January 3, 2023
By Tab Bamford

CHICAGO, IL — Happy New Year, hockey fans! The Winter Classic is now in our rearview mirror and we are now sprinting/limping/wandering towards the March 3 trade deadline.

There are going to be sellers, especially if you’ve paid any attention at all to what’s been going on at the World Juniors. Connor Bedard is simply reminding everyone in the hockey world that the prize at the end of a terrible season for one fan base is going to be a franchise-altering player.

So we’ll start our Power Rankings to begin the new year with the teams that are likely watching this WJC tournament with an eye on already drafted prospects and maybe Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson.

Please feel free to break in your new year with the resolution to only tell us what we got right this week. But we’ll also accept any thoughts on where we can improve for next week, as well.

32. Chicago Blackhawks

Just keep watching Canada in the World Juniors, Blackhawks fans. That and pray for the ping pong balls to bounce your way.

31. Montreal Canadiens

Losers of five straight and with a 2-7-1 record in their last 10, the Habs are down a minus-38 goal differential on the campaign. It’s sliding the wrong direction in Montreal.

30. Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks have a league-worst minus-67 goal differential and a 4-14-3 record on the road. They have some young players to build around but the mounting losses have to be frustrating.

29. Columbus Blue Jackets

Hey, the beat the Blackhawks on New Year’s Eve!

28. San Jose Sharks

Hey, the beat the Blackhawks on New Year’s Day!

27. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers are just 4-4-2 in their last 10 and that includes winning their last two games. Their minus-26 goal differential is bad; their 98 goals scored in 37 games isn’t good enough.

26. Arizona Coyotes

They’ve still only played 12 home games as the new year begins, so at some point that’s going to even out for them. And they get a date in Chicago at the end of this week, so they can look forward to that.

25. Nashville Predators

The Preds are 3-3-4 in their last 10 and are now wandering into selling waters as we start talking about the trade deadline. But what pieces do they have that would bring back any real value?

24. Detroit Red Wings

With a minus-seven goal differential and a 3-5-2 record in their last 10, the Wings are not playing as consistently as they were early in the season. They are 9-6-3 on their home ice, however.

23. St. Louis Blues

They have a stunning minus-21 goal differential and just put both Ryan O’Reilly and Vlad Tarasenko on IR. It’s been an up and down season for the Blues, but if ROR is going to miss most of the time between now and the deadline that complicates any hope for an impact trade to help the future.

22. Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks are a robust 5-5-0 in their last 10 and have a minus-14 goal differential. They still have so much young skill that you just scratch your head every time they throw a clunker and wonder when things are going to turn for the better.

21. Florida Panthers

This is the same team that won the Presidents’ Trophy last year... well, sort of. The changes they made to help them in the postseason last summer haven’t worked, and now one has to wonder if the playoffs even happen this year.

20. New Jersey Devils

Yeah, they’re near the top of the league in points. Yeah, they’ve got a nice plus-27 goal differential. But they’re 2-6-2 in their last 10 and need a spark to get things back on the rails because it’s been ugly for a couple weeks in Jersey.

19. Colorado Avalanche

Losers of four straight, the Avs might need to look around and try to find some help up front before the deadline because injuries have made a big dent in their plans to defend their title.

18. Ottawa Senators

Alex DeBrincat found his groove and the wins started coming. The Sens are 6-3-1 in their last ten and are up to a minus-four goal differential. We’re starting to see the incremental steps forward we’ve been told would come in Ottawa.

17. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Winter Classic was their fifth straight loss, which is obviously not ideal. The Pens are 4-4-2 in their last 10 and have some concerns about the depth on their blueline.

16. Edmonton Oilers

Another team with only four wins in their last ten starts, the Oilers continue to confound with a goal differential of only plus-nine. They’re 9-10-1 on home ice, which is not good enough.

15. Seattle Kraken

They’ll host next year’s Winter Classic, which is going to be awesome. But they’re just 4-5-1 in their last 10 and have a plus-six goal differential entering Tuesday’s action.

14. Buffalo Sabres

Yeah, they’re 18-15-2 overall. But the Sabres have a plus-20 goal differential and have run off a 7-2-1 record in their last 10. We’re on Tage Thompson watch every single night.

13. Calgary Flames

The Flames are just 5-2-3 in their last 10 and have a plus-two goal differential but are 11-7-2 at home. Their division is wide open if the Flames want to make a run in January.

12. New York Islanders

The ups and downs of the Isles continue. They’re 4-4-2 in their last 10 and back to just a plus-16 goal differential. This team has been really good at times... and really average at others. Will they make a big play at the deadline to change their trajectory?

11. Minnesota Wild

With an 8-2-0 record in their last 10, the Wild have sprinted back into the mix in the Central Division while the bottom half falls apart at the seams. They’re over .500 at home and on the road.

10. Winnipeg Jets

They’re just 5-5-0 in their last 10 and have a plus-23 goal differential. Again, the Central is begging for someone to want to win it and the top three spots are getting competitive.

9. Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas gets bumped down because of their last ten starts not being great. But they still have a plus-20 goal differential and are still a great road team right now.

8. Los Angeles Kings

How do the Kings, who are 6-2-2 in their last 10 and 21-13-6 overall, have a minus-six goal differential? The Kings are another team that feels like they might be one piece away from making noise in May and June.

7. Washington Capitals

The Caps are 12-5-2 on home ice and have been on a role since Ovi made history. They’re 8-1-1 in their last 10 and are climbing the division quickly.

6. New York Rangers

With a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 and a plus-17 goal differential, the Rangers are doing the right things. But a couple young, recent top picks getting scratched has raised eyebrows recently. Will they swing big for a deep run in the playoffs?

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

They’re in Chicago tonight so Tampa’s goal differential might be closer to plus-30 than its current plus-24 when we wake up on Wednesday. They’re 8-2-0 in their last 10 and winners of three in a row.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

They’ve been great at home (13-2-3) and have a strong plus-31 goal differential. They’ve been great in spite of significant injuries and a mess on the blue line. Can they settle in and make a run into the playoffs or do they need to add?

3. Dallas Stars

They’re the kings of the mediocre Central Division right now with a plus-33 goal differential (second-best in the NHL). This team is legit and has won four straight.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

They’ve won 11 in a row and somehow stick at the second spot in our Power Rankings. It’s hard time to be a great team in the NHL these days because there’s a wagon in front and it ain’t slowing down.

1. Boston Bruins

Their comeback in the Winter Classic simply confirmed they don’t know how to lose at home, whether that’s their usual home or Fenway Park. Zero (Z-E-R-O) regulation home losses and it’s Jan. 3. Let that sink in. They haven’t lost a regulation game in their last 10 either.