Best In The West: Weekly Western Conference Power Rankings

NHL action is back, and so are weekly power rankings. The top teams in the Western Conference are all very good, so head-to-head results carry the most weight. The gap between the second and third-ranked teams is quite large; the gap between the third and fourth-ranked teams is significantly smaller. 

Here are my weekly power rankings for the Western Conference.

16. San Jose Sharks —

The Sharks won’t win the Stanley Cup this season. However, they could win the Draft Lottery and pick first overall for the second year in a row. They’ve got the best odds to win at 25.5%. And rookie phenom Macklin Celebrini is sure to be a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Other than that, there’s not a lot of positivity surrounding the Sharks. They’ve lost seven in a row– and that isn’t even their worst loss streak this season.

15. Chicago Blackhawks —

Not to be outdone, the Blackhawks are on a losing streak of their own, though it’s only at five games. However, they’ve allowed 25 goals against over those five games. The season can’t end soon enough for the Blackhawks. They’ve got the second-worst goal differential in the league at -52 but the second-best odds at winning the Draft Lottery.

14. Nashville Predators —

It’s been a mixed bag for the Predators since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break. They beat the Colorado Avalanche, were shut out by the New Jersey Devils, lost to the Florida Panthers, and ended the Winnipeg Jets’ 11-game winning streak. Wins are good for morale, but the Predators have the third-best odds of winning the Draft Lottery. 

13. Seattle Kraken —

The Kraken haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but it would take a Biblical miracle to get there. They eked out a win against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers off a strong goaltending performance from Joey Daccord. However, they have given up 11 goals to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the St. Louis Blues over the past two games. 

12. Vancouver Canucks -4

The Canucks have won just one of their four games since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break. They’re currently hanging on by a thread to the second Wild Card spot. If they want to still be in the playoff picture come April, the Canucks need to turn the ship around fast. 

But it’s not looking good. Goaltender Thatcher Demko is week-to-week, and star defenseman Quinn Hughes is clearly still playing hurt. First-line center Elias Pettersson hasn’t scored a goal in over a month and has just two assists in his last eight games.

11. Anaheim Ducks -1

It’s hard to know what to make of the Ducks. The Ducks are 2-1-1 since returning from break. Their most recent win was a dominant one over the Vancouver Canucks where they came back from a two-goal deficit. They’re essentially out of the playoff race but are far from a guaranteed win on the schedule. Underestimate the Ducks at your own peril. 

10. St. Louis Blues +2

The Blues have won three in a row against the Colorado Avalanche, Seattle Kraken, and Washington Capitals, outscoring them 15-5. Their last loss was to the league-leading Winnipeg Jets. Since winning the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, goaltender Jordan Binnington has a record of 2-0-0 and an average save percentage of .946. I’m not sure if the Blues will have time to close the gap and make a real push for the playoffs, but they’re on a tear right now. 

9. Utah Hockey Club +2

It’s not too late for the Utah Hockey Club to make a push for the playoffs, and they’ve been rolling out of the break. They lost a hard-fought game against the Los Angeles Kings but rattled off three consecutive wins where they outscored their opponents 10-3. 

Their power play is 10th in the league at 23.4%, and their penalty kill is 12th at 80.6%. Young captain Clayton Keller leads the team in scoring with 69 points in 59 games. He has nine points in four games since returning from break and is fresh off a five-point night against the Minnesota Wild.

8. Calgary Flames +1

The Flames are 2-1 since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break. They beat the San Jose Sharks and the second-place Washington Capitals but were blanked by the Tampa Bay Lightning. That’s essentially who the Flames are this year– they win the games they’re expected to win and a few that they’re not. They’re just one point out of the playoffs and have a game in hand.

7. Minnesota Wild —

In Minnesota, things are, well, wild. Their top-six forwards are dropping like flies. Kirill Kaprizov is “going to be out longer than expected,” and Joel Eriksson-Ek will miss a few weeks after suffering a lower-body injury in practice. However, they’ll get Ryan Hartman back in a few days, as Gary Bettman reduced the winger’s suspension from ten games to eight. And he can’t return soon enough– the Wild have lost three in a row to the Detroit Red Wings, the Utah Hockey Club, and the Colorado Avalanche. 

6. Edmonton Oilers -4

The Oilers have dropped five in a row since before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. These five losses have been bad— they’ve been outscored 26-14. The Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals blew them out on back-to-back days. 

It’s not hard to identify Edmonton’s problem: over these past five losses, Connor McDavid has three assists and is a -10. There’s no reason to believe that these problems will continue. He’s still the best player in the league, and that didn’t change overnight. But it does hammer home that the Oilers won’t walk away with the win if McDavid has an off night.

5. Vegas Golden Knights +1

The Golden Knights are 2-1 since returning from break, and they’ve scored 12 over those three games. However, they’ve allowed at least five goals in back-to-back games, and goaltending is becoming a major concern. Their two wins came over the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks– although they almost blew that one– but their loss came at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings, a Pacific Division rival.

The Golden Knights have struggled on the power play without Shea Theodore, but they’re still 3rd in the league at 27.9%. The 21st-ranked 76.9% penalty kill is becoming a problem, however, and one that needs to be addressed.

4. Los Angeles Kings +1

The Kings won their first two games after the break against the Utah Hockey Club and the Vegas Golden Knights. However, they followed that performance up by losing to the Vancouver Canucks in overtime and being curb-stomped by the Dallas Stars. Cracks are beginning to show in Los Angeles. 

When the Kings win, they win big– they scored four unanswered in the third period to beat the Golden Knights. Most of their losses feel avoidable, but a loss is a loss at the end of the day.

3. Colorado Avalanche +2

The Avalanche briefly stumbled coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break and lost to two non-playoff teams, the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues. Neither was a particularly bad loss— Juuse Saros saved 2.05 goals above expected, and Jordan Binnington saved 1.79 goals above expected. The Avalanche rebounded with two dominant wins over the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.

Nathan MacKinnon hit 91 points in February, and he leads the league in assists with 68. Martin Nečas has 12 points in 11 games since the Mikko Rantanen trade. Mackenzie Blackwood has a record of 16-7-2 and an average save percentage of .921 in 25 games with the Avalanche. Their biggest weakness is special teams. Their power play is 15th in the league at 22.5%; the penalty kill is 13th at 79.9%. 

2. Dallas Stars  +1

It’s been a good stretch for the Stars. They put up eight against the San Jose Sharks, nearly blanked the New Jersey Devils, and dominantly beat the Los Angeles Kings. This team can score just as well as they can defend. They’re 4th in the league in goals scored per game played and tied for 3rd in the fewest goals allowed per game, with 3.36 and 2.56, respectively.

Jake Oettinger is finding his footing and rounding back into form. New acquisitions Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci are fitting in nicely. They have the best penalty kill in the league at 85.5%. Wyatt Johnston has a five-game point streak, and Jason Robertson has five goals over his last three games. And remember– this team is still operating without star defenseman Miro Heiskanen.

1. Winnipeg Jets  —

Go ahead and call them the WINnipeg Jets because they just set a franchise record for consecutive wins with eleven. ELEVEN. And they’ve beaten some good teams along the way— they took down the Colorado Avalanche, the second-place Washington Capitals, and blanked the Carolina Hurricanes. Yes, their win streak ended on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, but it was a 2-1 loss where Juuse Saros saved 1.81 goals above expected.

I’m not going to penalize them too harshly for that loss. They’re the best defensive team in the league. Connor Hellebuyck is having the best season of his life, with a record of 36-7-2 and an average save percentage of .926 in 45 games. They’ve still got the best power play at 30.9%. They’re still the only team in the league with two 30 goalscorers— Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele— and they have three skaters at or over a point per game. 

I’m starting to wonder if this is the year that the Jets finally get over the hump and go on a deep playoff run.