NHL Power Rankings: Rangers Surge to Top Spot, Displacing Golden Knights Amid Impressive Start

Rangers
The emergence of Alexi Lafreniere has been huge for the Rangers this season, and it could be the key to getting them over the hump in the playoffs. Lafreniere has seven goals in 14 games, and he is already well on pace to set a new career high in that category. The former No. 1 overall pick has yet to have a true breakout at the NHL level, but he has found success, whether he is playing alongside Filip Chytil or Vincent Trocheck. 2 11-2-1
2

Bruins
I was skeptical about how much James van Riemsdyk had left in the tank when he signed his one-year deal with the Bruins, but it was a low-risk gamble for the team. Thus far, it has worked out fairly well. With more talent around him in Boston, van Riemsdyk has been revitalized. He has 11 points in 15 games, and his five-on-five impacts are better than expected too. — 12-1-2
3

Stars
The Stars’ offense has really started to heat up, and that’s especially the case for Wyatt Johnston. The 20-year-old has four goals and six points in his last five games, and it looks like he is building upon an excellent rookie campaign in 2022-23. With Johnston rolling, Dallas has now won four games in a row and passed the Avalanche in the Central Division standings. 1 11-3-1
4

Golden Knights
The Golden Knights are an interesting team because their actual goal differential is plus-20. Their expected goal differential is minus-2.35. Look, the defending champs have the talent to outperform expected goal numbers, but by that much? Right now, Adin Hill leads the NHL with 9.42 goals saved above average, and Logan Thompson is also in the top 12 with 4.61. That duo has been excellent, but if they cool off at all, so will Vegas. 3 13-3-1
5

Canucks
Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko deserve all the credit in the world for the Canucks’ hot start, but they have been getting plenty of help. Most notably, Brock Boeser has 12 goals, which is tied for third in the NHL. Considering Boeser scored 18 goals all of last season, that’s pretty amazing. Boeser has played well under coach Rick Tocchet, and while I don’t think he’ll keep shooting 27.9% all year, he is clearly performing at a higher level. 3 12-4-1
6

Panthers
Speaking of red-hot goal-scorers, Sam Reinhart has also been lighting the lamp quite frequently. He had a five-game goal streak earlier this season, and he is already up to 12 on the season. Even more importantly, the process behind Reinhart’s success has been rock solid. His line, which also includes Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodrigues, has been blistering opponents to the tune of a plus-12 goal differential at five-on-five. 7 11-5-1
7

Kings
Los Angeles is banking on Quinton Byfield being a huge part of its future, and it looks like he has taken a big step forward in his development this year. Byfield is riding a six-game point streak in which he has nine assists. Byfield has only scored twice this season, but that’s just fine because his playmaking ability has been superb. With Byfield playing at this level, the Kings are a bona fide contender. — 9-3-3
8

Hurricanes
Just as everyone predicted before the season, Jesperi Kotkaniemi is leading the Hurricanes in points through the first 15 games. He has six goals and seven assists well before Thanksgiving, and his career highs in those categories are 18 and 25, respectively. In terms of his goal-scoring success, Kotkaniemi is simply pulling the trigger more often. His 2.27 shots per game is far and away the highest rate of his career. 1 9-7-0
9

Avalanche
The Avs have hit a minor skid recently, and I think I know why. Over the last two weeks, Alexandar Georgiev has allowed 6.42 goals above average, which ranks 70th in the NHL. Only Jonas Johansson has been worse. Georgiev played well in his first season with Colorado last year, but he is off to a poor start this year. That will be something to monitor, especially with the Stars now atop the Central. 4 10-5-0
10

Penguins
It took a few weeks, but the Penguins have finally joined the party. Pittsburgh has now won four straight games, and Evgeni Malkin is leading the way. Malkin has four goals and eight points in his last six games, and his 17 points are tied for the team lead with Jake Guentzel. There is still a long way to go this season, but Malkin looks much closer to 27 than 37. As long as he can keep playing at this level, you better believe in the Pens as a Stanley Cup threat. 9 8-7-0
11

Devils
I’m inclined to give New Jersey somewhat of a pass for this start because no team in the NHL would play well without its top two centers in the lineup. Erik Haula and Michael McLeod aren’t exactly built for top-six minutes down the middle. The Devils need to get Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier healthy in a hurry because every game will be a slog until then. 5 8-6-1
12

Maple Leafs
The Flames, Oilers, and Senators have really bailed out the Maple Leafs so far this season. With a lot of heat on those three franchises, Toronto’s early-season struggles have flown under the radar more than they normally would. The Leafs are 8-5-2 with some frustrating losses mixed in there, and that is no fluke. They rank 24th in five-on-five expected goals share at 47.3%. It doesn’t help that Ryan Reaves has been outscored 11-0 in those situations. 2 9-5-2
13

Ducks
The 2023-24 Anaheim Ducks have now made NHL history. After coming back from down 2-0 to defeat the Predators on Tuesday, they are the first team ever to complete six third-period comebacks in the first 15 games of a season. Is that sustainable? I don’t know. Is it fun as hell? You betcha. The Comeback Quacks are must-see TV. 1 9-8-0
14

Jets
Winnipeg lost a key player when it traded Pierre-Luc Dubois this offseason, but one player it got in return is already paying dividends. Alex Iafallo has already made a big impact on the Jets with 13 points in 15 games, and his 5.02 expected goals are second on the team. Iafallo is playing a bigger role in Winnipeg, and he is making the most of that opportunity. 2 9-5-2
15

Lightning
Andrei Vasilevsiy has returned to the ice after offseason back surgery, and just in time for the Lightning. Jonas Johansson got off to a decent start in goal, but he has not been able to maintain it. In his last five games, Johansson has allowed 7.57 goals above average, which is the worst mark in the NHL over that span. Even Tampa will struggle to win with goaltending like that. 1 7-6-4
16

Coyotes