Tag: 2023 NHL power rankings

NHL December power rankings: Which teams are already in danger of missing the playoffs (Penguins?)

It’s getting late early for some NHL teams as 2024 looms large.

It’s starting to get late early for many Stanley Cup hopefuls as December begins.

We’re just one month away from 2024 — which is, unfortunately, a real year — and we’re already starting to see major trends set in as the NHL season rolls along. Some teams, such as the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, have surprised with early hot starts, leading many to believe they’ll be playoff contenders come spring.

And yet, for some teams, slow starts to the 2023-24 season may end up derailing hopes for a long playoff run. We’ve already talked about teams like the Edmonton Oilers, who continue to stagnate in a quagmire of their own making, so far this year. But a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are in the final years of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang’s careers, are treading water even after big offseason acquisitions put them in a position to succeed.

Obviously, the season isn’t over quite yet, but it’s fair to start getting worried if you’re a Penguins or Oilers fan — not to mention the Calgary Flames or New Jersey Devils either. As for the rest of the NHL, here’s how we see things shaping up for the final month of the year in our December 2023 power rankings.

NHL November power rankings: Not even Connor McDavid is enough to save the Oilers

See where our November NHL power rankings place the listless Oilers, high-flying Golden Knights, and more.

Connor McDavid might be one of the best hockey players to ever play the game, but even he can’t fix the Edmonton Oilers woes on his own.

It’s been a few weeks since the start of the 2023-24 NHL season, but already we’re getting some interesting early returns less than a month in. One of these intriguing early storylines has been the Oilers, who are statistically one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. The Oilers were predicted by many to be a major Stanley Cup contender before the season began, but their 2-5-1 record to start the year has them in danger of missing the playoffs entirely if they don’t get their act together soon.

Much of this blame falls on general manager Ken Holland for his lackluster roster construction. The Oilers haven’t had a legitimate starting goaltender since the beginning of the McDavid era, relying on the Mike Smiths of the hockey world to get it done in net. And the supporting cast around McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have all been hit or miss too. When the Oilers are on their game, no one can stop them offensively. But right now, everything’s gone ice cold in Edmonton and it’s threatening to derail their season before it even begins.

Like the hit musical Chicago once said, McDavid simply can’t do it alone!

As for the rest of the NHL, here’s how we see the league shaping up after a few weeks of play in our November 2023 power rankings.

2023 Stanley Cup Playoff power rankings: Expect the unexpected in the Conference Finals

Chaos is king in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Conference Finals will be no exception.

And then there were four!

The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially at their midpoint as the Conference Finals loom. The second round of the playoffs saw more heavyweight favorites in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers fall, making way for the most unconventional Conference Finals hockey fans have seen in some time.

Chaos is king in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but things have been taken to a new level this season. The last time any of the four teams remaining won a Stanley Cup? The Carolina Hurricanes way back in 2006. Not only that, two of the remaining teams haven’t even won a Stanley Cup in franchise history!

Expect the unexpected really is the name of the game here as the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin to wind down. After all, there are only a finite number of hockey games left in the season before a long summer, so why not enjoy it all while it lasts?

Here’s how we rank the four teams remaining in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with a final eulogy for the ones left behind.

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2023 Stanley Cup Playoff power rankings: How major upsets (Panthers!) shake things up ahead of Round 2

The massive upsets in the Stanley Cup Playoffs will impact the second round in a big way.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs never disappoint and this year is no exception.

The first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs has come to an end, with the second round set for Tuesday evening as the NHL postseason continues on into May. The opening set of 16 teams has been cut in half, with just eight teams remaining in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.

And folks, the remaining field is pretty fresh with new blood for the first time in a long time. The reigning Stanley Cup champions in the Colorado Avalanche were ousted in a Game 7 stunner. The Boston Bruins, the NHL’s best regular season team in history, also were handed a stunning Game 7 defeat. Even the stalwart Tampa Bay Lightning were felled in the opening round, meaning we’re set to get a totally new Stanley Cup champion for the first time since the mid-2000s.

That’s playoff hockey for you!

With all these major upsets now behind us, the field is set for an exciting second round. Here’s how we rank the eight teams remaining in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with one final eulogy for the teams we left behind.

2023 Stanley Cup Playoff power rankings: Are the Lightning headed for an early exit?

Will the Lightning see an early exit from the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are already looking a bit different than normal.

Gone are some of the usual suspects in the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. The Seattle Kraken, meanwhile, will make their first-ever playoff debut in short order. And the impetus behind all of this seems to be the shifting powers across the NHL landscape that have coalesced behind one team in particular.

The first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins on Monday, with weeks of chaos sure to follow. One of the best parts of playoff hockey season is the massive upsets we bear witness to every spring and this year seems to be no different. One team in particular, the Tampa Bay Lightning, might just be set to fall out of favor earlier than expected. But don’t worry, we’ll get into it soon enough.

As the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway, here are our power rankings of all 16 playoff teams ahead of the chaos to come.

NHL April power rankings: Where do all 32 teams stand ahead of the final 2 weeks?

The 2022-23 NHL season is coming down to the wire, folks.

In just a few weeks’ time, the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin.

Yes, if you can believe it, the NHL regular season is almost over. It feels like just yesterday that we were looking at a clean slate across the board for all 32 teams. But somehow, nearly six months have come and gone and now, the playoffs are in sight.

But first, we have nearly two more weeks left of games to play. And there are a lot of things riding on these next few weeks, from the order of the upcoming NHL draft to the seedings for the playoff matchups to come. For some teams, their stories will continue on through April and late into the spring. For others, however, this will likely be the last time we talk about them in depth for some time.

MORE NHL: Every Pride jersey worn by NHL teams this season.

So, with that being said, let’s buckle up and get ready for a wild ride to the end of the season. Here are our NHL power rankings as April begins.

NHL March power rankings: The East is so loaded as the trade deadline approaches

The arms race in the Eastern Conference has shifted our March power rankings.

Wow, the NHL’s Eastern Conference is actually stacked.

The calendar has officially flipped to March, which means the Stanley Cup Playoffs are only a handful of weeks away. And of course, the 2023 NHL trade deadline is right around the corner, with the 3 p.m. cutoff set for Friday, March 3.

So far, the deadline has been quite busy, with lots of top-end players changing hands as teams look to get ready for long playoff runs. The Eastern Conference, in particular, has loaded up pretty significantly these last few weeks. Players who once dominated the West like Timo Meier, Patrick Kane, Ryan O’Reilly, and Vladimir Tarasenko have all moved East as the arms race between the top NHL teams gets bigger by the day.

What all 32 NHL teams should do at the 2023 trade deadline

Given how close the day is, it’s only fitting that this edition of our monthly power rankings is all about the upcoming trade deadline madness! Here are our NHL power rankings as March begins.

NHL February power rankings: It’s time to jump on the Sabres’ playoff hype train

The Sabres have a real chance to play spoiler to a playoff hopeful this season.

Now is the perfect time to jump on the Buffalo Sabres bandwagon.

The calendar has officially flipped to February and the 2022-23 NHL season is more than halfway over at this point. The All-Star break is upon us and the trade deadline approaches at a rapid pace. It’s a busy time in the NHL season, with teams really starting to jockey for playoff position as the games begin to dwindle.

As February begins, the Sabres have forced their way into the playoff conversation for the first time in over a decade. Despite not being pegged as Stanley Cup contenders, the surging Sabres have a real chance to knock off a playoff hopeful such as the Pittsburgh Penguins or Washington Capitals. Plus, they’re a fun goal-scoring machine with one of the NHL’s biggest rising stars leading the way. What’s not to love?

Here are our NHL power rankings as February begins.

NHL January power rankings: The unstoppable Bruins are on top of the world as 2023 begins

The Bruins are a juggernaut that can’t be stopped.

If this is the Boston Bruins last season together with this core, this is one way to go out.

The calendar has officially flipped to a new year and the second half of the 2022-23 NHL season is about to begin. And so far, despite some challengers, the Bruins have been by far and away the NHL’s best team this season. Between a potent offense of veteran talent and Linus Ullmark planting his flag in the ground for a Vezina nomination, you couldn’t script a better season than this if you’re the Bruins.

Of course, we’ve still got nearly half a year left of this hockey season in full so anything can happen, but it’s hard not to look at the Bruins right now and see the Stanley Cup Final running through Boston. Sorry for the early jinx, Bruins fans.

Regardless, it’s 2023 and here are our NHL power rankings as a new month begins!