NHL Top 10 Power Rankings (11-1-23)

AP

Happy November everyone. We are rolling right along in out hockey season and just when you think teams are settling in, they jumble things up. For the most part, I dont think there will be a ton of changes to the Top 10, but there are some. We no longer have any undefeated teams after having 3 in last week’s rankings. The majority of the NHL has played 9 or 10 games already, so we are already 1/9 of the way through the season.

A couple of teams that may look to creep into the Top 10 are the Canadiens and the Ducks. The Ducks aren’t a Top 10 team by any stretch right now, but they have things rolling with 4 straight wins. The Pens and Bruins are among the teams during that win streak. Also, if Montreal would have beat the Golden Knights, I would have had a difficult time leaving them out of the Top 10. They’re playing good hockey right now. A lot better than many were expecting and they’re probably ranked 12th right now if I would have extended my rankings beyond the Top 10. I just want to give a warning, the Leafs are out of the Top 10. They had a messy week. They practically pulled a no-show against the Kings, they lost to the Preds, but had a good win against the Stars. I have no doubt that they will be back, but for now, they’re at 11. Keep reading to see where your favorite team may or may not be.

10: Detroit Red Wings (6-3-1) (Last Week: 6)

I could have easily left the Red Wings out of the Top 10 this week, but I feel like 10th place is my ‘prove it’ spot. They’re struggling right now, but if they can play like they did in the first couple of weeks, then they’re definitely a Top 10 team. They just came off of a 3-game losing streak and two of those were in last week’s action against the Jets and Bruins, so they’re not awful losses. Moritz Seider has been finding his groove lately though. He is passing the puck around nicely and should be an asset all season long. Detroit has the Panthers, Bruins, and Rangers coming up, so they may be on the outside looking in next week.

9: New Jersey Devils (5-2-1) (Last Week: 9)

With Jack Hughes continuing to light up the box scores every night, the Devils should continue to be a real threat. He remain atop the points leaderboard with 18 and it doesn’t appear like that will change any time soon. Jesper Bratt had 5 points last week and Tyler Toffoli continued his hot streak with 3 goals within the 3 game span. The Devils had two good wins against quality opponents last week, so I feel a bit bad for the no change this week. I honestly feel like they should be in the Top 7, but maybe next week. They have 4 games in the upcoming slate of games this week and I believe they will remain inside the Top 10 next week, judging by the quality of opponents. They have the top Power Play unit in hockey and that could very well remain the case throughout the rest of the season.

8: Carolina Hurricanes (6-4-0) (Last Week: 10)

I may get a bit of flack for moving the Canes up this week, but they played really well last week. They won 3 straight and it appears that they may be back on track. Granted, they beat the Kraken, Sharks, and Flyers. Wins are wins though and those kinds of games are tests to see how cohesive the team is. Andrei Svechnikov is back in the lineup now and I think they will find their groove. They have two tough matchups in New York coming up, facing the Isles and Rangers. After that they will have the 3rd NY team, Buffalo, but that one will be in Raleigh. Goalie play has been the worst in hockey, so if they can clean that up, they will be back at the top.

7: Los Angeles Kings (5-2-2) (Last Week: NR)

I debated on placing the Kings inside the Top 10 last week, and I kind of regret it. It is a new week and I am not leaving them out. They have quietly been one of the more consistent teams in the NHL. All of their losses have been against great teams and they can put some points on the board as well. Kevin Fiala has at least 1 assist in 8 straight games and is tied for 2nd in the NHL with 11, so far. They are also towards the bottom of the league in terms of overall goalie play. Cam Talbot hasn’t been bad though. They run into issues when they have to rest him. They haven’t ran into many snags though because the have the top scoring attack in the NHL, surprisingly enough. They have only 2 games on the road this week, so we’ll see if they maintain their spot.

6: Vancouver Canucks (6-2-1) (Last Week: 8)

Yes, I am going to continue to rank the Canucks inside the Top 10 as long as they keep winning. They have been great to start the year. I don’t expect them to continue it necessarily, but they could. With 2 wins and an OT loss against the Rangers this week, they move up slightly. Like I said last week, I don’t think that they’re a Top 10 team, but they’re playing like one. Elias Pettersson is playing like one of the best players in hockey. They have been solid on PP, JT Miller has scored a goal in 3 straight and Quinn Hughes is almost playing at the level of his brother Jack in Jersey. They have 4 players already with 10 points on the season, which is the most in hockey. The Canucks have a pretty favorable schedule coming up. The Sharks are next. The Stars will be tough, but it is a home matchup and the Oilers after that. I don’t know if they Oilers are back or not, but they did look good agains the Flames on Sunday nights, so we’ll see what kind of team that are by the back end of the hockey week.

5: Dallas Stars (5-1-1) (Last Week: 4)

it almost feels like the Stars never play. They have only played 7 games this season, which is tied for the least in hockey. They will have a full slate coming up in the next 7 days though. 4 games for the Stars in the next 6 days for Dallas. The Stars have looked good this season, but their biggest concern was goal scoring. I think they have found a little groove lately, but they have trouble in certain games. They have lost both of their tough games of the season, so we dont know exactly how good they can be. I may be over ranking them a bit, but they do have potential to maintain their spot. Jake Oettinger has been superb, but they’re going to have to give him some goal support if they want to be real contenders. For now, they are 5, but I think they will be dropping once they start facing some real competition and they could run into some trouble this week.

4: New York Rangers (7-2-0) (Last Week: 5)

A lot of the rankings that I see are putting the Rangers at 4 and I can’t argue against it, but I will place them 4th for the week. They have the longest active win streak in hockey at 5 at the moment, but they have a pretty challenging slate coming up. The Hurricanes, Wild, and Red Wings are next up for them and I could see them winning outright, but I could also see them struggling. Only time will tell, but they’re playing like a contending team right now. Artemi Panarin is killing it right now and is on pace to have the best season of his career if he remains healthy. Their goalie tandem of Shesterkin and Quick have been Top 5 and the PP unit is just behind the Devils so far. PK is Top 10 as well. Don’t look for the Rangers to drop out of the Top 10 any time soon.

3: Colorado Avalanche (6-2-0) (Last Week: 2)

I could have easily ranked the Avalanche outside of the Top 5 this week, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt. They had a tremendous start to the season and that is a big reason why I am keeping them inside of the Top 3. This team is very good, they just had a very bad week. They only played two games and were shut out in both contests. They will have some tough games in the upcoming week as well, but I think they will likely win a couple of those. If they lose the majority of their games coming up this week, I will probably drop them outside of the Top 5. There wasn’t really anything positive to talk about for them this week, so, on to next week for the Avs.

2: Boston Bruins (8-0-1) (Last Week: 3)

The have only one small blemish on them this season and it came at the hands of the Ducks in OT last week. The Ducks scored 2 late 3rd Period goals and closed it out in OT. Other than that, the Bruins have been nearly perfect this season. They have the best defensive squad in hockey at the moment. Best PK and the tandem of Swayman and Ullmark have been superb. In the upcoming week, they will face some difficulty due to the fact that Charlie McAvoy will be missing. He has been suspended 4 games for his dirty hit. Their next 4 are going to be be pretty tough, but I think they will likely maintain their spot inside the Top 5. Pastrnak is playing like an MVP and their guys will step in McAvoy’s absence.

1: Vegas Golden Knights (9-0-1) (Last Week: 1)

Still no debate for the top spot. Vegas has been the best team in hockey all season long. It is honestly pretty crazy that they’re not the odds-on favorite to repeat as Stanley Cup champs in most casinos. Like the Bruins, their goalie tandem has been phenomenal this season. Adin Hill and Logan Thompson have been great guardians of the net and the skaters have put some goals up to help them out. William Karlsson is on a 7-game point streak and they have 3 players with 10 points already on the season. Joining the Devils, Leafs, Red Wings, Canucks, and Lightning. They could have some stumpers in the next week of action, but they shouldn’t stray too far if anywhere in next week’s rankings.

Yacs