We’ve officially reached the Thanksgiving mark of the 2024 NHL season, an important milestone that often starts to separate some of the contenders from the pretenders down the stretch.
This week’s Top 10 remains relatively unchanged, but there have been some movers further down with Vancouver slipping and Calgary improving into the Top 15 for the first time this season.
Here’s a look at where all 32 teams rank in this week’s NHL Power Rankings:
1. Winnipeg Jets (18-4-0)
Last Week: 1
Saturday’s blowout loss to the Preds was bookended by two genuine playoff-style wins over the Panthers and Wild. The power play has cooled off over the last seven days (3 goals from their last 13 chances), but the Jets remain one of the most difficult sides to try and score against at five-on-five.
Key upcoming games: @ Vegas, @ Dallas
2. Vegas Golden Knights (14-6-2)
Last Week: 3
It’s not the most brutal schedule, but this five-game road stretch was always going to test Bruce Cassidy’s side, and so far, the Golden Knights have passed. They were severely outplayed by the Leafs over the weekend, but have since responded with wins over Montreal, Ottawa, and Philly. Aside from the slip-up in Toronto, 13 goals from their last four games tells you all you need to know.
Key upcoming games: vs Winnipeg, vs Edmonton.
3. Carolina Hurricanes (15-5-1)
Last Week: 4
Saturday’s 6-4 win over the Stars caught the eye. The Canes have played exceptionally well with such little depth between pipes, supported by an attack that again ranks Top 5 in shots per game over the last seven days. Back-to-back games against the Panthers over the weekend now loom large.
Key upcoming games: vs Florida, @ Florida
4. Minnesota Wild (13-4-4)
Last Week: 2
Back-to-back losses to the Flames and Jets hurt the Wild this week. Their defensive efforts in the third period have also become a glaring issue. Out for possibly four weeks, how Mats Zuccarello’s gruesome injury affects Kirill Kaprizov’s productivity remains a story worth following.
Key upcoming games: vs Vancouver
5. New Jersey Devils (15-7-2)
Last Week: 6
Sheldon Keefe’s side hasn’t lost a game since last week’s power rankings, so that has to count for something. The fact two of those wins have come against the Canes and Caps is also noteworthy. With five goals from their last 10 power play chances, it’s hard to find fault with a team that still ranks top of the league in shots.
Key upcoming games: vs Washington, @ New York Rangers.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs (13-6-2)
Last Week: 10
Potentially the hottest team in hockey right now, which is saying something given Auston Matthews is still off the ice. Mitch Marner has been money over the last few weeks and, although they’ve enjoyed a lighter schedule, there hasn’t been a tougher team to score against over the last seven days than Toronto. None of it counts until the playoffs start, but this current Leafs team does feel different to past versions, which is a scary thought.
Key upcoming games: @ Tampa Bay.
7. Florida Panthers (12-9-1)
Last Week: 5
Four straight losses heading into Wednesday’s home game against the red-hot Leafs says it all. Are the defending champs coasting? Who knows. The fact Sam Reinhart remains the only multiple-goal scorer over the last seven days is telling, though.
Key upcoming games: @ Carolina, vs Carolina.
8. Washington Capitals (14-6-1)
Last Week: 7
The Caps dropped two at home they’d like to have back, but they did respond in a big way with a 4-1 win over the defending champs. Alex Ovechkin’s fractured left fibula is likely going to cost him at least four weeks, putting an end to the Gretzky chase that has inspired one of the more surprising starts across the league. On the plus side, Lars Eller and Jakob Chychrun have stepped up nicely over the last few days, combining for three goals and five points. If Spencer Carbery keeps the Caps treading water without Ovi, pencil him in for Coach of the Year.
Key upcoming games: vs New York Islanders, @ New Jersey Devils.
9. Dallas Stars (13-7-0)
Last Week: 8
It’s somewhat early, so whether you can read too much into the Stars’ 5-5 record on the road is up for debate. Perhaps more worrying is Jake Oettinger. After allowing two goals in back-to-back starts, the veteran netminder allowed five against Carolina earlier in the week. On the plus side, Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene, and Wyatt Johnson have all scored four goals over the Stars’ last three games.
Key upcoming games: vs Colorado, vs Winnipeg.
10. New York Rangers (12-7-1)
Last Week: 9
I wrote earlier in the week that Peter Laviolette’s team has some big questions it needs to address in a hurry. The Rangers’ third-period woes have become concerning, and there’s a clear lack of physicality – not counting Matt Rempe’s foolish hit on Jake Neighbours. If you’re looking for a deeper dive, my colleague Trevor Teubner floated some potential trade ideas the Rangers might consider.
Key upcoming games: vs New Jersey.
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (11-7-2)
Last Week: 11
Monday’s 8-2 mauling of the Avs was the highlight of what has otherwise been a very hot and cold week. Anthony Cirelli has found the back of the net five times over Tampa’s last four games, while Brayden Point hasn’t lost any admirers either. Holding the Lightning off the score sheet in the third period is close to impossible, yet somehow, they are still losing overtime games to the likes of Columbus. Go figure.
Key upcoming games: vs Toronto.
12. Colorado Avalanche (12-10-0)
Last Week: 14
Big props to Jared Bednar’s side for surviving a tough four-game road slate on the East Coast. The Avs won three from four, notably beating the Panthers 7-4 before the tables were turned two days later in Tampa. That same game highlighted some of Colorado’s defensive shortcomings, ones we’ve known about all season. The Avs have allowed an average of 31 shots per-game over the last week, placing more strain on the front office to consider a goalie change or a trade for a big defenseman. Can anyone say Marcus Pettersson?
Key upcoming games: @ Dallas, vs Edmonton.
13. Edmonton Oilers (11-9-2)
Last Week: 13
Leon Draisatl is one of the hottest stories in the league right now. The Oilers haven’t played much over the last seven days, enjoying a handy six-day break before facing Utah later this week. Fans would probably like to see this team start to make up some ground in the standings, but we’ll reserve judgment until after this three-game road trip ends over the weekend in Vegas.
Key upcoming games: @ Vegas Golden Knights.
14. Vancouver Canucks (11-6-3)
Last Week: 12
Rick Tocchet would love to have J.T. Miller back on the ice. Fortunately, Brock Boeser has returned from injury in time to help try and steer the Canucks out of a rut that features three losses from their last five games. Defensively, Vancouver is doing a great job limiting shots on Kevin Lankinen. Offensively, the Canucks aren’t doing a great job generating scoring chances, as they still rank 30th in shots.
Key upcoming games: @ Detroit, @ Minnesota.
15. Calgary Flames (12-7-3)
Last Week: 20
For the first six weeks, the Flames were playing above expectations. Now they might just be a serious playoff contender. For the most part, Calgary is playing with house money, picking up two impressive wins earlier in the week over the Rangers and Wild. Yegor Sharangovich has provided a huge spark through the center of the ice and Nazem Kadri looks to be emerging from a brief slump. Two of Calgary’s leading goalscorers are both defenseman, so whether that’s sustainable remains to be seen. Considering where most had this team finishing though, this carefree version of the Flames is still worth celebrating.
Key upcoming games: @ Columbus, @ Pittsburgh.
16. Buffalo Sabres (11-9-1)
Last Week: 17
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen isn’t being spoken about enough. Now in his fifth season, the former second-round pick owns a tidy 1.77 GAA through November, helping the Sabres to three straight road wins over the Kings, Ducks, and Sharks. It feels like this team is on the precipice of competing for a playoff spot, especially with Tage Thompson elevated off the injury report. Hopefully, they don’t let us down (again).
Key upcoming games: @ New York Islanders, vs Colorado.
17. Los Angeles Kings (11-8-3)
Last Week: 16
A 7-2 loss to the Sharks simply can’t happen in Jim Hiller’s second year at the helm. There are some injury excuses on offer, but the Kings are still treading water in the West behind a power play that has scored only 10 times all season.
Key upcoming games: @ Anaheim, vs Ottawa.
18. New York Islanders (8-9-5)
Last Week: 17
Patrick Roy’s side is back under .500, which was always going to happen when you’ve allowed a whopping 33 goals in the third period. The injury list has only grown longer as the Isles struggle to maintain a lead without their heart and soul, Matthew Barzal, still off the ice. Kyle Palmieri, who’s already scored 10 goals on the year, remains the only real reason to watch the Islanders right now.
Key upcoming games: @ Washington, vs Buffalo.
19. Ottawa Senators (9-11-1)
Last Week: 15
The Sens are the unsurprising free-fallers, only a week after I ranked them back inside the Top 15 – how fun. The fan base was (and still is) offside with the current lack of effort shown in five straight losses before Monday’s narrow win over the Flames. Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson can hold their heads high, but David Perron cannot return soon enough. This has a sense of dejavu about it, one that could easily turn nasty in a hurry.
Key upcoming games: @ Los Angeles Kings.
20. Boston Bruins (10-10-3)
Last Week: 21
Life post-Jim Montgomery hasn’t been much better in Boston. The Bruins played inspired hockey in the win over Utah, but it was hard to get excited about a 1-0 victory over an equally bad team. That win became two when the Bruins beat Detroit, but some of the same old problems reappeared on Tuesday in a shutout loss that brought out the boo-birds at the Garden.
Key upcoming games: vs Pittsburgh, vs Montreal.
21. St Louis Blues (10-12-1)
Last Week: 23
Four wins from their last 10 games cost Drew Bannister his job, and it didn’t take the Blues long to find a replacement by wheeling in Jim Montgomery less than 24 hours later. It was a brutal move considering Bannister was only named head coach at the start of the season, but when you’re already two games below .500, clearly the front office felt Montgomery was the right man to turn things around in Doug Armstrong’s final season as General Manager.
Key upcoming games: vs Philadelphia, @ Winnipeg.
22. Seattle Kraken (11-10-1)
Last Week: 22
The Kraken are back above .500, for now. Brandon Montour helped them to a win over the Ducks on Monday, and they might be able to add a couple more cheap victories with back-to-back games against the Sharks ahead later in the week. Unlike other middling teams, Seattle tries hard every night, but it’s unlikely to see them turn into a contender unless they add a game-changing player up forward.
Key upcoming games: @ San Jose, vs San Jose.
23. Columbus Blue Jackets (9-9-2)
Last Week: 26
The Jackets have rattled off three wins since we did this a week ago. They beat up on their old rival Tampa Bay winning 7-6 in overtime, before knocking off the Hurricanes in a shootout. If you’re looking for a team that could play spoiler over the year, this is it.
Key upcoming games: vs Calgary, @ Chicago.
24. Detroit Red Wings (9-10-2)
Last Week: 18
The Red Wings’ power play is 0-for-10 over their last three games, which admittedly was one of the few strengths we could point to a week ago. They’ve won some nice games over the Islanders, but Detroit remains one of the most disappointing teams in the league. Whether Derek Lalonde survives the season is the next big question.
Key upcoming games: vs Vancouver, @ Boston.
25. Utah Hockey Club (9-10-3)
Last Week: 28
A 6-1 win to sour Crosby’s milestone night over the weekend was nice. UHC also played two competitive periods against the Leafs in their 3-2 loss. Dylan Guenther scored his 10th goal in Tuesday’s win over Montreal, while Mikhail Sergachev has enjoyed a nice week racking up four points.
Key upcoming games: vs Edmonton, @ Vegas Golden Knights.
26. Philadelphia Flyers (9-10-3)
Last Week: 25
The Flyers have lost three of their last four, which is what you’d expect considering they had Colorado, Carolina, and Vegas on their schedule. Matvei Michkov, who has scored twice over his last three games, remains must-watch viewing every night. Travis Konecny could also be in line for a spot on the Canadian Four Nations team.
Key upcoming games: vs New York Rangers, @ St Louis.
27. Nashville Predators (7-12-3)
Last Week: 24
Alex Nier listed three reasons why the Preds can still make the playoffs, even if they only have seven wins to show for themselves. With Juuse Saros boasting a 2.43 GAA this year, and Nashville also owning a win over the Jets, it’s not the craziest thing you’ll hear this year.
Key upcoming games: vs Tampa Bay, @ Minnesota.
28. Pittsburgh Penguins (7-12-4)
Last Week: 27
Sidney Crosby scored his 600th goal on Sunday. Other than that, the Pens have lost three in a row and look destined to play the role of sellers at the trade deadline, at least as far as their older players are concerned. The decision to bring in Phillip Tomasino from Nashville during the week suggests the Pens are all-in on adding youth for the future.
Key upcoming games: @ Boston, vs Calgary.
29. Anaheim Ducks (8-9-3)
Last Week: 29
Lukas Dostal’s hot start is officially over and goals have proven hard to come by in recent losses to Seattle and Buffalo. There’s room for optimism with last year’s second-overall pick Leo Carlsson registering six goals in 12 games, though.
Key upcoming games: vs Los Angeles Kings, vs Ottawa.
30. San Jose Sharks (7-12-5)
Last Week: 31
A 7-2 win over the Kings was unexpected. Better yet, Macklin Celebrini has scored twice over the last week, while 11-year veteran Alexander Wennberg is on pace to break a career-high in goals.
Key upcoming games: vs Seattle, @ Seattle.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (7-12-2)
Last Week: 30
Four losses from their last five paints a grim picture. Connor Bedard hasn’t scored since the 26th of October, just quietly.
Key upcoming games: vs Columbus, @ Toronto.
32. Montreal Canadiens (7-11-3)
Last Week: 32
The Habs still can’t win on the road, so this upcoming stretch against the Jackets, Rangers, and Bruins could get ugly. Martin St Louis’s side has averaged only 15 shots over its last two games, so there’s not much else to say here.
Key upcoming games: @ New York Rangers, @ Boston.