NHL Power Rankings: 1996... so hot right now

Power Rankings are back! I will be tackling Power Rankings every week, so kick off your weekend every Friday with the latest version of how I see the league. I’m starting it off with just kind of where everyone is at to this point in the season, but starting next week each team’s recent performance (how they did that week in particular) will weigh into how they are ranked.

So with that, let’s get it started.

1. Colorado Avalanche (37-10-4)

I’ve watched a lot of Avalanche hockey in my life. Like, A LOT. I’m not sure if I’m ready to say this is the best Avs team ever yet, the playoffs will dictate that but this may be the best, and most consistent I’ve ever seen this organization play. They lead the West by 12 points as I write this on February 24.

2. Florida Panthers (35-11-5)

They had a surprisingly good season last year, so it wasn’t unexpected by any means for them to be a top team in the East this year, but their ability to maintain such a high level, even with some significant off-ice distractions earlier in the year has been impressive. Avs and Cats at 1 and 2…is it 1996?

3. Tampa Bay Lightning (33-11-6)

This team really seems like it has figured out the formula. Which like, pretty obvious thing to say about back-to-back Champs, but they just seem to embody the term “even-keel” as they ride the ups and downs better than anyone right now.

4. Calgary Flames (30-13-6)

I’ve thought they were pretenders all year, but they just keep chugging along. A really solid roster, great goaltending, and a group that seems fully bought in. Now add in Tyler Toffoli, easy to see why they just rattled off 10 straight.

5. Carolina Hurricanes (35-11-4)

Talk about quietly rolling along. This is definitely the best team that nobody is talking about (ok, people talk about them, but not as much as they should). They remind me a lot of the Avalanche in terms of how they’ve been building for years and look poised to try and make this their year.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs (32-14-4)

I’m not gonna sit here and gush over Kyle Dubas, but I liked that deal for them. Unload a contract that has term in order to bolster your roster in a position of need immediately. Everyone knows how talented this team is, but they’ve gotta put it all together. They also absolutely NEED Jack Campbell to get back to his early-season form.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (31-13-8)

HOW?! How is this team still *this* good? They lost in the Finals back in 2008, and have seemingly been in the championship conversation ever since. It speaks to the greatness of Sid (congrats on 500 goals) and Malkin, now that they’re back in the lineup they have this team back up there with the best teams in the league.

8. Minnesota Wild (31-14-3)

I’ve been writing them off for two seasons now, and they just keep proving me wrong. I still have serious doubts about this team seeing as almost everyone is having a career year and that’s tough to sustain, but they seem very motivated to make a run at this thing before cap hell starts next year.

9. New York Rangers (32-13-5)

Something something Igor Shesterkin. This is a good, up-and-coming team, being propped ALL the way up by truly elite goaltending. I’m going to be really interested to see what they do at the deadline.

10. Washington Capitals (28-15-9)

They need to figure out their goaltending. It looked like they had two really promising rookies ready to take over, and they still ultimately might, but this team is still in a championship window in my opinion and what they’ve got going in net right now just won’t cut it.

11. Boston Bruins (29-17-4)

They’re finally pretty much all caught up on games played, and while I’m still pretty positive they won’t be able to catch the top three in their division, they’ve made a nice little surge. The Bruins’ core looks like this may be the last real kick at the can.

12. St. Louis Blues (30-14-6)

They’re starting to remind me of 2000s Blues teams. Really solid, hard to play against, but nothing special. They just don’t have a true X-factor, someone that nobody can match. Another team to watch as we approach the March 21 trade deadline.

13. Los Angeles Kings (27-17-7)

The Kings made a bunch of moves in the offseason to expedite the rebuild. It’s working, to an extent, and they find themselves in what has become a surprisingly competitive race in the Pacific Division. Also, does Jonathan quick have MJ’s secret stuff in that water bottle?

14. Anaheim Ducks (25-19-9)

I’m putting these two California teams here because I’ve just been so impressed with the effort this year. The Ducks aren’t as good of a team as a lot of the teams around them in the standings right now, but they are fighting tooth and nail for every inch and I love watching teams like that.

15. Nashville Predators (29-18-4)

These guys have cooled off a bit, eh? Still an impressive season so far, and their top guys are finally contributing the way they had hoped, but I still just think it’s going to take more than Sarros to get them anywhere meaningful.

16. Vegas Golden Knights (29-18-4)

A little low on this list maybe, but look.. this team is supposed to be one of the top teams in the league, they made the biggest NHL trade in maybe the last 10 years (and the subsequent sketchy-ass little move to circumvent the cap), and yet they’re only three points from being on the outside looking in. I don’t think they’ll miss the playoffs, and I think they’ll go deep, but for a team that just put (arguably) their best player on the shelf for the remainder of the season, they’re a long way off from putting it on cruise control.

17. Dallas Stars (28-20-2)

I can’t figure out what this team is, and I don’t necessarily think they know either. Win five, lose six, win four, lose three, and so on. The Stars made some lofty wagers after a miracle run to the Finals and so far this season it looks like Joe Pavelski is the only one that’s paying off for them.

18. Vancouver Cancucks (24-22-6)

I remember talking to a member of Vancouver media in the press box earlier this season when the ‘Nucks made a trip to Denver, and he said to me that the team had all but completely disengaged from then-coach Travis Green. I think Vancouver waited a few weeks too long to make a change, they’ve been a different team since Bruce Boudreau arrived.

19. Detroit Red Wings (23-23-6)

This Mo Seider kid… I’m not usually in the business of paying a ton of compliments to this organization, but this kid is legit.

20. Edmonton Oilers (28-20-3)

Am I saying Connor McDavid is the problem? Absolutely not, the guy is unbelievable. What I am saying is that this organization has seemed to try and deploy the “give the puck to him and hope for good things to happen” game plan, and I think they need to make sweeping systematic changes to find any real success.

21. Winnipeg Jets (22-20-9)

This is the point of the list where you start questioning what teams will do come the deadline. I don’t think the Jets are ready to go full seller mode, but you’ve gotta start having those conversations internally given how this season has gone.

22. San Jose Sharks (22-22-6)

The season started so promisingly before settling in to about what you would expect. Was it enough to give them a false sense of where they’re at, and how will that impact the decisions they make between now and this summer’s free agency? SJ will be an interesting one to watch. 

23. Columbus Blue Jackets (26-23-1)

This is one of the few teams in sports who can truly say they went “all in” for a championship a couple of years ago. They mortgaged a lot for ONE run at the Stanley Cup. It didn’t work out, and now they are feeling the effects.

24. New York Islanders (19-20-17)

I just kept waiting for them to turn it around and get back in the playoff hunt. That ship has sailed, and now it’s a matter of acquiring assets. Old friend Semyon Varlamov is going to be a name to keep an eye on.

25. Montreal Canadiens (12-33-7)

I know, I know… they have 12 wins. But they’ve put together four in a row and I really like what Martin St. Louis is doing behind the bench. The Habs are absolutely in “seller” mode.

26. Philadelphia Flyers (15-26-10)

I think the Claude Giroux situation is a massive cloud over the Flyers organization right now. I really feel like they would like to keep him, but know it’s time to move on. I think once that saga is over, they’ll really start to find their way again.

27. Ottawa Senators (19-26-5)

I respect that they are rebuilding in such a deliberate way, but it just doesn’t feel like they’re making any large steps forward. Tons of very promising young guys, but they don’t have many super valuable pieces they can use to bring in more assets. 

28. Buffalo Sabres (16-28-8)

They made the Jack Eichel trade earlier this season, and I think they’re going to try and pull off a few more deals. I hope for the sake of Buffalo fans that this will finally kick off a proper rebuild.

29. Chicago Blackhawks (18-26-8)

Maybe the team I am most interested in at the deadline. The front office has made it known that they are open for business, and there are quite a few intriguing names on that roster.

30. Arizona Coyotes (13-34-4)

The Coyotes have EIGHT PICKS in the first two rounds at the year’s draft, and they’ve already started to sell off whatever they have left. Expect them to be busy over the next month.

31. New Jersey Devils (17-28-5)

Luke Hughes scored a nasty goal for Michigan this past week, probably the highlight of the last six weeks for the Devils organization.

32. Seattle Kraken (16-33-4)

They botched the expansion draft so spectacularly, let’s see if they can redeem themselves at the franchise’s first trade deadline.