NHL Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's hockey editors.
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1. Carolina Hurricanes (8-2-1)
Previous: 1
Fittingly for a team coached by Rod "The Bod" Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes are showing no signs of a Stanley Cup hangover, even with Seth Jarvis out to begin the season while recovering from shoulder surgery and Jordan Staal tearing his calf Oct. 11.
2. Vegas Golden Knights (8-3-0)
Previous: 6
Much of the noise around the Golden Knights this offseason involved their decision to let go of John Tortorella, but replacement Ryan Craig is quietly doing a terrific job. His club is tied for the second-best goal differential in the league.
3. Edmonton Oilers (7-1-1)
Previous: 11
The Oilers have essentially been without a second line. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Savoie have yet to suit up, while Zach Hyman has made just three appearances. It doesn't seem to matter when the top line featuring Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Vasily Podkolzin is clicking like this.
4. Boston Bruins (7-2-1)
Previous: 15
The Bruins are defying yet another offseason of predictions forecasting their demise. Jeremy Swayman is the early Vezina Trophy favorite, and a new wave of contributors in Fraser Minten, JJ Peterka, and James Hagens are making a real difference for an offense that needed to improve.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-2-0)
Previous: 7
The Lightning remain a well-oiled machine, ranking fifth with 55.2% expected goals for. It's definitely a new era for Tampa Bay, as captain Victor Hedman has played over 17 minutes only twice through nine games.
6. Colorado Avalanche (5-4-1)
Previous: 2
Nathan MacKinnon has gotten more attention for his fights than his scoring, yet he's still tied for sixth in the NHL with 16 points. The Avalanche reshaped their depth, and the returns are promising so far. Their goaltending has been much shakier than last season, however, and will be something to monitor.
7. Minnesota Wild (6-2-2)
Previous: 5
Kirill Kaprizov looks like a Hart finalist, and Quinn Hughes' uncertain future hasn't stopped him from being a top producer. The Wild are managing a spate of injuries on defense, most notably Brock Faber's indefinite absence due to a fractured skull.
8. Utah Mammoth (7-3-0)
Previous: 12
The Mammoth are the league's third-ranked team in expected goals share and are fifth in goals per game. Goaltending, as expected, has been Utah's weak point. If one of the club's netminders gets hot, the Mammoth could develop into a force to be reckoned with.
9. Florida Panthers (5-2-2)
Previous: 3
Remember when Brady Tkachuk had no points in his first five games in Florida? He's returning to Ottawa in red-hot form with six goals and 10 points in his last four games. The Panthers have combined for four hat tricks in their last three contests.
10. Dallas Stars (5-3-1)
Previous: 4
Dallas is bringing back the dead-puck era, scoring 2.44 goals per game and allowing only 1.56. Jake Oettinger already has three shutouts; no other team has more than one.
11. Ottawa Senators (6-3-0)
Previous: 14
The Senators' stellar start is even more impressive when you consider they've largely been without their best defense pairing. Jake Sanderson was injured in the season opener, and Artem Zub has appeared in two games.
12. Washington Capitals (5-4-0)
Previous: 9
The Capitals' deep forward corps is winning them games, but Washington needs to improve upon its 25th-ranked expected goals against rate in order to be an Eastern Conference contender.
13. Montreal Canadiens (4-3-2)
Previous: 8
Jakub Dobes allowed 20 goals across his last four starts, all resulting in losses. Jacob Fowler has a real opportunity to seize the crease in Montreal.
14. Buffalo Sabres (4-3-2)
Previous: 10
The Sabres are a respectable 4-3-2 despite their putrid special teams and a tough early schedule. Buffalo's power play ranks 31st in the NHL, and the penalty kill is 30th. A returning Rasmus Dahlin will be a massive boost to both.
15. New York Rangers (7-3-1)
Previous: 19
The Rangers appeared poised to fly up our rankings, but losing Igor Shesterkin for the season is simply too glaring to ignore. Although the club's gone 3-1-1 since losing its star goaltender, two of those wins came against the Canucks and Ducks, and one of those losses was a seven-goal shellacking by the rival Devils.
16. Winnipeg Jets (4-3-2)
Previous: 29
The Jets have been one of the league's most pleasant surprises, playing inspired hockey after an offseason full of drama. How Winnipeg navigates the reignited Connor Hellebuyck hoopla once his suspension ends may determine the course of its season.
17. New Jersey Devils (5-4-0)
Previous: 16
The Devils lead the NHL with a 60.3% expected goals share, yet they're converting at a subpar rate and their goaltending remains dreadful. It's hard to take New Jersey seriously unless the goaltending improves drastically.
18. Anaheim Ducks (4-5-0)
Previous: 18
Questions around the Ducks' defensive depth remain, but it's been promising so far. Tristan Luneau leads the team in five-on-five minutes and looks like the $7.2-million defenseman Anaheim signed him to be after only 14 NHL games.
19. Toronto Maple Leafs (5-4-2)
Previous: 13
On the bright side, Auston Matthews appears to have regained his elite form after back-to-back subpar seasons. However, the Maple Leafs' creaky blue line looks like it could be bad enough to keep them out of the playoffs for the second straight year.
20. San Jose Sharks (5-4-1)
Previous: 17
The Sharks don't quite seem ready to take the step into contention that many expected from them this season. Macklin Celebrini is carrying too much of the load up front, and San Jose's investment into multiple mediocre defenders over the summer has resulted in a club struggling to keep the puck out of its own net.
21. Seattle Kraken (6-3-1)
Previous: 30
Seattle avoided a three-game skid Tuesday against the Red Wings and is now a surprising 6-3-1. The underlying numbers aren't incredible, but the Kraken are getting early results in a division where a playoff spot is up for grabs.
22. New York Islanders (5-3-1)
Previous: 24
There's the Islanders with Matthew Schaefer on the ice, and then there's the Islanders for the other 35 minutes. New York's depth will be tested without forwards Matias Maccelli and Calum Ritchie for the next few weeks, and Mathew Barzal is still out, too.
23. Nashville Predators (3-2-3)
Previous: 26
Nashville, as expected, is right in the mushy middle of the standings. The Predators have to be encouraged by the play of their aging core - Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Ryan O'Reilly are their top four scorers - but it's fair to wonder how far this group of vets can take them.
24. St. Louis Blues (4-4-1)
Previous: 23
The good: Mason McTavish has a point in seven of nine games, and Joel Hofer is the clear No. 1 goaltender. The bad: The Blues still look incredibly mid, and Jordan Binnington is ruining his trade value with an .831 save percentage.
25. Detroit Red Wings (3-3-3)
Previous: 27
The vibes around the Red Wings are still very weird with Dylan Larkin playing more than 20 minutes per game despite an active trade request and Simon Edvinsson remaining unsigned. At least interim general manager Shawn Horcoff was able to lock up Alex DeBrincat.
26. Columbus Blue Jackets (3-5-0)
Previous: 25
Rick Bowness has made it abundantly clear that he's not happy with the Blue Jackets' play. He has a point: Columbus ranks 29th in goals per game and 20th in expected goals share. The club has plenty riding on this season, namely Zach Werenski's future in Ohio. If the Blue Jackets don't turn things around soon, the noise will only get louder.
27. Pittsburgh Penguins (3-6-1)
Previous: 22
The Penguins were an elite goal-scoring team last season, and they've actually maintained similar form. The issue is that they're allowing 3.7 goals per game. Arturs Silovs has an .866 save percentage, and while rookie Sergei Murashov has been slightly better, he's still looking for his first win of the year.
28. Chicago Blackhawks (3-6-0)
Previous: 28
Connor Bedard's early return provided a welcome boost after a 1-5 start. Meanwhile, Patrick Kane's return is unfolding as anticipated: He's got five points and a league-worst minus-11 rating.
29. Los Angeles Kings (1-4-2)
Previous: 21
The Kings' start has been a certifiable disaster. They were the last team to win a game, doing so under a new coach after making the playoffs last season. Even worse, a team that has Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe, and Quinton Byfield in its top six somehow only mustered 12 goals in the first six games. A breakout could be in store after a five-goal effort Tuesday night.
30. Philadelphia Flyers (2-6-3)
Previous: 20
After a franchise-worst nine losses to begin the season, Philadelphia managed consecutive wins against the Senators and Avalanche. The Flyers still have a lot of work to do to climb out of their hole, and they'll need to be carried by the likes of Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov, and Porter Martone.
31. Vancouver Canucks (2-8-1)
Previous: 32
After a wild start, Vancouver's sunk back down to its expected level. The Canucks have lost eight straight and have already given up 51 goals. The silver lining is that Elias Pettersson looks engaged and has been productive.
32. Calgary Flames (2-6-0)
Previous: 31
The Flames sit last in the NHL, but at least they have one more win than the Los Angeles Kings. It's all about garnering the best odds of winning the draft lottery for Calgary.
Stats from HockeyStats
