Every week of this early NHL season has vastly differed from the one before. One week, a team is doing well and building confidence, and then the next week, they seem to fall off a cliff.
While it may not be the best confidence booster for the hockey teams, it makes for an exciting season for the fans. You never know what’s going to happen next.
Let’s see how the teams are doing in week 4 of the NHL Power Rankings.
Who are the top teams in the NHL power rankings after week 4?
32. San Jose Sharks (Previous ranking: Unchanged)
The Sharks finally were able to get a few wins, but they’re still at the bottom of the NHL power rankings.. That being said, it probably has to feel pretty good to get that monkey off their back and actually have a couple of wins in the bank.
31. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous ranking: Unchanged)
The Flyers did show a brief glimpse of something good there for a second but were unable to hold on to it. Poor Samuel Ersson is pretty much standing on his head, as he hasn’t had much help in his backup position. It’s made worse when you remember that he was pretty much forced into the starting role last season before he might have ever been ready.
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30. Nashville Predators (Previous ranking: 26)
Just as soon as it seemed that the Preds had found their footing, they slipped and fell on their face. It could still just be some early-season blues for the guys, or it could be indicative of a larger issue. We’ve expected Nashville to fall for a while now, but they were doing a really good job of holding themselves up. It happens to every team eventually, though. Maybe Nashville will somehow stave it off again and be better in the NHL power rankings.
29. Montreal Canadiens (Previous ranking: 24)
The Habs have seemingly fallen apart. Cayden Primeau has not at all been giving what they were hoping from him in net, and now Sam Montembault’s play has seemed to slip a bit as well. You can’t place the blame solely on him, though, when his blue line has a knack for giving up prime scoring opportunities. Outside of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the Habs are also not getting a lot of scoring.
28. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 21)
I gave you praise last week, Buffalo, and this is what you did with it. Having fallen flat again, the Sabres found their top three NHL division ranking ripped out of their own power as they plummeted back towards the bottom. As usual, offense has not been the issue. The Sabres can score. They’re also very good at getting scored, however.
27. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: 29)
Putting everything aside for a moment, I think it’s time to talk about how good Lukas Dostal has been. He’s second in the league in GAA and first in save percentage. The fact that the Ducks still can’t play somewhat decently with a goaltender as hot as he is is a testament to how bad this team is.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NHL Teams After Week 3 Games
26. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous ranking: 28)
I think this is the worst I’ve ever personally seen Pittsburgh play. I’ve never witnessed them outside of the Sidney Crosby era, so I was always used to them finishing in high positions, making the playoffs every year, and competing for the cup. Those days seem a long way away now, yet somehow, it’s still relatively the same core. Maybe that’s the problem; maybe this core just can’t bring this team any further for the NHL power rankings.
25. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: 30)
Chicago actually looked…Not bad this week? They were able to win some games, most impressively, their come-from-behind shootout win over LA. Petr Mrazek has been surprisingly good in net for this club, though he is carrying a large portion of the workload which could mean he’s doomed to burn out. Connor Bedard has been relatively quiet though.
24. New York Islanders (Previous rank: 23)
It’s pretty much the same story with the Islanders as the last couple of weeks. They just don’t have the speed to keep up with the other NHL teams in the power rankings. They’re good enough at their system that they have been able to stave off obscurity, but as they get older and the other teams get even faster, even their grind-out system isn’t going to save them.
23. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: 27)
Sean Monahan has been an absolute unit for this team, one they’ve desperately needed. Pair that with Elvis Merzlikins playing with a good amount of confidence, and you have a Columbus team that looks decently better than they did last year. I’m still not willing to put too much hope into this team, but they deserve at least a little praise at this very moment.
22. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: 25)
As usual, consistency has been the backbreaker for Detroit. You can’t blame goaltending. Both Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon have been pretty solid. You can blame defense and lack of depth on offense, though. If the top guys aren’t producing, their goal-scoring ability goes away, and their defense is sloppy and poorly put together.
21. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: 18)
Oh, Seattle. We yearn for the day when you guys figure out if you want to be good or bad. The constant stress and teasing you put your fans through are bound to send them into cardiac arrest. All it’s going to take is for you to figure out how to put those pieces you have together. Once you do that, everything should finally click into place.
20. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: 16)
It’s been a really rough year for the Avs. Offensively, this team is a powerhouse. At least in their top 6. Once you get past that, the amount of scoring drops off tremendously. Their blue line and their goaltending have really been their Achilles’ heel this year, though. They can’t get their offense going the way they like to if they can’t get the puck out of their own zone. While Justus Annunen has been okay, he hasn’t been great, and Alexandar Georgiev has been awful, to say the least.
19. Boston Bruins (Previous rank: Unchanged)
This is certainly not the Boston team we’re used to seeing, and it’s clearly not the way they’re used to playing. Visibly frustrated, Boston has struggled to find its footing the last two weeks. They did manage to get some solid wins to end last week, which gives them some decent momentum heading into week five, but we’ll have to see if they can hold onto it or not.
18. St Louis Blues (Previous rank: 17)
To be fair, this is about what we expected from St Louis this season. I didn’t think they would be terrible, but I also didn’t think they’d be great, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing. Hovering around .500, the Blues are exactly what you would expect a middle-of-the-pack team to be. Sometimes, that fate is worse than a rebuild, though.
17. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: 22)
While Ottawa has very much improved from last season, I still don’t think it’s enough to get them over the hump into playoff contention. They just don’t strike me as a playoff team, at least not yet. The yet is important. This team is on the right path. If they can keep themselves from straying from it, they might be able to pull themselves back into relevancy for the first time since Andrew Hammond took the world by storm all those years ago.
16. Utah Hockey Club (Previous rank: 14)
Utah managed to stop their slide, but have been kind of middling around since then. This is a lot of the same stuff we saw from them last season when they were still the Coyotes, and while it kept them competitive for a very long time, it bit them in the backside when it was time to make that final playoff push. We will see if they can rewrite history this time around.
15. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 20)
The Oilers are slowly figuring it out. That process may even be slowed with Connor McDavid out for a few weeks. The Oilers have already struggled with depth scoring again this season (seriously, what happened to Zach Hyman?!). Without their captain and number one guy, it could be likely that those problems get even worse. Calvin Pickard has slowly been playing better in net, but both he and Skinner are still under .900 in save percentage.
14. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: 8)
Seems the flame may have flickered out. After their impressive start, the Flames have been less than impressive in their last few games. They’re dropping like a rock, and in a sport that has a very short memory, that impressive start is going to become irrelevant very fast unless they do something to bring themselves back. If they even have the capability to do so.
13. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: 15)
Toronto certainly hasn’t been what they were expected to be. We’re still waiting for Auston Matthews to pick up the pace. That being said, Joseph Woll is back in action and should give Toronto a much-appreciated boost on the net. At least, that’s the hope for this hockey club.
12. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: 13)
I really like this Canucks team, but it’s safe to say they have not been as impressive as they were last year. That being said, they haven’t exactly been terrible either, outside of a few struggles here and there. This is a team that’s built solidly from top to bottom, and they’ve shown that, for the most part, seemingly able to break out of any slides they encounter.
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: Unchanged)
To the Lightning’s credit, they look a lot better than they did last year, and they were still able to make the playoffs last year. They’ve certainly been facing some ups and downs and don’t at all look like the elite powerhouse they used to be, but they still look like a very solid hockey club. That’s impressive in its own right, considering how long this core has been together.
10. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: Unchanged)
I don’t know where to start with this team. One minute, they’re dominating the Golden Knights. The next, they’re losing to the Sharks and Blackhawks. That being said, Alex Laferriere is off to a very good start this year, and that’s a very good sign for the Kings. Brandt Clarke has also been very solid, and of course, Kopitar is still leading the way, as he usually does. However, you would like to see more from Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe.
9. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: 4)
The Devils have slipped a bit. They don’t look bad, but they haven’t looked great either. It could very well be just a slide, especially with other teams in their division playing so well, but we’ll have to wait to know that for sure. Right now, they see themselves drop a bit. Still in the top ten though which is higher than they ever made it last year.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: 9)
The Golden Knights have pretty much looked like the Golden Knights usually do. It is a top-tier team with a lot of depth and a well-rounded roster. Occasionally, they like to scare their fans and go on a bit of a slide, but they usually break out of it and go back to business as usual. That’s pretty much what we’ve seen from them so far this year.
7. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: 12)
I don’t know what happened to the Wild. I don’t know what they changed. But whatever it was, it worked. This team has looked incredible to start this season. It’s also worth mentioning that Marc-Andre Fleury’s last game in Pittsburgh was a very touching moment that would’ve made the best of us tear up. It was nice to see the fans support him for everything he gave to that club, as well as him having a moment with his long-time teammates.
6. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: 7)
Much like the Wild, I’m not sure what the Capitals changed, but it worked. It really worked. They have looked outstanding. Every time you think they’re going to fizzle out they pick up another couple wins. They’ve won against good teams too. It helps that Ovechkin isn’t off to nearly as slow of a start as he was last year.
5. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
You always expect the defending champions to look good next season. Sometimes, that’s unrealistic, though, as the champions have less time off than any other team in the league (outside of the runner-ups.) That’s why we often see defending champs have sluggish starts. However, the Panthers seemingly have already shaken off that hangover and gone back to their winning ways. Good for them.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: 6)
The Canes have looked really, really good to start this year. This is what I was hoping to see from them in response to the disappointing end they had to last season. This is a hungry team that knows their window may very well be closing. They want to capitalize. They want to win. We’re seeing that fiery competitive spirit come out in them this year.
3. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: 2)
The Stars missed a few beats this last week. You can’t expect every week to be a good one, though, with Dallas being no exception to that rule. That being said, they once again are facing fierce competition in the Central, mainly from Winnipeg. They may want to pick up their own pace if they hope to compete with that and for the NHL power rankings.
2. New York Rangers (Previous rank: 3)
The Rangers have hardly missed a step from last season, once against firmly placing themselves in the lead of the Metro. That being said, they’re facing much stiffer competition early this year than they did early last year. Carolina and Washington are right on their heels, and New Jersey is certainly in the mix, too.
1. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: Unchanged)
One loss through four weeks is an extremely impressive feat in today’s NHL. Almost unheard of, for that matter. Winnipeg keeps finding ways to win games. They’re booming with confidence. They’re on top of the world right now. However, the fall from the top is a steep one, and they have to be careful not to topple themselves over the edge.
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