NHL Power Rankings: Each team's New Year's resolution
This is the sixth in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.
In this edition, we pick a New Year's resolution for each team.
1. New York Rangers (25-9-1)Previous rank: 2
Don't get greedy. The Rangers spent lavishly to acquire veterans Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane before last year's deadline, and the experiment failed. New York's rolling as is, and Chris Drury should give this roster a shot to go all the way.
2. Boston Bruins (22-7-6)Previous rank: 4
Acquire a center. Boston's group down the middle filled in admirably in the early stages of post-Patrice Bergeron life, but the chasm the future Hall of Famer left on the Bruins' depth chart is starting to show. Elias Lindholm, perhaps?
3. Dallas Stars (22-9-4)Previous rank: 9
Free Thomas Harley. The 22-year-old blue-liner has impressed so far in his busiest season yet but looks capable of even more. Harley has one less five-on-five points than Miro Heiskanen in significantly fewer minutes and is on the positive side of all important on-ice metrics.
4. Winnipeg Jets (22-9-4)Previous rank: 8
Use Nikolaj Ehlers more, even after Kyle Connor returns. Prior to Connor's injury, Ehlers had 15 points in 25 appearances while averaging 15:35 of ice time. In the nine games since, including the contest where Connor was hurt, the Dane has 11 points in over 18 minutes per night. Utilizing Ehlers' immense talent more often is a must for Rick Bowness in 2024.
5. Vancouver Canucks (23-10-3)
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 5
Lock up Elias Pettersson. The pending RFA, who can become a UFA in 2025, is enjoying another excellent season with 43 points in 36 games and a strong two-way game. He's more than worthy of a long-term extension to place him among the game's highest-paid centers. The sooner that deal gets done, the better.
6. Los Angeles Kings (20-8-5)Previous rank: 3
Win a round. The last time the Kings won a playoff round was the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. Four first-round exits over nine years since Los Angeles' triumph have left the fan base antsy for another deep run.
7. Colorado Avalanche (23-11-3)Previous rank: 12
Win the division. There's a clear divide between the top six teams and everyone else in the Western Conference right now, so division winners will be at a huge advantage come playoff time with first-round matchups against wild-card teams. Colorado needs to step on the gas to come out ahead of the Jets and Stars.
8. Florida Panthers (22-12-2)Previous rank: 7
Save some cash for Sam Reinhart. The Panthers' season would be immensely different if not for Reinhart's huge campaign. The pending unrestricted free agent has 23 goals and 44 points to lead Florida in both stats, setting himself up for a massive payday this summer.
9. Carolina Hurricanes (20-13-4)Previous rank: 15
Get over the hump. The Hurricanes have made the conference finals twice in five seasons but were swept on both occasions. Should Carolina go all the way to the Eastern Conference Final again, it would be inexcusable to go winless for a third time.
10. Vegas Golden Knights (22-10-5)
Debora Robinson / Getty ImagesPrevious rank: 1
Stop the bleeding. The Golden Knights have been great pretty much all season. But the typically dominant defensive team has allowed 38 goals in its last nine games and dropped four straight. Righting the ship quickly in 2024 is a must in the ultracompetitive Pacific Division.
11. Edmonton Oilers (18-15-1)Previous rank: 11
Find a suitor for Jack Campbell. Even if it requires a significant sweetener, trading the goaltender - who's struggling in the AHL in the second season of a five-year, $25-million contract - should be priority No. 1 for Ken Holland. There's a lot of good Edmonton could do with that cap space, including finding a competent replacement to pair with Stuart Skinner.
12. New York Islanders (17-10-9)Previous rank: 10
Negotiate with Noah Dobson. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has one more season on his current deal, but it'd be in the Islanders' best interest to learn his asking price as soon as possible. Dobson has been lights out this season, registering 35 points in 36 games while logging nearly 26 minutes per contest.
13. Philadelphia Flyers (19-12-5)Previous rank: 14
Reassess expectations. Head coach John Tortorella may have said the postseason isn't on his mind yet, but we're calling his bluff. The Flyers are firmly in the mix halfway through the season, and a playoff berth would galvanize a fan base that was searching for hope less than a year ago.
14. New Jersey Devils (19-14-2)Previous rank: 13
Find reliable goaltending. The Devils boast impressive talent at every position ... except for in the crease. Vitek Vanecek sports an .883 save percentage and Akira Schmid was just sent down. Whether young gun Nico Daws takes the reins or someone is acquired via trade, New Jersey needs a solution here sooner rather than later.
15. Toronto Maple Leafs (17-10-7)
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 6
Tighten up defensively. Over the previous three seasons, the Leafs ranked seventh in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five. This year, they've regressed to 26th. Some of that is due to personnel changes, but most of it can be attributed to sloppy play. With a likely goalie tandem of Martin Jones and Dennis Hildeby until Joseph Woll returns, stingy defensive play is of the utmost importance.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins (18-13-4)Previous rank: 22
Make the playoffs. The Panthers in 2023 and the Canadiens in 2021 are two recent examples of low seeds making the Stanley Cup Final. Anything can happen once you get into the postseason. With Sidney Crosby and the rest of Pittsburgh's core still playing at a high level, all they need is a chance.
17. Arizona Coyotes (19-14-2)Previous rank: 19
Go for it. The Coyotes have spent the last several years acquiring excess draft capital, and they've finally reached a point where spending is justifiable. Arizona is in the wild-card hunt and has 20 combined draft picks in the opening three rounds until 2026. Make this roster stronger and bring the playoffs to the desert.
18. Minnesota Wild (16-15-4)Previous rank: 18
Stay out of the box. The Wild have taken the second-most penalties in the NHL and own the league's 30th-ranked penalty kill. That's a recipe for missing the playoffs.
19. Seattle Kraken (14-14-9)Previous rank: 29
Find their five-on-five groove. The Kraken led the NHL in five-on-five goals last season. This campaign, Seattle's scoring almost a full goal fewer at five-on-five per game to rank in the bottom 10 league-wide. The Kraken's prowess at even strength made them successful last year and has been among the biggest reasons for their drop-off this time around.
20. Nashville Predators (20-16-1)
Ben Ludeman / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 16
Practice the penalty kill. The Predators, as always, are hanging around in the playoff race, but it will be difficult to qualify without improving their 25th-ranked kill. Nashville is operating at 76.9% while down a man.
21. Tampa Bay Lightning (18-15-5)Previous rank: 20
Reduce Victor Hedman's minutes. The former Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, but we may be witnessing his decline. He's been abysmal defensively, ranking last among all blue-liners in defensive goals above replacement. There's no reason he should lead the team in minutes over Mikhail Sergachev.
22. Washington Capitals (17-11-6)Previous rank: 21
Get Alex Ovechkin rolling again. Ovi snapped an unthinkable goal drought before Christmas but still only has two tallies in his past 19 games. Playoff hopes are beginning to slip away in D.C., so at least let the captain's pursuit of Gretzky's goal record entertain the home fans down the stretch.
23. Detroit Red Wings (17-16-4)Previous rank: 17
Ride Alex Lyon. Ville Husso ain't it. Even when Husso returns from injury, Lyon should be Detroit's No. 1 goalie. He dragged the Panthers to the 2023 playoffs, and there's a chance he could do the same with the Red Wings in 2024. He's been excellent, posting a .920 save percentage in nine games.
24. St. Louis Blues (18-17-1)Previous rank: 23
Hire a new head coach. General Manager Doug Armstrong decided it was time to move on from Craig Berube in December. With Drew Bannister manning the bench on an interim basis, Armstrong needs to identify the right person to maximize the next stage of the Jordan Kyrou-Robert Thomas era.
25. Buffalo Sabres (15-19-4)
Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 27
Take the next step. One of the offseason's most hyped teams fell flat in the first half of the campaign. With an array of exciting, young offensive talent, the Sabres need to finally start making good on their potential in 2024.
26. Columbus Blue Jackets (12-18-8)Previous rank: 30
Give Adam Fantilli more ice time. The Blue Jackets' star rookie is second on the team in goals and third in points but ranks 14th among skaters in average playing time. He's the main building block for the franchise's future, so there's no harm in letting him show what he's made of.
27. Montreal Canadiens (15-16-5)Previous rank: 24
Trade a goalie. Carrying three netminders on the active roster for an entire season is far from ideal. With several goalie-needy teams out there, finding a new home for Jake Allen - the oldest of the trio at 33 - could work well for everyone involved.
28. Calgary Flames (15-16-5)Previous rank: 25
Nail the impending trades. It looks like rookie GM Craig Conroy will be one of the league's busiest executives this winter, and he has to get it right. After surprisingly modest returns for both Tyler Toffoli and Nikita Zadorov, Conroy has a chance to recoup a king's ransom for pending UFAs Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin.
29. Ottawa Senators (14-18-0)Previous rank: 28
Keep the puck out of their net. The Senators rank second league-wide with 3.07 goals per 60 at five-on-five. The issue: Ottawa's also allowing 2.95 goals against per 60 at five-on-five - the fourth-most. New head coach Jacques Martin needs to find a way to shut things down at their own end in 2024.
30. Anaheim Ducks (13-23-0)Previous rank: 31
Win the draft lottery. After finishing dead last and still missing the chance to land Connor Bedard, the Ducks find themselves in the mix for the top pick again this year. Winning the tank battle for Macklin Celebrini wouldn't be an awful consolation prize.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (11-23-2)Previous rank: 32
Lose as many games as possible. Winning only decreases Chicago's chances of picking first overall. Giving Bedard a running mate like Celebrini would go a long way in getting the rebuild headed in the right direction.
32. San Jose Sharks (9-25-3)Previous rank: 26
Get Logan Couture back. San Jose's captain hasn't played all season due to a mysterious lower-body injury that had him contemplating whether his career was over. Couture returning to the lineup and succeeding would be an important victory for the Sharks in a year when wins have been hard to come by.
(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)
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