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 NHL team stand ahead of the final week of the regular season?
By now, all non-contenders are awaiting the offseason, and the playoff teams have their rosters in place. Some know where they will stand, while others are still battling for position. Here are the updated NHL power rankings.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous Rank: 32)
The Chicago Blackhawks, in the last few weeks of the season, have grabbed their position as the worst team in the NHL, at least in these rankings, and have not relinquished that spot. Chicago’s roster is bad, and wins have been hard to come by, so the Hawks remain at the bottom.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets (31)
This is surely not where the Columbus Blue Jackets thought that they would be at the end of the season. Unfortunately, the Jackets could never quite figure things out. The future is bright in Ohio’s capital, but the 2022-2023 campaign did not go as Columbus had hoped.
30. Anaheim Ducks (30)
Like the Blue Jackets, the Anaheim Ducks had higher hopes coming into this season, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t meant to be. There is plenty of young, exciting talent on this roster, and the Ducks will hope to make a move up the standings next season.
29. San Jose Sharks (29)
The San Jose Sharks do not fit the same mold as the Jackets and Ducks. This was supposed to be a long season for a Sharks team coming out of its prime, and it has been. Even a historic effort by Erik Karlsson couldn’t save San Jose from a bottom-four position.