While the trade drama didn’t exactly peak as well as it did two weeks ago, last week still saw a couple of notable moves to keep things interesting, with the Colorado Avalanche adding another goalie and the Anaheim Ducks moving on from their longest-tenured player. After all these years of people in the NHL trying to hype up the Christmas trade freeze, this season might actually be treating it like an early trade deadline.

Hunter Crowther and I continue to navigate through the results so far this season with another week of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.

1. Washington Capitals

Record: 21-6-2, +38
Last Week: 1st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Hunter: When a team has won eight of their last nine games, you think, “Man, they must be playing really well. I bet their best player is on a roll.” Then you remember the Capitals don’t have their best player, and are doing this because Dylan Strome is playing some of his best hockey and Tom Wilson is playing like it’s 2019. Alex Ovechkin is back skating with the club, and there’s no doubt he’ll be motivated to pick up where he left off and score goals.

2. New Jersey Devils

Record: 20-10-3, +24
Last Week: 4th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Hunter: When you look back at 2023-24, it really is ridiculous that the Devils didn’t make the playoffs. Sure, Jack Hughes missed 20 games, Dougie Hamilton only played a quarter of the season, and a lackluster coaching performance from Lindy Ruff left them behind the eight ball, but this team had talent and good defense. This season, they have talent and good defense. But the biggest turnaround for the club is substantially better goaltending, and that starts with Jacob Markstrom behind the net. Allowing just seven goals in his last five starts, with a .934 save percentage in that span, he’s been a star.

3. Minnesota Wild

Record: 20-7-4, +18
Last Week: 2nd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Scott: The Wild have been a bit more inconsistent recently, with losses in three of their last five games, which includes a 7-1 blowout defeat to the Oilers. Even one of the wins was squeaking out a shootout win over Utah. That said, it goes to show the standard that the Wild are setting for themselves this year when losing three of five is a disappointment. In pretty much any other season, that’s another day for them.

4. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 20-8-3, +16
Last Week: 6th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Scott: I think someone needs to check on the Golden Knights, because they seem to be a bit confused. It’s only December, so why are you taking Mark Stone off injured reserve? That said, it’s been a big help for Vegas, as they’ve won three of four since Stone returned, and he has an assist in all three wins. You do have to be slightly concerned about that loss to the Oilers on Saturday, but as the Wild have seen, the Oilers are stopping for no one right now.

5. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 18-9-3, +16
Last Week: 3th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Hunter: We’ve seen plenty of winning streaks and teams have carved out their own two- or three-week runs as “the hottest team in hockey,” but this recent run by the Kings has been something else. Winners of seven of their last eight, including a performance against the Rangers that saw Igor Shesterkin get chased from the crease, they’re a group that’s showing no signs of slowing down during this road trip. If the playoffs started today, they’d have to play the Oilers for the millionth straight time, but I can guarantee they wouldn’t lose in five like they did last spring.

Scott: But in the past three years, they’ve lost in seven, then six, then five games. At this pace, they’ll be swept this spring!

Hunter: I read that in the voice of LeBron James when he was talking about how many NBA titles the Miami Heat would win when he signed there.

Scott: Hey, after playing three games of basketball in my intramural sports league this season, I’ll take any comparison to LeBron James that I can.

6. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 22-9-1, +36
Last Week: 8th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Hunter: They’re back, baby! Back at the top! I mean, at the top of the points standings, not the all-important Daily Faceoff Power Rankings. An 8-1 whooping of the Bruins to start the week, a valiant effort in an overtime loss to the Golden Knights and two points against the Habs. Kyle Connor continues to dominate; he’s got three goals and five assists in his last five games. The club can pick up at least four points next week with games against the Sharks and Ducks.

Scott: It’s still impressive that after the start that they had, losing only once in their first 16 games, they’re already at 10 losses at the 32-game mark. That’s an impressive level of fraudulence that’s only going unnoticed because the Rangers exist right now.

Hunter: Excuse me, they’ve lost nine games in regulation and one in overtime. This guy is just throwing around terms like “fraudulence” like he’s watching a Law & Order spinoff about white-collar crime. They’re not as good as their 15-1-0 start may have suggested, but no one in hockey history is! Let’s check back after the holidays to see where they’re at.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 19-10-2, +11
Last Week: 10th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Hunter: Two things can be true at once: People who constantly rail against the Leafs and nitpick the tiniest of miscues in their tweet-by-tweet breakdowns are cringey and should not be taken seriously, and there is also a legitimate concern to the lack of even-strength scoring in Toronto. Beyond the usual suspects, there’s almost zero depth in the forward group, and the team needs players like Max Domi, Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg to do more than not get scored on during a shift. Even Morgan Rielly is on pace for his lowest point total during a full season since 2016-17. Maybe they need to bring someone in via trade, but Craig Berube and Brad Treliving would prefer the players currently wearing Maple Leafs sort it out themselves.

Scott: I know Domi scored on Sunday, but that contract has become a sneaky contender for the worst one signed by the Leafs last summer. He’s been terrible defensively and isn’t scoring, and he’s only in the first of four years.

8. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 18-10-2, +13
Last Week: 12th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Hunter: After a suboptimal start at 10-9-2 through their first 21 games, the Oilers have won eight of their last nine games and have climbed out of the depths of the NHL standings. Credit to Zach Hyman for finding his game, scoring five goals in his last five contests. But what’s really impressive is how well Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have played recently, with the captain recording two goals and eight assists in his last five, and Draisaitl scoring five goals and eight assists in the same timeframe. Narratives may not get Kris Knoblauch a spot at the Jack Adams Award table, but he’s done a great job with this group.

Scott: It absolutely pains me to say this after how long I’ve talked about Draisaitl being arguably the most one-dimensional player in the league, but credit to his defensive game this season as well. If he keeps that up for the playoffs while not losing a step offensively like he has so far, the Oilers will be scary in the playoffs again.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 16-10-2, +30
Last Week: 11th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Scott: Hunter and I are very split on which Florida team we think is better, as we’ve put the two teams at almost the same positions, just swapping the teams. I’m a bit higher on the Lightning right now, as despite only playing five games in December so far, they’ve won four of those five games and outscored their opponents 26-9 in that stretch and are just clicking at all ends of the ice right now. Their one loss was also against a red-hot Oilers team, so you can’t even fault them for that.

10. Florida Panthers

Record: 18-11-2, +9
Last Week: 7th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: The Panthers are still holding their own and staying in the conversation for the top team in the Atlantic Division, but it still feels like they’ve taken a step back in the past month. It’s easy to be low on them when they were shut out in back-to-back games, but even under the hood they aren’t quite as good as last season. They’ll probably figure things out by playoff time, but we thought the same thing about the Golden Knights and Avalanche in their Cup-defending seasons and they didn’t make it out of the first round in those seasons.

Hunter: I won’t discount what Scott is saying, and I think there’s merit to him pointing out that many people said the same thing after Vegas and Colorado won their Stanley Cup championships. But when I watch the Panthers, I can’t help shake the feeling that when they want to turn it on, they can be the crown jewel of the sport. They’re nasty, they play heavy hockey and they’re well coached. The one thing that might hold me back is the mediocre start to 2024-25 from Sergei Bobrovsky, but I’ve been burned by the stove and know better than to try and touch it.

11. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 19-10-1, +21
Last Week: 5th (-6)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Scott: Like the Panthers, the Canes have also been a bit underwhelming in recent weeks, and that’s coming after we had them ranked first three weeks ago! Since then, they’re an even 5-5-0 and don’t quite have that same spark. This is likely just a cold stretch, as their underlying numbers are still excellent (aside from the special teams), but it is a slight cause for concern at this point of the season.

Hunter: The Hurricanes committed one of the worst sins a team could do: give me hope when it comes to the Senators (more on that later).

12. Dallas Stars

Record: 18-11-0, +21
Last Week: 9th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Hunter: Matt Duchene continues to drink from the fountain of youth, and Jason Robertson is starting to look a little more like the guy who scored 46 goals in 2022-23. I still want to see more from Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston, and the lack of Tyler Seguin leaves a gaping hole in their offensive production. But a team with Jake Oettinger should never be counted against, and perhaps after the Christmas holidays, they’ll go out and acquire someone with Seguin’s $9.85 million that’s off the books. I’d say them playing the Capitals Monday is the game of the night, but there also happens to be a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Final. It’s a good night to be a hockey fan.

13. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 18-14-0, -4
Last Week: 14th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Hunter: Alright, we’re a little more than a week into the Scott Wedgewood-Mackenzie Blackwood era (never thought I’d write a sentence like that) and so far, things are steady. Wedgewood recorded a shutout against the Devils last week and gave the Avalanche a shot in a tough loss to Utah. As for Blackwood, he stopped 37 of 39 shots in his Colorado debut against the Predators. At this point, if the pair can provide the Avs with adequate goaltending, then a team with a .900 SV% and two Hart Trophy-caliber players in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar should be fine.

14. Boston Bruins

Record: 16-13-3, -19
Last Week: 13th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Hunter: Right when I think they’re starting to turn it around, they get the hell beaten out of them by the Jets, then follow that up with a clunker against the Kraken. They played better against the Canucks, but still, not a good week overall. Also, what’s wrong with Jeremy Swayman? An .888 SV% and he’s had seven games where he’s let in at least four or more goals. At what point can we move past the phrase, “It’s still early?”

15. New York Islanders

Record: 12-13-7, -13
Last Week: 16th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Scott: Alright, this is the moment I’ve been talking about for weeks when defending the Islanders. Mat Barzal is finally back in the lineup, and while they lost his return, this might be the spark that gets them from being mediocre to just above mediocre. We’ll see what happens when Barzal gets more acclimated with the team, but right now they’re only a point out of a playoff spot. It is a bit concerning that their 5v5 numbers have fallen off a bit, but I wonder how much of that is from losing all the players they have to injury.

16. Calgary Flames

Record: 15-11-5, -11
Last Week: 22nd (+6)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Hunter: The Flames haven’t looked great since their four-game winning streak in mid-November, but none of that matters because Nazem Kadri scored one of the nastiest goals I can remember in recent memory and it was blowing up in three different group chats over the weekend. I know he still has four years left on his contract after this one, but I can’t help but wonder what kind of return Calgary could get if they agreed to eat some of his $7 million annual average value (AAV). Oh, did anyone notice that Jonathan Huberdeau scored in three straight games?

17. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 13-14-5, -24
Last Week: 19th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Scott: Have the Penguins become… interesting again? They’re horrible defensively but have improved quite a bit offensively, and you don’t know which one of those two sides of the coin is going to be the bigger factor in each game, like losing 6-2 to the Avalanche and following that up with a 9-2 win over the Canadiens. I’m not going to pretend this team is good, but there’s at least a bit more life to them than what we saw early on in the year.

Hunter: Games like the one against Montreal are great so players who feel like they’re struggling can play catchup on the scoresheet. Also, credit where credit is due: Tristan Jarry has been a part of the resurgence. His numbers through the last month aren’t exactly all-world, but he’s 5-3-0 with an .898 SV% during that span, has faced an absurd amount of shots and has held his own. He’s playing just well enough to not be terrible.

18. Utah Hockey Club

Record: 14-11-5, +3
Last Week: 20th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Scott: Utah is suddenly 7-2-2 in their last 11 games, their big guns in Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev are showing up again, Karel Vejmelka is playing like a top 5-10 goalie in the league right now, and the team is two points out of a playoff spot. I’m not saying this is the version of Utah that we should expect going forward, but I think they weren’t as bad as that 3-8-2 stretch we saw beforehand. That said, we still need to see how they address their defense injuries, because as good as Michael Kesselring has been, they’ll need more than him and Olli Maatta on the right side of their top four if they want to seriously compete for a playoff spot… or at least replace Maatta.

19. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 15-9-5, +1
Last Week: 18th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Hunter: The return of J.T. Miller certainly provided a boost for a Canucks squad in desperate need of one, and a 4-0 effort against the Panthers was a great way to get the ball rolling. But just like Thatcher Demko’s first two starts this season, there’s rust on this group, and they need to find a way to shake it off. At some point, Demko will find his game and push Vancouver into a more comfortable playoff position. But I can’t shake the feeling that something’s just off about this group when I watch them. Maybe I’m overthinking it. We’ll know better when they face the Avalanche, Utah HC and Golden Knights this week.

20. New York Rangers

Record: 15-14-1, +1
Last Week: 15th (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Scott: After finally wading through all the drama surrounding Jacob Trouba’s trade, the Rangers responded by losing three of four games last week, and the one win came against perhaps the one team that is colder than them right now in the Sabres. The 5-1 loss to the Kings in particular felt like a loss that results in a bigger change in the organization. That might end up being Peter Laviolette, but it really should be someone like Chris Drury or one of their core players that gets the punishment, because some of the issues with this team feel like they’ve carried over from their previous head coaches.

Hunter: Someone I know described the Rangers’ vibes this season as “a rot” and I couldn’t have said it better myself.

21. Ottawa Senators

Record: 15-13-2, +4
Last Week: 23rd (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Hunter: Forget the Deserve To Win O’Meter, I’m pitching a new one: The We’re So Back Meter. Two weeks ago, the Senators’ arrow was pointing closer to It’s So Over, and I was part of that crowd calling for change. But three straight wins and five victories in their last six? Brady Tkachuk firing everything at the net and playing as angry as ever? Linus Ullmark allowing just five goals in his last five starts? We are so back.

Scott: I’d like to apologize for my Sens blurb last week. I got too caught up in going off of the vibes of the team, and ignored the fact that the team is in the top 10 in terms of expected goal share. This team is looking good and may very well be a Wildcard contender at season’s end if Linus Ullmark can be a bit more consistent. That’s the last time I will ignore stats ever again.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 12-14-5, -10
Last Week: 17th (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Scott: Well, after hyping up the Blue Jackets two weeks ago, they’ve since gone on to lose seven of their last eight games and really make me look like a fool. I can’t say I’m surprised, as it did feel like the roster was playing a bit over its head, but we’re still seeing points of good hockey from the team, especially their younger core. Playoffs may be a bold aspiration, but I think they’ve performed well above what most people expected all things considered.

23. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 14-13-4, -13
Last Week: 21st (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Scott: Is there anything that sums up the Flyers’ season more than when Travis Konecny fired on an open net, only to have his scoring chance stopped by the blade of Matvei Michkov on Saturday? They’ve still been much better than they were at the start of the season, but they’ve been inconsistent and only really helped out by the fact that a lot of the Eastern Conference has also been inconsistent.

Hunter: I still think they’re going to trip into a playoff spot in April (you can bet I will cite this article if they do, or just whistle dixie and move along if they don’t), but at least their inconsistency is fun to watch! Also, in case John Tortorella is reading this: Stop wearing hoodies behind the bench! Even a Triple-A hockey coach has the decency to wear a shirt with buttons. You’re not on the sidelines in New England. You can’t complain about players attempting Bill Armstrong’s high wrap then dress like you’re in line at the CVS on a Wednesday night.

24. St. Louis Blues

Record: 15-14-3, -14
Last Week: 25th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Scott: It’s funny, I was just thinking about how the one thing the Blues needed was another mediocre defenseman past his prime on an overpriced contract, and then they went and grabbed Cam Fowler from the Ducks. All jokes aside, that move is as “moving the deck chairs on the Titanic” as it comes. My new favorite random fact is that there are five defensemen that have a $6.5 million cap hit, and the Blues have four of them, with the one they don’t have (Hampus Lindholm) probably being the only underpayment of the bunch.

25. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 12-14-4, -16
Last Week: 26th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Hunter: Too often I hear the phrase “the murky middle,” which usually refers to the “No Man’s Land” of professional sports where teams aren’t good enough to compete, but aren’t bad enough to tank for a draft pick. I’d say the Red Wings are closer to being a bottom feeder, but they still have moments where you wonder, “maybe they’re not that bad.” But believe me: they’re bad. And after chatting with my partner whose whole family is from Windsor, Ont., which shares a border with Detroit, when Steve Yzerman comes up, it’s not a matter of if he’s losing the plot, but a matter of when he loses his job.

Scott: I’m not going to lie, I thought “partner” implied your power rankings partner a.k.a. myself for a second until you got to the “family from Windsor” part. However, most of my immediate family are Red Wings fans, so you would have still been in the right ballpark there.

Hunter: When I think of you, I see ourselves as more of a Jimmy McNulty and Bunk Moreland type of partnership. You’re natural poh-lice, detective.

26. Seattle Kraken

Record: 15-15-2, 0
Last Week: 27th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Scott: I still don’t know what to say about this team. They continue to put up horrid underlying numbers across the board, are dealing with as bipolar of a goaltending tandem as it comes, and yet the playoffs still aren’t out of the question… likely thanks to the one good goaltender. It is nice to finally see Shane Wright establish himself as a full-time NHLer though. In his last 11 games, he has six goals and 12 points after only getting two in his first 18 games.

27. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 11-16-4, -12
Last Week: 24th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Hunter: Do you remember what you were doing Nov. 23? I was in Mexico, donning shorts and sipping pina coladas, listening to the waves while a gentle breeze cooled the Caribbean sun. It was also the last time the Sabres won a game. Now they’re losers of 10 straight, and I don’t even know what to say at this point. There’s no point to firing Ruff, unless you’re double-dipping and canning both him and GM Kevyn Adams. The ball hasn’t even dropped in Times Square, and this season already feels like a waste.

Scott: I don’t think I ever expected to say something like this ever in my life, never mind in 2024 considering where both teams were at the start of the year, but the Buffalo Sabres are playing a lot like Manchester City, and that is not a compliment. I watched both teams play on Sunday, and after both teams went off to great starts, they collapsed the second the other team put pressure on them. The Sabres going from a 3-1 lead to a 4-3 deficit in 2:31 only just loses out to City going from a 1-0 lead to a 2-1 loss in the 88th and 90th minute in terms of embarrassing collapses on Sunday, but it felt like that entire 2:31 stretch was a power play for the Leafs the way both teams were playing, even though only 53 seconds of it was on the man advantage.

Hunter: Hey now, at least Man City has recent success to look back on, and they’re still a shade outside of the top four! I cheer for Tottenham; they’re an injury or two away from finishing outside of the top half of the table.

28. Nashville Predators

Record: 8-17-6, -28
Last Week: 29th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Scott: The Predators are lucky that the Sabres and Rangers exist right now, because it seems to have deflected the headlines away from them for the time being. That said, they still aren’t doing much better than when we last visited them, with an eight-game losing streak finally being snapped on Thursday against the Stars, before losing yet again on Saturday. They are now the only team to not hit 10 wins this year, and what’s their answer? Maybe looking to move on from Juuso Parssinen. In their defense, it’s a tough situation to get out of, because the players you’d normally look to move on from to start a rebuild are the ones they’ve just added in the last couple seasons. Considering that, they’ll either be a really boring team at the trade deadline, dealing fringe impact players, or they will be really interesting.

29. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 11-14-4, -19
Last Week: 28th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Hunter: There’s long, difficult stretches in a rebuild, and the Ducks are having their fair share right now, losers of five of their last six. I actually liked their effort against the Leafs on Thursday, and their late third-period comeback and overtime victory was entertaining as heck. It’s going to take time, but hey, at least Robby Fabbri is back!

30. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 10-19-2, -21
Last Week: 32nd (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Hunter: Since the Blackhawks fired Luke Richardson on December 5th, the team has played substantially better than their first 26 games. The only clunker this week was a 4-1 loss to the Devils, and their two games against the Islanders were two of their best of the season. Connor Bedard looks like himself and, despite a slow start, is still on pace for a 70-point season.

31. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 11-16-3, -31
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Scott: I’m surprised we haven’t seen Juraj Slafkovsky on the side of any briques de lait (sorry, trying to utilize the French I’ve been learning on Duolingo) yet in Montreal. After starting the season with eight points in his first nine games, he has seven in his last 18 games. Sure, they don’t need him to produce to win right now, but I’d imagine the Habs were hoping for a bigger step from him after giving him $7.6 million a year for eight years in the summer. Hopefully he’ll get out of this slump shortly.

Hunter: Scott, do you want to be my Duolingo friend? I’ve got a 475-day streak going, but I’m the type of user who panics when he sees it’s 11:53 p.m. and rushes to do one lesson to keep the streak going.

Scott: As long as you’re not one of those friends that sends me reminders to do my own lesson before noon.

Hunter: Who are these psychopaths?

Scott: If they’re reading this, they’ll know…

32. San Jose Sharks

Record: 11-17-5, -27
Last Week: 30th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Scott: The Sharks thought they were finally done being the last-place team on this list, but after losing four of their last five games, I’m afraid that can’t happen just yet. They’re somehow closer to the Rangers in the standings than they are to the Blackhawks, which would be a much bigger compliment at the start of the season, but I wouldn’t expect this team to make too much noise this season, Macklin Celebrini aside.

Hunter: Everytime I say Celebrini’s name, I’m reminded of Burt Macklin, Andy Dwyer’s FBI agent alter-ego in Park and Recreation, and I’m reminded that I’m due for a rewatch of the show.

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