Top 5 best and top 5 worst NHL teams following November
The five best teams in the NHL are really looking clear at this point of the year.
5. Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are one of the strongest teams in the league. They have a little bit of everything that makes up a Stanley Cup contender. Their goaltending with Jake Oettinger is the biggest part but they also have lots of stars up front like Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Joe Pavelski.
Of course, it is really helping them now that Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are scoring in bunches again. Their depth is much better when these two are going.
On defense, they have some studs like Miro Heiskanen, Ryan Suter, and Esa Lindell amongst others. Everyone chips into their wins in a different way and that is why they are so successful.
Right now Dallas leads the Central Division with a record of 13-6-4 but the Winnipeg Jets are on their tail. We’ll see how that finishes.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
It always feels like there is something wrong with the Toronto Maple Leafs but don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that they aren’t elite. With guys like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares leading the way, they are a great team.
At 15-5-5, the Leafs are really good at winning games and collecting points. Will this be the year that they overcome their first-round demons? All signs point to yes.
3. Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are the best team in the west right now. They play a team game as well as anyone in the league with guys like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, and William Karlsson, amongst others.
Their goaltending has been a question for a while now but Logan Thompson has been getting the job done so far this year. With all of this in mind, it is perfectly clear how they lead the west with a record of 17-6-1 (35 points).
After missing the postseason in 2021-22 and being one of the most disappointing teams in the league, they have bounced back this year now that they are healthy and playing so much better. Don’t be surprised if the West runs through Vegas this year.
2. New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are the most surprising team on this list (good or bad). They were one of the worst teams in 2021-22 and had another lottery win but this one was in second place. Now, they are one of the best teams in the NHL with a record of 19-4-0.
Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt are their big three and the defense is great led by Dougie Hamilton. With some good goaltending, they were always going to take a big step this year but nobody expected a step this big.
Of all the teams on this list, they have the least amount of experience so that will need to be considered when it comes to playoff time but for right now, they have been one of the best. They set an NHL record for the most ever wins in a November month with 13.
1. Boston Bruins
You can make a claim that the New Jersey Devils deserve this spot but the Boston Bruins have been the best team in the league since the beginning and the Devils just haven’t passed them yet. That doesn’t mean that they can’t but it just hasn’t happened yet.
The Bruins got David Krejci back from his year off and he is having a great year along with Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand up front. You also can’t discount how great their defense is led by guys like Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Brandon Carlo amongst others.
Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have been brilliant in goal and that is why the Bruins enter December with an NHL-best record of 19-3-0. They play against New Jersey this month which will be very telling.