Four Canadian teams grab top-10 spots as NHL Power Ranking returns

It’s been a minute since we’ve unveiled our Power Rankings as All-Star weekend and bye weeks made for a bit of a wonky schedule. However, we are back and there’s a new top dog atop our list – or, should we say cat. 

The Florida Panthers, riding a five-game win streak, sit first. Florida is the only team to rank top five in goal differential, expected goal differential and points percentage. The Panthers play a playoff style of hockey and look poised to make another run this spring. 

Our top-ranked Canadian team, the Vancouver Canucks, check in fourth on our list. It’s been an up-and-down February for the Canucks who have won four of seven games. Vancouver ranks first in points percentage and goal differential but its ninth place ranking in expected goal differential leaves a little room for concern. That said, the Canucks have been bucking statistical trends all season and may very well be that special team that rides the percentages all season long. 

Hot on the Canucks’ heels are the Winnipeg Jets, who sit fifth on our list following a 4-2 win over Vancouver Saturday night. The Jets have won three straight games and Connor Hellebuyck continues to make a strong case as a favourite for the Vezina Trophy. Hellebuyck has saved the Jets 25 goals above expected this season, second only to Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders. Remarkably, Hellebuyck has not allowed more than three goals in a game in 31 consecutive appearances, dating back to Nov. 2.

Sitting in sixth spot in our Power Rankings, the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton has the best expected goals percentage of any team in the NHL and now ranks top 10 in goal differential and points percentage as well. The Oilers went undefeated in January but have lost three of six games to start February. Connor McDavid is doing everything he can to will his team to wins, posting 10 assists in his last three games.

A fourth Canadian team cracks our top 10 as the Toronto Maple Leafs sit eighth on our list. Many wondered what would become of the Leafs with Morgan Rielly missing five games thanks to a suspension. Well, the Leafs have rattled off three impressive wins with Rielly out of the line-up. Mitch Marner has taken some shifts on defence and Auston Matthews is scoring goals like they’re going out of style. Matthews posted back-to-back hat-tricks in his last two games and has six hat-tricks this season. He is on pace to score 74 goals in 2023-24. 

The Calgary Flames check in at 20th on our list. Calgary went 0-3-0 last week and was outscored 13-3. Perhaps, this should not come as a great surprise as the team dealt one of its most impactful forwards in Elias Lindholm. The Flames rattled off a few wins following the trade but it looks like reality has set in for a team likely to sell off more pieces before the trade deadline. 

Ranking 21st on our list, the Ottawa Senators. The Sens looked like they were finally starting to grasp what head coach Jacques Martin has been preaching to them in terms of defensive structure as Ottawa took a four-game winning streak into February. It then proceeded to lose back-to-back games in regulation to the lowly Ducks and Blackhawks. The Senators have a daunting schedule this week with games in Tampa Bay and Florida followed by a pair of home games against the Stars and Golden Knights. 

Lastly, the Montreal Canadiens come in at 27th on our list. The Habs dropped two out of three games last week but there are some encouraging storylines coming out of Montreal. The Canadiens’ top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky has gelled well together with Slafkovsky taking major strides in his game. The No. 1 overall pick in 2022 is riding an eight-game point streak and has 22 points in his last 24 games.