Happy New Year everybody! We’ve officially reached the 2024 part of the 2023-24 season. It’s the part of the season where every game and every point becomes crucial. It’s already become pretty apparent which teams are going to be competing for playoff seeding and which ones are probably going to have an early offseason, but as we have before we’re taking this one week at a time. Let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings.
32. San Jose Sharks (Previous rank: 31)
For a minute there it looked like maybe San Jose had at least figured out how to play semi competent hockey. That is no longer the case as they’ve failed to win a game since week 10. They’re now knee deep in an eight game losing streak, one loss away from tying this season’s longest one.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: 32)
Bedard recently came out and said that Chicago has begun to feel like home. That’s a bit of good news for the Hawks because it means Bedard might want to stay here for a while. That could quickly change however, if they don’t figure out a way to build a competent team around him.
30. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
There’s only two consolations for the Ducks so far this year and that’s they showed glimpses of something great, and they are in position again to win the draft lottery. Maybe not the position you wanted to be in at the start of the year, but at least you can draft another piece for your rebuild.
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29. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Senators had a lot of hope coming in, but their inability to keep the puck out of their own net has been their downfall. Korpisalo has not been the issue, it’s been the blue line. It’s an issue that’ll need to be fixed before they ever have a chance of climbing up from the bottom.
28. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine have not panned out the way that the Jackets were hoping, but there is still something to build off of. Rookie Adam Fantilli has been nothing short of impressive, and he represents a building block that Columbus can begin to build a competent system off of.
27. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: 25)
Things have gone from bad to worse for Calgary. They hoped that they could somehow remain competitive this season after missing the playoffs last year and then losing all of their star players. Add that on top of a new coach and a new GM and you have a team with a heck of a mountain to climb. All eyes will be on GM Craig Conroy as the deadline rolls around.
26. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 27)
Buffalo had not had this much hype around them in a long time. They seemed primed for a playoff spot. The first half of the season saw them trip over their own laces and fall flat on their face. They need to pick themselves up and start playing the way we all know they can as we start the new year.
25. Montreal Canadiens (Previous rank: 22)
The Habs may miss the playoffs again this season, but I don’t think it’s been a total loss. They continue to make steps in the right direction and you can see the beginnings of a very good system starting to bloom. Injuries hindered them this year, but expect good things from Montreal going forward. I expect a big move at the deadline as well.
24. St. Louis Blues (Previous rank: Unchanged)
St. Louis showed early on that they potentially have the talent to compete with the better leagues. So, why do they find themselves in the situation they do come 2024? They’re just not as well coached. Craig Berube was fired in December and Drew Bannister has stepped up as an interim, but it’s yet to be seen if he can carry this team to something more.
23. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: 19)
A fall off this hard was definitely not expected from this team. Part of the issue was they overly relied on Ville Husso and he simply just has not lived up to his potential. Alex Lyon has shown promise and can hopefully continue playing well, but Detroit needs to stop their free fall as soon as possible.
22. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: 26)
The Kraken have points in their last eight games. Joey Daccord and Chris Driedger appear to have given them stability in net. They found the right time to get hot, but they’ll need a heck of a push to get their way into the playoffs. A bit more consistency in five on five play would go a long way for them.
21. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: Unchanged)
There’s one thing right now that is truly preventing Minnesota from being a contender. They take the second most penalties in the league, while having the 30th ranked penalty kill. This is probably what’s going to rip playoffs from their grip.
20. Arizona Coyotes (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Arizona is on the brink. Years of inadequacy and draft capital have finally paid off as they find themselves on the cusp of being a playoff team. All they need is a final piece, something to push them over the edge, and they should aim to acquire that piece at the deadline.
19. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The breakdown of Tampa was expected given how long they were on top, but it doesn’t make it any less sad. They continue trying to lean into Victor Hedman despite an obvious decline. Vasilevsky’s injuries appear to be more and more frequent and even when he is healthy he’s not playing like his old self. It might be time for this team to start leaning into their younger guys and salvaging what they have, but they may not be willing to do so.
18. Nashville Predators (Previous rank: 16)
The Preds were expected to sink yet find themselves in the playoff race yet again. That being said, it’s hard to believe they will do much more given their awful penalty kill. It’s a massive black eye on what’s otherwise a decent team so far this year.
17. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: 13)
The sound defense only carried Washington so far as they see their playoff spot slowly slip out of their grasp. Ovechkin is not producing anywhere near his normal rate and goals are few and far between for this team.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous rank: 23)
The Penguins are an old team. That being said, Crosby and friends are still producing at a relatively high level. Playoffs aren’t too far away, if they can muster up the push to make it. Wilder things have happened and Pittsburgh appears to be staving off that rebuild for another year.
15. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: 17)
The Canes have looked better, but they still have a lot to figure out. Their fans are ready for another deep playoff run, and an early exit or worse yet, not playoffs at all, would be a punch to the gut. This team is better than the results have showed, they just need to figure it out.
14. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Devils are getting primed to make their playoff push and hopefully they can do something spectacular in order to make up for the rather disappointing first half of the season. This team is playing well below their level and it would be nice to see them return to the form that let them upset the Rangers last year.
13. New York Islanders (Previous rank: 12)
The Islanders are an interesting team to watch. They have an aged roster that continues to produce at a surprising level, and now their younger guys are starting to jump up as well. Noah Dobson in particular has been a treat to watch this season.
12. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 15)
The Oilers certainly weren’t going to go out without a fight. They’re one of the hottest teams in hockey right now as they continue their push towards a playoff spot. The issues they have are hard to ignore still, and I feel like a broken record for repeating them every week. Stuart Skinner has been better, but still not what you want him to be, and this team’s depth just isn’t there.
11. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
This was a desperate team last season. No one had any idea they would be in playoff position at the halfway mark. Carter Hart continues to be the netminder they want him to be and this young core is blending with the vets to make a relatively competent system in a way none of us expected.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: 8)
The Leafs have got to play better defensively. Almost every game they win is an offensive shootout, and the game plan to beat them is relatively simple. Slow down their offense. That’s not the formula to win a Cup and it’s something they’re going to be looking to fix.
9. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: 10)
The Panthers aren’t showing me anything to make me believe they will make another Finals run. Then again, they didn’t show me anything last season that would’ve had me believe they would’ve had that playoff run either. This team is always full of surprises.
8. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: 7)
The Avs are far from the dominant force they’ve been over the last two seasons. The Central title is actually up for grabs this year and Colorado is desperately trying to hold on to it as tightly as possible. If there’s any team that can do it, it’s them, but that doesn’t mean they will.
7. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: 9)
The Jets look as good as ever after barely squeaking into the playoffs last season. They’re pushing hard to win the Central title which is currently barely being held by Colorado. Winnipeg has the momentum on their side as well as they continue to heat up heading into the new year.
6. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The final of three teams currently pushing for the Central title, the Stars might be the best one to bet on. They’re well rounded, they’re young, and they’re hungry. I doubt anything short of another deep playoff run will satisfy them, but we all know they want the Cup.
5. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: 4)
Vancouver has been an incredible surprise this year. You keep expecting them to hit a wall yet here they are, fighting for a Pacific Division title for the first time since the new playoff format was introduced in 2014. Elias Pettersson has quickly become one of the best players in hockey as he leads the way into this playoff push.
4. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: 3)
The Kings are experiencing their first real down this year, and that’s saying a lot considering it isn’t really that much of a down. David Rittich has shown promise as he plays for the injured Phoenix Copley, and Cam Talbot remains rock solid. This team is still 4-5 games behind Vancouver and Vegas as well.
3. Boston Bruins (previous rank: 4)
They’re not going to set a points record this season, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t one of the best teams in hockey. Now, what they really need to do is translate their regular season success into post season success. I also suspect a big move at the deadline to free up cap space.
2. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Vegas probably wishes they had some more momentum heading into 2024. The truth is they’ve been on a bit of a slide and seem to be struggling to regain that footing. They remain highly ranked however, because when they do find that footing you know they’re going to race back towards the top of the league.
1. New York Rangers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
It’s no shock to anyone that the Rangers find themselves at number one still. They’re a force to be reckoned with and they would like nothing more than to carry this into the playoffs. The revival of Jonathan Quick, the continued dominance of Igor Shesterkin, the play of Chris Kreider and company, all of it has come together perfectly for this team.
