NHL power rankings: Zach Werenski’s Blue Jackets are league’s most inspiring team

Credit: © Russell LaBounty

The Columbus Blue Jackets have the chance to be one of the most inspiring stories in the NHL this season. With Thanksgiving just around the corner for Americans, including the residents of Columbus, Ohio, what better way to celebrate the holiday than by showing a bit of extra appreciation for a team that is finding some success despite all they’ve been through in the past year? Kirill Marchenko is taking that next step, Sean Monahan has been the biggest feel-good story on this Jackets team, and Zach Werenski is red hot and possibly playing himself into the Norris Trophy conversation.

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. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 14-5-1, +27
Last Week: 1st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Scott: I’m sure Jets fans will love the fact that a 1-1-1 week from the Canes doesn’t drop them down a few spots like a slow week does with Winnipeg, but that’s what happens when you’re a legit wagon! They probably should have beaten a weaker Blue Jackets team, but their loss to the Devils was just an overall competitive matchup between the top two teams in the league (in my opinion). Side note: I know it’s the Flyers, but they managed to hit 4 expected goals in their game against them on Wednesday… at even strength. Insane stuff from them right now, even if they aren’t getting perfect results amidst some goalie injuries.

Hunter: They’re built perfectly in their four forward lines and three defensive pairings. Both their power play and penalty kill are ranked seventh in the league. Scott mentioned goaltending, and you hope Pyotr Kochetkov’s potential injury isn’t too serious. But, seriously, this team is built to win.

2. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 17-4-0, +34
Last Week: 3rd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Hunter: Hey now, look at Scott putting the Jets in his top five! What a softie! Winnipeg got its revenge against the Panthers, avenging a 5-0 loss last week with a 6-3 win at home, led by a Mark Scheifele hat-trick. The 4-1 loss to the Predators came up as an impressive Friday night win over the Penguins, and I’ll chalk that up to the Predators telling themselves, “Enough of this.” Speaking of Scheifele, has the Jets’ star played himself onto Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster? Our managing editor Matt Larkin currently says no, but we’re still a week away from the team announcements and things can change quickly.

Scott: I actually had them ranked 11th before the five-point rule came into effect, so the joke’s on you, Mr. Crowther!

3. New Jersey Devils

Record: 14-7-2, +19
Last Week: 2nd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Hunter: I haven’t checked the odds lately, but I can’t help but think Sheldon Keefe is one of, if not the favorite to win the Jack Adams Award (I know, Spencer Carbery has done great things with the Capitals, as well as Scott Arniel with the Jets). It’s an award that thrives off narrative. What’s a better one than a coach tossed to the scrapheap by the Maple Leafs, someone who allegedly couldn’t get the most out of his stars, who is now taking a former non-playoff team to the top of the Metropolitan Division and might get career years out of his top guys? Voters love that stuff.

Scott: I could see the fact that everyone expected the Devils to be better than what they were last season anyway to fall under the radar for some people’s ballots, but he’s certainly a contender.

4. Minnesota Wild

Record: 13-3-4, +19
Last Week: 6th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Hunter: Not going to lie, I took the deepest of deep breaths when news came Sunday of Kirill Kaprizov avoiding serious injury after Thursday’s injury against the Oilers, an injury that forced him out of Saturday’s game against the Flames. It’s not just because the team needs him, but selfishly, I want to see him continue his Hart Trophy-caliber campaign. As for how good this team is … I mean, their defense has surprisingly good depth, and Filip Gustavsson is tied with Connor Hellebuyck for the best save percentage (SV%) among goalies with at least 12 starts. I don’t know how long they can keep it up, but we’re having fun watching.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 13-6-2, +12
Last Week: 9th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Scott: The Leafs had a quiet week, but still managed to improve to seven wins in their last eight games, all while adding another body to their IR after every game. They were actually first on my list, but being six points behind the Jets dropped them down. It’ll be interesting to see what this team looks like when they’re healthy, especially with Auston Matthews back, but for now they’re quietly impressing me, although I’m still only cautiously optimistic until the playoffs.

Hunter: Cautiously optimistic is also how I’d describe my outlook on them, but seeing Mitch Marner thrive without Matthews does pave the way for some lineup blending this season. Banking these points with so many bodies out of the lineup is something I never thought we’d see out of this group. While we’re at it, every year we talk about how the Leafs are a good regular-season club, and it’s the playoffs where they have to win, but they’ve never truly won their division (2021 doesn’t count). How about you try to do that so you can clinch home ice in a Game 7?

6. Dallas Stars

Record: 13-6-0, +22
Last Week: 7th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Hunter: A few things stood out this week: Jake Oettinger has won six of his last seven starts; Jason Robertson bounced back with four points in their two wins; Wyatt Johnston scored his first goal in two weeks (and just his second since Oct. 13) and Matt Duchene is drinking from the fountain of youth with 11 goals and 23 points in 19 games, which leads the team! Matt freaking Duchene! Dallas baby, how ‘bout ‘dem Stars?!

7. Washington Capitals

Record: 13-6-1, +26
Last Week: 4th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Scott: We were just starting to get excited about this team and Alex Ovechkin’s goal chase, so of course the hockey gods had to be cruel and give Ovi the most serious injury of his career. In fact, he might miss more games with this injury than he has throughout his first 19 seasons combined. The team is still playing well without him, but it is noticeable, losing their last two games and scoring just three goals since his injury.

Hunter: Losing Ovechkin sucks for both the team and fans of the game, but it’s an exciting opportunity to see how good this lineup is without the future Hall of Famer. I’d like to see Connor McMichael eat some of those minutes, and maybe we can see flashes of the world-class skill Pierre-Luc Dubois possesses.

8. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 13-6-2, +17
Last Week: 11th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Scott: The Golden Knights didn’t start off their Eastern Canada road trip the way they wanted to when they were blanked by the Maple Leafs, but they followed it up with back-to-back wins to come out ahead on the trip as a whole. And all without Mark Stone. Weird, it’s almost like they’re used to playing without him for long stretches of time.

9. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 11-7-3, +6
Last Week: 8th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Hunter: The Kings played just two games this week, but I thought that they outplayed both the Sabres and Kraken decisively, even if they only got two points. Quinton Byfield is back on the scoresheet (!) and Adrian Kempe’s continued progression could see him turn into an 80-point player in 2024-25. Still no word on when Drew Doughty will return, but Vladislav Gavrikov has stepped up big time in his absence, posting a 60.5% even-strength expected goals share and averaging more than 23 minutes per night. He’s due for a new contract at the end of the season, and he’ll earn a sizable raise from the $5.875 million he currently makes.

10. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 12-9-0, -2
Last Week: 14th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Scott: It seems like the Avs are mostly out of their funk that plagued them early on in the season thanks to three straight wins, and they’re definitely playing a lot better. That said, it also helps that they’re finally getting healthy, and Alexandar Georgiev is at the point where he’s bouncing between good and bad starts, as opposed to just always being bad like the start of the year. I think they should probably be fine from here on out, although an upgrade in net would certainly make me feel better about calling them a Cup contender.

11. Florida Panthers

Record: 12-8-1, +2
Last Week: 5th (-6)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Hunter: I can’t allow myself to believe that Sam Reinhart is going to hit the 50-goal mark again, but with nine in 10 games through November and now 16 on the season, he’s well on pace to hit the mark again, and perhaps surpass it. With that being said, it’s been a tough stretch for the Panthers, losing five of their last six and not getting great performances out of Sergei Bobrovksy. Florida knows how to space out a season, so it’s nothing too troublesome. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

12. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 10-7-2, +9
Last Week: 13th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Hunter: Their 7-6 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets was one of the most fun games of the season, especially since I was watching it from a sports bar at a resort in Mexico (the high-volume offense provided a heck of an atmosphere … people like goals, who knew?) But to follow up that heartbreaker with a dud against the Stars likely left a sour taste in the Bolts’ mouths. They play the Avalanche on Monday, which feels like a really good test for both clubs. I know I’ll be watching from Akumal.

13. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 11-9-2, -5
Last Week: 10th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: Is it time to start getting worried about this team? Obviously they’re in the playoff hunt again and should easily make the dance, but by this time last season, they were on fire and looked like a Cup contender. This year’s team is still quite inconsistent and doesn’t have the same energy, especially with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl “only” playing like all the other superstars as opposed to putting up totals in a league of their own. Perhaps they’re saving their energy for the playoffs, but it is a bit of a red flag.

14. New York Rangers

Record: 12-6-1, +15
Last Week: 12th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Scott: Last week, I pointed out how the Rangers only had one win against a team in the top 15 in the standings. Well, they proved me wrong by beating the Canucks on Tuesday – who sit in 15th. They then lost to the eighth-ranked Flames and the 14th-ranked Oilers later that week to go 2-2 on a Northwest road trip. I know I’ve always thought of the Rangers as a paper tiger over the past few years, but at least those teams were pulling out wins against teams at their level. It will be interesting to see what happens when their schedule gets tougher.

Hunter: I went so hard in the paint for the Rangers that, I must admit, those last few losses weren’t very promising. St. Louis on Monday should be a quick two points, but Wednesday against the Hurricanes, in a rematch of last season’s second round series, is a good test to see if they’re back on track or if there’s red flags worth fixing.

15. Calgary Flames

Record: 12-6-3, +1
Last Week: 19th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Hunter: Let’s do it, let’s talk about the Flames: four straight wins! How does a team with two of its leading scorers being its top-two defensemen still win games, currently holding onto the No. 2 spot in the Pacific Division? There’s rumors galore of Nazem Kadri potentially being shipped out, but perhaps we should pause and see what this group is? Dustin Wolf is living up to all the hype, posting a .926 SV% with an 8-2-1 record. I don’t know for certain where they’ll be in a month, but what I do know is that in the last month, Jonathan Huberdeau has two goals … and is still somehow tied for the team lead in goals.

16. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 10-6-3, -1
Last Week: 15th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Scott: Just as things were returning to normal for the Canucks, especially with Thatcher Demko nearly back in the lineup, chaos ensued again when J.T. Miller took a leave of absence earlier last week. I wish all the best for Miller during his time away and making sure that he’s okay is much more important than sports, but it also looks like Vancouver will have to tread water for a bit longer.

17. Boston Bruins

Record: 10-9-3, -19
Last Week: 16th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Hunter: Oh how the mighty have fallen. It’s weird to see this Bruins squad struggle, and it’s even weirder to say they’re “struggling” when you consider they were only 8-9-3 when they fired Jim Montgomery, which was still tied for a playoff spot. Some could argue Montgomery’s time with the club had reached its expiration date, despite posting one of the greatest regular season winning percentages in modern history. Bruins management saw an opportunity to use a bullet and try to reboot this lineup, and it appears to have worked, with the club winning its past two games. For all we know, Jeremy Swayman will remember he’s a top goalie in the league and lead this team to another second-round appearance.

18. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 11-9-1, +4
Last Week: 18th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Scott: Should I just copy and paste Hunter’s blurb about the Sabres being back from our rankings two weeks ago, which followed up with me saying that they would go cold the following week (they were 1-2-0) only to get hot again the week after? This Sabres team has been very streaky, but right now the streak is good after sweeping their California road trip last week, and streaky is certainly better than most of their Atlantic Division rivals in the Red Wings, Senators and Canadiens. The Sabres have playoff a spot in the division and are a win away from tying with the Panthers for second! Can’t wait to see how far they fall next week.

19. New York Islanders

Record: 8-8-5, -6
Last Week: 17th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Hunter: While seeing Kyle Palmieri produce at a career-high pace at 33 is impressive. It leaves you wondering what is wrong with the rest of the group. Bo Horvat has two assists in his last seven games (both in the same game) and the lack of Mathew Barzal has left this team desperate for any kind of offense. He may return to the lineup either this or next week, and it won’t be a moment too soon.

20. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 9-9-2, -2
Last Week: 27th (+7)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Scott: Don’t look now, but the Blue Jackets have won three straight, with all of the wins coming against competitive teams like the Bruins, Lightning and Hurricanes. Heck, their win over the Bruins even got Jim Montgomery fired! Zach Werenski also had himself a week, with seven points in their three wins that included a five-point performance over the Bolts, and now he’s second in scoring for defensemen.

21. Nashville Predators

Record: 7-11-3, -15
Last Week: 23rd (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Scott: I joked last week about how the Jets helped me out by waiting until after I wrote a piece on them to start losing, and the Preds sort of did the same for me by losing their game a day before I wrote about why they’ve struggled this season, only to win their next game (funny enough, against the Jets). You can check that piece out for a more in-depth look at my thoughts on why this team is bad, but it’s a bit more than just bad luck, and that should be concerning for Preds fans.

22. Ottawa Senators

Record: 8-11-1, -3
Last Week: 21st (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Scott: Oh Ottawa, what has happened to you? I’d ask how the mighty have fallen, but you weren’t even mighty to begin with. They’ve now lost five in a row, and have the second-worst record and third-worst points percentage in the East, and while it’s still somewhat early, they’re looking awfully like the same team we’ve seen from the past several seasons. You really have to wonder when some of the better players will get sick of the same thing happening over and over again and move on. They’re all locked up to big money for big term, so it’s not an easy feat, but it has to be wearing on them, especially if this slump continues.

23. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 7-12-4, -34
Last Week: 22nd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Hunter: There’s a scene from Malcolm in the Middle when Dewey says, “I expect nothing, and I’m still let down.” That’s what it feels like to watch and write about the Penguins every week. Non-stop disappointment, with flashes of major milestones and moments that will live on highlight reels for generations. Sidney Crosby became just the 21st player in league history to score 600 regular-season goals, doing so in a 6-1 loss to Utah HC on Saturday. I can’t think of a better microcosm for the 2024-25 Penguins.

24. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 8-8-3, -9
Last Week: 30th (+6)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Hunter: We’re starting to see signs of progress from two second-year players in Leo Carlsson and Olen Zellweger, both having big hands in a pair of wins this week against the Stars and Blackhawks. Do my eyes deceive me, or is Anaheim getting decent goaltending from Lukas Dostal and…is that…could it be John Gibson?! What a time to be in Orange County. Also, when do we accept that Trevor Zegras is just a guy? He’s got three assists in his last two games, but he only has two goals and five assists through 19 games. Let’s see if he can pick up the pace before Christmas.

25. Utah Hockey Club

Record: 8-10-3, -10
Last Week: 20th (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Hunter: You could give Utah HC credit for their win over the Penguins, but as you read earlier, Pittsburgh is not a serious team. As for Utah, they’re right there with them in terms of not showing any signs of being a contender beyond the odd “catch the opponent on a bad night” type of game. The club has won twice in the last two weeks and needs a spark to find its footing in the standings. Man, losing John Marino and Sean Durzi early really torpedoed their season.

26. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 8-10-2, -14
Last Week: 26th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Scott: The Red Wings finished their nightmare California road trip with another loss that saw them blow multiple leads to the Sharks, and then after barely squeaking past the Isles on Thursday, they dropped their fourth game in the last five with a 2-1 loss to the Bruins. While it’s very rare that moments that happen this early on will have significant ramifications on a team’s season, I feel like Detroit not jumping on Jim Montgomery while he was available will be something they regret if they miss the playoffs again.

27. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 9-10-2, -13
Last Week: 24th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Hunter: I think Travis Sanheim is a talented blueliner whose game has grown exponentially this season. I just don’t know if he should be playing 30 minutes per game, as John Tortorella has deployed him throughout November. Also, quick update on my personal crusade to get Travis Konecny on Team Canada in February: he has nine more points than anyone on the team and is on pace for a career year. Konecny has played so well that he’s now on Matt’s updated 4 Nations Face-Off roster projections. Now if we could make sure Doug Armstrong sees this…

28. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 7-12-2, -13
Last Week: 28th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Scott: I’m not sure why I feel slightly good about a team that has lost four of their last five and sits in last place in the league, but the Blackhawks don’t really look like a team that is as bad as their record is. They could still be a lot better, but I’d imagine they’ll look like a team in the 22-27 range once Connor Bedard gets out of his slump. The hopeful superstar has gone pointless in all but eight games this season for Chicago, including a stretch of nine in his last 12 games.

29. Seattle Kraken

Record: 10-10-1, +2
Last Week: 25th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Hunter: Credit to the Kraken, they looked like they controlled a good chunk of the game against the Predators last week and earned a strong win in front of their fans, but that same effort wasn’t there against a better Kings squad just days later. It’s weird, there’s guys I like on this team: Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, Jordan Eberle provides good depth, who doesn’t love Brandon Tanev? But despite a semi-decent bounceback in November, I just don’t see this as a serious playoff contender. Maybe it’s time for Ron Francis to blow this thing up – or maybe it’s time for someone else to have a turn at doing so.

Scott: What they need is an actual top-tier talent. I don’t even know if there’s a player on this team that I’d call a top-50 player in the NHL at the moment. Or at least outside of the crease, because Joey Daccord has been making a sneaky case to be a Vezina candidate this year.

30. St. Louis Blues

Record: 9-12-1, -21
Last Week: 29th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Scott: We all know how I love to rag on the Blues, but I’ll give them credit where I gave the Red Wings criticism: they jumped on Jim Montgomery, and that might be what swings their season. It was also incredibly bold of them to go for this hiring compared to the Red Wings. At least Derek Lalonde is on the hot seat! The Blues had only just made Drew Bannister their official head coach to start this season and they moved on from him after 22 games. I have to respect that level of cutthroat management from Doug Armstrong in his final season in the GM chair.

Hunter: I feel for Bannister, even though losing seven of their last nine and 10 of their last 14 means no one is safe. Jordan Binnington may make Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster by default, but he’s hardly earned a spot, posting a sub .900 SV% and a goals against average over three. Hey, since Bannister used to both play for and coach the Soo Greyhounds, maybe there’s a spot for him with Kyle Dubas’ Penguins?

31. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 7-11-2, -21
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Hunter: It’s time we start to discuss who will replace Martin St. Louis as head coach of the Canadiens. No, we didn’t think this club would make the playoffs, and I’ll be the first to admit that players seem to really enjoy his presence in the locker room. But there’s a lot of bad habits this team has, whether it’s Kirby Dach getting too cute with the puck, or the defense having little-to-no clue who to cover out front, and we’re seeing St. Louis rely too heavily on several guys, including Lane Hutson and Sam Montembeault. I asked before the season if St. Louis was “the guy before the guy.” I think we have our answer.

Scott: On the bright side, they’ve managed to decrease their 5v5 expected goals against per 60 minutes by almost an entire expected goal from where it was about a month ago. That might speak more about how historically bad they were than about how good they’ve been now, but that’s something to celebrate!

32. San Jose Sharks

Record: 6-12-5, -27
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Scott: The Sharks aren’t last place in the league right now (at least by points, they are last in points percentage), but they are definitely looking like they are making a home for themselves in last place like last year. That’s probably the only comparison I have to last year’s poor excuse for a hockey team though, because this year’s group is still an entertaining watch, and Macklin Celebrini is looking like everything the Sharks probably hoped that they would get from him in his rookie season. Hopefully they can take that next step soon though; the Joe Thornton jersey retirement ceremony has me very nostalgic about the Sharks being a powerhouse.

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