These are the top 10 teams in the NHL right now:
1. Winnipeg Jets
They are the best team in the league defensively and are near the top offensively. Winnipeg has been consistently dominant all season and they remain at the top of the standings heading into the playoffs. While there are many great teams and anything can happen, the Jets seem like the best bet to go all the way this year.
2. Washington Capitals
Washington is back to breathing down Winnipeg’s neck, making sure the top team doesn’t get too comfortable. The bad news is Aliaksei Protas went down with an injury recently and is week to week now, which is a big blow for the Caps. The good news is young Ryan Leonard was called up to fill in for him and has tons of offensive upside. Oh yeah, and Ovi just surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s goal record and now has the most goals of any player ever. It will be really exciting to watch this team in the playoffs, and it would be really special to see them take home the cup.
3. Dallas Stars
The Stars are in the top 3, both offensively and defensively. While they’ve lost their past couple of games, they still only trail the Capitals by 2 points in the standings. They have rolled with the punches this season and have managed to keep improving along the way. They are simply one of the best teams in the game and have a great shot at winning the cup.
4. Colorado Avalanche
Colorado is technically tied with the Leafs for 5th in the standings but has been performing much better defensively over the past month, with both Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood playing well for them in net. They rank 5th in goals per game on the season and have a lot of talent stacked on their top two lines in particular. That said, their secret weapon is superstar defenseman Cale Makar. Makar has scored 30 goals, as many as the likes of top offensive players like Auston Matthews and Sidney Crosby. The Avalanche have done a great job addressing their weaknesses this year and look primed to make a push for the cup.
5. Vegas Golden Knights
Some people may have Vegas ranked higher in power rankings, and really, I’d have no issues with that. They are ranked just behind the Avalanche in goals per game and have allowed significantly fewer goals against per game on the season. All things considered, they are a rock-solid squad with no glaring weaknesses, and they could be a sneaky good pick to win the Stanley Cup this year.
6. Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett are all currently out with injuries, though seemingly minor. This may just be Florida resting some of their key players before the playoffs begin, but they can’t be happy with how things have gone recently. They are now 12th in the official standings, 1 point above the Wild and 1 point below the Oilers. All this being said, once Florida has these 3 players back, as well as Matthew Tkachuk and Aaron Ekblad, for the playoffs, they should have no problem racking up the wins. Despite their recent struggles, the Panthers have a great shot at winning the Stanley Cup again this year.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
They are now tied with the Avalanche for 5th in the NHL standings with 98 points. Notably, they have been giving up far fewer goals of late, which bodes well for Toronto heading into the playoffs, as the defense has been their achilles heel this season. They certainly have the talent to win it all, so hopefully, they can carry this momentum forward, as this is the perfect time for them to fit all the pieces together.
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
All signs point to Tampa Bay being a much better team than their rank of 9th in the league indicates (not that 9th is anything to sneeze at). They are just behind the Capitals for 2nd in the league in goals per game, and no other teams are very close to these two. Additionally, they have allowed the 4th least goals against. Based just on these metrics, Tampa Bay could easily be ranked as high as 3rd or 4th in these power rankings, but they just don’t have the wins to show for it. That could all change come playoff time, and if the Lightning went on to win the cup this year, it wouldn’t be surprising in the least.
9. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are a well-rounded team that has been in the top 10 both offensively and defensively all season. Unfortunately, they have been plagued by injuries lately, as key forwards Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Staal, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are all currently sidelined (though it doesn’t look like they’ll be out long). They are out of offensive depth so they’ll need to get creative in the short term. Despite this current challenge, they are still tied with the Lightning for 8th in the standings and are locked into a playoff spot, as they are well ahead of the Devils for 2nd place in the Metropolitan division.
10. Los Angeles Kings
They are extremely strong defensively, having allowed the 2nd least goals against per game this season, but their offense has also been stepping up their game lately. Los Angeles is now a lock for the playoffs with 97 points, leaving Edmonton to duke it out with St. Louis and Minnesota for the 3rd spot in the Pacific division. As they say, defense wins championships! If they can keep their offense going, you never know.
