NHL 2023-24 Power Rankings. TOP 10 Teams, Review, and Comparison
The defending Champs, the Vegas Golden Knights, will try to win another Stanley Cup and repeat their success as the best team in the past two seasons. It is challenging to tell which clubs will go deep this season because, in hockey, things can change faster than in other sports.
The time passes, and we are another week closer to All-Star Weekend. The Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, and Vancouver Canucks hold the leading spots, but who has the grandest chances to catch up to them? We will cover the TOP 16 teams who sit in the playoff positions.
How we rank the teams
We rank the teams based on their form, points total, position in the standings, etc.
Boston Bruins
Ranking: 1 (0)
Last year’s position: 1
Points percentage: 72,82%
Upcoming games: Carolina (H), Ottawa (A), Philadelphia (A)
Last season: 65W/12L/5OT – 135P
After the retirement of David Krejčí and Patrice Bergeron, Boston fans thought it was impossible to reach that level again. However, they proved yet again that this team is one of the title contenders again. The Bruins finished last season as the winners of the Atlantic Division (their third such title). They also won the President’s Trophy for the fourth time in franchise history with a record-setting 135 points and 65 wins. Sixty-five wins is a new NHL record.
Vancouver Canucks
Ranking: 2 (+20)
Last year’s position: 22
Points percentage: 72,34%
Upcoming games: St. Louis (H), Columbus (H), Carolina (A)
Last season: 38W/37L/7OT – 83P
One thing that no one predicted is the success of the Vancouver Canucks. The British Colombia team is in the TOP 3 in the league, having 68 points in 47 games. The most shocking statistic that expresses it all about Vancouver is that this team has 30 wins in regulation. Last year, they were in 22nd position, and this year Canucks made a jump straight to the second spot. Many expect them to be in the playoffs and demonstrate high-quality hockey, but can they go further? J.T. Miller (#4) and Elias Pettersson (#6) are in the TOP 10 points list, and if they can keep up their scoring and creativity – everything is achievable.
Winnipeg Jets
Ranking: 3 (+11)
Last year’s position: 14
Points percentage: 71,11%
Upcoming games: Toronto (A), Toronto (H), Pittsburgh (A)
Last season: 46W/33L/3OT – 95P
The Winnipeg Jets sent Pierre Luc-Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings, a team trying to get over the postseason hump after back-to-back first-round exits. P.L. Dubois played his best season last year when he grabbed 63 points in 73 games. However, Winnipeg obtained Vilardi as part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade with the LA Kings in June, and the Jets hit the jackpot. G. Vilardi puts up great numbers – he played 26 games, scored 11 times, assisted on nine occasions, and has 20 points. 24-year-old adds power to Winnipeg’s general attack.
Colorado Avalanche
Ranking: 4 (+3)
Last year’s position: 7
Points percentage: 67,02%
Upcoming games: Capitals (H), LA Kings (H), Rangers (A)
Last season: 51W/24L/7OT – 109P
Colorado is one of the three teams that won at least 30 games. They are one of the favourites to win the Stanley Cup, and the gap between the TOP 3 teams in the league is not that enormous. The off-season deal on Drouin in free agency and that one-year, $825,000 contract ages like a wine fine. The reunion with former junior hockey teammate Nathan MacKinnon has enabled Drouin to settle much quicker. Also, Colorado scored the most goals this season – 179. Vancouver is in second place with 178.
Florida Panthers
Ranking: 5 (+12)
Last year’s position: 17
Points percentage: 65,21%
Upcoming games: Arizona (H), Pittsburgh (A), New York Islanders (A)
Last season: 42W/32L/8OT – 92P
The finalists of the last Stanley Cup Finals show that they can repeat this success this year. They started the season without their top-notch defenders – Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. Evan Rodrigues (46 games, 7G, 20A, 27P) is in excellent shape this year. E. Rodrigues has played a surprisingly engaged role, and alongside Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, it looks like they can try to go all the way. S. Reinhart has already scored the most goals in his career – 34. The forward, in total, has 34 goals, 24 assists and 58 points.
New York Rangers
Ranking: 6 (+3)
Last year’s position: 9
Points percentage: 65,21%
Upcoming games: San Jose (A), Vegas (H), Ottawa (A)
Last season: 47W/22L/13OT – 107P
The 37th coach in the Ranger’s history – Peter Laviolette has done a magnificent job. Last year, the team from New York stayed in that ninth position, but this year they improved. Not only did Alexis Lafrenière start to play more confidently, but also the coach had a much more splendid involvement in the locker room. They still have a chance to catch other teams, but they must start a little win streak, and San Jose is a proper place to start.
Dallas Stars
Ranking: 7 (+1)
Last year’s position: 8
Points percentage: 65,21%
Upcoming games: Red Wings (A), Anaheim (H), Capitals (H)
Last season: 47W/21L/14OT – 108P
Dallas has a terrific 13-5-4 record on the road this season. This kind of quality in away matches is something out of this world. Their away winning percentage reaches .682, which is good enough for third-best in the NHL. Only the Jets from Winnipeg and the LA Kings have collected more points. Also, after signing M. Duchene, the Dallas Stars should be considered a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the 2023-24 season, especially after signing him at a bargain bin price.
Vegas Golden Knights
Ranking: 8 (-3)
Last year’s position: 5
Points percentage: 63,82%
Upcoming games: Islanders (A), Rangers (A), Red Wings (A)
Last season: 51W/22L/9OT – 111P
They did not lose a single piece, except Rielly Smith, who joined the Pittsburgh Penguins. Apart from that, they look more stacked than ever before. The connection between the players looks identical, and they became the first team in NHL history to win the first six games of the season after winning the cup. The teams with the previous record of five wins were the Edmonton Oilers in 1985-86 and the Ottawa Senators in 1920-21. They can repeat their success, even though they are not playing at the highest level. Last season, they were fifth in the standings.
Edmonton Oilers
Ranking: 9 (-3)
Last year’s position: 6
Points percentage: 63,09%
Upcoming games: Columbus (H), Chicago (H), Nashville (H)
Last season: 50W/23L/9OT – 109P
Edmonton’s situation completely turned around. Edmonton won 13 in a row and is the hottest team in the league. They are 21-6-0 since Kris Knoblauch took over. That’s the league’s third-best record overall since the 12th of November. We can clearly say that Edmonton’s ship completely capsized, and it is just a matter of time before they will strengthen their positions.
Carolina Hurricanes
Ranking: 10 (-8)
Last year’s position: 2
Points percentage: 61,11%
Upcoming games: Boston (A), New Jersey (H), Arizona (H)
Last season: 52W/21L/9OT – 113P
Last July, Carolina took care of business and inked Aho to an eight-year, $78 million extension, and it is the largest in franchise history. S. Aho is the leader in goals, assists, and points, and besides that, the main face to build the franchise around.
Image Credit: Pixabay