NHL power rankings: Capitals climb to top despite 4 Nations Face-Off snubs

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) celebrates the win with goaltender Charlie Lindgren (79) against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the end of the third period at Scotiabank Arena.

Credit: © Nick Turchiaro

We’re barely into December, and yet the drama is already picking up. We may be witnessing the start of several revenge tours of players snubbed from their respective countries for the 4 Nations Face-Off, we got yet another head coach firing, and we also witnessed the New York Rangers threaten to waive their captain before trading him to the Anaheim Ducks. If this is what we’re getting right now, just imagine what we might get at the trade deadline.

Hunter Crowther and I continue to navigate through the results so far this season with another week of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.

1. Washington Capitals

Record: 19-6-2, +35
Last Week: 2nd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Scott: The Caps continue to thrive without Alex Ovechkin, as they’ve won six of their last seven games, including wins over the Leafs and Canadiens last week after dropping a game to the Sharks. That should hopefully bode well for Washington to continue to succeed when he comes back, but we also don’t know what we’re going to get from Ovi at 39 years old when he’s never really dealt with an injury of this magnitude in his career. Regardless, the Caps’ success this season has been really surprising, and it’s even more shocking that they’ve been this good and not one of their players was selected to a 4 Nations Face-off roster.

2. Minnesota Wild

Record: 18-5-4, +21
Last Week: 1st (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Hunter: They just can’t stop winning. Won’t stop. And now that I’ve made them my No. 1 club on my list, they’ll eventually go on a losing streak and fear that it was all a mirage (e.g. Jets, Rangers, etc.) What’s really impressive is that, just like the Capitals with Ovechkin, this team is winning without the likes of Mats Zuccarello, Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek. At some point, this team will go on a losing streak, but for now, they might be the best story in the game.

3. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 16-8-3, +12
Last Week: 5th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Scott: The Kings always surprise me with how high in the standings they are and how good their underlying numbers are, especially considering that they’ve gone under the radar to the casual fan this year. I can’t blame outsiders though, as this is mostly just an elite defensive team that looks similar to what we’ve seen from previous seasons, especially since last year’s breakout star Quinton Byfield has returned to his old, underwhelming self. Heck, one point from the Oilers and that Kings-Oilers playoff matchup would be in place in the standings again. I’m liking what I see from the Kings, so they’re ranking high for now, but I am still hesitant to see what happens down the stretch and in the postseason.

4. New Jersey Devils

Record: 18-10-2, +20
Last Week: 4th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Hunter: I really thought the Devils’ 5-1 win over the Rangers in Madison Square Garden was going to be the one that got Peter Laviolette fired, but nevertheless. The 4-0 shellacking at the hands of the Avalanche was a tough one to close out the week with, but otherwise their game has been really impressive. In fact, the Devils haven’t lost consecutive games since a four-game losing streak at the end of October, going 13-5-0 in that span. They’re not just getting production from their top players, but players lower in the lineup like Paul Cotter, Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar are providing the type of secondary offense you need if you want to win a Stanley Cup.

5. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 17-9-1, +20
Last Week: 3rd (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Scott: We’ve spent all season hyping up this Canes team, and while they’re still great and look much more poised for the playoffs, you can’t help but hinder them a little bit for dropping four of their last five games. They’re still playing well during this stretch, but unfortunately their goaltending is letting them down, even when Pyotr Kochetkov is healthy and in net. Frederik Andersen might be needed soon.

6. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 18-7-3, +17
Last Week: 9th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Hunter: Give them credit, they didn’t wait until mid-April to bring Mark Stone back in the lineup! The club is rolling right now, with five players scoring at least 20 points, and Jack Eichel, who is playing arguably the best hockey of his career, has more assists (30) than anyone else on his team has points. The Golden Knights play like factory workers: clock in, do your job, clock out. Nothing to see here.

7. Florida Panthers

Record: 17-9-2, +15
Last Week: 8th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Hunter: It’s funny how a team that lost six of seven games and got bag-skated by the coach remembered, “Oh yeah, we’re the defending Stanley Cup champs, we can beat anybody.” That’s what it’s like for the Panthers, winners of five of their last six and, once again, sitting in the top spot of the Atlantic Division. It makes sense that their top-four scorers — Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett — all made their respective 4 Nations Face-Off rosters.

Scott: I get the Bennett selection for Canada, but it just feels like they over-thought that one. Even if you want a second Panther for your forward group, Carter Verhaeghe is a perfectly fine option for the team.

8. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 20-9-0, +28
Last Week: 7th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Scott: I’m not going to lie, even the most pessimistic Jets hater in me this season didn’t expect the fall off to happen this quickly. I always anticipated that they’d hold their own for the rest of the season, maybe cough up their league lead in points in the final month, and then go out with a whimper in the playoffs. With losses in five of their last seven games, they’ve already blown that lead and are merely tied for first place with the Caps and the Wild, and both of those teams only did it in two fewer games. It’s not that I’m not enjoying this, I’m just surprised it happened so fast.

Hunter: How can you bask in the struggles of a team that play in a city without an airport? The recent string of losses isn’t good, but I’m not overly worried about the Jets, considering they still have the second-best goal differential in the league and a number of players still producing at a high rate. Tuesday’s home game against an improving Bruins squad will be a good test for Winnipeg.

Scott: You’re so close to grasping the real problem with this team.

9. Dallas Stars

Record: 17-10-0, +23
Last Week: 10th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Hunter: Jason Robertson is starting to produce again. I’m curious if being left off the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off lights a fire under him. Let’s hope Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz also find their offense in the foreseeable future. Losing Tyler Seguin for at least the next few months dampens the mood around the club, but now general manager Jim Nill has $9.85 million off cap space to play with. It will be interesting to see what kind of talent they bring in between now and the trade deadline.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 16-9-2, +9
Last Week: 6th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Scott: After a stretch of 10 wins in 12 games, the Leafs had a forgettable weekend by dropping games to both the Caps and Pens. They did see a dip in their play in all four games this week, even in the wins, but I wouldn’t worry too much with all of the injuries. I think the loss of Jake McCabe in the Tampa game is hurting them the most, as they haven’t quite found a way to replace him on the depth chart, especially with Timothy Liljegren now traded to make room for the once-again-injured Jani Hakanpaa.

Hunter: I’ll mention Liljegren again later in our story, but it feels like the trade may have been made a a shade early. Conor Timmins had a stinker of a game against the Capitals and he’s looked below average in stretches over the past few weeks. We don’t have to linger on a bottom-pair defender, but having depth on your blueline can be the difference between playing your last game of the season in May or in June.

Scott: Agreed, it just felt poorly planned overall. They gave him too high of a cap hit, never played him to start the year, and then sewered his trade value to sell him for pennies on the dollar, and it might already be a move they regret. Only time will tell, but I’m a bit wary of that whole situation.

11. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 14-9-2, +22
Last Week: 12th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Hunter: There was a sequence during the Lightning’s game against the Canucks on Sunday when Tampa Bay’s passing was so damn clean and crisp and it led to two goals in less than two minutes. Every time I think they’re old and could be the Atlantic Division squad that finally drops out of the top four, they laugh in our face and snag a Wild Card spot. Why should this season be any different?

Scott: They might even be the best team in the Atlantic. The top three is quite established thus far, but no one has really run away with the title just yet.

12. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 15-10-2, +3
Last Week: 11th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: With wins in five of their last six games, the Oilers have appeared to put their slow start in the rearview mirror, and the team is starting to gel again. That’s been helped even more by the return of Zach Hyman, who has three goals in two games since his return and is looking like his old self. Perhaps he’s on a revenge tour after being left off of Team Canada’s roster (see a theme forming here?).

13. Boston Bruins

Record: 15-11-3, -12
Last Week: 14th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Hunter: Guys, I finally figured out the secret to winning hockey games. You ready? Here it is: fire the coach! It’s that simple! Okay, maybe it’s not that simple, but the Bruins are 7-2-0 since relieving Jim Montgomery of his duties. Maybe it’s as simple as Jeremy Swayman not allowing more than three goals a game during that span? What’s the phrase, “Show me a good goalie and I’ll show you a good coach?” Maybe there’s something to it…

Scott: I think you have the phrase backwards there, dear ol’ Mr. Crowther.

Hunter: You say tomato, I say it’s a fruit, it’s all good.

14. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 16-13-0, -8
Last Week: 13th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Hunter: How about Scott Wedgewood? The Avalanche acquired him in a deal on Nov. 30, then he makes his first appearance off the bench after Alex Georgiev gives up four goals in just under 12 minutes, then goes on to stop 22 shots and the Avs score five straight goals to steal the win. Not only that, but on Sunday he recorded a 25-save shutout in a 4-0 win over the Devils. He’s only appeared in three games, but you have to think the Avalanche are breathing a sigh of relief.

15. New York Rangers

Record: 14-11-1, +6
Last Week: 15th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Scott: As someone who’s been trying to expose the Rangers as frauds for the better part of three-plus seasons, this has been a satisfying stretch of hockey for me to experience. This team still cannot beat any opponent that isn’t outside of the playoff picture at this point in time, and this disastrous run was well-summarized by the 5-1 blowout loss on home ice at the hands of the Devils, and then blowing a 3-1 lead to the Kraken in their 7-5 loss on Sunday, also at home. They finally moved on from Jacob Trouba’s contract last week, so it’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic of the team changes without him, but there’s a lot more wrong with this team than one defenseman. Maybe Igor Shesterkin will turn on God mode again now that his future with the Rangers is secured with his massive new extension.

Hunter: I feel like Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when he’s “dying” in bed, toiling away after being so high on the Rangers to start the year. I should have listened to my colleague, who rightly predicted that they were nothing more than a paper tiger. Signing Shesterkin almost immediately after trading their captain felt a bit too on the nose, like you were overcompensating after creating your own turmoil and public fiasco. Trading Trouba may have been the right move, but the way they did it may leave a sour taste in the mouths of his former teammates.

Scott: You just know that the Rangers felt a lot more confident in giving Shesterkin a higher number after offloading their biggest overpay right now.

16. New York Islanders

Record: 11-11-7, -10
Last Week: 18th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Scott: The Islanders haven’t made quite as many headlines as the Rangers have, as they’re still sputtering along while they wait to get healthy again. They haven’t been spectacular, but they’ve hovered around .500 hockey while playing solid defensively without the likes of Mat Barzal, Anthony Duclair, Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly, and are hanging around the playoff bubble. Speaking of Barzal and Duclair, both of them are skating again and may return to the lineup soon, so help may be on the way.

Hunter: I really liked their game against the Hurricanes, they had a 10-minute sequence in the second period where it just looked like they played perfect hockey. Adding Barzal and Duclair would do this team a lot of good. Besides, let’s not waste another spectacular season from Ilya Sorokin.

17. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 12-12-3, -3
Last Week: 16th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Hunter: The B.C.-Alberta chunk of the Blue Jackets’ Western Canada road trip was a dud, losing to all three of the Canucks, Oilers and Canucks, but they earned a 4-1 win to a struggling Jets squad and remain at .500. More importantly, last Tuesday night’s tribute to Johnny Gaudreau was one of the more emotional memories in the hockey world we’ve had for quite some time. All the love to both the Blue Jackets and Flames for putting together a touching night.

18. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 14-8-4, +2
Last Week: 17th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Scott: I’m probably being a bit too bearish about the Canucks right now, considering all the injuries and absences that they’ve dealt with this season, but what we’ve gotten so far has still felt a bit underwhelming and inconsistent. At the very least, J.T. Miller might be back sooner rather than later, and Thatcher Demko has been backing up the past couple games and will probably start his first game this week, so we may finally see this team at full strength and see what they’re about soon.

Hunter: What’s the point of him being a backup?! Have him start the game! Do you want him coming in half-cold in relief after they give up a bunch of goals? To paraphrase Al Davis, “Just play, baby, play!”

19. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 12-13-4, -26
Last Week: 21st (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Hunter: I can honestly say that I just didn’t see what this club had beyond 37- and 38-year-old Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, respectively, and to be honest, I still don’t. But wins are wins, and this club is getting them before we reach the end of the calendar year. Rickard Rakell is making the most of playing with Crosby, and Tristan Jarry woke up and realized he’s an NHL goaltender. I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs, but at least they’re in a position to compete for them.

20. Utah Hockey Club

Record: 12-11-4, 0
Last Week: 22nd (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Scott: After all hope seemed to be lost with this team, they may be starting to pick things up again. They’ve gone 5-2-1 in their last eight games, are seeing their key players heat up again, and they’ve been getting stellar goaltending from Karel Vejmelka this season. They’re still four points out of a playoff spot, but things seem much less grim over the past couple of weeks.

21. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 12-12-4, -15
Last Week: 23rd (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Hunter: There was a whole lotta losing this week, but I liked the Flyers’ effort in each of the games. They were down 3-0 to the Panthers and came back, got burned with penalties and lost to the Bruins in overtime, and then lost on a back-to-back with Utah HC. I’d also like to take this time and congratulate myself and the rest of the “Get Travis Konecny on Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster” club for last week’s wonderful news. Good things happen when you write to your local congressman.

22. Calgary Flames

Record: 13-10-5, -10
Last Week: 19th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Scott: The Flames have had a rough go of it lately, having lost six of their last seven games and allowing 4+ goals in five of those six losses. However, the one game they did win was an important one, beating the Blue Jackets 3-0 after the aforementioned tribute to Gaudreau, highlighted by Johnny getting the first star in the win.

23. Ottawa Senators

Record: 12-13-2, -4
Last Week: 25th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Scott: How many seasons are we at now where the Senators are hyped up a bit too much in the summer, only to come out of the gate flat and trudge through the mud for most of the season? It’s quite incredible that this is still happening. They’re actually a top-10 team in 5v5 expected goal share this season, so they have been playing well, they’ve just managed to both score and stop the puck inconsistently. The vibes are off right now, and their playoff drought is already at risk of reaching its eighth season.

Hunter: Scott’s right, the vibes are off in Ottawa. I think we’re at a point in time where Steve Staios needs to make a trade to shake things up, and that means moving off one of Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, Shane Pinto. Actually, the only “untouchables” for me are Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk: everyone else is fair game.

Scott: I probably wouldn’t move on from Jake Sanderson either, but that’s just me.

Hunter: Make me an offer!

24. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 11-13-3, -6
Last Week: 20th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Hunter: High blood pressure runs in my family, and I refuse to dedicate a single morsel of frustration towards this club. They had three separate three-game winning streaks before December, and they’re still among the worst records in the league. I want to be happy about Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson finding their groove, but the rest of the lineup is limp and despondent. It’s just not worth it.

Scott: I was a bit surprised at first to see Kevyn Adams come out and talk about the sad state of affairs considering that it felt like the team was constantly in and out of the playoff hunt so far this year, but after realizing that they’ve lost six straight games, it makes a lot more sense. They’re still only four points out of a playoff spot though, so hope is not lost just yet.

25. St. Louis Blues

Record: 13-13-2, -14
Last Week: 28th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Scott: The Blues are now 4-1-1 under Jim Montgomery and looking smarter by the day for cutting bait on Drew Bannister to make an upgrade behind the bench. That said, they’re only driving expected goals at a 50.2% rate since the coaching change, so I’m still going to be a bit hesitant on saying this team could make a push for the playoffs… for now.

Hunter: What’s fun about the Blues is they don’t really have anyone who really jumps off the page for the casual fan. But since getting healthy, Robert Thomas has been a shot in the arm for the club, with three goals and seven assists for 10 points in his nine games since returning on Nov. 19, and the club is 5-2-1 in that span.

26. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 10-13-4, -16
Last Week: 26th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Hunter: Every week, it feels like I just tear this team a new one and demand they fire Derek Lalonde and yada yada yada, but I can’t be bothered. They’ve lost five straight games and 11 of their last 15, you don’t need me to yell at you. Let’s focus on the good times: Lucas Raymond has gone on an all-time run, scoring eight goals in his last nine games, which started with a five-game goal scoring streak. Too bad most of the roster is on a milk carton.

27. Seattle Kraken

Record: 14-14-1, +1
Last Week: 32nd (+5)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Scott: It’s quite incredible how much the Kraken’s success depends on which goalie is in the net. Joey Daccord has been one of the best goalies in the league and has a 12-6-1 record when in net. When it’s Philipp Grubauer’s turn, the Kraken are 2-8-0 thanks to his .870 save percentage, with that second win only coming in Sunday’s 7-5 win over the Rangers. He still has two years left on his contract after this season, and you have to wonder if he becomes a buyout candidate this summer if this continues.

28. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 10-12-3, -14
Last Week: 24th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Hunter: The Ducks are not a very good team. Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I really like that they went out and acquired Trouba from the Rangers. You can hate his contract all you want, but even on his worst day, the former Rangers’ captain throws massive hits, blocks shots and can clear his man in front of the net. I hope he falls in love with the sunshine and goes to the rink in shorts every day and gives this team a lift.

29. Nashville Predators

Record: 7-15-6, -27
Last Week: 27th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Scott: I know it’s only December, but we might have already seen the nail go in the coffin for the Predators’ 2024-25 season. They’ve now lost seven straight games and 11 of their last 13 games. Heck, outside of a three-game winning streak to counter their 0-5 start, they’re just 4-15-6 on the year. It’s really hard to imagine they come back from this, especially with the way the roster is built. They’ll always have that offseason though.

Hunter: I wish I could recreate the sound of the laugh I let out when reading that last sentence.

30. San Jose Sharks

Record: 10-15-5, -26
Last Week: 31st (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Hunter: For the Leaf fans reading this, I have your Timothy Liljegren update: he’s doing fine, getting decent ice time and has three goals and five points through 18 games. As for the team, after a valiant 2-1 overtime win over the Capitals, the Sharks took a flight to the Sunshine State and had the smackdown layethed upon them by the Lightning and Panthers, outgunned by a combined score of 11-2.

31. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 10-14-3, -23
Last Week: 30th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Hunter: Cole Caufield is scoring like a mad man and you can bet he’ll be motivated after being left off the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Seeing Sam Montembeault make Team Canada is great for morale. But can we talk about Juraj Slafkovsky? The guy has two goals this season and nearly half of his 12 assists are from the power play. Considering his eight-year, $60.8 million contract doesn’t kick in until next season, the Canadiens need to sort out whatever is stunting the 2020 No. 1 overall pick’s development.

32. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 8-17-2, -20
Last Week: 29th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Scott: It was a bit surprising to see the Blackhawks move on from Luke Richardson last week. Not because Chicago has been good and he didn’t deserve it, but it just didn’t feel like he was falling below expectations considering the roster that he was given. I guess when your generational talent in Connor Bedard has just five goals and 20 points in 27 games, management might be inclined to shuffle the deck chairs and see if a new coach can unlock something. Is Anders Sorensen that guy? I’ve heard promising things about how he looks at the game, so only time will tell.

_____

POST SPONSORED BY bet365