NHL Power Rankings 2023-24: New York Rangers fall while all bets are now on Vegas Golden Knights (2024)

About 30% of the NHL season is in the books already, and we updated this week’s NHL power rankings to reflect on the performances of all 32 teams thus far in December. Considering the holiday break is fast approaching, a lot is happening with the league right now, with suspensions and injuries starting to take their toll on clubs fighting for playoff positioning.

So, here are the latest rankings of all 32 teams, featuring the good, the bad, and the ugly.

32. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are playing the worst hockey of any NHL team, with just one win in their last ten games. They are just 5-13-0 since the start of November. If a handful of other clubs didn’t have poor starts, the Ducks would be sitting in the league’s basem*nt.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Despite the off-ice scandals plaguing this Original Six franchise, the Chicago Blackhawks are stumbling through their schedule, which has produced a 2-4-1 record in December. Unsurprisingly, the kids in the lineup, led by Connor Bedard (24 points), are entertaining in their games, but each loss comes with growing pains.

30. Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames may be the most interesting team in the league, and that’s not because they win hockey games regularly or because they have superstars who create highlight-reel plays. The Flames lack direction and continue to ignore the roster’s apparent problems, hoping to stay in the wildcard race will keep the fanbase happy.

29. Seattle Kraken

As previously mentioned, the Seattle Kraken is one of the most disappointing teams thus far in 2023-24. After getting the fans’ hopes up for a lengthy playoff run after last season’s performance, the Kraken is closer to winning the Draft Lottery than contending for a wild card spot. Moreover, they continue to have the third-worst goal differential at minus-27.

28. St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues are gambling with their future playoff aspirations while riding a four-game losing streak. They are not doing themselves any favors with a 5-10-0 record over their last 15 games, resulting in Stanley Cup winner Craig Berube being fired on Tuesday.

27. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets remain mediocre and are just 2-3-1 in December, the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Besides losing their captain Boone Jenner to injury for two months, the club is 2-8-3 on the road, the worst record for any team outside their home arena.

26. Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes may have a 13-13-2 record, but they are now on a four-game losing streak after a five-game winning streak. This is their fourth streak of at least two losses in a row this season, so they remain a fringe wild card team that may not make the cut in the end.

25. Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are just 3-3 in December and rank 29th in the NHL standings. They were projected to be a playoff contender, but with just 22 points in 23 games, their season appears to be over before Christmas. Despite the abundance of talent in the lineup, something is missing to take them to the next step.

24 . San Jose Sharks

After going 0-9-1 in their first ten games of the season, the San Jose Sharks have turned a corner and are now 6-2-2 in their last ten. Surprisingly, the club is 4-1-1 in December and has outscored their opponents 28-24, which is a positive sign for a team with the league’s worst goal differential at minus-53

23. Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are 2-3-1 in December and rank as the 24th team in the NHL standings. As one of the league’s youngest and most gifted lineups, it is surprising to see the team take a significant step back after showing much promise last season.

22. Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens continue to alternate wins and losses, dating back to Nov. 24, 2023, and are just 4-4-1 during this stretch. Although they appear to be playing up to expectations, the season has felt very uneven for the club, which seems to be still working on its identity under head coach Martin St. Louis.

21. Minnesota Wild

As one of the few teams to make a coaching change this season, the Minnesota Wild are 5-2-0 in their last seven games, finally outscoring opponents by a wide margin. Unfortunately, the team is still playing catch up to early season struggles, which explains their 27th-place ranking in the standing and minus-17 goal differential numbers.

20. Carolina Hurricanes

Despite their talented lineup, the Carolina Hurricanes have struggled mightily since the calendar turned to December with a 2-4-0 record, including four straight losses and back-to-back defeats to non-playoff teams. However, things are about to get more interesting for the club, with Andrei Svechnikov slated to miss significant time with an injury.

19. New Jersey Devils

Although the New Jersey Devils began the season as one of the league’s hottest teams, they have leveled off, which explains their 3-2-0 record so far in December, with a goal differential of minus-two. Additionally, the team that once led the Metropolitan Division wouldn’t qualify for a wildcard spot if the playoffs started today.

18. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lighting employs the NHL’s leading scorer, Nikita Kucherov, but even his heroics on a nightly basis can’t mask all the team’s problems, including subpar goaltending. They continue to chase a wild card spot, which we haven’t seen from the team in a while.

17. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins, with a handful of future Hall of Famers in their lineup, have the NHL’s fourth-worst power play at just 11.4%. Considering the amount of retooling this lineup went through over the summer, the team has disappointed with a 1-2-2 record in December. Rumors are circulating that head coach Mike Sullivan’s time behind the bench may end soon.

16. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs should have taken control of the Atlantic Division this season. Still, as a good regular-season team, they are fighting off a handful of teams to avoid dropping into a wild card position. Of course, their stars continue to rack up the points, but will it be enough in the spring when the games are more competitive?

15. Edmonton Oilers

After erupting for an eight-game win streak, there’s no denying that the Edmonton Oilers are back and on a quest to erase all the bad memories from the first month and a half of the 2023-24 season. It seems Connor McDavid is back to 100%, scoring 22 points (four goals and 18 assists) during the win streak.

14. Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals continue to win games, earning a 14-8-3 record after 25 games. In contrast, their captain and future Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin continues the most prolonged slump of his career. Although all eyes are on his chase for the NHL goal record, he’s netted only five goals with 16 points.

13. New York Islanders

The former captain of the New York Islanders, John Tavares, recently scored his 1,000th career point against the club, only to lose the game in overtime. The win gave the Islanders some much-needed points as they remain entrenched in a tightly contested Metropolitan Division. They are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games.

12. Nashville Predators

It may have taken a while, but the Nashville Predators are finally above the .500 mark with a 16-13-0 record, thanks to a 5-2-0 record to begin December. Although they got some ground to make up in the standings, they maintain a wildcard spot, which seemed almost impossible a month ago.

11. Philadelphia Flyers

Even though it is too early to say the Philadelphia Flyers have turned a corner in their extension rebuild, they haven’t lost in regulation in December yet, going a perfect 4-0-1. Despite being more than five points away from the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, they will challenge for second or third and be a lock for the playoffs if they continue to play this well.

10. Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars appeared to have plateaued early, going 3-3-0 since the start of December. Although this would cause panic in many other cities, the Stars remain just a single point behind the Colorado Avalanche for a shot at the Central Division crown.

9. Detroit Red Wings

Last week, Patrick Kane returned to the NHL, and the Red Wings are just 1-2-1 with the future Hall of Famer in the lineup. Despite being one of only three teams to tally 100 goals thus far, adding a superstar like Kane will cause a ripple effect in the lineup, costing the Red Wings some crucial games in early December.

8. Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks continue to employ three players in the top ten in NHL scoring. They are currently 4-1-0 in December, which keeps them in a favorable spot (second) in the Pacific Division. Furthermore, after Tuesday night, they remain the best team in the league, scoring 107 goals and a goal differential of plus-37.

7. Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers are 3-2-0 in December and are trying to challenge the Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Although the Panthers are aggressive, they rank sixth in wins (17) and eighth in goal differential at plus-12.

6. Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets are challenging the Stars and Avalanche for the top spot in the Central Division and recently lost their five-game win streak on Tuesday night. Despite all the success, the Jets will face enormous adversity with 40-goal scorer Kyle Connor sidelined for the next two months.

NHL Power Rankings: The Elite Five

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5. New York Rangers

The New York Rangers lost their grip on the top spot in the NHL after a few questionable losses with former Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin in net. Although the Blueshirts appear to be a better team this year than last, they have another huge test ahead of them with a showdown against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

4. Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche fell behind a few goals to a scrappy Calgary Flames team earlier in the week but showcased their skills with an epic comeback that should remind everyone that they are just one year removed from winning the Stanley Cup and should never be taken lightly.

3. Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings made NHL history by becoming the first team to win 11 consecutive games to start a season. They eventually lost their opportunity to tie the record for most road wins with a loss on Saturday night. Despite the recent events, they are 7-2-1 in their last ten and remain a dark horse to challenge the Vegas Golden Knights for Western Conference supremacy.

2. Boston Bruins

Despite a recent three-game losing streak to end November, the Boston Bruins have responded with four wins in their last five games, with captain Brad Marchand showcasing why he’s the club’s heartbeat. Interestingly, the Bruins are in New York for a showdown on Saturday, with the top spot in the Eastern Conference most likely on the line.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights are slowly creeping away with the Presidents’ Trophy, opening up a six-point gap at the top of the NHL standings. In December, they are 5-0-1 with a goal differential of plus-12, great numbers considering they are missing their number one goalie, Adin Hill.