Couturier won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward and young defensemen Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers provide invaluable blue-line depth.

GM Chuck Fletcher has already invested $75.2 million in 17 players for 2020-21, leaving little room for additions. However, he could attempt a cost-cutting trade. On Sept. 28, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is available in the trade market.

5. New York Islanders (35-23-10, 80 Points)

The Islanders surprised many observers by reaching the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1993. They eliminated the Florida Panthers in the qualifying round and upset the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

Head coach Barry Trotz did a fine job getting his players to buy into his defensive system. Their 2.78 goals per game ranked 22nd during the regular season, but forwards Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier stepped up during their playoff run. Defensemen Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews have taken on greater blue-line responsibilities.

Salary-cap space, however, is a concern. They have just $8.9 million remaining with Barzal, Pulock and Toews becoming restricted free agents. A new contract for Barzal could use up most of that cap room. GM Lou Lamoriello faces a busy offseason trying to re-sign those players and bolster his offense without weakening his roster depth.

4. Vegas Golden Knights (39-24-8, 86 Points)

The Golden Knights went undefeated in three round-robin games and eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks. However, they fell in five games to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

A goalie controversy hung over the Golden Knights' playoff run. Robin Lehner taking over the starting goalie role from Marc-Andre Fleury prompted Fleury's agent to post a photo showing his client with a sword through his back and coach Peter DeBoer's name on the blade. Fleury downplayed the incident, but it raised questions about his future in Vegas, especially if the Golden Knights re-sign Lehner.

On Sept. 27, the Las Vegas Review Journal's David Schoen cited multiple reports suggesting the Golden Knights could pursue Alex Pietrangelo if the Blues defenseman hits the free-agent market. With just $4.9 million in cap space, however, GM Kelly McCrimmon must decide whether he'll re-sign Lehner or pursue Pietrangelo and how he's going to pay for either player.

3. Dallas Stars (37-24-8, 82 Points)

The Stars' playoff run came up short against the Tampa Bay Lightning, to whom they fell in six games in the Stanley Cup Final. Nevertheless, it was an impressive performance for a club that relied on backup goalie Anton Khudobin for all but two games in the postseason.

Whether Khudobin returns depends on his asking price. The 34-year-old netminder is an unrestricted free agent completing a two-year contract worth an annual value of $2.5 million. It could cost the Stars much more to keep their playoff hero in the fold. Interim coach Rick Bowness' status has yet to be decided, but it would be shocking if they didn't bring him back on a full-time basis.

Stars GM Jim Nill has $15.4 million in cap space, enough to re-sign young restricted free-agent forwards Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov to affordable bridge contracts and perhaps bring back UFA winger Corey Perry for one more season. Given the rising stock of defenseman Miro Heiskanen, he could attempt to re-sign the young blueliner to a contract extension.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-6, 92 Points)

After five years of ranking among the Stanley Cup favorites but falling short, the Tampa Bay Lightning finally won hockey's biggest prize. It was an impressive run by the Bolts, going 16-6 without losing consecutive games. Victor Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, Nikita Kucherov was the playoff points leader with 34 and Brayden Point's 14 goals led all players.

Salary-cap constraints, however, mean the Lighting roster will have a different look whenever the curtain rises on the NHL's 2020-21 season. With $76.1 million committed to 15 players and budding stars Anthony Cirelli and Mikhail Sergachev to re-sign, GM Julien BriseBois could find a way to free up sufficient cap space for those two.

Trade candidates include forwards Alex Killorn, Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson. Unrestricted free agents such as winger Patrick Maroon and defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk, Zach Bogosian and Luke Schenn probably won't be back. BriseBois could look toward promising youngsters such as defenseman Callan Foote and winger Alexander Volkov to fill the gaps next season.

1. Colorado Avalanche (42-20-8, 92 Points)

The Avalanche failed in their quest for the Cup this season, falling in the second round in seven games to the Dallas Stars. Injuries to goaltenders Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz, defenseman Erik Johnson, and wingers Gabriel Landeskog and Joonas Donskoi contributed to their elimination.

Nevertheless, the Avalanche were among the league's top teams and should remain so in 2020-21. With a roster featuring Lady Byng Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon, Calder Memorial Trophy winner Cale Makar and scoring winger Mikko Rantanen, they have a strong mix of rising talent and veterans in their playing prime. With $22.3 million in salary-cap space, GM Joe Sakic is in a strong position to bolster his roster.

A good chunk of that cap room will go toward re-signing restricted free agents Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Graves and Nikita Zadorov, but Sakic should have enough left to make a big splash in the free-agent pool. Targets could include St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and Arizona Coyotes left wing Taylor Hall.

Player and team stats via NHL.com. Salary info via CapFriendly.