This season has given me quite a few surprises. Be it last year’s Presidents Trophy winners completely imploding alongside the Bruins or the Capitals and Wild suddenly becoming two of the best teams in the league, there’s a lot going on I never would’ve predicted to happen after the end of last season. That’s hockey, though, and it’s one of the reasons we love it.
With ten weeks gone, let’s see how the NHL rankings are looking.
Who are the top teams in the NHL power rankings after week 10?
32. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: 29)
It was the end of an era for the Ducks this week. After spending his entire 15-year career in Anaheim, Cam Fowler will no longer be wearing a Ducks uniform. He was traded to St Louis for a second-round pick in the 2027 draft, as well as defensive prospect Jeremie Biakabutuka. While Fowler definitely isn’t the player that he used to be, it’s still surreal to see his name attached to a different team.
31. Nashville Predators (Previous rank: Unchanged)
I seriously cannot fathom how bad the Predators have been this year. I can’t even remember the last time they’ve played this bad, even in years they’ve missed the NHL playoffs. It’s a surprisingly rough start, even given the fact that I predicted them to regress this year. Now with Roman Josi out to injury one can only wonder how much worse things can get for Nashville.
30. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: 32)
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Since firing Luke Richardson as their head coach, Chicago has been playing a bit better. The real breath of relief is that Connor Bedard has appeared to somewhat return to form and is on pace for at least a 70-point season. While that may still not be what they were hoping for when he was drafted, it’s still pretty respectable and much needed on this shallow Chicago roster.
29. San Jose Sharks (Previous rank: 27)
After saying so many negative things about the Sharks last year, it seems like a refreshing change of pace to say anything remotely positive about them. However, they’ve been playing noticeably worse since they shipped off Mackenzie Blackwood. Hopefully, the GM has a plan that we can’t fully see yet because that still seems like a crazy move to me, considering the position San Jose is currently in.
28. Montreal Canadiens (Previous rank: 30)
I’m not entirely sure what to say about the Habs anymore. We have seen some better play from the goalie tandem, though there is still no replacement for Carey Price. Despite Cole Caulfield and Nick Suzuki putting up fairly respectable numbers, they’re still not scoring near enough to offset their terrible defensive play.
27. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 23)
Quite frankly, the Sabres are lucky not to be ranked even lower than this. They don’t have a single win in their last ten games. Any semblance of hope that anyone had for this team has been effectively dashed and it’s going to take a Herculean effort to even get a little bit back. Despite all the additions, the long rebuild, and the years of heartbreak, it seems the Sabres are right back where they started.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NHL Teams After Week 9 Games
26. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: 28)
I will say this: it’s been really nice to see that Cam Talbot still has some gas left in the tank. Unfortunately, this team has completely left him out to dry. The blue line is as incompetent as ever, and the shallow offense isn’t producing enough to offset it like they did last year. Dylan Larkin can only carry things so far, guys. Hopefully, we start to see these issues addressed rather than ignored as they have been.
25. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: 21)
Columbus is a team that isn’t really sure if they want to be good or bad, so they’ve settled for in-between. They have no real identity and no real direction forward. It’s a painful reality given what this team has been through, but sadly, the heart they’ve shown may not be enough. The potential is there for something more, but who knows if they actually have the tools to make it happen.
24. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: 26)
I’m going to make a prediction right now – Phillip Grubauer is going to get moved by the deadline. He still has two years left on his contract after this season, and at 5.9 million, it’s probably going to be tough to move him, given his level of play the last few NHL seasons, but I have a feeling that they get it done. If they don’t, I think it’s a mistake. He’s been awful in the goal for this team, and they need to get some support for Joey Daccord.
23. New York Islanders (Previous rank: 25)
It’s the same old, same old for the Islanders right now. There’s nothing really new to report. They get some good wins here and there and then some not-so-good losses. They’re still hovering right around .500, which is becoming an issue, considering the teams ahead of them are starting to pull away.
22. New York Rangers (Previous rank: 15)
I really have no idea what happened to the Rangers. They’ve completely fallen apart. It’s been really rough to watch, actually. Igor Shesterkin has not been playing anywhere near his usual level recently in the NHL, and it’s become concerning. It is so concerning, in fact, that you can feel the team starting to look at Jonathan Quick in the hopes that he can pull out some old magic and save them.
21. Boston Bruins (Previous rank: 16)
Every time I think the Bruins are back on the right track, they show me that the mine cart is still very much off the rails. How long before we start getting truly concerned about Jeremy Swayman’s play? It’s entirely possible he can’t perform under pressure. At the very least, that’s what he’s showing us right now. This was supposed to be the next guy. That is why Boston chose to ship out Ullmark. He needs to start stepping up.
20. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous rank: 24)
The Penguins have decided that the best way to fix their awful defensive play is to just score more goals. To their credit, it is somewhat working. They’re once again, somehow finding a way to remain relevant. Do I think they’ll make the NHL playoffs? No, not at all. But one has to admire their ability to somehow keep catching the public’s attention time and time again, no matter how deep in the hole they continue to sink.
19. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Despite consistently having to change who backs up Samuel Ersson, I think this season has been a relative success for Philly so far. They’ve proven that last season wasn’t really a fluke and that the rebuild may be closer to being finished than we originally thought. It needs to be said that Travis Konecny is one of the best scorers in the NHL right now, but he doesn’t get enough credit for it.
18. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: 17)
The fall apart may be coming after all. Despite lasting a lot longer than anyone predicted they were going to, the Flames are now starting to watch as the other teams ahead of them begin pulling away bit by bit. It’s terrifying to think about, given that if they don’t make the NHL playoffs, they probably gave up precious draft capital that they desperately needed for a rebuild.
17. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: 22)
Somebody pinch me. Is Ottawa actually good? Is this actually real life? I’m scared to put my ducks in a row just yet. They’ve let me down before. Many times, in fact. Maybe right now, we should just hold off on any playoff or future talk and just enjoy the level of play they’ve been showing us the last couple of weeks. After all, this team is pretty fun when they’re on their game.
16. Utah Hockey Club (Previous rank: 20)
Now, this looks more like the Utah team we saw at the beginning of the season. The refreshing part is that they’re not just doing it against the lower-level teams anymore. They’re now starting to find some decent success against the higher levels as well. It’s still too early to get hopeful, though; they have plenty of time to collapse and throw it all away.
15. St Louis Blues (Previous rank: 18)
The Blues continue to improve under Jim Montgomery. That being said, I’m not really sure what adding Cam Fowler to their blue line is going to accomplish. Fowler is, unfortunately, well past his prime and probably isn’t too far off retirement from the NHL. His offensive numbers aren’t anywhere near where they used to be, and I’m not sure exactly what he could bring to the blue line that St Louis doesn’t already have. I guess the consolation is that they really didn’t give up much to get him.
14. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: 12)
Thatcher Demko is back, and that’s a welcome sign for Vancouver right now. They need to start making up the ground fast. The talent of this team stopped them from falling too far behind, but teams like LA and Edmonton are showing no signs of slowing down, and Vancouver needs to start winning consistently in order to keep pace. Most importantly, they need Demko to stay healthy.
13. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: 14)
The Avs most likely made the right move, tearing apart their goalie tandem as early as they did. If they had waited for the deadline, it may have been too late. Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood have looked fairly solid in their first few games, and that’s all Colorado really needs to be able to strut their stuff again. If they can get even just a decent .900 save percentage, they could probably go to work.
12. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: 13)
Tampa is struggling to maintain consistency. Part of the issue is that they don’t have a solid goaltender outside of Vasilevsky. Jonas Johansson has only played six games this NHL season due to the lack of faith the team has in him, meaning Vasilevsky is once again having to carry a large workload. Given his injury history, it’s very likely he’ll be burned out by the time playoffs roll around.
11. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: 6)
It feels weird to have the Canes this low, given that they were ranked number one just a couple of weeks ago. However, their play speaks for itself, and it’s been fairly mediocre the last couple of weeks. It certainly doesn’t help that the Hurricanes have had five different goalies play so far this year due to injuries and a bad level of play. They even brought back Dustin Tokarski.
10. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Stars have also looked fairly mediocre lately, at least by their standards. This team is capable of much better than what they’ve shown thus far, but it’s anyone’s guess when they will decide to show that. Maybe I’m just salty because I predicted that they would be the best team in the league this season, and so far, they have not been that. At least Matt Duchene is fun to watch again.
9. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The story of the Panthers has obviously been Sam Reinhart. The man is on fire. He hasn’t missed a single beat this NHL season, even when his team has. He leads the team in points with 39, a combination of his 19 goals and 20 assists. Six of those goals have come on the power play, which is the most on the team.
8. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 11)
The Oilers have finally caught fire. Obviously, we can still talk about the lack of depth and the scary goaltending, but right now, none of that matters because Edmonton is winning games. They’ve bridged the gap with the top teams in their division and are working on passing them. If they could just get some more consistent goaltending, they could find themselves in a similar form to last year.
7. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: 8)
The Jets may be the top team in the official standings, but that’s a bit misleading. They started 15-1-0, and in just a couple of weeks, they’ve already hit ten losses. They are struggling, but they are managing to get points and maintain their position decently enough. While they may not be as good as that 15-1 start had suggested, they are still good.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: 5)
The Leafs version of a rough week usually involves just a couple of losses. While they are 6-4-0 in their last ten, they’re still maintaining a good position in their division. They’re a tough out for any NHL team, and they’re starting to instill hope in their fanbase. Usually, when they give their fans hope, they start to break their hearts, so we’ll see if they start doing that this season.
5. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: 4)
I hate it when the Kings get me excited about them, but gosh dang it, the Kings are getting me excited about them. They absolutely smother the offense of the teams in every game. Adrian Kempe is on fire. Anze Kopitar is still holding off Father Time. Alex Laferriere suddenly explodes onto the scene. Trevor Moore’s regression has been a bit worrying, but they’ve been getting plenty of scoring to make up for it.
4. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: 7)
Getting Jakob Markstrom was the right move for the Devils. He has been exactly what they needed in the net, even if his numbers aren’t what they used to be. The Devils are back on the right track and look like the team we hoped they would be, but we didn’t see them last NHL season. They want to make up for lost time.
3. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: Unchanged)
You can hate on Vegas for being successful. You can hate on Vegas for abusing the LTIR. You can hate them for their physicality. You cannot hate on them for how exciting they are to watch. Day in and day out, Vegas proves they watch hockey a lot. They are so in sync and so entertaining in every single facet of hockey.
2. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Every week, I expect to hear about how Minnesota is starting to slip, and every week, they just don’t. Be it the incredible improvement on the penalty kill or the breakout season of Fillip Gustavsson, they are playing well. Scarily well. The best I’ve seen them look in a long time, really. Never thought I would say the words, “The Minnesota Wild are competing for the President’s Trophy this season.”
1. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Maybe even more surprising than the Wild are the Capitals. Given how they looked last season and the obvious regression they’ve consistently shown, I never would’ve guessed they were capable of this. They’re getting scoring depth without Backstrom and Oshie while maintaining the goaltending and defense they had last season. What a scary thought.
Also Read: Grading All 32 NHL Teams’ After Week 9 Games Of The 2024 Season
