January 2, 2024 by Bob Schmidt

Now that each team has played at least 30 games this season, I have assembled my version of a power rankings chart. I created this chart based only on each team’s first 30 games, their overall record in those games, the strength of each team’s schedule in those games, and how they fared against the stronger, mid tier, and weaker teams.

1. New York Rangers – (30 game record: 22-7-1, 45 Pts. Games 21-30: 7-3-0, 14 Pts. Previous ranking: 1) The Rangers are for real. Led by the dynamic offensive trio of Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers show no signs of slowing down. Powered by the number one power play in the league, New York had two stretches of three game winning streaks over their last 10 games. A key game during this last segment, came against the Boston Bruins on December 16 in Boston. In a feisty game which saw the two teams combine for 35 minutes in penalties in the second period alone, unsung hero, Vincent Trocheck, scored the overtime winner, his second goal of the game, to give the Rangers the 2-1 win.
2. Vegas Golden Knights – (30 game record: 20-5-5, 45 Pts. Games 21-30: 6-1-3, 15 Pts. Previous ranking: 5) I fully admit that I’m surprised Vegas is still one of the best teams in the league. I thought there might be a lull after their Stanley Cup winning run. They have proven me wrong. Jack Eichel seems motivated to prove that he should be considered an elite player in the NHL, Brayden McNabb has shown to be a formidable shutdown defenceman, and Adin Hill has carried over his play from the playoffs into this season, having only two regulation time losses so far. Three of their six wins in this segment came against other teams in this top ten and they finished off this stretch on a four-game winning streak.
3. Los Angeles Kings – (30 game record: 19-7-4, 42 Pts. Games 21-30: 6-3-1, 13 Pts. Previous ranking: 2) Cam Talbot is playing like he has something to prove and is an early favourite for team MVP. The surprising Trevor Moore has already matched his previous season high of 17 goals. Combine those two with the resurging offense of Anze Kopitar, the emergence of 2020 second-overall pick, Quinton Byfield, and the improved defensive game of Drew Doughty, has the Kings looking like a genuine contender. They started this segment off with an impressive 4-1 win on December 3 against the Colorado Avalanche, led by a two-goal performance by the aforementioned Byfield.
4. Philadelphia Flyers – (30 game record: 17-10-3, 37 Pts. Games 21-30: 7-1-2, 16 Pts. Previous ranking: 14) The Flyers are the surprise team on this list for me, jumping ten spots from the last power rankings tabulation. They went on a four-game winning streak, which included back-to-back extra time wins against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins and finished this segment with only one regulation loss and one overtime defeat in the last eight games, collecting 15 of the possible 16 points. Coach, John Tortorella, has his team bought in on a hard nosed and defensive minded style of play. Samuel Ersson has provided solid support goaltending behind starter Carter Hart, and Travis Konecny is well on his way to another 30 plus goal scoring season.
5. Washington Capitals – (30 game record: 17-9-4, 38 Pts. Games 21-30: 5-3-2, 12 Pts. Previous ranking: 6) Much has been made about the lack of scoring by Alexander Ovechkin so far this season. The future Hall-of-Famer currently is tied for fourth on his team in goals scored. So how are they still a top 10 team in the league without having much of a contribution from their superstar? Well, they have been getting their offense from the likes of Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, and Anthony Mantha, but it’s been the strength between the pipes in the form of Charlie Lindgren that can be pointed at as the biggest reason why. Lindgren seems poised to supplant previous Stanley Cup winner, Darcy Kuemper, as the Capitals number one goalie. In what was, undoubtedly, the key win in this 10-game segment, Lindgren made 31 saves against the powerhouse, and the number one team on this list, New York Rangers, in a 4-0 win on December 9.
6. Boston Bruins – (30 game record: 19-5-6, 44 Pts. Games 21-30: 5-2-3, 13 Pts. Previous rank: 4) This wasn’t a particularly difficult 10-game segment for the Bruins, only facing one top ten team during it, the Rangers, who they fell 2-1 to in overtime on December 16. They did string together a three-game winning streak during it and have built up an impressive season record thus far. David Pastrnak, who is already at 20 goals and, arguably, the best goaltending tandem in the NHL of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark, keeps this team on this list and relevant as a strong contender.
7. Dallas Stars – (30 game record: 18-8-4, 40 Pts. Games 21-30: 5-3-2, 12 Pts. Previous rank: 7) Both star goaltender, Jake Oettinger, and star forward, Jason Robertson, seem to be finding their respective forms now after a fairly slow start from each. The Stars strength of their number two penalty kill in the league, and their depth scoring of six players in double-digit goals, stopped a potentially dangerous stretch where they had lost three of four games, and brought them back to their winning ways. A key win for Dallas came against the Capitals on December 7. They overcame a 3-1 deficit early in the game and forced the game to overtime. In the extra frame, the Stars ended up killing off a penalty and ultimately won the game in a shootout via Robertson.
8. Winnipeg Jets – (30 game record: 18-9-3, 39 Pts. Games 21-30: 6-3-1, 13 Pts. Previous rank: 10) Connor Hellebuyck is who Connor Hellebuyck is, which is one of the premier goalies in the NHL, and Josh Morrissey seems to be determined to be a part of the Norris Trophy conversation. Performances from both of those guys have helped offset the loss of their top goal scorer, Kyle Connor, due to injury. The Jets pulled together a four-game winning streak during this segment and had six wins in seven games, three of which came against teams on this top ten list, most notably a 6-2 win versus the Colorado Avalanche, on the back of a 30 save performance from Hellebuyck.
9. Vancouver Canucks – (30 game record: 20-9-1, 41 Pts. Games 21-30: 7-3-0, 14 Pts. Previous rank: 9) In my mind, Rick Tocchet is the early leader for the Jack Adams Trophy. Few pundits had the Canucks picked as a top 10 NHL team, including this writer. Vancouver took advantage of a fairly weak part of their schedule, only one game against a top 10 team and five games against bottom ten teams and finished this segment with a four-game winning streak. Quinn Hughes has emerged as a leader both on and off the ice, Brock Boeser is only five goals away from his career season high already, and Thatcher Demko seems poised to potentially win his first Vezina Trophy. Could this Vancouver team be the one that brings the Stanley Cup back to British Columbia for the first time since the Victoria Cougars of 1925?
10. Colorado Avalanche – (30 game record: 18-10-2, 38 Pts, Games 21-30: 4-4-2, 10 Pts. Previous rank: 3) The Avalanche had their struggles in this 10-game segment, winning back-to-back games only once and losing all three of their games versus top ten teams. Thankfully, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and the still underrated Mikko Rantanen, had led their team to an impressive first 20 games to keep them still near the top of the standings. Both of Colorado’s special teams rank in the top ten and the majority of this team that won the Cup in 2022 is still together so they know how to get there and what to do once they get there, which makes this team still a very dangerous team.