Another week of hockey is in the books, which means that it’s time for the next round of power rankings for the 2022-2023 NHL season.
This list is a combination of my rankings and rankings done by Jim Lynch, and stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Eastern Conference still owns the top spot.
Where does each team stand at this point in the NHL season?
It’s officially a new year, and there are some teams that would definitely like to see a new version of themselves in 2023. For those at the top of the standings, they’ll hope that more of the same is in store in the second half of the season.
With the first full week of 2023 in the books, here are the updated NHL power rankings.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (32)
For the fourth week in a row, the Chicago Blackhawks own the bottom spot. The Blackhawks did pick up two wins last week, but as the worst team in the NHL, it’s going to take more than that to get out of the basement.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets (31)
Outside of a surprising win against the Carolina Hurricanes, last week was about what you’d expect from the Columbus Blue Jackets. With a record of 12-25-2, Johnny Gaudreau and company are firmly in last place in the Metropolitan Division.
30. San Jose Sharks (29)
The San Jose Sharks went 1-1-1 last week, beating the Blackhawks but losing to the Anaheim Ducks. Erik Karlsson is still giving Sharks fans a reason to watch games, but nothing else about this team is overly exciting.
29. Anaheim Ducks (30)
No, your eyes are not deceiving you, the Anaheim Ducks have emerged from the 30s in these NHL power rankings. Anaheim picked up a win over the Dallas Stars last week, but it’s the win over the Sharks that bumped the Ducks up a spot.