NHL Power Rankings: Jets Force Their Way Into First Place After Canes' League-Altering Trade

Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

In case you missed it, there was a huge blockbuster trade last Friday. It was massive – significant enough to alter the league landscape. The Carolina Hurricanes got the best player in the deal in a 100-point player in Mikko Rantanen, but you know who else won big? Everybody else in the Western Conference.

The Colorado Avalanche are a flawed team, but invariably, the road to the final will go through them at some point. Not having to face a MacKinnon-Rantanen combo makes it a little easier, and while it doesn’t necessarily reflect in this week’s NHL power rankings, all the Western teams ranked ahead of the Avs get a slight boost.

With the 4 Nations Face-Off just a couple of weeks away, you wonder which teams will make the next big move. Perhaps it’s better to acquire a player now and let them get acclimated during the break rather than doing things in a rush closer to the deadline. The Hurricanes have drawn a line in the sand in a year without a standout contender, and many teams should make moves in response.

What makes it difficult is the number of teams in the running for the playoffs. The New York Islanders signing Tony DeAngelo and trading for Scott Perunovich is a sign they’re not giving up just yet despite being ranked 14th in the East heading into Wednesday's games.

1. Winnipeg Jets (35-14-3, +59. Previous: 2)

The Jets rolled right through the week, going a perfect 4-0-0 with a plus-10 goal differential. If you want to see the ultimate litmus test, the Jets visit the Capitals this coming Saturday with potentially first place in the NHL (and the power rankings!) on the line.

2. Washington Capitals (34-11-5, +55. Previous: 1)

Nothing against the Capitals, but the difference was the Jets’ unblemished record versus the Caps losing a tough 2-1 game in Vancouver over the past week. The two teams are tied at the top with 73 points apiece, though the Caps still hold the edge with a higher points percentage.

Related: Ovechkin Didn't Score In Vancouver, But He's Not Alone As Capitals' Firepower Begins To Dim

3. Edmonton Oilers (32-15-3, +31. Previous: 3)

If the Oilers go one more week without losing a game, we might finally have a No. 1 that’s neither the Caps nor the Jets. The Oilers are slipping through everyone with a league-best 19-6-1 record since Dec. 1. If they continue at this pace, they will finish with 115 points, becoming just the second Canadian team in the cap era (Canucks in 2010-11, Leafs in 2021-22) to reach that milestone.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (31-16-4, +31). Previous: 5)

With the trade for Rantanen, the Hurricanes are all-in. Kudos to management; despite stumbling around .500 for much of December (6-6-1), they pulled the trigger on a bold move – something the previous regime could never do – and they’re now 9-3-2 in January. It’s seriously Cup or Bust, and their odds have never looked better.

Related: By Getting Rantanen, New Hurricanes Cowboy Eric Tulsky Pulls Off A Big 'Ole NHL Blockbuster

5. Dallas Stars (32-17-1, +36. Previous: 9)

The Stars' victory against Vegas on Tuesday came at a great cost: Miro Heiskanen, whose knee collided with a falling Mark Stone and needed help off the ice. That’s going to put a ton of pressure on Thomas Harley and an even more pressing need to shore up that blueline. I noted last week the Stars have had trouble beating good teams, but they’ve answered the bell by beating the Knights twice over the past week.

6. Vegas Golden Knights (31-15-5, +31. Previous: 6)

The joke is the Knights might pull some cap shenanigans with Alex Pietrangelo, who pulled out of the 4 Nations and now seemingly has a precursor to be placed on LTIR. Never mind that Pietrangelo played 23:09 on Tuesday against the Stars; the bigger picture (problem?) is the Knights are 3-6-2 since Jan. 9 with Adin Hill (2-3-2, .890 SP) and Ilya Samsonov (1-3-0, .852 SP) struggling.

7. Los Angeles Kings (26-15-6, +16. Previous: 4)

Not a good stretch for a presumptive dark horse in the West. They’re 3-5-1 since their postponed game against the Flames and averaging just 1.33 goals per game in those losses. Anze Kopitar and key role players Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere have combined for zero (!) goals in January.

8. Minnesota Wild (29-17-4, +3. Previous: 7)

What a big blow to lose Kirill Kaprizov to surgery for at least the next four weeks. The Wild were 7-5-0 during his absence in late December, and the Avs are just two points behind for third in the Central Division. They will face non-conference opponents until the 4 Nations, which softens the blow, but they cannot afford to lose any more points.

9. Colorado Avalanche (29-21-2, +5. Previous: 8)

You could sense Nathan MacKinnon was more hurt than angry about the Rantanen trade, and he’s got a point – a big trade like that at a time like this is genuinely jarring, and the Avs should be adding talent, not subtracting. Something to watch closely with Alexandar Georgiev’s disastrous play this season still on our minds and the Penguins assigning Tristan Jarry and his albatross contract to the minors (again) – Mackenzie Blackwood has a .874 SP and 3.68 GAA since Jan. 16.

Related: Avalanche Go A Different Direction Than The Leafs, Lightning And Oilers With Rantanen Trade

10. Toronto Maple Leafs (30-18-2, +10. Previous: 10)

The Leafs have lost five of their last eight, and their scoring comes and goes far too frequently. Anthony Stolarz also cannot come back soon enough, with Joseph Woll carrying such a big workload (18 starts since Dec. 1, .901 SP) and Dennis Hildeby (.884 SP) not instilling a ton of confidence right now despite the team allowing the sixth-fewest shots per game since Jan. 9.

11. Florida Panthers (29-19-3, +15. Previous: 11)

The good news is the Panthers picked up the easy points against the Sharks and Ducks but again have trouble beating some of the better teams. You’d have to go back to Dec. 22 against the Lightning to find their last regulation win against a team currently in a playoff position.

12. New Jersey Devils (28-18-6, +26. Previous: 12)

A banged-up Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier and no Jacob Markstrom for the next month spells trouble. The Devils have had trouble finding their footing since late December, going a paltry 4-7-3 since Dec. 28 – the third-worst points percentage! – with 2.21 goals per game and an 18.9-percent power play.

13. Columbus Blue Jackets (24-19-7, +1. Previous: 15)

Since Adam Fantilli took over as their top center, he’s scored nine points in nine games. The Jackets also have the seventh-best (!) points percentage since Jan. 1. If they can pick up their atrocious road record (7-14-4) and improve their goaltending by even just a smidge, do not be surprised if they lock up one of the wild-card spots sooner than later.

14. Detroit Red Wings (24-21-5, -13. Previous: 23)

A huge jump for the Wings after going 3-0-0 with a plus-7 goal differential against a gauntlet of the red-hot Habs, Lightning and Kings. It’s really impressive, considering they were so pressed for bodies they signed 31-year-old Dominik Shine – who absolutely deserves it, by the way. Also noteworthy: The spot behind Dylan Larkin has long been an issue, and while he’s not a full-time NHL center just yet, Marco Kasper looks like he could be the answer.

15. Montreal Canadiens (24-21-5, -18. Previous: 13)

If the Habs miss the playoffs, one of the narratives would be wondering if their astounding run since mid-December happened in February or March instead. Since their league-leading 13-3-1 run from Dec. 17 to Jan. 21 with 2.53 goals against per game, the Habs have lost three straight with 12 goals allowed.

16. Tampa Bay Lightning (26-20-3, +32. Previous: 14)

The Bolts have lost four of their past five, including Tuesday to the Blackhawks, meaning they’ve lost to the two worst teams in the NHL this season. They’re not deep enough to be in the elite tier and have fallen into the mushy middle of the East. Also, for all this talk about how the league doesn’t defend its stars, the counterargument is that they can also turn a blind eye. Nikita Kucherov should’ve at least been fined for a dangerous trip on Michael Rasmussen’s empty-net goal that could’ve resulted in an injury.

Related: The Tampa Bay Lightning's Rebuild On The Fly Is A Mirage

17. Boston Bruins (25-21-6, -25. Previous: 20)

The Bruins keep hanging around, but I’m still not convinced they can make the playoffs. They’re 5-2-1 in their past eight, with impressive wins and then an ugly 7-2 loss to the Sabres. On the bright side, it looks like they’ve found the missing ingredient on their top line in Morgan Geekie.

18. New York Rangers (24-22-4, -3. Previous: 18)

Just when you thought the Rangers were turning it around, they allowed two goals in the first seven minutes in a 5-4 loss to the Avalanche and then got shut out by the Hurricanes on Tuesday. The Rangers need to go on an extended winning streak, and they have not won more than two games in a row since mid-November.

19. Ottawa Senators (26-20-4, +1. Previous: 19)

The Senators are 7-2-1 in their last 10, with all three losses coming via shutout. The Sens are tied with the Kraken and Islanders with the most shutout losses (six) in the league, except only the Sens are in playoff position. What gives?! They’ve been a fun team, but I also feel like I’ve seen 10 different iterations of the same team and still don’t really know which one’s the true version.

20. Calgary Flames (24-18-7, -13. Previous: 17)

The Flames keep hanging around, mostly due to Dustin Wolf’s play and a constantly rotating cast of players leading the offense. They’ve had 16 different players score at least a goal this month, and leading the way right now is Andrei Kuzmenko, who was a healthy scratch earlier this season. I think their soft schedule to finish the season – they play the Sharks and Ducks twice each in their final eight games – could be a difference-maker.

21. Vancouver Canucks (22-17-10, -15. Previous: 21)

It’s really difficult to get a good read on this team because outside of Quinn Hughes – who’s making a strong case for the Hart Trophy – their top players are rarely their top players. A talented bunch, for sure, but until their game plan is clearer – will they trade Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller or both or neither? – it’s a directionless team that’s kinda, sorta in the playoff race. The two wins against the Capitals and Blues were either a tease or the start of something good.

Related: Canucks' New Elias Pettersson Is A Welcome Distraction From The Trade Drama

22. Utah Hockey Club (21-21-7, -8. Previous: 24)

The return of Connor Ingram gives them two capable goalies, but again, consistency can be such a big issue. (Have you seen Barrett Hayton’s monthly splits this season?) Utah’s starting to fall out of the playoff race (again) after a promising start (again) in the second half, and sweeping their upcoming four-game homestand could prevent that. Sean Durzi returns soon, and that’ll help, too.

23. St. Louis Blues (23-24-4, -12. Previous: 16)

Trading Scott Perunovich and waiving Brandon Saad is a good start, but this roster still needs plenty of work. They’ve lost three straight with only four goals scored, and top playmaking pivot Robert Thomas has just three assists and seven points in January.

24. New York Islanders (22-20-7, -8. Previous: 27)

The Islanders looked like they were out of it and then suddenly rattled off five-straight wins. Ilya Sorokin looks like the Sorokin we knew. They’ve completely clamped down on defense with seven goals allowed during their hot streak, but they’ll need to prove it again in a tough upcoming stretch that includes Tampa, Florida, Vegas, Winnipeg and Minnesota before the 4 Nations break.

25. Philadelphia Flyers (23-22-6, -19. Previous: 22)

The Flyers are 6-2-1 in their past nine and need to decide sooner or later if they’re buyers or sellers. They’re playing close games but they keep splitting; they went 1-1-0 against the Isles and swept the Devils, but earlier this month, they got swept by the Leafs. They have not been able to win more than three games in a row when they had four such streaks last season.

Related: Buy, Sell Or Stand: What 10 NHL Teams Should Do With Trade Deadline Approaching

26. Nashville Predators (18-23-7, -24. Previous: 26)

Too little, too late. During their 5-0-0 run, the Preds averaged 5.20 goals per game. Offense is Andrew Brunette’s bread and butter, and that’s what they were built to do, but it’s taken far too long to get everything figured out. I have no doubts they will be stronger next season, but it’s another cautionary tale of perhaps adding too much too quickly.

27. Anaheim Ducks (21-23-6, -28. Previous: 30)

Winning three-straight games wasn’t the big shocker, but scoring 16 goals certainly was, especially for a team that got shut out three times during its 1-5-2 slide. One of the low points last season was the Ducks being unable to win more than three games in a row after the first month of the season. They’ve now accomplished that twice over the past month.

28. Seattle Kraken (22-27-3, -15. Previous: 25)

This sounds like a broken record, but it’s really worth pointing out the discrepancy between Joey Daccord (17-12-2, .917 SP, 2.45 GAA) and Philipp Grubauer (5-15-1, .866 SP, 3.83 GAA), who lost to the Ducks on Tuesday. Even with two more seasons (!) left on Grubauer's contract, the Kraken have stubbornly stuck with him despite being rated as one of the NHL’s worst goalies.

29. Buffalo Sabres (19-26-5, -15. Previous: 29)

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka’s hat-trick performances, with prospects Zach Benson, Jack Quinn and Jiri Kulich earning assists, and then more scoring from the blueline thanks to Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram and Owen Power, is what the Sabres should be. They put up seven goals against a Bruins team that was 5-1-1 heading into the game. Coincidentally, the Bills could’ve used another touchdown against the Chiefs.

30. San Jose Sharks (15-32-6, -57. Previous: 31)

If you’re going to lose a lot of games, at least be fun, which the Sharks most certainly are. Will Smith is on a five-game points streak, and Macklin Celebrini’s still in the hunt for the Calder. I’ve been wondering how the Sharks would follow up a Thornton-Marleau-Pavelski golden era, and those questions have been answered.

31. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-24-8, -40. Previous: 28)

When you help your opponent snap a four-game losing streak (Ducks) and a six-game losing streak (Sharks), re-assign your starter to the minors for the second time this season, place your third-highest scorer in franchise history on IR for a week-to-week injury and play your $11.5-million defenseman on the second power-play unit… yeah, it’s not a good look.

32. Chicago Blackhawks (16-29-5, -39. Previous: 32)

It’s really funny how the Blackhawks’ only wins in 17 games since Dec. 21 were against the Habs, Avs, Knights and Lightning. They’re at least somewhat more entertaining to watch lately; under Anders Sorensen, they’ve improved to 2.83 goals-for per game from 2.41 goals per game, and Connor Bedard, Teuvo Teravainan and Tyler Bertuzzi have combined to score 65 points in 24 games.

Related: Bubble Boost: Three NHL Players Who Turned Hot Rocking A Fishbowl – Bedard, Hyman And More

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