Updated Monthly Power Rankings
* +/- next to team record indicates change from last month’s ranking
Minnesota Wild (17-4-4) (+2)
Kaprizov is simply on another level carrying this team night in and night out. Easily my early Hart Trophy winner at the moment. But the rest of the team has great chemistry, and getting solid goaltending from Gustavsson/Fleury. I’m very excited for the addition of David Jiricek on the blue line. A lot of really great things lining up for the Wild. It seems I may have been wrong about them for this season. They look like the real deal and should be a legitimate contender in the coming years.
Washington Capitals (17-6-2) (+4)
Another team I was wrong about. The additions made this summer have really sparked the Caps, even in Ovi’s absence. A very nice mix of young guys and veterans to go along with great coaching from Spencer Carbery. Ovi is skating again so hopefully he’s back soon.
Vegas Golden Knights (17-7-3) (+4)
I was a little skeptical of them after their off-season, but they look like a power-house in the western conference. Ivan Barbashev is playing at 40 goal pace right now and that top line is electric. On the other hand, I can’t wait to see who they acquire at the trade deadline when February rolls around and Mark Stone inevitably fakes another injury and goes on LTIR. My guess is a forward with $6-$8M cap hit.
New Jersey Devils (17-9-2) (+3)
Now that they’re healthy, New Jersey is playing lights out at both ends of the ice. Incredible depth in all areas. I expect them to be a serious cup contender. Also, Stefan Noesen with 13 goals in 28 games to start the season is not something I had on my bingo board this year.
Winnipeg Jets (18-8-0) (-4)
The Jets have lost 4 in a row after an incredible start to the season. It was bound to happen so I’m not worried for them right now. Especially with how well Hellebuyck is playing in net.
Toronto Maple Leafs (16-7-2) (+6)
The Leafs did a great job in the absence of Auston Matthews, and now that he’s back, it looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. Great coaching by Craig Berube so far. It looks like he really took control of that locker room and is getting the best from his star players.
Dallas Stars (16-9-0) (+2)
Losing Tyler Seguin for 4-6 months is a big blow for Dallas with 20 points in 19 games. But they’re such a deep team that they’ll be just fine.
Carolina Hurricanes (16-8-1) (-3)
The Canes have lost 3 in a row but not much you can do when your top 2 goalies are hurt. Kochetkov is back in the lineup so I’d expect things to turn back around for Carolina.
Los Angeles Kings (15-8-3) (-1)
Apparently, Anze Kopitar is immune to father time. 30 points in 26 games so far at 37 years old, which leads the Kings. They could absolutely use some more production from guys like Fiala and Byfield, but I really like the team as a whole so far.
Florida Panthers (15-9-2) (-8)
The Panthers are 4-5-1 in their last 10. Still a really good team, but they just haven’t been playing like the dominant team they’re known to be. Goaltending is an issue as both Bobrovsky and Knight need to improve in net. They have very limited cap space, so any improvements to the team will have to be done by the players currently there.
Tampa Bay Lightning (12-9-2) (-1)
Bottom 6 scoring continues to be an issue for the Bolts, but how good have Hagel and Cirelli been? That Hagel contract looks like a steal right now at $6.5M. Overall, I’m not too worried with them. They’re a playoff team for sure, but what happens once they’re in? That’s anyone’s guess.
Edmonton Oilers (13-10-2) (+2)
Lucky for Edmonton, McDavid and Draisaitl are back to their usual shenanigans of dominating the NHL. Unlucky for Edmonton, that’s pretty much the only production they’re getting. Guys like Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins have been virtually non-existent offensively. You know things are bad when the guy on your team with the 5th highest point total is Darnell Nurse with 10 points. Plus, once again Stuart Skinner does not seem like the answer in net for them. The Oilers should absolutely be lower than 12th on this list, but McDavid and Draisaitl are just that good.
Vancouver Canucks (13-7-4) (+/- 0)
Elias Pettersson has been a man on a mission after his rough start to the year, with 14 points in his last 9 games. This team has done a good job of holding the fort down without some of their best players (Miller, Demko). Kevin Lankinen has been especially impressive in net. Unfortunately, they’ll have to add another one to the list as Filip Hronek is out approximately 8 weeks. They’re definitely doing some shopping around the league right now to help fill those voids.
Calgary Flames (13-9-4) (+2)
Honestly, I’m impressed this team is still competing. They have some solid young players that have taken on bigger roles, and have done very well. I still feel like they’ll finish just outside of the final wild-card spot, but a really good start so far for a team I thought would be much lower in the standings.
New York Rangers (13-10-1) (-11)
The Rangers are in full blown panic mode as they keep losing games. They’ve been terrible in their own zone and give up the 2nd most shots/game in the league. On top of that, they aren’t getting the same offensive production from their top players. I’m curious to see if they make rash decision and ship off one of their top guys in the coming weeks.
Boston Bruins (14-11-3) (+5)
Firing Montgomery really woke up the Bruins, as they’ve been playing at a much higher level since. Might be something for other struggling, yet talented teams to look into.
Colorado Avalanche (14-12-0) (-2)
Yikes has their goaltending been bad so far. I’m not sure trading for Scott Wedgewood will solve anything, but maybe with a better defensive core, he could at least play well enough to keep the Avs in games because Georgiev is playing subpar most nights.
Columbus Blue Jackets (11-10-3) (+1)
There’s just no quit in these guys. They’ve had every reason to have a bad season, and no one would blame them, but they keep competing. Pretty inspiring stuff from the Blue Jackets.
Philadelphia Flyers (12-10-3) (+11)
8-3-2 in their last 13 games, the Flyers flipped a switch I didn’t know they had. Konecny is the real deal and Michkov is going to be a franchise player if they develop him properly. Plus Sanheim is playing really well on the back end. However, the Flyers need more from their goaltenders if they want to compete this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins (11-12-4) (+2)
That’s four wins in a row following the Tomasino trade. Still A LOT of work to be done if they want to sneak into the playoffs. Nice addition though, and he seems to have some chemistry with Malkin. Jarry looks like he’s playing with more confidence too which is a good sign. The rollercoaster ride continues for Pittsburgh.
St. Louis Blues (12-12-2) (-1)
Another team that’s struggling to score, but they’ve looked better since Rob Thomas returned from his injury.
Seattle Kraken (12-13-1) (+1)
I said it in the off-season and I’ll say it again, all their “potential” means nothing without high end talent. That has to be Ron Francis' top priority going forward.
Buffalo Sabres (11-12-2) (+3)
As usual, very inconsistent hockey from the Sabres. Young guys like Cozens and Quinn really need to step up. Tage Thompson got left off of Team USA’s roster for the Four Nations Faceoff so I wonder if that will spark something in him even more, as he has been one of the few bright spots for Buffalo.
Utah Hockey Club (10-11-4) (-6)
Utah has come crashing back down to earth after an electric start to their season. Injuries and lack of quality depth keep getting in their way.
New York Islanders (9-10-7) (+2)
These guys sure love playing (and losing) in overtime, huh? That’s pretty much how they squeaked into the playoffs last season and I guess that’s their strategy again this year. They need more offense and high end talent if they have any hope to compete at a serious level. Personally, I think it’s time for Lou Lamoriello to be fired, although the time for that was actually a LONG time ago. His GM style doesn’t mesh with what the NHL has become in recent years and he refuses to adapt. Maybe if he spent more time worrying about his offense, and less on his players’ facial hair, they’d be further along.
Detroit Red Wings (10-11-4) (-2)
Outside of a few players, this Detroit team cannot find a way to put the puck in the net, as their lack of depth keeps showing. They need more guys to step up, like Patrick Kane who only has 10 points in 20 games. He got injured in late November but should be returning tonight against Ottawa. They need him back in last year’s form. On the plus side, Simon Edvinsson (21) has developed very nicely and is already one of Detroit’s best players. 12 points in 24 games as a defenseman while leading the team in +/- at +6 is not too shabby. One of the few bright spots for this Wings team.
Anaheim Ducks (10-11-3) (+1)
Lukas Dostal might be the real deal for the Ducks in net. This should make moving on from John Gibson much easier. On the flip side, I don’t know how many more promising prospects this team needs to finally start scoring some goals. At some point those guys need to start making an impact on the score sheet. 31st in goals for is not even close to good enough.
Ottawa Senators (10-12-2) (-12)
The Senators always seem to be confused as to why they can’t take it to the next step. It’s because they keep rushing their rebuild and it never pays off. The top 2 lines are very good and produce accordingly. But the depth players on this team can’t score to save their lives. Same goes for the defense. It’s just Chabot, Sanderson, and occasionally Jensen. The rest of the minutes are being played by guys that are barely NHLer's. And it definitely doesn’t help that Ullmark is having a terrible year so far in net.
San Jose Sharks (10-13-5) (+3)
They’re obviously not there yet, but the Sharks are quickly becoming one of the most interesting teams to watch on a nightly basis. Celebrini was named the league’s first star of the week and has 10 points in his last 7 games. He is really starting to find his groove at the NHL level.
Montreal Canadiens (9-13-3) (+1)
Patrick Laine played in his first game of the year against the Islanders on Tuesday and made an immediate impact, scoring on the PP. For his sake, I’m glad he was able to get on the score sheet. He’s been through a lot physically and mentally the last couple of years. Unfortunately, even with him in the lineup, the Habs are still a lottery team.
Chicago Blackhawks (8-16-2) (-6)
I feel really bad for Connor Bedard. The “help” that they brought in this off-season isn’t helping at all. At least they should get another top 3-5 pick again in this year’s draft. A few really good offensive prospects coming up in the projected top 5.
Nashville Predators (7-13-6) (-3)
Wow. Never in a million years did I think the Predators would be this bad. Nothing seems to work for them despite all the talent they have. Once again, more proof you can’t just buy a cup contender through free agency. Back in the off-season I thought they should start their rebuild, but with all of that money locked up long-term, it’s going to be quite the challenge. They need to find some chemistry and their big guns need to figure it out offensively, otherwise this season is going to be a really rough year for them.