16. Calgary Flames (18)
There were a few teams on the last slide that needed to move down, and that’s the biggest reason that the Calgary Flames moved up. I continue to feel lukewarm about the team that I picked to win the Stanley Cup, but I’m still optimistic that this group can hit another gear.
15. Edmonton Oilers (17)
Can someone please help Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? I mean, McDavid is on pace for an astronomical number of points, and Draisaitl is second in the NHL in scoring behind only his teammate. Somehow, though, Edmonton is dangerously close to falling out of the playoff picture.
14. Seattle Kraken (19)
Next year’s Winter Classic host, the Seattle Kraken, had an outstanding week. A 4-0 record has propelled the Kraken back into the top half of these rankings. Seattle is comfortably in a playoff spot at the moment as a result of a perfect week.
13. Minnesota Wild (9)
The Wild went 1-1-1 last week, so why the move down to 13? Well, first of all, the teams that jumped them this week are simply playing better hockey than the club from the State of Hockey.
Second, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has stepped away from the team to handle a personal matter. NHL fans want to see the three-time champion back in the net soon, but until they do, Minnesota is missing a key part of its roster.