What a first week of hockey. We got to get a look at what the teams might look like, whose going to start hot, and whose going to fall flat on their face.
Obviously, there is still a long season ahead of us so the accuracy of these rankings could change very fast, but this is how it looks like right now. Without further ado here’s all 32 NHL teams ranked from worst to best after their week 1 performance.
32. San Jose Sharks (Previous rank: 31)
The Sharks look worse than I thought they would. The defense is flat and the offense is nonexistent. The only bright side is Mackenzie Blackwood is off to a decent start, but who knows if that’ll last. With an 0-1-1 record and a -4-goal differential I can’t expect things to get much better for San Jose.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: 28)
Yeesh what a mess. You can’t help but feel for Elvis Merzlikins as his defense leaves him out to dry. This team is just a nightmare.
30. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: Unmoved)
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I’m still not sold on this team event after the sudden surge of offense we’ve seen at the start of the season. That was to be expected with Bedard. The defense still looks shaky and the goaltending is wishy washy.
29. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous rank: Unmoved)
The Flyers needed Sean Couturier back. With Cam Atkinson healthy as well and a nice young roster, hope is on the horizon for Philly. At this point though, they’re still outmatched.
28. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: 25)
This team really is a long way from 2018. With no defense and the entire roster falling flat, this team has nowhere to go but down.
27. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: Unmoved)
The Ducks shocked the Hurricanes. It was an impressive win. It’s probably going to be one of the few highlights of their season.
26. Nashville Predators (Previous rank: 19)
I was wrong about the Preds. Even their so-called stars aren’t going to save them from this awful fate. The fall off has increased in speed and a terrible rebuild is imminent. Good luck Nashville.
25. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: 21)
At least Markstrom has seemingly found his game back. If he loses it again, there will be nothing to keep this team afloat.
24. Montreal Canadiens (Previous rank: Unmoved)
The Habs have looked somewhat decent in their first couple of games. However, I don’t think it’s to be trusted. There might be hope in the near future though.
23. Arizona Coyotes (Previous rank: 32)
This is both a mix of the Coyotes looking better than expected and other teams looking worse than expected. An impressive win over the Devils and a tight loss against the Rangers is nothing to be ashamed of at all.
22. New York Islanders (Previous rank: 18)
The Islanders have only played one game so far so it’s hard to accurately judge their abilities. However, other teams have looked really good and moved up so they unfortunately get moved down.
21. St. Louis Blues (Previous rank: 26)
I thought this team was going to be a mess, but so far, they look rather competent. I still don’t think they will be legitimate playoff contenders, but this is a pleasant surprise.
20. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: 23)
The Red Wings are hard to read. They might be better than I thought, or they might be worse. Right now they look fairly decent so they get moved up a few ranks.
19. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: 15)
A lot of the issues the Kraken had before are popping up very early. Goaltending is shaky, and the defense is not where it needs to be. The Kraken are learning very quickly you can’t always rely on offense.
18. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: 22)
The Canucks have come with a point to prove and they certainly sent that message when they whooped the Oilers 8-1. I’m still not sure where they will end up, but right now they look good.
17. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous rank: 20)
So maybe the Penguins aren’t as bad as I thought they were. That still doesn’t change that they are not in a very good place and something needs to be done.
16. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Wild are looking about how I expected them to look. No real identity and no real idea of where their season will take them.
15. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: 17)
Hellebyuck doesn’t look super rock solid to start, but the team appears to have patched some holes. The shaky locker room situations still loom large though, even with their two stars resigning.
14. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Panthers are off to a bit of a rough start, but they got off to a bad one last year too. I don’t think it’s anywhere near time to count these guys out yet.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: 12)
The Lightning look more worn than I thought they would. They went life and death with the Predators and that’s been their only win so far. They’re still a good team but some serious holes are showing. Steven Stamkos is injured as well.
12. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 9)
The Sabres have fallen completely flat under the weight of their own expectations. If they don’t scramble and find their footing soon they might find themselves buried in the competitive Atlantic division.
11. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 10)
Oh boy. This is not a good omen. The Oilers got creamed in the season opener 8-1 and then lost their next game right after. An 0-2 start with the defense and goaltending looking worse for wear. This team could be in trouble.
10. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: 11)
The Kings haven’t won yet but I don’t think it’s panic time at all. The only real cause for concern is the very shaky goaltending.
9. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: 13)
So far so good for the Senators. They’re looking good and I don’t see any reason they should be slowing down outside of something horrific.
8. New York Rangers
The Rangers look like the Rangers. Shesterkin led them to a win against Arizona which could be a bit concerning, but you could also just chalk it up to preseason jitters.
7. Boston Bruins (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Bruins are off to a decent start this season, but I maintain that they still aren’t where they were last season. We’ll see how they continue as the year progresses.
6. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Stars have only played one game so far so there’s no reason to move them up or down. They’re still a very good team.
5. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: 2)
Perhaps I expected too much too early. The Devils are still quite good, but they’re showing some cracks that could be concerning. We will see how the season plays out for the red and black.
4. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: 5)
Vegas is playing like champions right now to put it simply. They’re 3-0 and seem dead set on another deep playoff run. If they keep playing like this they might just do it too.
3. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: 1)
The Hurricanes have looked very mortal to start the season. They’re still very good, and I think they will pick up speed as the season progresses, but other teams have looked phenomenal.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: 3)
Man Toronto looks good. Could we see their first deep playoff run in decades? Their fans certainly hope so.
1. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: 4)
This team is scary. This team is imposing. This team is very, very good. The offense, the defense, even the goaltending is firing on all cylinders early and that’s a problem for this league, because Colorado doesn’t slow down.
