NHL power rankings: Are the Buffalo Sabres a playoff team?
Welcome back, hockey fans.
After a nice three-day break from watching NHL games to instead put up with our families for the holidays, we are back and even with most teams only getting a couple games in, we’ve still got a few changes, and… the Sabres are gunning for a playoff spot?!?
Did hell freeze over, or is that just the roads?
New Year’s still approaches, and whether you’re waiting for the Olympic roster announcements, the Winter Classic, the series finale of Stranger Things, or a fun night out with your friends, there will be plenty more hockey this week to keep you entertained in the meantime.
Hunter Crowther and I navigate through the season with another year of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.
1. Colorado Avalanche
Record: 28-2-7, +63
Last Week: 1st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 1st
Hunter: We’ve spilled enough digital ink on the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, so allow me to compliment Gabriel Landeskog, who is playing regular-season hockey for the first time since 2021-22. After a tentative start that saw him record four assists and average 14:45 of ice time in his first 16 games, the Avalanche captain has caught up to the speed of the game and looks like the 30-goal winger he was more than three years ago.
In his last 21 games, Landeskog has six goals and nine assists for 15 points, averaging close to 19 minutes of ice time. Dating back to Nov. 11, he ranks third on the team with 9.4 expected goals and has a fourth-ranked 61 percent Corsi. His 9.84 shots per 60 in that 21-game window, which ranks third for Colorado behind MacKinnon and Makar, suggests there’s no hesitation in the 33-year-old’s game.
While Landeskog’s return to the lineup was expected to provide the Avalanche a boost, not even the most optimistic fan could have predicted he would get back to a level where he would comfortably play on MacKinnon’s wing.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
Record: 23-11-3, +18
Last Week: 3rd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 3rd
Hunter: The Hurricanes’ struggles from the previous edition of the power rankings carried into last week with a decisive 5-2 home loss to the Panthers. Carolina then came back from the holiday break with a commanding win over the Red Wings, more than doubling Detroit in even-strength shot attempts, as well as crushing them in both expected goals and real ones.
Andrei Svechnikov had just one goal in 17 games before scoring in his last three contests, including a three-point effort against the Red Wings. Also, let’s give some credit to 32-year-old Shayne Gostisbehere, who, despite missing nine games this season, has a team-leading 25 assists and is tied for second in points with 29. If he stays healthy the rest of the way, Gostisbehere could surpass the career-high 65 points he recorded with the Flyers in 2017-18.
Scott: Gostisbehere continues to be a great power play quarterback for them, one the team has lacked since Dougie Hamilton’s departure in 2021. Or at least, one that isn’t a locker room headache like Tony DeAngelo.
3. Dallas Stars
Record: 25-7-7, +34
Last Week: 2nd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 2nd
Hunter: Hockey isn’t always fair, especially when you dominate your opponents in terms of possession and expected goals and a little thing known as the “Deserve To Win O’Meter” says you should have defeated your opponents 79 and 89 percent of the time, respectively. Then again, the primary purpose of MoneyPuck’s feature is to infuriate hockey fans of all stripes, whether they’re analytically inclined or committed to the eye test.
Either way, the Stars lost both games last week in extra time, giving up late third-period goals to both the Red Wings and Blackhawks. It’s ironic that after I wrote they would compete for the division if they tightened up defensively, they did tighten up, yet still lost. Also, did you know Miro Heiskanen is tied for fourth among defenders in points?
P.S. … After reading Michael Russo’s story in The Athletic on the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey roster decision-making process, I want to advise all our readers that if and when Bill Guerin leaves Jason Robertson off the team — and they fail to win gold — put all your disposable income (and maybe some of your savings) on Robertson hitting the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career (not financial advise). The idea that a country that hasn’t won a best-on-best tournament since 1996 will leave someone tied for fifth in the league in goals off the roster … we did this with Phil Kessel in 2014, and we did this with Kyle Connor getting scratched in the 4 Nations Face-Off Final … as I said, hockey isn’t always fair.
Scott: Here’s the thing, at least with Kessel and Connor, it was a defense/size issue, and the States stuck to their mindset, even if it was a stupid one. Leaving off Robertson is just proof that Guerin doesn’t know what he’s doing. Robertson is not just a top scorer, he’s also 6’3” and one of the better defensive wingers in hockey. You’re telling me Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck are so much better that it deserves leaving off another offensive threat that can also play in that role?
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
Record: 22-13-3, +25
Last Week: 7th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 4th
Hunter: The Lightning won all three games last week, including a nasty 4-2 victory over their Sunshine State rival in the Panthers, which saw a total of 136 penalty minutes between the two teams (it’s impressive that there were only two fighting majors handed out in the game). Florida controlled possession for nearly the entire second half of the game, primarily due to them having 10 power-play opportunities, but Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 13 third-period shots to get the win. They blew a 4-1 lead late in the third period to the Canadiens on Sunday, and while they still earned the win, they gave away a point to a team in their division.
Side bar: With Canada announcing its Olympic roster this week, it’s worth pointing out that Anthony Cirelli, who played in the 4 Nations and will very likely be named to this February’s squad, has one goal in his last 16 games. I know head coach Jon Cooper trusts Cirelli and he’s proven time and time again at every level that he’s a winner, but I can’t help but feel like if Canada is desperate for a goal late in a game, I’d rather any one of Nick Suzuki or Connor Bedard instead of the Tampa forward.
Scott: I’ve always enjoyed Cirelli’s defensive game, but yeah, some better players can do his job and score a bit more.
5. Vegas Golden Knights
Record: 17-8-11, +5
Last Week: 5th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 7th
Scott: Not much has changed for the Golden Knights since we last left them. They played just two games, routing the Sharks on Tuesday before taking the Avalanche to a shootout before ultimately losing 6-5. One thing I didn’t realize until I started putting together my year-end positional lists is that Mitch Marner has been playing center for the last few games. I’m assuming that’s just a temporary thing while Vegas is without both Jack Eichel and William Karlsson, but it’s nice to see him try there, considering his defensive prowess. If only they tried that in Toronto at some point, but they won’t even try William Nylander there and he was developed as a center!
Hunter: With three of his nine goals on the season coming in the last three games, the move to down the middle might be what sparks Marner’s production. Also, the idea of him developing into an all-world center after leaving Toronto is the stuff horror movies are based on.
6. Detroit Red Wings
Record: 23-14-3, -4
Last Week: 6th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 5th
Hunter: A late tying goal from Dylan Larkin led to a game-winner from the Red Wings’ captain in overtime against the Stars last Tuesday, snapping a four-game winning streak for a red-hot Dallas squad. After a one-sided loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday, Carolina finished with more than five even-strength expected goals, compared to Detroit’s 1.41 — the Red Wings beat the Leafs in overtime to earn a hard-fought two points. Lucas Raymond’s helper on Moritz Seider’s goal put him in the league’s top-10 for assists. Detroit remains at the top of the Atlantic Division, despite having a goal differential of -4.
7. Minnesota Wild
Record: 23-10-6, +19
Last Week: 4th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 6th
Scott: I’m sure we’ll get a few complaints about not ranking the Wild higher, considering their recent performance and the acquisition of Quinn Hughes. But you have to remember that we’re going off seven games of great hockey with Hughes vs. 32 of mediocre play without him. Once the former outweighs the latter, that will start to show in our lists, or at least mine. Until then, we’re dealing with the theoretical assumption that the Wild will become a sustainably better team. Still, they’ve been playing great hockey since the trade, and I’m excited to see how they develop.
Hunter: I’m only ranking them lower because they’re not wearing their subway colors more often (I’m kidding, but I know Craig Leipold reads the power rankings, and I know he wants to impress us. Wear them more, Mr. Leipold!)
8. Florida Panthers
Record: 20-15-2, +1
Last Week: 8th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 8th
Scott: The Panthers split their two games last week, beating the Hurricanes before dropping a match to their state rivals in Tampa Bay, but they continue to chip away and get points while they wait to get healthy. Don’t look now, though: Matthew Tkachuk is back on the ice. We’ll exercise caution while we wait and see how his injury affects his play, but if it’s the same old Tkachuk, Florida is about to kick it up a notch.
9. Washington Capitals
Record: 20-13-5, +15
Last Week: 10th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 10th
Scott: The Capitals had a rough go of it on Tuesday, dropping a game to the Rangers by the score of 7-3. They bounced back on Saturday with a 4-3 win over New Jersey, so they continue to cruise along this year. I will say one concern I’ve had with them recently after I sung their praises a little bit ago: they’ve struggled defensively again. After having the ninth-best 5v5 expected goals against per 60 minutes through their first 18 games, the Capitals have seen it drop to 2.9 in their last 20, the fourth-worst rate in that time.
10. Ottawa Senators
Record: 18-14-5, +4
Last Week: 12th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 9th
Hunter: Ottawa went into last week with a four-game winning streak, but ended it with two losses to division rivals, including a 7-5 barnburner to the Leafs on Saturday that saw Linus Ullmark get pulled after giving up four goals on just 14 shots. The Senators announced the day after that Ullmark is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons, and with no timeline given on how long he’ll be out of the lineup, it will be up to Leevi Merilainen to hold the crease. The 23-year-old Finnish netminder is 4-6-0 with an .874 SV% this season and has given up at least three goals in six of his nine starts.
11. Los Angeles Kings
Record: 16-12-9, 0
Last Week: 9th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 12th
Scott: I’ve talked plenty about how the Kings have surprised me this season, largely because I expected their defense to be horrible, and yet they still rank second in 5v5 xGA/60 minutes while their offense has struggled. However, Ken Holland shouldn’t escape criticism for butchering Los Angeles’ blueline, because those moves have actually hurt the Kings’ offense. Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin have struggled to move the puck up the ice, and Joel Edmundson isn’t much better at it, so no wonder the Kings have struggled to score.
Hunter: If you’re reading this, guess as to Quinton Byfield’s goal totals in 2025-26. Don’t look it up, just throw out a number. If you said “five,” you would be correct, with the fifth coming Saturday against the Ducks. The problem is, in the previous 17 games, he recorded no goals and just three assists, averaging 20:04 of ice time. What’s frustrating with Byfield’s production, or lack thereof, is that his 56.31 even-strength xGF% ranks third on the team this season, while his even-strength 53.6 CF% ranks fourth among forwards.
There are flashes of his game where you think, “Wow, what a smart play from a strong power forward, he’s going to be a star” … then you’ll go three games, and it feels like he’s just getting exercise. He’s only 23 years old, and you could say this is only his third true full season in the NHL, but with Anze Kopitar on his way out the door, the Kings will need Byfield to take a step forward in replacing his production.
Scott: The way the Kings’ rebuild has gone to shambles is quite the tragedy. It’s not that they’re a Cup-starved franchise (only eight franchises have won more recently than them), but they looked to have some talent in their system for a while, and all they have to show for it is the potential of Byfield and Brandt Clarke and the “what ifs” of Alex Turcotte and Blake Lizotte. That Pierre-Luc Dubois trade did so much damage to this team, even if they salvaged it by getting Darcy Kuemper (who, speaking of the Olympics, is a guy who should be on Canada in February).
12. Edmonton Oilers
Record: 19-14-6, +1
Last Week: 15th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 15th
Hunter: It’s hard to believe that at one point, we were worried about Connor McDavid scoring just once in his first 10 games — he’s now tied for third in the league with 24 goals. McDavid has 32 points in his last 12 contests, a rate of 2.7 points per game that would produce 218 over the course of a full season, which would break Wayne Gretzky’s single-season record of 215. No one is expecting McDavid to hit the 200-point mark, but with a league-leading 68 points, he could sniff the career-high 153 he posted in 2022-23. Steve Yzerman holds the single-season record for players not named Gretzky or Lemieux with 155 — I say McDavid passes it.
As for the team itself: Connor Ingram has held his own in his first three starts with the Oilers, going 2-1-0 and posting a .915 SV% in that span, stopping 28, 18 and 29 shots, respectively. With all the drama that’s come from the Oilers’ crease this season, it’s nice to see someone like Ingram find some early success in his return to the NHL.
13. Pittsburgh Penguins
Record: 16-12-9, -5
Last Week: 16th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 11th
Scott: It really shows the state of the Eastern Conference that the Penguins could drop eight in a row before finally getting two wins in three games recently and still find themselves only a point out of a playoff spot. A quick look through every team’s last 10 games on the NHL standings page and only five teams have won more games than they’ve lost in that span, so it’s no wonder slumps aren’t hurting anybody’s chances yet.
Hunter: Pittsburgh has an excellent opportunity to go on a big losing streak before the Olympic break, so we can watch Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson have all-time performances and light the fuse for trade rumors ahead of the March deadline. If Kyle Dubas and co. can get right on that, that would be greeeaaaaaaat.
14. New York Rangers
Record: 19-17-4, -3
Last Week: 13th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 14th
Scott: The Rangers went into the holiday break on a high note with a 7-3 win over the Capitals, but clearly had too much turkey in their stomachs against the Islanders, as they were shut out 2-0 in a loss. It’s now the eighth time this season they’ve been shut out, which is 20% of their games. That’s a lot of times where a young Rangers fan has gone to a game (home or away) hoping to see their favorite team score at least, only to leave the building with nothing. Won’t the Rangers think of the children!
Hunter: Do people still do turkey for Christmas? I went to several dinners this year, and only one had it, the rest had a mixture of chicken and ham with the rest of the classics. I know turkey is the traditional poultry, and we have pretty much just accepted it as the de facto option for Thanksgiving, but let’s not waste the end of the year with a mediocre bird. I’d go so far as to say a Costco rotisserie chicken is infinitely better than any turkey — and I don’t care how your grandma prepared it or if yours is the juiciest, it’s not as good as even the most mid of honey-glazed hams.
Scott: I think all my events avoided it this year, instead opting for (in order) a potluck, a brunch, chicken and beef pies, and lasagna instead.
15. Anaheim Ducks
Record: 21-15-2, -2
Last Week: 11th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 16th
Scott: I’d been lower on the Ducks for a month or two now after their hot start, and it’s nice to be vindicated once again as they’ve teetered off a bit. It’s not that they’re a horrible team, they’re just a really good offensive team that is horrible defensively, but has a goalie good enough to mask that at times. I won’t deny it, though, they continue to be must-watch hockey.
16. Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 19-11-7, +6
Last Week: 14th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 13th
Scott: I don’t really have anything notable to say about the Flyers this week, as they won their first two games against the Canucks and Blackhawks before losing to the Kraken on Sunday. Instead, let me get on my soapbox about their prospect, Porter Martone, who got into some hot water for a light smack to Adam Novotny’s rear after scoring an empty-net goal to put Canada’s opening game of the World Juniors away.
Here’s the thing: if there was any reason for this to be controversial, it should be for the fact that it’s teetering towards harassment/assault (which is the last thing Hockey Canada needs right now, especially at the World Juniors). But if you’re going to get mad at Martone for being a “bad leader,” get out of here. It was pretty funny, and considering the recent lack of success for Canada, I wouldn’t mind the captain showing off a bit of confidence after a win over the team that eliminated you the past two seasons.
Hunter: It’s the WORLD JUNIORS. For god’s sake, Canada used to open cans of whoop ass annually at this thing, and now they struggle to get past Latvia while the world finds mountains out of ant hills. The Americans are trying to win for a third straight year, and Canada is too busy focusing on NOTHING. How about we focus on beating Denmark by at least six goals, then stopping a highly productive Finnish squad?
And by the way, why isn’t Canada playing the U.S. on New Year’s Eve? I don’t want to hear about groups and formats, it’s tradition, damn it!
Scott: To be fair, it’s only a tradition when they’re in the same group, as it’s always been.
17. Montreal Canadiens
Record: 20-12-6, -2
Last Week: 17th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 18th
Hunter: The Canadiens scored four times in the third period of a 6-2 win over the Bruins last Tuesday, then on Sunday against the Lightning, down 4-1 with 10 minutes left in the final frame, Montreal scored three times to tie it, including a Juraj Slafkovsky snipe with four seconds to go. Tampa Bay earned the shootout win, but with three out of a possible four points against division opponents, the Canadiens are third in the Atlantic.
Speaking of Slafkovsky, the 6-foot-3 winger has four goals and four assists in his last four games, and is now tied for second on the team in goals with 11. The 21-year-old is also on pace to reach career highs in all offensive categories.
18. Buffalo Sabres
Record: 19-14-4, -2
Last Week: 21st (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 17th
Scott: The Sabres have now won eight games in a row after beating the Senators and Bruins, and I hate how much I’m starting to believe in this team. They went from being a step or two away from being a playoff team, and suddenly, all the pieces are coming together, and they might just already be that team. I forget where I saw someone refer to this team as being a hot streak away from a hot streak away from playoff contention, but at this rate, they might just need the one hot streak!
Hunter: Oh man, that sounds too much like Bruno Caboclo being two years away from being two years away. I’ve never rooted for the Sabres, but I do root for narratives and comeback stories and teams breaking droughts, and which team suits all that better than Buffalo? Tage Thompson had a goal streak in the last six games, and he’s on pace for another 40-goal season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen only gave up one in their win over Boston over the weekend. With the NFL’s Buffalo Bills losing the division for the first time since 2019, maybe the Sabres can lift the spirits in The Queen City.
19. New York Islanders
Record: 21-14-4, +3
Last Week: 19th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 19th
Hunter: Despite the loss to the Blue Jackets over the weekend, the Islanders won two of three games last week, including wins over the Devils and Rangers. Now, in more exciting news, Daily Faceoff personality and Professional Rangers Fan © Jonny Lazarus said on Twitter last weekend that if the Islanders win the Stanley Cup this season, he will get a full sleeve tattoo.
If the #Isles win the cup this season I’ll get a full sleeve tattoo
Isles are winning the Stanley cup aren’t they Jonny?
Lazarus also said his followers could choose the tattoo, so I’ve put together some options that will guarantee Jonny’s new sleeve will rival any Starbucks barista or cannabis shop employee holding an iPad.
- An image of Denis Potvin holding the Stanley Cup with the caption, “Potvin does not suck”
- A cartoonishly muscular Matthew Schaefer with his arms in the air, celebrating a goal scored on an unnamed Rangers’ goalie who’s on his ass with the puck behind him
- Madison Square Garden with a Spirit Halloween sign
- A drawing of Mike Bossy smoking while hugging the Stanley Cup with the caption: “Real New Yorkers are from Long Island.”
- To the readers who want to argue the technicalities re: Long Island being part of New York City, I say … shut up
- An acknowledgement that the Rangers’ 94 Stanley Cup was actually just the sixth of the Oilers’ dynasty
20. New Jersey Devils
Record: 20-16-2, -8
Last Week: 20th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 21st
Hunter: I’ll admit it: I had the Devils winning the Metropolitan Division in 2025-26. A healthy season for Jack and Luke Hughes and bounceback years for Jacob Markstrom and Dawson Mercer, plus reliable depth additions in Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov … what’s not to love?
Well, apparently, quite a bit. Jack Hughes missed 18 games due to injury; Luke Hughes hasn’t taken the jump offensively, many thought he would; Jacob Markstrom has an .883 SV% and -0.5 goals saved above expected, while Mercer — whose praises we were singing earlier this season — has zero goals in his last 13 games and just two in his last 26.
The loser point has kept many teams in the playoff hunt, including the Devils, who are just three back of third place in the Metropolitan Division. But with just four wins in their last 14 games, something in New Jersey needs to change.
Scott: I noticed this when mentioning Hamilton in the Hurricanes blurb, but he has eight points in 34 games this season. What happened to him?!
21. Utah Mammoth
Record: 18-18-3, +4
Last Week: 18th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 20th
Scott: The Mammoth only played once last week, a 1-0 loss to the Avalanche, which, honestly, ’s an achievement in and of itself that a team can hold Colorado to one goal. Utah continues to trudge along through the season and it does feel a bit disappointing after the hot start, like a change needs to be made to create a new spark. I was initially hesitant to throw Tourigny under the bus because it didn’t feel like things were that bad, but then I remembered that he’s somehow the fourth-longest tenured coach in the league. That’s a long time for a coach who hasn’t made the playoffs, especially when the names you’re next to on that list are Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar and Rod Brind’Amour. Maybe the expiration date has already passed.
22. Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 16-15-6, -15
Last Week: 23rd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 23rd
Hunter: After losing seven of eight, the Blue Jackets won both games last week, with impressive performances against the Kings and Islanders. New addition Mason Marchment scored twice against L.A., both on the power play, while Kirill Marchenko had three goals in the two games, including the game-winner against New York. While it’s unlikely Marchenko matches last season’s 30-goal, 70-point campaign, a strong second half could give Columbus life in the playoff race.
23. Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 17-15-6, -5
Last Week: 25th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 24th
Hunter: I got a lot of good use out of Tim Robinson’s “YEAH THAT’LL DO IT” meme after the Leafs fired assistant coach Marc Savard last week, replacing him with their AHL Toronto Marlies’ assistant Steve Sullivan. Hours after the Dec. 21 loss to the Stars, I predicted they would fire Savard and keep Craig Berube the rest of the season. Well, there ya go.
Toronto beat the Penguins 6-3 in an afternoon matinee, then pulled off a real barnburner against the Senators on Saturday before losing to the Red Wings in overtime, giving them five of a possible six points last week. They scored a combined three power-play goals over the weekend, compared to just three goals in Savard’s final 18 games behind the bench.
While much has been made about Auston Matthews and William Nylander’s struggles, Matthew Knies has seen a giant dip in production in 2025-26. Before the weekend, Knies had just three goals in his previous 23 games, totaling 17 points in that span. With three goals over the weekend, he now has 10 on the season, well off pace of matching last season’s 29-goal total. A newly revamped power play and improved play from his linemates might boost those goal numbers as we get into the second half of the season.
Scott: As someone who had gone over a month between covering Leafs games (basically right when their first losing streak started) and was dropped back into it with a media availability from Brad Treliving and Berube in the wake of Savard’s firing, the whole experience was both surreal and hilarious. (especially watching Treliving say Derek Lalonde would take over the power play, Berube then denying that, only to walk his words back after the game. Clearly on the same page!)
24. Nashville Predators
Record: 16-17-4, -19
Last Week: 24th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 22nd
Scott: How close is the NHL this season? The Predators were dead in the water early on in the season, sitting in last place once or twice on our rankings, and yet a stretch of 10 wins in 14 games has them three points out of a playoff spot. This is bad news for any NHL team hoping to get a reclamation project in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault or Ryan O’Reilly (or maybe even Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi or Juuse Saros), but great news for Andrew Brunette or Barry Trotz, who were getting a ton of heat for the team’s recent performance, with the former likely to be fired when the latter should have. And you know what, the underlying numbers support it, they’ve been playing like a borderline playoff team all season, not a lottery contender, so it’s nice to see the bounces go their way.
Hunter: I selfishly want Nashville to compete for a playoff spot just so I can have an excuse to visit my cousin in the spring, but also because they’re one of the “non-traditional” hockey markets that really nail playoff hockey. Also don’t look now, but Steven Stamkos had goals in three straight games before going pointless against the Blues on Saturday. He’s had a noticeable jump in his game in the last few weeks, and he’s winning battles in the offensive zone in ways that remind me of his angrier self with the Lightning in the postseason.
25. Boston Bruins
Record: 20-18-1, -7
Last Week: 22nd (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 26th
Hunter: Two division losses to the Canadiens and Sabres extend the Bruins’ losing streak to five games. While they’re just a point out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, their on-ice performance last week left much to be desired. Jeremy Swayman was looking like his old self through the first two months of the season, but has struggled in December, posting an .868 SV% and a -3.1 goals saved above expected, which ranks near the bottom of the league during that span.
26. Calgary Flames
Record: 16-18-4, -14
Last Week: 26th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 25th
Scott: The Flames are similar to the Predators in that they were a team that has played good hockey but just hasn’t gotten the results (funny enough, both teams are 11th in 5v5 xGA/60, while Calgary is one place better in 5v5 xGF/60 in 14th), so it’s nice to see Calgary go on a run of late and actually get some wins. Flames fans probably hate it, though, as they had their sights set on an easy path to Gavin McKenna. They might never pick in the top three ever in their history. It’s still insane that their highest draft pick in franchise history was Sam Bennett of all players.
27. Winnipeg Jets
Record: 15-17-4, -5
Last Week: 27th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 28th
Hunter: The Jets had only one game this week, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Wild. Winnipeg looked strong for most of the night and suffocated a lot of Minnesota’s scoring chances, but a power-play goal from Mats Zuccarello with 22 seconds left sent it to OT, where Matt Boldy ended it less than a minute in. Connor Hellebuyck gave up four on 19 shots, a rare off-night for the reigning Hart Trophy winner.
I know I’ve already mentioned the Olympics several times in this week’s column (it’s the holidays, damn it!) but it feels like Mark Scheifele is on the outside looking in for Canada’s final roster. After scoring nine goals and recording 20 points in the first month of the season, Scheifele’s making the team felt like an inevitability. But a cold November and Winnipeg’s first-half struggles may keep him off it. If Cooper is dead set on bringing Cirelli and Bennett, and Tom Wilson is a guarantee to make it, it’s hard to see how Scheifele makes it.
Scott: Honestly, Scheifele always feels like a guy who’s on the outside looking in, regardless of how he’s producing. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great, but he never feels like as much of an impact player as the other scorers on Canada, and he lacks the defensive game to play in the lower end of the lineup. I can see how he gets lost in the fray every time.
Hunter: It’s Barrie Colts erasure, and I will not stand for it!!!
28. St. Louis Blues
Record: 15-16-8, -35
Last Week: 30th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 27th
Hunter: Tampa Bay scored 21 seconds into their game against the Blues last Monday and never looked back, as St. Louis lost 4-1 and Jordan Binnington gave up four goals on 17 shots. Scott and I discussed his place with Canada’s Olympic team last week, and after some healthy debate around the dinner table during the holidays, here’s how I see it playing out: Binnington will get a courtesy start against one of Switzerland or France in the preliminary round, but considering Czechia is far-and-away the biggest challenge Canada will face, someone else will get the first start in the crease.
Side note: What do you think a year-and-a-half of Justin Faulk could fetch the Blues if they ate a portion of his $6.5 million AAV? A right-handed blueliner who can play a lot of minutes and has a bomb at the point … it has to be at least a first-round pick. If St. Louis takes half, that return only gets better.
29. Seattle Kraken
Record: 16-14-6, -15
Last Week: 31st (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 29th
Scott: The Kraken are another bad team that has gone on a hot run of late, although there’s is at a much smaller scale of four wins in a row. Still, it’s put them one point out of a playoff spot again, so Seattle will certainly take it. We’ll see how long they last without Brandon Montour, who’s set to miss about 3-4 weeks with a hand injury, but to be fair, he was hurt before this win streak even started.
30. San Jose Sharks
Record: 18-17-3, -17
Last Week: 29th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 30th
Hunter: The Sharks didn’t have a chance against the Golden Knights last Tuesday, and I want to take this moment to apologize to my future in-laws for making them watch an entirely one-sided first period instead of a Christmas movie (“You’ve seen Rudolph a million times, why not watch Ivan Barbashev instead???”). San Jose came back from the Christmas break with a three-goal first period against the Canucks, resulting in a 6-3 road win. Macklin Celebrini now has 20 goals and is third in the league in points with 57.
31. Vancouver Canucks
Record: 15-19-3, -22
Last Week: 28th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 31st
Scott: Looks like that post-Hughes trade run has come to an end, as last week saw the Canucks drop both games to the Flyers and Sharks. Elias Pettersson is back in the lineup (the star forward, not the defenseman), and… well… maybe he should have taken a few more games off, as he went pointless and was a -3 against the Sharks. Oh god, I can’t believe I just used plus-minus. At the very least, it was for a joke, because the stat in and of itself is a joke.
32. Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 14-18-6, -18
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd
Scott: The Blackhawks are performing about as well as you would expect them to without Bedard, losing six of seven games since the star center left the lineup. Surprisingly, the Stars, who are the clear-cut best team they played in this stretch, were their lone win. On the bright side, my fantasy team performed just fine without Bedard, as I bested my fantasy rival (and best friend) in my matchup last week when I felt destined for another loss (for context, he is the Bruins to my Leafs).
PRESENTED BY OFF THE ROSTER
Introducing Off The Roster—Toronto Sports, Unfiltered! Toronto sports fans, your new favourite conversation has arrived. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, Off The Roster dives into the city’s legendary plays, brutal trades, OG jerseys, celebrity tweets, and everything in between. Raw, fun, and totally unfiltered, this is Toronto sports like you’ve never heard it before. Tune in live every weekday morning on the Nation Network YouTube channel, or catch episodes wherever you stream podcasts. Proudly brought to you by our founding partner, PROLINE. Off The Roster—the new sound in the 6ix.