NHL power rankings: New York Rangers getting money’s worth with Igor Shesterkin

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

Credit: © Danny Wild

We’re another week into the NHL season, and while it’s still far too early to make any drastic conclusions, there are still some early signs of how teams are performing one way or another. We still have one team without a loss and two teams without a win, which is about as good of a sign as any that there’s a ways to go with this 2024-25 season, but here’s what all 32 teams have shown us so far.

Hunter Crowther and I continue to navigate through the results so far 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.

And again, I can’t stress this enough: the one downside to using stats this early on is that it reads way too much into the results of each game. A few good or bad games make all the difference, so keep that in mind before you panic over a placement. My reliance on the underlying numbers so far and Hunter leaning towards previous expectations and the results on the scoreboard blend quite well to give a solid list that takes both into account.

1. New York Rangers

Record: 4-0-1, +14
Last Week: 2nd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Hunter: Saturday night’s road game against the Maple Leafs was a slugfest between the two Eastern Conference powerhouses, and Igor Shesterkin was at his finest. Pay that man his money. The 34-save effort capped off a perfect 3-0-0 week for the Rangers, who are clicking on all cylinders, with both Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider scoring at least five goals in five games.

Scott: This might be a hot take, but if Shesterkin ends up in the $11-12 million average annual value (AAV) range, it’s probably an overpayment. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll certainly be that valuable, but considering that the rest of the goaltending market has settled into the $8 million range, it feels like a missed opportunity to get him for that price. Think the Mitch Marner contract saga five years ago, but for goalies.

Hunter: You’re absolutely right, but goalies have been underpaid for so long that I’m fine with seeing someone sign a ticket for a number that makes you go, “Really? That much?” Let them have fun.

Scott: Oh absolutely, it’s just going to suck for the Rangers when they’re the only team that does this.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 3-1-0, +6
Last Week: 11th (+9)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Scott: The Lightning have flown under the radar so far this season compared to other top teams, largely because being one of the few teams to only play four games hasn’t given them the point totals that others have, but they’ve been off to an excellent start this season. Nikita Kucherov hasn’t slowed down from his 2023-24 campaign, with a whopping seven goals in just four games.

3. New Jersey Devils

Record: 5-2-1, +7
Last Week: 3rd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Hunter: The Devils had two losses in three games last week, but I liked their third-period effort against the Capitals. After a horrendous opening 40 minutes where they were down 5-3, they came out strong in the third to cut the deficit to one, then Dougie Hamilton clapped a bomb from the point on the power play. In a game they had no business winning, they squeaked out a point. It’s not the greatest week when you lose two of three, but they’ll shake it off.

4. Dallas Stars

Record: 5-1-0, +9
Last Week: 5th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Hunter: Congratulations to Jake Oettinger for signing the same deal as Jeremy Swayman, despite having more playoff success and a longer track record. Ah, but Texas is a no-tax state. How could I forget? Anyway, he looked every bit worth the $66 million during their win over the Oilers. Edmonton was all over them in the third, but Oettinger shut the door. Right now, Dallas is a team with no weakness.

Scott: Once again, I’m a bit low on the Stars in the early going, but that can just be chalked up to getting outchanced in four of their six games. If this stretch happens in February, it probably doesn’t do any damage to them, but it’s put a bit more under the microscope when it happens right off the bat.

5. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 3-1-2, +2
Last Week: 15th (+10)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Scott: It hasn’t shown in the results quite yet (although only one regulation loss in six games is far from a disappointing start), but the Kings have been excellent at controlling play so far this season, especially in their own end. They haven’t always looked good defensively on paper due to the poor play of their goaltenders, but the team in front has been giving the netminders as easy of a time as possible.

Hunter: I gave Anze Kopitar his flowers on Sunday, but I’ve really liked the efforts from Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere through this first stretch. Beyond Byfield’s three assists in the opener, he’s looked invisible at times, but he should break out eventually. Losing Darcy Kuemper for at least the short-term is a blow, but they’ll manage. They also need Adrian Kempe to completely grab the title as the Kings’ biggest offensive threat.

6. Florida Panthers

Record: 4-2-1, -1
Last Week: 7th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Scott: After a first week that looked like a team coming off of a Stanley Cup win, the Panthers have consumed their hangover cures and gotten right back to business with points in four straight games, and only one loss in that timeframe. That stretch hasn’t been against slouches either, as they’ve looked good against the Bruins, Canucks and Golden Knights. The underlying numbers aren’t quite as dominant as we’re used to, but they should get back up to speed soon.

7. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 5-0-0, +16
Last Week: 6th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Hunter: It’s one thing to win every game and be the last remaining team to be without a loss. But what impresses me is that they’ve won in every way you can: complete blowouts, tight-checking 2-1 nailbiters, and emphatic third-period clinchers like the one against the Penguins on Sunday. I know Scott said last week the Jets do this every year, but this team has a groove.

Scott: Am I being a bit harsh on the only remaining undefeated team? Maybe. But I’m still not sold on this team just yet, especially when the underlying numbers haven’t been all that good to start the year. Either those underlying numbers will improve, or their results will fall down to earth, so let’s see what happens over the course of the season.

8. Calgary Flames

Record: 4-0-1, +8
Last Week: 8th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Hunter: I mean … sure? Why not? You can’t take away their wins against two Stanley Cup favorites in the Canucks and Oilers, but it really felt like they’ve been the better team in all five of their games, including their 2-1 overtime loss to the Kraken. Dustin Wolf might actually be a star? Jonathan Huberdeau might still be a first-line winger? Who knows if this will sustain, but who cares? Bet on red and let it ride.

Scott: Much like how poor underlying numbers have me lower on teams like the Stars and Jets, really strong underlying numbers have me higher on the Flames. Do I expect this to last for any of the three teams? Not really. But for now, I’m going off of what they’re giving me and not what I think they should be giving me.

9. Washington Capitals

Record: 3-1-0, +2
Last Week: 32nd (+23)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Scott: I don’t think I’ve ever ranked a team as low as I ranked the Capitals last week, only to bump them all the way up to first the next week, but if there was any time for that to happen, it’s in the first two weeks of the season. As I mentioned last week, playing just one game gave us nothing relevant to evaluate, so now that they have a few wins under their belt, there’s a bit more to go off of. So why were they first for me? Simple. They ranked in the top 10 in five of the six stats that I use to put together my rankings, and were one of only two teams to do so, so that will certainly do them some favors. I’m not fully sold on this team, but consider me intrigued.

Hunter: Everyone made a stink about Alex Ovechkin scoring his first goal against the Devils, but it was Andrew Mangiapane that I’ve been waiting to see break out. I know he isn’t a 35-goal scorer like he was a few years ago in Calgary, but there’s still 20-goal potential there, and I like him in a secondary scoring role in Washington. Also, is Tom Wilson … good again? Is Tom Wilson … great? Have we made Tom Wilson great aga-, you know what, nevermind. I’m just happy for him. And hey, only two penalty minutes!

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 3-2-0, +4
Last Week: 4th (-6)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: I have the Leafs ranked a bit lower than I did last week, but don’t confuse me with being bearish on the team. They’ve looked great through four of their first five games in terms of generating and preventing chances, and the one game that they didn’t was the 6-2 rout of the Kings. Considering that game saw them click at just a 19.97% 5v5 expected goal share, that tanked their numbers significantly, so that should be drowned out eventually if they can keep things up. And that top four in their defense core is actually looking like a competent top four for the first time in a few years! Just don’t blow it with Timothy Liljegren…

Hunter: I can’t think of a Maple Leafs first-round pick that I’ve wanted it to click for more than Liljegren. If I had to bet right now, I’d say he won’t finish the season with Toronto, but I still think that would be a massive mistake. I know he doesn’t stand out with his offense or with a particularly bruising style of play, but he’s a shade better than fine and perfectly capable to play sheltered minutes. Hell, his best hockey in 2023-24 was when he was relied upon to play bigger minutes while Morgan Rielly was suspended. Let the man play a regular shift and find his game. He’ll be more than worth his $3 million salary.

Scott: The Leafs seem to be waiting on Jani Hakanpaa’s return before making a move, and I really hope they wait to see if Hakanpaa can actually play before doing so. That said, Utah has been decimated on the right side of their blueline, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Liljegren ends up there.

11. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 2-2-0, +1
Last Week: 12th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Hunter: Okay, who had the “Shayne Gostisbehere leading the team in goals after two weeks” prop bet? The offense will eventually come from their stars, but the Canes looked fantastic this past week. The game against the Penguins was as dominant a performance as I’ve seen this season, and 4-1 doesn’t do it justice. They’ve only played four games, so they’ll find their mojo offensively. Edmonton will be a good test on Tuesday.

12. Boston Bruins

Record: 3-2-1, +1
Last Week: 18th (+6)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Hunter: The Panthers game was a stinker, and I want to say the win against the Avalanche was impressive, but Colorado seemed to be spiraling when they met. Cole Koepke and Johnny Beecher sound like CPU-generated names you’d draft in your eighth year of franchise mode in NHL 25, but they’re contributing, damn it. That said, it felt like they were chasing the puck against Utah on Saturday. Again, is that because Utah is good, or is Boston just slow? Either way, Jeremy Swayman is good at hockey and will drag them to April.

13. Minnesota Wild

Record: 3-0-2, +4
Last Week: 17th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Scott: Would you have ever guessed that the Wild were one of four teams remaining that haven’t lost in regulation? Of course, they’re doing it in the most Wild way possible, generating little to no offense, but still coming away with points every night thanks to what’s looked like the league’s best defense in the extremely early going. Their offense is so stagnant thus far, they’ve even needed help from goaltender Filip Gustavsson to get goals.

14. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 2-4-0, -12
Last Week: 14th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Scott: After quite the panic in Week 1 from Oilers fans, I think they’re breathing a little bit easier after last week. They won two of their three games, with the lone loss still being a well played game against the Stars, so suddenly that 0-3-0 record after the first week is a slightly better 2-4-0. It’s far from ideal for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, but it doesn’t quite feel like the Oilers are in the same territory that they were at this time last year.

15. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 3-2-1, +3
Last Week: 1st (-14)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Hunter: Not the greatest of weeks, but I’m keeping them high on my list because they’re the Vegas freaking Golden Knights. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone haven’t missed a beat, and a chunk of the blame is going to be assigned to Adin Hill for not being able to stop a beach ball. But they need to figure things out soon, because if Hill doesn’t start making saves, Vegas will have to make a move, or worse, rely on *gulp* Ilya Samsonov.

Scott: Hey, Akira Smid is also waiting in the minors for a chance to get another shot at an NHL gig, so Vegas at least has another option before they have to look externally for an answer.

16. New York Islanders

Record: 2-1-2, 0
Last Week: 20th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Hunter: Have we figured out who is scoring goals for the Islanders? I don’t say that to be facetious, I’m seriously asking. Is Bo Horvat going to take the mantle? Perhaps Brock Nelson will record his fourth consecutive 30-goal campaign? It’s early, and the autumn leaves are barely crunchy, but can this club start producing some goals? I can’t watch a team with two exceptionally talented netminders and a future Norris Trophy winner in Noah Dobson go to waste because offense isn’t being produced.

17. Seattle Kraken

Record: 4-2-0, +5
Last Week: 24th (+7)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Scott: Three straight wins last week have the Kraken off to a strong start this season, as they’ve been looking a lot more like the team that made the playoffs two seasons ago so far. The first two wins were against teams off to slow starts in the Preds and Flyers, so take that with a grain of salt, but they showed they can beat teams off to strong starts as well by handing the Flames their first loss of the season.

18. Utah Hockey Club

Record: 4-1-1, +2
Last Week: 9th (-9)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Hunter: Wait, is Utah actually good? Losing to the Ducks is never a good sign, even in overtime, but with wins over three 2024 playoff teams so far, they might actually be worth the preseason hype attributed to them? Clayton Keller is Real Deal Holyfield ©, but seeing Mikhail Sergachev win battles on nearly every shift and bring a calm to the blueline could go a long way when the contenders separate from the pretenders.

19. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 2-3-1, -3
Last Week: 21st (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Hunter: After capping off the season-opening road trip with a win over the Flames, the Blackhawks looked like a capable, contending NHL club against the Sharks and Sabres (yes, I know the quality of those opponents, but take a walk with me). Forget about Connor Bedard and how it looks like he’s starting to make smart plays in his own end, but Teuvo Teravainen has been a breath of fresh air for that forward group, and Seth Jones looks like the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders. I watched nearly every game last season, and Jones almost never smiled – now he looks as happy as he was with the Portland Winterhawks. Don’t look now, but the Blackhawks are fun.

Scott: As Hunter alluded to, their quality of competition plays a big role as to why the Blackhawks sit higher than many might expect them to be. That said, they look like a competent hockey team this season, which is a lot more than what could be said about last year’s team.

20. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 2-4-0, -8
Last Week: 16th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Scott: This is probably a fair place to put the Avs right now based on their start to the year. They haven’t exactly exuded a lot of confidence, especially for a team looking to win another Cup this season, but at the same time, that’s been largely due to their goaltending, which should bounce back to be, at worst, survivable for an elite team like Colorado. If there is one underlying concern so far this season, it’s Cale Makar’s numbers away from Nathan MacKinnon – he’s controlling just 39.74% of the expected goals at 5v5 away from the reigning Hart Trophy winner.

Hunter: I originally placed them lower than 14th, but I kept coming back to, “They’re the Avalanche, for God’s sake. They’ll figure it out.” And they probably will, having a perennial Hart Trophy and Norris Trophy threat in MacKinnon and Makar. I’d say the sample size plays a role in Makar’s analytics, and hopefully their last two wins against mediocre teams snap them out of this funk. But whether it’s a cold shower or a new goalie, something needs to happen in Denver. They’re too good to let themselves fall behind in the Central Division.

21. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 2-1-2, -1
Last Week: 10th (-11)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Scott: After losing their first two games in overtime, the Canucks were so close to losing in overtime again on Thursday and dropping their first four games of the season. Thankfully, J.T. Miller had other plans. He netted the OT winner over the defending Cup champs in the Panthers, and the Canucks carried that momentum into Saturday with a 3-0 win over the Flyers. Suddenly, they have points in four of their five games to start the year. 2-1-2 isn’t great, but it could have been much worse.

Hunter: It’s not worth getting mad about Thatcher Demko’s future or his injury status, and it’s not worth crying over spilled milk for Elias Pettersson’s lack of scoring. Ironically, a milk carton is where you’d find Petterson if you tried to look for that offense.

22. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 3-4-0, -7
Last Week: 29th (+7)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Hunter: The neverending list of milestones accomplished by both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin made these past two weeks a memorable car ride of nostalgia for hockey fans. What a treat it’s been to watch these two since MySpace was still a thing. Still, those last two losses to the Hurricanes and Jets were ugly, and the depth beyond those two and Lars Eller is thin. They might need a save more than they need a goal.

23. Nashville Predators

Record: 0-5-0, -13
Last Week: 13th (-10)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Scott: Perhaps Mike Gould was just a year too early with his bearish prediction of the Preds. Yes, it’s only five games, but they’re one of two teams without a win this season (and the Sharks aren’t exactly good company there), and their underlying numbers have been pretty rough so far this year. I’ll give them a bit more time to figure things out, but this isn’t a great start for a team coming off a headline-grabbing offseason.

Hunter: I want to make a “U2 residency, canceled plans” joke, but I’m too disappointed in this Predators group. I feel like Tuesday’s game against the Bruins will be a good barometer of where this team is mentally, and if they can manufacture offense to get a win.

24. Ottawa Senators

Record: 3-2-0, -1
Last Week: 25th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Scott: Well, at least we know the Sens can score. The hockey gods were willing to give the Sens one week of hope before taking that away with an injury to the newly acquired goaltender Linus Ullmark, but even with Anton Forsberg and Mads Sogaard’s struggles, they’ve outscored those problems, particularly in their 8-7 win over the Kings and 5-4 win over the Lightning.

25. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 2-4-1, -5
Last Week: 23rd (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Hunter: Guys … Hans … Bubby … we have 75 games left in the regular season, but I need to see more out of this group if they have any shot of playing meaningful hockey in April. JJ Peterka is producing and Tage Thompson is looking like himself, throwing everything on net, but it feels like opponents enter the zone without pushback, easily generating high-scoring chances. Even during their win over the Blackhawks, I thought Chicago controlled the puck throughout the game. Maybe they can go out and run over someone on the other team instead of each other in practice.

26. St. Louis Blues

Record: 4-2-0, 0
Last Week: 27th (+6)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Scott: It’s only been two weeks and the Blues have already settled into the usual routine that they’ve established over the past couple seasons. They’ve generally been outchanced through their first six games, and yet they’ve come out of them with four wins and are keeping themselves in the hunt in the early going. And here I was hoping they’d change something up to keep things interesting!

27. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 2-3-0, 0
Last Week: 22nd (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Hunter: I’m not expecting anything from the Blue Jackets, so I can’t get mad at them. We knew going into the season that it would be a difficult campaign, so you take the positives where you can find them. The win against the Sabres was fun, and Sean Monahan is showing signs of growing into that savvy veteran leadership role. The worst of it is losing 2021 No. 5 overall pick Kent Johnson for what will likely be a long-term injury. I just want that guy to stay healthy.

28. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 2-3-1, -5
Last Week: 19th (-9)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Hunter: A winless week. Let’s just be happy that Cole Caufield is actually scoring goals, because no one else on this team is. I’ve watched every one of Lane Hutson’s shifts, and I’ve also seen all of the ridiculous discourse about him on social media, and I can’t tell what’s more engaging. Let the haters hate; that guy is the truth. Just don’t let Martin St. Louis run him into the ground at 23 minutes a night.

29. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 2-3-0, -3
Last Week: 26th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Scott: It appears I started people off with the wrong impression about my thoughts on this Red Wings team. I’m not pessimistic about them because I’m choosing to be for no reason, I’m pessimistic about them because they were riding the percentages last season and didn’t make enough improvements to the roster to counter the inevitable regression. Lo and behold, they’re in the bottom 10 in five of the six stats I use so far this season, and have been uninspiring to start the year.

Hunter: I’m pessimistic about them for no reason. I kid, I’m pessimistic for the same reasons – Steve Yzerman didn’t improve this team in any way in the offseason, and you can only soak in the joy of Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider’s contract extensions for a day or two on social media. If there was a coach who was most likely to be fired by U.S. Thanksgiving, it’s Derek Lalonde, and if they keep losing, we won’t have to wait that long.

30. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 1-3-1, -8
Last Week: 28th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Scott: While the Flyers aren’t one of the two winless teams so far this season, they’re as close as can be as the only other team without a win in regulation or overtime. That’s far from an ideal start for a team that was close to making the playoffs last year, and while it is early, they should probably turn things around quickly before everyone pulls ahead. At least Matvei Michkov has looked sick so far this year.

31. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 2-2-1, -3
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Hunter: Hey, the Utah game was fun! Lots of goals and lead changes and an overtime win! The bar is low this year in Anaheim, and there’s going to be a lot of losses. It’s nice to see Troy Terry get some cookies, but can someone on this team score a power play goal? Just one? For the love of God, you’re young and full of talent, this should be your time to shine.

32. San Jose Sharks

Record: 0-4-2, -14
Last Week: 30th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Scott: The biggest thing that made the Sharks an improvement over last season was Macklin Celebrini joining the team, and while he did score in his NHL debut, he also got hurt in that game. There are still a few other improvements over last year’s squad (Tyler Toffoli has really been a difference maker for them), but the Sharks may be settling into the bottom of the power rankings again this year.

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