Connor McDavid might be one of the best hockey players to ever play the game, but even he can’t fix the Edmonton Oilers woes on his own.
It’s been a few weeks since the start of the 2023-24 NHL season, but already we’re getting some interesting early returns less than a month in. One of these intriguing early storylines has been the Oilers, who are statistically one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. The Oilers were predicted by many to be a major Stanley Cup contender before the season began, but their 2-5-1 record to start the year has them in danger of missing the playoffs entirely if they don’t get their act together soon.
Much of this blame falls on general manager Ken Holland for his lackluster roster construction. The Oilers haven’t had a legitimate starting goaltender since the beginning of the McDavid era, relying on the Mike Smiths of the hockey world to get it done in net. And the supporting cast around McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have all been hit or miss too. When the Oilers are on their game, no one can stop them offensively. But right now, everything’s gone ice cold in Edmonton and it’s threatening to derail their season before it even begins.
Like the hit musical Chicago once said, McDavid simply can’t do it alone!
As for the rest of the NHL, here’s how we see the league shaping up after a few weeks of play in our November 2023 power rankings.
32
San Jose Sharks (0-8-1)
Last ranked: 32
The Sharks enter November as the only NHL team without a tally in the win column. A losing season is absolutely the best for San Jose’s future, but it’s certainly not fun to watch!
31
Columbus Blue Jackets (3-4-2)
Last ranked: 29
With Patrik Laine out after sustaining an injury in the fourth game of the season, the rest of the Blue Jackets’ offense will have to step up. Unfortunately, Columbus’ biggest playmaker Johnny Gaudreau has just four assists and no goals in nine games played. This is certainly not how the Blue Jackets wanted to start the season.
30
Chicago Blackhawks (3-6-0)
Last ranked: 28
Connor Bedard has four goals and six points in nine games, a solid start for the rookie phenom. The Blackhawks pulled off some impressive wins in October, bolstered by some great goaltending, but this team doesn’t have the depth to carry this for a full season. Plus, it’s in Chicago’s best interest to actually be bad this year and snag yet another high draft pick come summertime.
29
Anaheim Ducks (5-4-0)
Last ranked: 30
Frank Vatrano singlehandedly helped the Ducks gain a few more wins than they deserved in October. With nine goals in nine games played — including two separate hat tricks — Vatrano’s been quite the story in Anaheim as the team has jumped out to a better start than expected. Don’t expect this production to last, but for now, Ducks fans have something to cheer about.
28
Calgary Flames (2-6-1)
Last ranked: 19
Things haven’t gone as many hoped it would for Ryan Huska’s club to start the year. It’s still early, but the Flames continue to be plagued with the same issues from last season — poor goaltending by Jacob Markström and a lack of offensive production — with no answers in sight.
27
Arizona Coyotes (4-4-0)
Last ranked: 27
The Coyotes still project to be a basement-level team in the NHL this season, but if Karel Vejmelka blossoms into the goaltender he’s shown flashes of becoming this season, Arizona might be a harder out than expected.
26
Seattle Kraken (3-5-2)
Last ranked: 17
The Kraken have regressed pretty hard to start the 2023-24 season. The team just isn’t getting the well-rounded scoring attack it had last year and it shows, as Seattle sits in the bottom third of the league in goals scored. It’s still early days, but if the Kraken can’t get it going, their playoff run from last season might have been just a mirage.
25
St. Louis Blues (3-3-1)
Last ranked: 25
Jordan Binnington’s had an up-and-down start to the 2023-24 season while the Blues offense has only one player — Brandon Saad — with two or more goals on the year. If Binnington continues to struggle or if the offense stays cold, the bottom is threatening to fall out of this Blues team.
24
Washington Capitals (4-3-1)
Last ranked: 24
It was looking dicey for Alex Ovechkin for a hot second, but he finally got his first few goals of the season under his belt late in October. The Capitals themselves are going to be a non-factor in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but Ovechkin getting back on his game is a positive sign all the same.
23
Nashville Predators (4-4-0)
Last ranked: 21
As expected, Juuse Saros is playing great hockey between the pipes for the Predators. However, there’s not much else to be excited about with this Nashville team outside of the goaltending. New addition Ryan O’Reilly has four goals and six points in eight games, which is good, but the Predators continue to be stuck in NHL no man’s land.
22
Philadelphia Flyers (4-4-1)
Last ranked: 31
It’s hard to make definitive statements about a team with only a few weeks worth of data, but I could very well be wrong about the Flyers this year. John Tortorella’s system has started to click with the young players and the team has benefited greatly from Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson’s return. Philadelphia is still in rebuild mode and likely won’t be competing for a playoff spot, but it’s nice to see the process working.
21
Montreal Canadiens (5-2-2)
Last ranked: 26
It’s truly unfortunate that Kirby Dach is out for the season, missing a year of time alongside the Canadiens’ young core. While Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki continue to do the heavy lifting, Juraj Slafkovsky has one assist in nine games as his NHL woes continue. Slafkovsky’s progress in his sophomore season will be something to monitor as the year progresses, especially if the Canadiens continue to overperform.
20
Edmonton Oilers (2-5-1)
Last ranked: 3
I’m not gonna beat around the bush here: The Oilers are in trouble. Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner have been horrific in net and Edmonton’s explosive offense hasn’t woken up. It doesn’t help that Connor McDavid has missed a bit of time already this season, but if things don’t improve soon, the Oilers might have to kiss their Stanley Cup hopes goodbye.
19
Buffalo Sabres (4-5-0)
Last ranked: 16
The 2023-24 season was supposed to be a coming out party for these Sabres, who surprised last year and nearly made the playoffs. However, Buffalo sits in last place in the Atlantic after going 4-5-0 in October and are now looking up at a gauntlet of teams above them. Early results also indicate that Devon Levi isn’t the answer just yet for the Sabres in net, but the young goaltender still has lots of room to grow with just 11 NHL games under his belt.
18
Ottawa Senators (4-4-0)
Last ranked: 20
The Shane Pinto gambling suspension saga is certainly the most interesting story to come out of Ottawa since the season began. The Senators are .500 through the first few weeks of the season and are the dictionary definition of “middle of the road” right now. Ottawa’s offense has put together some big beatdowns early in the season while Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg have been below average in net.
17
Pittsburgh Penguins (3-6-0)
Last ranked: 15
The Penguins had a strong start to the season with big wins against Washington and Calgary, but have since lost four of their last five as the team sits dead last in the Metro. After Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for the first time in 17 seasons last year, you have to wonder how short of a leash Mike Sullivan will have with new general manager Kyle Dubas overseeing things now.
16
Minnesota Wild (3-4-2)
Last ranked: 13
Offensively, the Wild have been one of the best teams in the NHL so far this season for putting pucks in the back of the net. Keeping pucks out of the back of the net, however, have been another story completely. It’s still early, but Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have been less than ideal in net, especially because Minnesota’s stout defensive structure has faltered since the season began.
15
Detroit Red Wings (6-3-1)
Last ranked: 23
Steve Yzerman’s plan is … starting to work? The Red Wings currently hold one of the top playoff spots in the Atlantic, a position no one thought they’d be in at any point in the season. Detroit did lose three straight near the end of October, so reality is starting to set back in a bit, but this has been a better start than expected for the Red Wings.
14
Florida Panthers (4-3-1)
Last ranked: 11
The Panthers got encouraging news regarding the health of Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, as both joined practice for the first time this season last in October. Florida hasn’t looked like their lethal selves just yet this year, but the team managed to stay competitive without two of their best players. And currently, Sam Reinhart is on a goal-per-game pace with eight tallies in the Panthers first eight games this season.
13
New York Islanders (4-2-2)
Last ranked: 14
Defense and goaltending are the bread and butter of the Islanders system and so far, they’ve been below New York’s standards. We all know the offense scores at an anemic pace (Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson lead the team with four goals each), but Ilya Sorokin and the Islanders defense have taken their time waking up. Still, the team is well within the playoff hunt as some major players in the East have faltered.
12
Winnipeg Jets (4-3-2)
Last ranked: 18
Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele’s extensions shocked everyone before the season began. Since then, Hellebuyck’s had an up-and-down season (.898 save percentage with a 4-2-1 record), but Scheifele has led the team in points with eight and has four goals as well. The Jets are taking advantage of some teams’ stumbles in the Central and have put themselves in a good spot for a playoff push, though they’re not a top tier team quite yet.
11
Vancouver Canucks (5-2-1)
Last ranked: 22
Don’t look now, but the Canucks may have started to turn things around. Yes, it’s early, but the signs are positive. Thatcher Demko — 3-2-0 record, .936 save percentage — has started the year strong. Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller are already in the double digits for point totals as the offense has hit the ground running. Like the Jets, the Canucks are taking advantage of some early stumbles from their competitors and have handily outperformed expectations so far.
10
Los Angeles Kings (4-2-2)
Last ranked: 12
Trevor Moore is off to the best pace of his career, as he leads the Kings with five goals in the early goings of the 2023-24 season. Los Angeles overall is getting a swath of scoring from its depth early on, as 15 of its players have scored at least one goal this season. That strategy worked well for the Kraken last year and it seems the Kings have taken a page out of Seattle’s playbook to start out this new campaign.
9
Tampa Bay Lightning (4-2-3)
Last ranked: 10
Jonas Johansson has played well in relief of the injured Andrei Vasilevskiy and it’s part of the reason why the Lightning have kept themselves afloat in a tough Atlantic Division. Statistically, the Lightning sit fifth in the Atlantic, but hold onto a wild card spot thanks to their solid play in October. As long as Johansson can hold down the fort until Vasilevskiy returns, the Lightning are in good position to strike once their team is fully healthy.
8
Carolina Hurricanes (6-4-0)
Last ranked: 2
The Hurricanes had a rough stretch of October where they looked very much unlike themselves. The first few weeks of the season were so odd for Carolina that they sit tied for last with the most amount of goals allowed this season thus far with 37. The Hurricanes ended October on a three-game win streak, but all of their victories have come against bottom-tier teams so it’s hard to discern where they truly stand. We know this Hurricanes team can be great, they just haven’t shown it yet so far this season.
7
Toronto Maple Leafs (5-2-1)
Last ranked: 5
The Maple Leafs stars are producing — William Nylander, John Tavares, and Auston Matthews all have 10-plus points already — which is great to see. In net, however, Joseph Woll’s stock has risen dramatically as the rookie has so far outplayed Ilya Samsonov in limited time. If Woll has another great month and officially takes the starting job from Samsonov, how long until the goaltender is in the Calder conversation?
6
New Jersey Devils (5-2-1)
Last ranked: 6
Jack Hughes is making an early Hart Trophy case with five goals and 18 points in eight games played. Right now, the Devils’ offense is firing on all cylinders, with goaltending the only thing holding them back from a top spot on these rankings. Both Vítek Vaněček and Akira Schmid have been uninspiring so far this year, so hopefully one of them shakes the early season rust off soon.
5
Dallas Stars (5-1-1)
Last ranked: 4
The Stars are tied with the Blues for fewest games played this season, which is why it’s hard to fully get a read on them. When they’ve played, Dallas has looked great, with Jake Oettinger stealing the show in net as per usual. Jason Robertson has only one goal and six points in seven games to start the year, but there’s no reason to be concerned yet about his production. There’s a lot of hockey still left in Dallas.
4
Colorado Avalanche (6-2-0)
Last ranked: 8
The Avalanche have lost their last two games after starting the season 6-0, both 4-0 duds to the Penguins and Sabres. Even with that sour note, October was a great return to form for this Avalanche squad looking to shake off the bad vibes of last season. The Central is going to be a dogfight between the Avalanche and Stars all season long and so far, Colorado has the edge after the first month.
3
New York Rangers (7-2-0)
Last ranked: 9
It’s good to see Alexis Lafrenière get out to a quick start to the season, as the fourth-year player has four goals in nine games played so far. The Rangers stars are doing their thing as usual, but getting Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko (two points in nine games) rolling should be a priority in New York this season. The Rangers ended October with a five-game win streak, good enough to put them in the top three here as a new month begins.
2
Boston Bruins (8-0-1)
Last ranked: 7
Patrice Bergeron who? The Bruins haven’t missed a step at all since Bergeron’s retirement, as Boston is one of two teams with just one loss on the year so far. David Pastrňák’s eight goals and 14 points in nine games leads the team while the goaltending duo of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark are by far the best in the NHL. We’re sorry we ever doubted you, Boston.
1
Vegas Golden Knights (9-0-1)
Last ranked: 1
Who knew that when you return nearly your entire Stanley Cup winning team, you’ll continue to dominate the league just like you did before? The Golden Knights have yet to lose in regulation this season as the team has picked up where they left off back in June. Between a balanced top-three scoring attack and stellar performances from Adin Hill and Logan Thompson in net, Vegas is well on their way to defending their championship season.
