December 7, 2023
By Tab Bamford
POWER RANKINGS
CHICAGO, IL — Thursday night gives us some exciting games as teams begin evaluating their needs for a playoff push. The headline-grabbing game will be in Detroit where the San Jose Sharks will be the first team to see Patrick Kane in a Red Wings sweater. While that might make some fans in Chicago feel ill, it’s a welcome addition to a hot team that’s opening eyes in the Eastern Conference.
The other game on the slate that’s intriguing will highlight the top two picks from the hyped 2023 draft class when Leo Carlsson and the Ducks visit Connor Bedard in Chicago. Both teams are struggling, but their first-year players are playing very well.
As we jump into our first rankings in December, let us know how you feel about your team right now.
And, as always, let us know what we got right and where we’re terribly wrong.
32. Chicago Blackhawks
Losers of four straight and now with the lowest point total in the league entering Thursday (15 – albeit with two games in-hand on San Jose), the learning curve of the young Blackhawks is being hindered by injuries and a contract termination.
31. Anaheim Ducks
Are we looking at the Ducks and Hawks in the top two spots in the draft again in 2024? Anaheim is in Chicago for Leo Carlsson vs. Connor Bedard on Thursday and come in just 1-9-0 in their last 10 games.
30. San Jose Sharks
How about a 5-4-1 last ten for the Sharks? They still “boast” a minus-54 goal differential through 26 games and are 2-11-0 on the road.
29. Seattle Kraken
Riding a five-game losing streak (including one in Chicago), the Kraken’s playoff buzz from last year is a distant memory. They now own the third-worst goal differential (minus-22) in the league.
28. Buffalo Sabres
They’ve got Tage Thompson back, but what about their mojo? Buffalo is 3-6-1 in their last 10 and have lost their last four straight.
27. Pittsburgh Penguins
The old guard doesn’t look good right now. The Pens have lost three in a row and are 3-4-3 in their last 10. Their plus-eight goal differential seems odd given their struggles of late.
26. Columbus Blue Jackets
At only 2-7-3 on the road this season, the Blue Jackets are struggling to find any consistency in their game. Recalling Kent Johnson may provide some boost to their offense.
25. Ottawa Senators
They’ve played the fewest games in the NHL entering Thursday (only 20) and are 6-4-0 in their last 10, so things are looking better for the Sens. But they’ve still only played five road games and it’s already early December.
24. Minnesota Wild
Winners of four straight, the Wild have “improved” to 4-4-2 in their last 10. Since the coaching change, they appear to have found some of the defensive effort that was lacking previously, but they have a big uphill climb to get back in the playoff picture.
23. Calgary Flames
Losers of two straight, the Flames have already moved Nikita Zadorov and others may follow him out of town. Will one of their goaltenders be the next piece on the trade block – when they’re healthy?
22. New York Islanders
The Isles are finding ways to get games to overtime, but aren’t finishing; they’re 5-1-4 in their last 10. Their 4-3-5 record on home ice isn’t great.
21. Edmonton Oilers
They’re climbing the standings and our rankings. Winners of five straight and now 7-3-0 in their last 10, it’s become clear a coaching change was desperately necessary in Edmonton.
20. New Jersey Devils
Will they get a bounce from their dramatic win in the Hughes Bowl? The Devils are getting healthy but are still only 5-5-0 in their last 10 and still need to solve their goaltending problem.
19. Montreal Canadiens
With a minus-17 goal differential in 25 games, the Habs are hanging around .500 every time we check their previous ten games. They’re only 6-7-1 at home.
18. Washington Capitals
This team might be exceeding some expectations overall, but Ovi’s production continues to be a concern. If he can get on a roll, they might be a factor in the wild card race. They’ll be in Chicago this weekend for our first Ovi vs. Bedard game.
17. St. Louis Blues
The Blues are 5-5-0 in their last 10 and have allowed Arizona – and now, Nashville – to hang around the playoff picture in the Central Division. This team has plenty of holes, but their goaltending appears to not be one of them right now.
16. Toronto Maple Leafs
With only a plus-two goal differential entering Thursday, their defensive issues may be a critical concern now that John Klingberg is done for the year. How soon will they look for outside help?
15. Carolina Hurricanes
To their credit, they didn’t give up 50 on Wednesday night. But their defense is supposed to be the strong suit in Carolina and it hasn’t been lately. They’re 6-8-0 on the road.
14. Nashville Predators
Riding a hot streak that has them 8-2-0 in their last 10, the Preds have seemingly figured out who they are and are playing well in Andrew Brunette’s system. The third spot in the Central might be up for grabs.
13. Arizona Coyotes
Beating the last five Stanley Cup winners in a row is a unique accomplishment, especially for the young Coyotes. They’re 6-3-1 in their last 10 and are now firmly in the conversation for a wildcard berth in the West.
12. Vegas Golden Knights
Wow is right! How is the team with a league-leading 39 points this low in our power rankings? Well, a 4-2-4 record in their last 10 has exposed some concerns. Their record is still strong, but their goal differential has slid to “only” a plus-25.
11. Philadelphia Flyers
This was supposed to be another rebuild year in Philly, right? They’re an impressive 7-4-1 on the road thus far and have a plus-four goal differential. They’ve won their last two.
10. Dallas Stars
Like Vegas, their issues are starting to impact their results. Dallas is just 4-4-2 in their last 10 games. The Stars have lost two in a row and are just 6-4-1 at home.
9. Tampa Bay Lightning
The highest-ranked team in our rankings with a negative goal differential (minus-four), the Bolts have had a few ugly scores lately. They’re only 4-7-2 away from home.
8. Vancouver Canucks
With the second-best goal differential in the league (plus-31), the Canucks are still playing well and have some big-time point producers in their lineup. But they’re only 4-6-0 in their last 10 games.
7. Florida Panthers
Their defense is getting healthy finally and the Panthers are in a good position with 32 points in 25 starts. They’re 8-4-0 at home.
6. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets have sprinted into the playoff race and have almost caught Dallas in second in the division thanks to a 7-3-0 run in their last 10 games. A team that had so many negative questions early in the year has been a really nice surprise.
5. Detroit Red Wings
The addition of Patrick Kane to a team that’s won three straight and seven of their last ten makes Detroit a scary proposition now. They have a plus-20 goal differential and are 8-3-2 at home. The Yzer-Plan is looking great.
4. Colorado Avalanche
The Avs have dominated at home (9-2-0) and have been able to do it without Cale Makar recently. As the rest of the Central struggles, the Avs continue to build a lead in the division with only Winnipeg pressuring them at this point.
3. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings now have the best goal differential in the league (plus-32 entering Thursday) and are a remarkable 10-0-0 on the road. Even with some other teams playing very well, the Kings appear to be the class of the West.
2. Boston Bruins
Winners of three straight and 6-3-1 in their last 10, the Bruins have been able to win games even while their head coach doesn’t like some elements of their overall game. They have a plus-22 goal differential through 24 games.
1. New York Rangers
At 7-3-0 in their last 10 and now 10-3-1 away from Madison Square Garden, the Rangers appear to have everything a team needs to win it all. They were able to survive without Adam Fox and look like a top team in the East.