As we hit the 4 Nations Face-Off break in NHL season, now is as good a time as any for an updated NHL power rankings!
The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets have been the class of the league so far, pacing the NHL in nearly every discernible team statistic. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks have solidified themselves as the two worst teams in the league.
One of the themes of the NHL this season has been parity, which makes a power rankings exercise particularly difficult. In the Eastern Conference, just seven points separate the Ottawa Senators, who currently hold the second wild card spot, from the Philadelphia Flyers, who currently sit second-to-last in the entire Eastern Conference (that is nine teams within seven points of each other fighting for the two wild card spots). The Wild Card races, especially in the Eastern Conference, will be intriguing to follow as the season progresses.
With that said, let’s get into it! To assemble this NHL power rankings, I incorporated a team’s overall and recent performance, expectations, talent level on the roster, championship potential, advanced statistics, injury considerations, and a large degree of subjectivity.
1. Winnipeg Jets (39-14-3, 81 points)
The Jets currently have the most points in the NHL and go into the break riding an eight-game winning streak. They have the unquestioned best goalie in the league in Connor Hellebuyck, who has a .925 SV%, 2.07 GAA and 34 wins. They have a number of players who have taken significant steps forward this season, which is an encouraging sign that they have a chance of making a sustained playoff run.
2. Washington Capitals (36-11-8, 80 points)
Last season, the Capitals were the joke of the NHL playoffs after sneaking into the last wild-card spot with a historically bad goal differential. They proceeded to get swept by the New York Rangers. Expectations for the Capitals were not high coming into this year, but they have been incredible all year long and are just 11 points off last year’s season-long point total. Alex Ovechkin’s goal chase has sparked his own play and the entire team’s. He sits at 26 goals in 39 games played.
3. Edmonton Oilers (34-17-4, 72 points)
Much to the dismay of Oilers fans, the Oilers got off to another slow start this season with a 6-7-1 record. However, since then they have gone 28-10-3. As is expected, they have been led by their top players. In particular, Leon Draisaitl is having arguably the best season of his illustrious NHL career. He has potted 40 goals and 83 points while playing in all 55 of Edmonton’s games.
4. Florida Panthers (34-20-3, 71 points)
The Panthers are a difficult team to properly slot into an NHL power rankings. They are a smart and experienced group that knows how to manage a long NHL season to their advantage. They have not done anything to dispel the elite reputation they established in last year’s dominant postseason run, but at the same time, they have not put up the points that teams like the Capitals and Jets have. With that said, you won’t find me betting against the Panthers come playoff time.
5. Dallas Stars (35-18-2, 72 points)
The Stars are a dangerous team that has been on the precipice of the Stanley Cup finals in recent years, losing in the Western Conference Finals each of the last two seasons. This year, they have an impressive combination of older stars and young, up-and-coming players that are just scratching their potential. After a slow start to the year, Jason Robertson has 28 points in his last 21 games.
6. Colorado Avalanche (33-22-2, 68 points)
The Avalanche have won five of their last seven games, with the aggressive acquisitions made by their front office seemingly paying off. Mackenzie Blackwood has been light years better than Alexander Georgiev in net; he has a .922 SV% in 22 games played for the Avs. Martin Necas has also fit in seamlessly with MacKinnon. While he has nine points in eight games played for the Avs, what has been most impressive is his chance creation, puck possession, and breakout efficiency. The amount of speed that Necas and MacKinnon can generate makes them a near-impossible matchup for any opposing defensemen.
7. Vegas Golden Knights (33-17-6, 72 points)
The Golden Knights are a big, strong, experienced team that is a formidable out for any opponent come playoff time. Jack Eichel has taken a leap this season into the upper echelon of NHL players, notching 69 points, a +29 rating, and 21:05 of ice time per game in 55 games.
8. Carolina Hurricanes (33-19-4, 70 points)
Similar to past seasons, the Hurricanes are a dominant puck possession team under head coach Rod Brind’Amour. They are first in the league in both Expected Goals For % and Corsi %. However, they have struggled to find consistent goaltending and have had a lack of elite scoring for the last few seasons. The Mikko Rantanen trade, designed to address this, has not had good early returns. Rantanen has just 2 points in 6 games, although he is getting ample chances and shots on goal.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (33-20-2, 68 points)
The Maple Leafs have hit a bit of a rough stretch recently to the tune of a 6-7-0 record in their past 13 games. Given their abysmal playoff history, NHL pundits and Maple Leafs fans alike have their eyes on the postseason. One potential indication that this year’s team might generate a better result than last year’s is that the goaltending tandem of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll has been very reliable.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning (31-20-4, 66 points)
After scuffling for a bit, the Lightning enter the break on a four-game winning streak. They are rolling along as expected, with Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevsky all having productive seasons. Questions remain about their depth, but this is an experienced team with several of the NHL’s best players.
11. Minnesota Wild (33-19-4, 70 points)
With their best player, Kiril Kaprizov, out long-term with an injury, the Wild’s secondary scoring has stepped up to keep them afloat. Younger forwards Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi are close to point- per-game players, and defenseman Brock Faber plays massive minutes as a defense-first number one defenseman. The goaltending has been really solid as well; the Wild have a team SV% of .911.
12. New Jersey Devils (31-20-6, 68 points)
The Devils are just 7-9-3 in what has been a prolonged stretch of mediocre hockey. The issues extend beyond just Jacob Markstrom’s injury, with their main problem being their dearth of 5-on-5 scoring. Despite the concerns, this is still a team that is skilled, fast, and has really positive advanced metrics on the season: they are sixth in Epected Goals For % and eighth in Corsi %. Their special teams have been very good: they have the third best power play at 27.5% and the third best penalty kill at 84.2%. Additionally, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have both had productive seasons and can be relied on for consistent offense.
Thanks for reading my NHL power rankings! To read my most recent Cup Contenders rankings, an alternative to a conventional NHL power rankings that ranks teams by their Stanley Cup championship potential, click here. Also, for reference, click here to see the current NHL standings.