The last NHL power rankings before the holiday freeze sees the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks rising while the Ottawa Senators drop.
Welcome back to the ever-popular NHL power rankings at The Hockey News. Published every Wednesday, all 32 teams will be ranked from best to worst with an emphasis on their weekly performances.
As the NHL heads into the holiday break, only three teams have ever held the No. 1 spot in the power rankings this season: the Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. There’s more parity at the top, far more than last season when the Bruins dominated the regular season.
With a perfect 3-0-0 this past week, including wins over the Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, the Rangers take the top spot again. It’s pretty amazing – the Rangers rank 25th in goals-for at 5-on-5, they have only one player ranked in the top 25 in league scoring, and in a season rife with poor goaltending, Jonathan Quick has yet to lose a game in regulation.
Among the big movers this week include the Philadelphia Flyers, who have won seven of their past eight with arguably a top-five goalie tandem, the Hurricanes, who are 3-0-2 following a four-game losing streak, the Jets, who are 6-1-1 so far in December, and the Canucks, who are also 6-1-1 in their past eight games.
Among the fallers are the Red Wings, who have lost six of their last seven and now depend on James Reimer to keep them above .500, and the Sabres, who have not won consecutive games since Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 and are 3-6-1 in December.
(All fancy stats are 5-on-5 and courtesy naturalstattrick.com. CF% stands for Corsi-for percentage and xGF% represents expected goals-for percentage.)
1. New York Rangers (22-7-1, +19 goal differential. CF% league rank: 17, xGF% league rank: 17)
The wildest team stat to me is the Rangers have lost consecutive games just once this season. They’re on pace for 123 points, which would be a franchise record and the most since 2014-15, when they finished with 113.
2. Vegas Golden Knights (21-7-5, +29. CF%: 18, xGF%: 7)
As a testament to how good the Knights have been, they’ve ranked in the top five every single week this season and ranked either first or second in 10 of the 12 editions of the NHL power rankings.
3. Boston Bruins (19-5-6, +20. CF%: 19, xGF%: 16)
At least all three of their most recent losses came in extra time, ensuring the Bruins earned the loser point. It’s worth noting, however, that the Bruins haven’t been nearly as dominant after October, going 11-5-5 since, ranking seventh in points percentage.
4. Vancouver Canucks (22-9-2, +44. CF%: 22, xGF%: 20)
The Canucks move into the top five for the first time since early November with only one regulation loss in December against the Devils, and they nearly stormed back from a 4-1 deficit. When the Canucks’ elite players are playing like elite players, they’re difficult to stop.
5. Winnipeg Jets (18-9-3, +20. CF%: 9, xGF%: 15)
It’s so strange the Jets’ only two losses this month are to the bottom-feeding San Jose Sharks and the Montreal Canadiens, but such is life in hockey. Otherwise, despite the loss of Kyle Connor, they’ve been excellent, thanks to their top line of Mark Scheifele between Nikolaj Ehlers, who’s (finally) getting the ice time he deserves, and Gabe Vilardi.
6. Los Angeles Kings (18-6-4, +33. CF%: 2, xGF%: 2)
I know it was the Sharks, but any time you can get a solid performance out of David Rittich, you’re probably a really good team. The Kings are 4-1-1 in their past six road games, with a home game against the Jets awkwardly sandwiched in between.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (16-7-6, +13. CF%: 16, xGF%: 18)
Without any consistency in net, the results are unsurprisingly inconsistent as well. With a 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Martin Jones era left as quickly as it came. If they can somehow remain at the top of the standings with Jones and Ilya Samsonov in net, it might be their reigning achievement all season.
8. Florida Panthers (18-11-2, +10. CF%: 3, xGF%: 5)
They’re stumbling with three losses in their last four games, including back-to-back 4-0 shutout losses. They have not been good on the road dating back to last season.
9. Dallas Stars (18-8-4, +12. CF%: 11, xGF%: 8)
Jake Oettinger was struggling even prior to his injury, but there's no doubt they take a step back with Scott Wedgewood and the other Matt Murray in net. The good news is Matt Duchene might end up being the best signing of the summer.
10. Colorado Avalanche (19-11-2, +16. CF%: 6, xGF%: 9)
I can’t remember a season with so many players calling out their own team’s putrid play, but Devon Toews’ recent comments stung. He is right, though – the Avs are not playing like a contender with already six losses in December, and the most recent loss to the lottery-bound Hawks might be the most shocking.
11. Philadelphia Flyers (18-10-3, +12. CF%: 14, xGF%: 6)
They’re 7-0-1 in December, and all of a sudden, Carter Hart and Samuel Ersson might be one of the best batteries in the game. The goals don’t always come easily, but they’ve got a variety of weapons, and they outwork their opponents nearly every single game. John Tortorella is an early Jack Adams candidate.
12. New Jersey Devils (16-12-2, -4. CF%: 5, xGF%: 4)
They’re still frustratingly lackadaisical sometimes. After winning five of six games, the Devils have now lost two straight, including a blowout 5-1 loss to the lowly Ducks and then blowing two one-goal leads to the Flyers on Tuesday.
13. New York Islanders (15-8-8, -4. CF%: 30, xGF%: 19)
The Islanders are somehow making it work – they’re really going to loser point their way to the playoffs, aren’t they? Underrated storyline of the season: Mathew Barzal scoring at a 90-point pace and working his way back to star status, thanks to some help from Bo Horvat.
14. Nashville Predators (18-14-0, +2. CF%: 21, xGF%: 12)
They’ve been incredibly streaky, but the good news is they’ve been winning streaks. They were 7-1-0 with a tough travel schedule, having two single home games sandwiched between two road games, before heading into Tuesday’s game against the Canucks.
15. Washington Capitals (15-9-4, -10. CF%: 28, xGF%: 25)
It’s still baffling that the Capitals are six games over .500 with a negative goal differential and Alex Ovechkin’s play falling off a cliff. They’re 5-5-2 over the past month, and once their goaltending stops bailing them out, all the stats – both raw and advanced – say the Caps will start faltering.
16. Carolina Hurricanes (17-12-3, +3. CF%: 1, xGF%: 3)
It sounds like it’s Pyotr Kochetkov or bust for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen should return in about a month, but with an emphasis on ‘should.’
17. Tampa Bay Lightning (15-13-5, -4. CF%: 13, xGF%: 21)
The Lightning have alternated wins and losses in seven straight games, and admittedly, they’re hard to gauge. The top-end talent is there, but the depth is spotty, and the goaltending has been shaky at times. This is the first season in recent memory where the Lightning seem particularly fragile.
18. Edmonton Oilers (13-15-1, -2. CF%: 4, xGF%: 1)
Has the new coaching bump worn off? The Oilers have lost three straight games with 15 goals allowed. Has anything really changed? Jack Campbell is not doing well in the minors, and the competition for quality goalies has heated up, with several teams dealing with injuries in their crease.
19. Pittsburgh Penguins (14-13-3, +3. CF%: 7, xGF%: 10)
The Pens keep cruising at around .500 despite being incredibly streaky. After five straight wins, they lost nine of their next 12, and now, they’ve won three of their last four. If the Pens want to make the playoffs, they must get hot at the right time.
20. Arizona Coyotes (16-13-2, +8. CF%: 26, xGF%: 22)
The Coyotes were a perfect 3-0-0 over the past week, including two shutout wins. They’re low-key one of the best teams at home in intimate Mullett Arena, but they’ll need to survive three of their next four games on the road, including a home-and-home series against the Avs. When the calendar flips, they can further solidify their playoff position with five straight home dates.
21. Minnesota Wild (13-13-4, -5. CF%: 12, xGF%: 14)
Maybe that loss in Pittsburgh when they didn’t start Marc-Andre Fleury was karma, but either way, the Wild are getting it done, even if it means going into extra time. They’re now 8-3-0 under John Hynes and play six of their next seven games at home, where they’re 7-4-2.
22. Detroit Red Wings (15-12-4, +11. CF%: 29, xGF%: 27)
If it’s not this injury, it’s that injury. The Wings have been one of the worst teams in December, with a 3-5-1 record and getting outshot 33.6 to 30.4 per game. When you don’t have good goaltending, that’s not a recipe for success.
23. Calgary Flames (13-14-5, -14. CF%: 10, xGF%: 11)
Kudos for victories against the Lightning and Panthers, but this team is just a tinderbox waiting to go up in flames. They’re on the verge of trading or losing half their defense and their top center, and highest-paid Flame Jonathan Huberdeau is on track to score 38 points. Thursday's game against the Ducks is a test; if the Flames win, it’d be the first time they’ve won three in a row all season.
24. St. Louis Blues (15-15-1, -16. CF%: 25, xGF%: 29)
The Blues still have a long way to go to turn around their season, coming out of a four-game losing streak that ultimately cost Craig Berube his job. Being .500 in the West, though, means you’re still in the wild-card race.
25. Montreal Canadiens (14-13-4, -19. CF%: 24, xGF%: 28)
Never mind the Habs only have six wins in regulation, the lowest in the league, and never mind that they’re still hovering around .500, which is the equivalent of hockey purgatory. The Habs are in a pretty good spot because they’re competitive most nights, and that’s quite an accomplishment looking at that roster.
26. Columbus Blue Jackets (11-17-5, -16. CF%: 27, xGF%: 30)
It feels like there’s definitely a “nobody believes in us” kind of vibe in Columbus that’s baked into their franchise. With captain Boone Jenner and Patrik Laine injured and Johnny Gaudreau struggling, they’re 3-2-0 in their last five and showcasing some really good offense.
27. Buffalo Sabres (13-17-3, -20. CF%: 15, xGF%: 23)
The 9-4 loss to the Jackets had Ralph Krueger vibes, which is, uh, not good at all. They’re still terrible in their own zone and can’t make clean exits, which is, in turn, hurting their offense.
28. San Jose Sharks (9-20-3, -61. CF%: 32, xGF%: 32)
The Sharks normalized a little through late November and early December, but they’re once again sinking with three straight losses. On the bright side, they’re no longer tracking to be the worst team ever in the cap era. It’s the little victories, you know.
29. Anaheim Ducks (12-19-0, -21. CF%: 23, xGF%: 26)
The Ducks won two straight to snap their five-game losing streak, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them go on a little run with eight straight home games coming up. There are no back-to-backs, so we might see Leo Carlsson play every game.
30. Seattle Kraken (10-14-9, -19. CF%: 8, xGF%: 13)
It’s strange to see a team with nearly as many overtime losses as wins this late in the season, but that’s what happens when you’re chasing the games early or blowing leads. For a team that lacks high-end talent, especially at center, going after middle-six wingers such as Tomas Tatar every chance they get is certainly a choice.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (10-20-1, -38. CF%: 31, xGF%: 31)
It took me just two clicks on the ‘Sim Lottery’ button on tankathon.com to get the first overall pick for the Hawks in 2024. That and Connor Bedard are probably the only two things that are entertaining about this team.
32. Ottawa Senators (11-16-0, -2. CF%: 20, xGF%: 24)
No coaching bump right away for the Sens, with Jacques Martin losing his debut against the Coyotes. Despite chasing Connor Ingram early, the Sens ended up blowing a 3-0 lead, getting outshot 38-22 and allowing three goals in 7:13 in the third period. Their five-game losing streak without a single point earned makes them the worst team in the NHL right now.
