NHL Weekly Power Rankings: The Week of Monday, April 3
By Jim Lynch
The 2022-23 NHL season has seen a lot of remarkable hockey thus far. With the regular season ending in a little over a week, the countdown to the Stanley Cup playoffs has officially begun making positioning in the power rankings that much more important.
Finishing the year on the right note is important for the playoffs. Home ice is nice, but that can change with just one game. What really matters in the playoffs is coming in ready to go and not falling behind in a best of seven series.
NHL Weekly Power Rankings: The Week of Monday, April 3
The NHL is quickly nearing the end of the regular season. As of this writing there are some six eastern conference teams and five western conference teams that have all clinched their trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, let’s dive in with some power rankings for the week of Monday, April 3.
32. Chicago Blackhawks
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
30. Anaheim Ducks
29. San Jose Sharks
No surprises here in the bottom four. Chicago, Columbus, Anaheim and San Jose are all in the top four of winning the 2023 NHL Draft. There is not a lot to be excited about on the ice right now for these four teams.
The tank for Connor Bedard is in full swing amongst these four teams, and it might not even yield the results they like. No one is guaranteed a lottery win this summer, a quick tankathon lottery simulation can show that somehow a team like Philadelphia or Vancouver can jump up six or seven spots and get the first overall pick.