NHL 2022-23 Season Weekly Power Rankings: Monday 10/24

20. Washington Capitals (21)

The Caps went 2-1 last week, moving them to 3-3 on the season. As I mentioned earlier, the East has been ridiculously strong through the first two weeks of this NHL season, so Washington’s so-so start keeps them in the bottom half of our list.

Perhaps the biggest concern through six games is the lackluster play of goaltender Darcy Kuepmer (3.04 goals against average and .899 save percentage).

19. Seattle Kraken (19)

The Seattle Kraken are in the exact same position that they were one week ago. A win against the Avalanche helps offset three losses last week, which include a four-goal loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and a late loss against the Blackhawks.

At 2-3-2, it’s clear that this version of the Kraken will be more competitive than the one that we saw last year, and that keeps Seattle from falling below 19.

18. Los Angeles Kings (18)

Like Seattle, LA is in the same spot as last week. A 2-2 week in which the Kings allowed 17 goals gives us reasons to pause when it comes to this team, but it had enough bright spots to prevent it from falling.

The offense is worth getting excited about in Los Angeles, but the defense needs to tighten up before this club can rise in our power rankings.

17. Ottawa Senators (24)

The Ottawa Senators make a big jump this week after a perfect seven days. Ottawa went 3-0 last week, scoring five or more goals in each game.

This exciting young team is only 3-2 on the season, but wins over the Boston Bruins and Capitals, both of which were playoff teams last spring, have us feeling good about the Sens.