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NHL Power Rankings: Every Team From Worst to First. Read NHL Power Rankings: Every Team From Worst to First
NHL Power Rankings: Every Team From Worst to First
Week 3 of the NHL season is in the books, and it is time to update our power rankings. Who has gotten off to an impressive start? Which teams are free-falling in our rankings? Let us know where we went wrong in the comments!
Note – All Statistics/Records are Updated as of Monday, 10/27 AM
No. 32- Calgary Flames
The Flames were able to snap their losing skid on Sunday evening with a victory over the Rangers, but they still sit at the bottom of our power rankings. Through three weeks of action, the Flames sit with just five total points, the fewest in the sport.
Their offense has found the back of the net just 21 times, and their defense has surrendered a hefty 35 goals.
No. 31 - San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have tallied just six points but have been far more impressive than the Flames, especially when looking at the scoring production. This week, the Sharks scored 16 goals in four games and tallied at least six goals in both of their victories.
While their goaltending remains suspect, Macklin Celebrini looks like a budding superstar, scoring six goals and adding nine helpers through the first nine games of the campaign.
No. 30 - St. Louis Blues
The Blues had a disappointing week and took a stark drop in our rankings. After going 2-1 last week, the Blues went 0-2-1 this past week and allowed a high 15 goals during this stretch. They earned a point on Tuesday in the overtime loss to the Kings, but fell in regulation to the Mammoth and the Red Wings.
Jordan Binnington’s rough season continued as he enters Week 4 holding .872% SV%.
No. 29 - Boston Bruins
Their hot start is way behind the Bruins now. This week, the Bruins saw their slump continue, picking up just one victory over three games. Since October 13, the Bruins have won just one game. Outside of David Pastrnak (who enters Week 4 with 13 points), they have struggled to generate consistent offense.
Goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman has also allowed three or more goals in three of his last four starts.
No. 28 - Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres had a solid week, picking up two victories and two losses, with one of them coming in overtime at the hands of the Leafs. Their lone regulation loss was to the Montreal Canadiens, who are emerging as legit contenders in the Eastern Conference. In their other three game, they took care of the Red Wings and Leafs in regulation before falling to the Leafs on Saturday (in overtime).
Tage Thompson remains the engine of the offense, scoring four goals and adding four helpers through nine games.
No. 27 - New York Rangers
The Rangers are falling down our rankings. This week, the Blue Shirts went 0-2-1 and dropped their final game of the week to the Flames, who hold the bottom spot on our rankings. Their offense has been very slow through the opening month, scoring just 22 goals, the second-lowest total in the sport.
Goaltender Igor Shesterkin remains the only bright spot, holding a stellar .916% SV% and a 2.25 GAA despite his 2-4-1 record.
No. 26 - Tampa Bay Lightning
Do must-win games exist in October? Probably not, but this was a critical week for the Lightning. After losing six of their first seven games, the Lightning picked up two massive victories to close out the week. On Saturday, the Lightning defeated the Ducks 4-3 and then picked up another win on Sunday, defeating the Golden Knights 2-1 in OT.
Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up his first victory in this contest, stopping 18 of the 19 shots he saw.
No. 25 - Minnesota Wild
The Wild continued to slump this week. After picking up a victory on Monday over the Rangers, they lost their last three games, but were able to escape with a loser point in their loss to the Sharks on Sunday night.
They currently sit 29th in the league in total points, but showed elite offensive prowess in the opening week and should be poised to bounce back. Since tallying nine points in his first four games, Kirill Kaprizov has tallied just five points (one goal) over his last six.
No. 24 - Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets enter the new week holding a 4-4 record. They had a Jekyll and Hyde type of week as they picked up a demanding 5-1 victory over the Stars on Tuesday, but then fell to the same score against the Washington Capitals. On Saturday, they nearly defeated the Penguins in regulation but blew a two-goal lead in the final minutes. However, they rallied for a shootout victory.
Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov have led the offensive attack, combining for 10 goals and 18 points.
No. 23 - Philadelphia Flyers
After a tough start to the season, the Flyers found their footing. They opened the week with a demanding victory over the Kraken (5-2) before losing in a close 2-1 game to the Ottawa Senators. However, they rebounded well on Saturday, defeating the Islanders in a shootout.
Trevor Zegras was able to score his first two goals as a Flyer on Saturday. The Philadelphia offense will need Zegras to return to his 20-goal potential for them to remain in the Wild Card race.
No. 22 - Ottawa Senators
The Senators needed a big week, and they got it. After starting the season with just two victories in two weeks, the Senators posted a 2-0-1 record this past week. During this three-game stretch, they picked up two regulation victories over the Flyers and the Capitals. They enjoyed their best showing on Saturday, defeating the Capitals 7-1.
Linus Ullmark has allowed just one goal in each of his past two starts, which is a very promising sign for this club.
No. 21 - Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks will enter the new week sitting with a modest 5-5 record. They took a bit of a drop in the rankings, due to their disappointing 1-3 showing this week. The lone victory came on Sunday when they defeated the Oilers in Vancouver in overtime.
Connor Garland is quietly leading the offense with three goals and five helpers through 10 games.
No. 20 - Toronto Maple Leafs
After dropping their first two games of the week in regulation (to the Devils and the Sabers), the Leafs picked up a much-needed victory on Saturday against those same Sabers in overtime. They now sit at 4-4-1. Their goaltending has been a significant concern throughout the opening month as Anthony Stolarz sits with a hefty 3.31 GAA and an .885% SV%.
With Joseph Woll on long-term IR, Stolarz will need to flip the script for this team to be viewed as serious contenders.
No. 19 - Anaheim Ducks
After losing all three of their games last week (with just one loser point), the Ducks bounced back this past week, going 2-1. Both of their victories came in regulation, against the Predators and the Bruins. While goaltender Lukas Dostal has been shaky in the starter’s role, the offense has led the way.
Former second overall pick Leo Carlsson holds nine points, which is tied alongside Troy Terry for the most on the roster.
No. 18 - Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks only played in two games this week and went 1-1. Their first game was in Tampa Bay, where they defeated the Lightning by a score of 3-2. On Sunday, they fell to the Kings on their ice, 3-1.
They continue to hold their own in the Western Conference and are quietly emerging from their lengthy rebuild. Both Frank Nazar and Connor Bedard have enjoyed a productive start to the season, combining for seven goals and 17 points (in 18 total games played). Netminder Spencer Knight continues to stay hot in the crease, boasting a .937% SV%.
No. 17 - New York Islanders
After a slow start, the Islanders have begun to find their footing. After a productive showing last week, the Islanders went 2-0-1 this week, with their lone defeat coming in a shootout against the Flyers. In their two victories, they outscored their opponents 11-5. Over his last five games, center Bo Horvat has found the back of the net five times.
The first overall pick, Matthew Schafer, has yet to slow down, tallying seven points and nine blocks through eight games.
No. 16 - Nashville Predators
The Predators remain in the middle of the pack, carrying a 4-4-2 record into Week 4. They followed a similar trend this week, going 2-2 across their four games. Their offense remains suspect, as they have scored more than two goals in only one of these contests.
However, goaltender Juuse Saros is beginning to turn the corner. After holding a high 3.91 GAA from October 16 through October 21, Saros has posted a strong 2.40 GAA over his last two games.
No. 15 - Dallas Stars
The Stars began to find their footing during the second half of the week, after dropping their first two games. Entering Week 4, Dallas carries a 5-3-1 record and is slowly climbing to the top of the Western Conference. They picked up an impressive victory on Saturday over the Eastern heavyweights, the Carolina Hurricanes.
While they have begun to take strides forward, Jake Oettinger will need to find his footing if this team wants to make a serious run. Through seven games, Oettinger is on pace to post a career-low in SV% (.899%)
No. 14 - Los Angeles Kings
The Kings enjoyed a strong week and continue to climb the rankings. Through four games, the Kings picked up three victories and picked up an additional point during their shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday evening. Through three weeks, the Kings hold a solid 4-3-3 record and continue to pick up points consistently.
Adrian Kempe has needed a stellar start to the campaign, tallying a team-high 13 points through 10 games played.
No. 13- Florida Panthers
The Panthers saw their slump continue in the early part of the week but picked up a massive 3-0 victory over the Golden Knights to snap their skid. Overall, this week, they went 2-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Penguins. Despite numerous injuries on their roster, the Panthers continue to hold their own in the East with a 5-5 record.
Expect this team to continue to improve as the season progresses.
No. 12 - Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers went 2-2 this past week, with both victories coming against Eastern Conference clubs. However, with both losses coming against Western teams (Canucks and the Kraken), they took a bit of a fall in the league standings and our rankings.
Their offence remains above average, but goaltending is once again a major question for this team. While they have overcome it in the past, their 32 goals allowed is currently the ninth-most in the sport. Stuart Skinner has won just one of his last four starts. On offense, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have all hit the double-digit point mark.
No. 11 - Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings had a rough start to the week, falling to the Sabres and Islanders in regulation. However, they found their footing on Saturday with a 6-4 victory over the Blues. Through the first nine games, they hold a strong 6-3 record and sit near the top of the Atlantic Division.
Their captain, Dylan Larkin, has already scored six goals and is tied for a team-high in points (with seven).
No. 10 - Seattle Kraken
The Kraken lost their first two regular games on Monday and Tuesday but rebounded quite nicely, as competing teams do. On Thursday and Sunday, they defeated the Winnipeg Jets and the Edmonton Oilers to hold second place in the Pacific Division.
Joey Daccord has put himself as a dark horse for the Vezina as he enters the new week carrying a dominant 2.8 GAA and a .915% SV%.
No. 9 - Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are once again viewed as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. They began the week, picking up two dominant victories over the Kraken and the Blue Jackets. While they fell to the Senators on Saturday evening, they still have a 6-3 record and hold a solid +6 GD.
Tom Wilson is off to a tremendous start, tallying a team-high 11 points.
No. 8- Winnipeg Jets
Despite entering Week 4 with an impressive 6-3 record, they sit third in the division, as the Mammoth and Avalanche (more on them later) have been even more dominant in the early part of the campaign. This week, the Jets picked up two victories, both against the Flames, but fell to the Mammoth and the Kraken in regulation.
Center Mark Scheifele continues to be a threat in the scoring department, tallying eight goals, which is tied along with Shane Pinto and Jack Hughes for the most in the sport.
No. 7 - Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins continued to roll this past week and emerged as sneaky contenders in the Eastern Conference. Since losing in regulation to the Anaheim Ducks last week, the Penguins have yet to lose a game in regulation and have posted an impressive 4-0-1 record during this stretch.
This week, they went 2-0-1 with their lone loss coming against the Blue Jackets in a shootout. Entering Monday, Evgeni Malkin leads the entire sport in assists (12).
No. 6 - Vegas Golden Knights
No Mark Stone? No problem. Without their top winger, the Golden Knights continued their stellar start to the campaign, going 1-1-1 this past week. Their victory came against the Hurricanes, and they were able to sneak out a loser point against the Lightning on Sunday.
Jack Eichel is an early-season favorite for the Hart Trophy as he scored six goals and tacked on 10 helpers through nine games. Left wing Pavel Dorofeyev has continued to find the back of the net, racking up seven goals through nine games.
No. 5 - Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes faced adversity earlier in the week, falling to the Golden Knights in regulation on Monday, but rebounded on Thursday with a win over the Avalanche. However, their Western trip ended with a regulation loss to the Stars on Saturday.
Even though they picked up their first two regulation losses of the campaign, the Hurricanes sit with a 6-2 record and remain one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Right-wing Seth Jarvis saw his seven-game point streak come to an end, but he remains on pace to smash his previous career totals as he has netted seven goals in just eight games.
No. 4 - Utah Mammoth
The early-season darlings have yet to slow down. The Utah Mammoth look quite comfortable in their new home, currently sitting second in the league in points. This week, the Mammoth went a perfect 4-0 and only needed to go to overtime in one of their games.
Since dropping the season opener to the Avalanche, they have lost just one game and picked up eight victories. Nick Schmaltz is currently tied with Jack Eichel for the most points in the sport (16) and has scored seven goals, which is the second-most in the league.
No. 3 - Colorado Avalanche
The Avlanche weren’t able to get in the win column this week but were able to escape with three crucial “loser” points. During these four games, they allowed a high 16 goals while scoring just 12. Scott Wedgewood has continued to see most of the starts in the crease, but will likely be shifted to the No. 2 role as Mackenzie Blackwood is nearing a return.
Martin Necas has looked quite comfortable playing alongside Nathan MacKinnon, tallying at least one point in all but two games.
No. 2- Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are legit contenders in the Eastern Conference. Entering Monday, they sit at the top of the Atlantic Division with a 7-3 record. This week, they went 3-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Oilers in a close 6-5 loss.
Nick Suzuki has emerged as a legit Hart Trophy candidate, tallying 13 points in just 11 games while posting a stellar +7 rating.
No. 1 - New Jersey Devils
We have a new No. 1. Since dropping the season opener, the New Jersey Devils have racked up eight-straight victories and have entered the new week with an 8-1 record. This week, three of their four wins came in regulation, with their one overtime victory coming against the Avalanche on Sunday.
Jack Hughes scored two more goals on Sunday and has tallied 12 total points through nine games. He is tied alongside Scheifele and Pinto for the most in the NHL.
