If this is the Boston Bruins last season together with this core, this is one way to go out.
The calendar has officially flipped to a new year and the second half of the 2022-23 NHL season is about to begin. And so far, despite some challengers, the Bruins have been by far and away the NHL’s best team this season. Between a potent offense of veteran talent and Linus Ullmark planting his flag in the ground for a Vezina nomination, you couldn’t script a better season than this if you’re the Bruins.
Of course, we’ve still got nearly half a year left of this hockey season in full so anything can happen, but it’s hard not to look at the Bruins right now and see the Stanley Cup Final running through Boston. Sorry for the early jinx, Bruins fans.
Regardless, it’s 2023 and here are our NHL power rankings as a new month begins!
32
Chicago Blackhawks (8-25-4)
Last ranked: 31
The Blackhawks currently lead the NHL in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes but not much else after a miserable two-win December.
31
Anaheim Ducks (10-24-4)
Last ranked: 32
A handful of wins and some overtime points have the Ducks out of the NHL’s basement, but in a lost-cause of a season Anaheim better hope the team continues to play poorly in 2023 for a better draft pick.
30
Columbus Blue Jackets (11-23-2)
Last ranked: 28
Injuries have really hit the Blue Jackets hard this season, so much so that even Johnny Gaudreau (15 points in 14 December games) hasn’t been able to move the needle for them.
29
San Jose Sharks (12-20-7)
Last ranked: 26
Now that the calendar has flipped to 2023, the Sharks have to be asking themselves how they can possibly make Erik Karlsson’s contract attractive to buyers at the deadline. With 53 points in 39 games this season, Karlsson has regained his mojo as one of the premier offensive defensemen in the NHL. With the Sharks having another poor season, San Jose should be trying to pull out all the stops to move Karlsson for future assets.
28
Montreal Canadiens (15-20-3)
Last ranked: 24
The Canadiens closed out 2022 with some incredibly rough losses by scores of 4-1, 7-2, and 9-2 respectively. December wasn’t kind to Martin St. Louis’ squad, especially as Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield went cold for much of the month.
27
Philadelphia Flyers (14-17-7)
Last ranked: 30
The Flyers toughed out December despite some more bad injury luck. Philadelphia still isn’t a great hockey team, but the kids seem to be alright as players like Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny have made their marks on an otherwise poor Flyers season.
26
Arizona Coyotes (13-18-5)
Last ranked: 29
It’s a bad year for the Coyotes to maybe be kind of good. Sure, Arizona is second-last in the Central Division, but they’re over 10 points ahead of the last-place Blackhawks and had a fine December to boot. Even if they’re playing above expectations, the Coyotes should still look to move Jakob Chychrun by the trade deadline.
25
Florida Panthers (17-18-4)
Last ranked: 16
A terrible second half of December has tanked the Panthers playoff odds something fierce. Florida went 2-6-0 in their last eight games of 2022 and now sit with playoff odds at 18.5 percent and are eight points out of a wild card spot. You can’t be a playoff contender and have a rough few week stretch in a highly competitive Eastern Conference.
24
Nashville Predators (16-14-6)
Last ranked: 21
Unfortunately, the Predators are back to their old ways. Great goaltending between Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen (both at a .916 save percentage this year) just hasn’t been able to help this team score. This offensive regression was a concern for the Predators coming into the 2022-23 season — the team is third-last in the NHL with 92 goals — and it seems fans’ greatest fears have come to light once more.
23
Vancouver Canucks (16-18-3)
Last ranked: 25
Going 7-6-0 in December likely saved Bruce Boudreau’s job as the Canucks have fully stabilized — but not recovered — from a horrific start. Even so, the team is still dealing with drama thanks to J. T. Miller’s recent outburst against back up goaltender Collin Delia alongside the forward’s incredibly poor defensive play.
What do you think of JT Miller barking at Collin Delia to get to the bench for the extra attacker despite the #Canucks failing to get out of their zone? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/khY8OSSbf0
— Grady Sas (@GradySas) December 30, 2022
The sooner the Canucks can move on from Miller the better.
22
Ottawa Senators (18-17-3)
Last ranked: 27
The Senators were held to one goal in a game just once in December as their offense has finally started to click. Ottawa’s playoff odds are still very slim — 19.7 percent according to MoneyPuck — but the team is starting to show signs of life, especially with its young players. Shoutout to 37-year-old Claude Giroux for leading the team in scoring (15 goals) as 2023 begins.
21
St. Louis Blues (18-17-3)
Last ranked: 20
Not much changed for the Blues in December. The team went 6-6-3 last month while adding to their dismal goal differential of minus-21. Every time St. Louis tries to find momentum from game to game, the team hits a skid with a losing streak. While the Blues are still technically in the playoff hunt, it’s hard to see them making it a real race unless they can find a way to break their losing streak habit.
20
Detroit Red Wings (16-13-7)
Last ranked: 17
If Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond were having a continuation of their rookie seasons this year, the Red Wings would absolutely be in a playoff spot. Unfortunately for this rebuilding squad, the pair have been in a slump all season long and the team just hasn’t been able to rally behind them in their stead. Disappointing after the strides made last year but there’s still been some growth here regardless of whether or not the playoffs are on the table.
19
Buffalo Sabres (19-15-2)
Last ranked: 23
The Sabres are such a fun hockey team. Buffalo brushed off a tough November to go 8-2-1 in the final month of 2022, scoring 51 goals in the process as well. Tage Thompson’s been an awesome story to follow this season as a major contender in the goal scoring race and it seems the rest of the Sabres have been given a boost by his efforts. The Sabres playoff odds aren’t great as 2023 begins, but it’s so hard not to root for them as one of the NHL’s biggest surprises this season.
18
Colorado Avalanche (19-14-3)
Last ranked: 5
The Avalanche seemed to turn a corner in November, but December was a rude awakening for the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Colorado is talented, as we all know, but injuries have really taken the fire out of this team. January should see the much-needed return of Gabriel Landeskog to this lifeless Avalanche offense who, outside of Mikko Rantanen and his 25 goals, have no other double digit scorers right now.
17
Edmonton Oilers (20-17-2)
Last ranked: 18
The Western Conference playoff race is tight right now, but the Oilers did well to keep pace with the pack in December. Edmonton went 7-6-2 and outscored their opponents 57-45 in those games, with Zach Hyman having a big month with 17 points in 14 games. Though the Oilers are not nearly as impressive as they were last season, they’re certainly in the mix for a playoff spot.
16
Seattle Kraken (20-12-4)
Last ranked: 9
The Kraken couldn’t keep their November momentum rolling, instead going 4-7-1 in December to cap off a rollercoaster of a first half. The good news for the Kraken is that their playoff odds are still great — 90 percent according to MoneyPuck — despite the December slump, so that’s something to build upon in the new year. Maybe introducing one Shane Wright fresh off a productive World Junior stint into the mix could spark something positive for the Kraken in January.
15
New York Islanders (22-15-2)
Last ranked: 11
Barry Trotz may no longer be coaching the Islanders, but his spirit still lives on inside this team. Of course, these Islanders are much different from the teams that played like hulking behemoths in years past, but the structure is still there: suffocating defense and stout goaltending with a plainly average offense. There’s not much that’s eye catching about the 2022-23 Islanders, but they’re doing enough to stay afloat in the playoff race.
14
Pittsburgh Penguins (19-12-6)
Last ranked: 13
Had you asked me in mid-December, the Penguins would have been a top 10 team. But their recent 1-3-2 stretch to close out 2022 showcases some worrying trends for this team going forward. This season, the Penguins have won 12 of 17 games when leading after two periods, meaning the team is blowing leads — and losing! — nearly a third of the time they lead going into the third. We’ve seen this Penguins team swing between unbeatable and maddening at the drop of a hat, causing a fair amount of frustration from their fans this season.
13
Calgary Flames (18-14-7)
Last ranked: 15
It’s no surprise that the Flames’ offense isn’t what it used to be without Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk but it’s still so jarring to see. Through the first 38 games of the year, the Flames have nine fewer goals and have allowed 21 more compared to 2021-22. Right now, Calgary does have a hold on a wild card spot and went 8-4-4 in December, so things are at least trending in the right direction for this team.
12
Washington Capitals (21-13-6)
Last ranked: 22
It’s crazy the difference a month makes. Before December, the Capitals were below .500 with Alex Ovechkin’s historic record chase the only fun fans were having. Now? The Capitals are a wild card team with playoff odds above 80 percent. An 11-2-2 December is an astonishing turn around for a team dead in the water two months into the season. Not only that, the Capitals outscored their opponents 60-33 during that stretch, a positive sign for a team that was floundering not too long ago.
Given how things went earlier this season, things can change any moment for the Capitals. But right now, they’ve breathed new life into their playoff hopes and they’re not going to take that for granted.
11
Minnesota Wild (21-13-2)
Last ranked: 19
Minnesota had an impressive end to 2022 after stumbling through the first few months of the season. The team’s 11-4-0 December run has them sitting three points above the Avalanche for third in the Central, a good spot to be in as 2023 begins. Of note, Frederick Gaudreau had a solid month of December, posting six goals and nine points while bolstering the Wild’s bottom-six with his efforts.
10
Los Angeles Kings (22-13-6)
Last ranked: 14
The Oilers and Flames foibles have given the Kings ample opportunity to build themselves quite a lead in the Pacific Division. After a 9-4-2 December, the Kings are positioned well to fight for a top spot in the division and can withstand a losing streak if worst comes to worst. It might surprise you to learn that while the Kings may not have the biggest of names offensively, the team is tied for fifth in goals scored this season (131). Los Angeles will have to continue riding that wave if they want to stay ahead of the wild card.
9
New York Rangers (21-12-6)
Last ranked: 12
The Rangers seemed to get back on the horse in December after going 8-3-2, their best month-long stretch this season. To no one’s surprise, Igor Shesterkin is once again making goal scorers’ lives miserable after having a standout December, going 7-2-2 with a .927 save percentage. Right now, the Rangers look the most poised for a second-half run out of any of the wild card contenders in the East.
8
Winnipeg Jets (24-13-1)
Last ranked: 8
Pierre-Luc Dubois is on pace for a career-year if things continue to trend as they have. The former Blue Jackets forward has 17 goals and 41 points in 38 games, which is on pace for an 88-point season. This uptick in offense across the board from the Jets is a big reason why the team is back in playoff contention after a poor 2021-22 season. That and Connor Hellebuyck is back to being a Vezina-caliber goaltender once more.
7
New Jersey Devils (24-11-3)
Last ranked: 2
December was… not pretty for the Devils. New Jersey posted a 4-7-2 record in the last month of 2022, a very bad way to cap off a surprisingly dominant season thus far. After being a rock in net for the first two months of the season, Vitek Vanecek went 2-3-2 with a .885 save percentage in his shakiest few weeks since joining the Devils. Don’t worry, the Devils are still playoff favorites unless a complete collapse happens, but they might not be as complete of a team as we once thought.
6
Vegas Golden Knights (26-12-2)
Last ranked: 6
The Golden Knights have had better months in 2022, as they finished off the year going 8-6-1 but still kept hold of the first spot in the Pacific. Jack Eichel’s injury mid-December was a tough blow, but he is thankfully set to return to the lineup this week. Despite some slip ups, the Golden Knights look to be the strongest team in the Pacific thanks to a deadly offense and more reliable goaltending.
5
Tampa Bay Lightning (24-11-1)
Last ranked: 10
The Lightning always seem to get the most out of their players, year after year. Sure, Victor Hedman may be in the midst of an off year, but the team has once again hit its regular season stride off the back of key contributions from Brandon Hagel (15 goals, 30 points) and Brayden Point (21 goals, 38 points). Given how well-rounded this team is, when the Lightning train gets rolling, it’s really hard to stop them.
4
Dallas Stars (23-10-6)
Last ranked: 4
Since we last checked in with the Stars, Jason Robertson put up six goals and 18 points in December as Dallas rumbled to a 10-3-2 record in the final month of 2022. It’s great to see the Stars once again playing with confidence and swagger, something that’s been missing since the team’s Stanley Cup Final run in 2019-20. Wild what cultivating a group of talented young players can do!
3
Carolina Hurricanes (25-7-6)
Last ranked: 7
The Hurricanes rattled off a 10-game win streak to finish off December and got points in all 13 of their games to boot. The emergence of Martin Necas as the team’s leading point scorer (37 points in 38 games) has been a surprise, but a welcome one for a Hurricanes team that historically doesn’t light the scoresheet on fire. With New Jersey falling on their faces a bit in December, Carolina jumped in to fill the void quite nicely.
2
Toronto Maple Leafs (23-8-7)
Last ranked: 6
As frustrating as this Maple Leafs team can be with playing down to their competition, boy are they talented. And with the team’s goaltending secure with Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov performing wonderfully for their new teams, the strengths of this team are on full display now. William Nylander, not Auston Matthews, leads the team in both goals (22) and points (45) as 2023 begins. Don’t worry, Toronto fans, we won’t say anything about a playoff jinx quite yet.
1
Boston Bruins (29-4-4)
Last ranked: 1
Once again, the Bruins top this list for the third month in a row. And is it any surprise? Boston’s been the NHL’s best team this year, bar none. The Bruins are fourth in goals scored (138), first in fewest goals allowed (80), and have yet to lose a game at home in regulation. No one’s been able to crack the juggernaut that is the Bruins this year and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
