NHL Power Rankings: December 2022
NHL power rankings are back! It’s a new month, so it’s also time for a new slate of rankings. Check out who Andrew McGuinness, Trey Daubert and I have on hockey’s totem pole entering December:
Boston Remains The Lead Dog
1. Boston Bruins (Trey: 1, Andrew: 1, Chris: 1) Average = 1
“This should not be a surprise to anyone. The Bruins have eaten through the entirety of the NHL thus far. Not only do they have a historic home start which grew this Saturday, but they also hold a whopping .870 points percentage. The Devils may have overtaken them in the standings by a point, but that’s also with two more games played. The Bruins are quite easily still the team to beat in all of hockey.
“They’re deep, fast, skilled, physical, the list goes on and on. The return of David Krejci and pickup of Pavel Zacha have helped create a dynamic and free-flowing offense, while the defense was able to weather the storm of Jeremy Swayman‘s early injury. These guys literally cannot put a skate or stick wrong right now.” – Chris
2. Vegas Golden Knights (Trey: 3, Andrew: 2, Chris: 3) Average: 2.67
“How foolish do the people that doubted the Jack Eichel trade feel? Well, they should, and had Vegas not made the deal, their window likely would have been closed. Eichel is so back and he’s given Vegas something they’ve never had: a legitimate first line center. Vegas tops the Pacific for a number of different reasons including rookie of the month, Logan Thompson. Are you guys ready to acknowledge Thompson is the future and Lehner needs to be traded when he returns next year?” – Trey
3. New Jersey Devils (Trey: 5, Andrew: 3, Chris: 2) Average: 3.33
“Who could have guessed this? Some could say it was bound to happen, others not. But the Devils are legit people, and the whole NHL should take notice. Jack Hughes has taken the leap from elite talent to elite player. You can find goals up and down this lineup. Vitek Vanecek has turned into a quality starting goaltender. Even without Ondrej Palat and Mackenzie Blackwood, the Devils are performing well on all three levels. It will be interesting to see how this season unfolds for New Jersey. Imagine if this team got Johnny Gaudreau! Sadly, that can only be a fantasy thanks to his ignorance.” – Chris
“Why didn’t anyone listen to me when it came to the Devils? That’s what I want to know. Nico Hischier is a legit Selke candidate. Jack Hughes is a star among stars. Defensemen like Marino and Siegenthaler deserve so much more credit than they’re getting and that’s not even including the other Hughes that’s on the way. Get Jesper Bratt paid and this team is very much in Cup contention now and in the future.” – Trey
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (Trey: 8, Andrew: 4, Chris: 4) Average: 5.33
“Give the Leafs credit. They’re winning games and are actually getting good goalie play. Are we sure Morgan Rielly’s defense wasn’t part of the issue? Also, can we stop with the Mitch Marner and William Nylander hate? They’re both studs. Enough is enough.” – Trey
T-5. Colorado Avalanche (Trey: 2, Andrew: 6, Chris: 9) Average: 5.67
“While not being where they’d like to be in the standings, this is the defending champs we’re talking about. Their offense can go from 0 to 100 anytime and Alex Georgiev has proven to be a solid replacement for Darcy Kuemper. The injury bug has also hit them like a plague, with key players like captain Gabe Landeskog and defenseman Bowen Byram sitting out. I have a feeling that they’ll be just fine before you know it.” – Chris
T-5. Carolina Hurricanes (Trey: 6, Andrew: 5, Chris: 6) Average: 5.67
7. Dallas Stars (Trey: 7, Andrew: 7, Chris: 5) Average: 6.33
8. Tampa Bay Lightning (Trey: 5, Andrew: 9, Chris: 7) Average: 7
T-9. Seattle Kraken (Trey: 12, Andrew: 11, Chris: 8) Average: 10.33
“Talk about another shocker! The Kraken are showing no signs of a year two rebuild, currently sitting fifth in the standings. However, I need to see it to believe it. There are still four more months of hockey to play before the postseason. Matty Beniers looks to be a young face of the franchise while their vets are performing at a very good level. If nothing else, the NHL’s baby franchise is playing with house money.” – Chris Bagdonas
T-9. Pittsburgh Penguins (Trey: 9, Andrew: 10, Chris: 12) Average: 10.33
T-11. Florida Panthers (Trey: 11, Andrew: 13, Chris: 11) Average: 11.67
“Make the Erik Karlsson trade. Until then there is no point in watching your games.” – Trey Daubert
T-11. Los Angeles Kings (Trey: 13, Andrew: 8, Chris: 14) Average: 11.67
13. Winnipeg Jets (Trey: 15, Andrew: 16, Chris: 10) Average: 13.67
14. Edmonton Oilers (Trey: 10, Andrew: 17, Chris: 15) Average: 14
15. New York Islanders (Trey: 17, Andrew: 14, Chris: 13) Average: 14.67
“The Islanders remain the epitome of inconsistency. Third place in the metro is impressive, but they have put in some smelly performances of late. If Lou Lamoriello wakes up and finds this team the scoring winger it’s crying out for, then they could potentially be a problem in the Eastern Conference. If not, then they’re doomed for mediocrity.” – Chris
T-16. Nashville Predators (Trey: 14, Andrew: 19, Chris: 16) Average: 16.33
T-16. Calgary Flames (Trey: 15, Andrew: 16, Chris: 18) Average: 16.33
18. New York Rangers (Trey: 18, Andrew: 12, Chris: 20) Average: 16.67
“The Rangers are just so average to me. Igor Shesterkin came back to earth and now they’re okay just as predicted. On days Jaro Halak starts, they’re a bad hockey team. They need to pick and lane and start cashing in some of these young guns to properly compliment their elite players. Otherwise, this is going to be what they are.”
19. Minnesota Wild (Trey: 19, Andrew: 19, Chris: 17) Average: 18.33
20. Detroit Red Wings (Trey: 24, Andrew: 18, Chris: 19:) Average: 20.33
“The Red Wings are quietly in the playoff race. Steve Yzerman injected a considerable amount of veterans this offseason to compliment their young talent and so far they’re a point out of the last wild card spot with two games in hand. They could make a strong push once their considerable injured reserve starts to get healthy.” – Chris
21. St. Louis Blues (Trey: 21, Andrew: 21, Chris, 21) Average: 21
22. Washington Capitals (Trey: 22, Andrew: 22, Chris: 22) Average: 22
23. Buffalo Sabres (Trey: 20, Andrew: 24, Chris: 23) Average: 22.33
24. Montreal Canadiens (Trey: 23, Andrew: 23, Chris: 25) Average: 23.67
25. Vancouver Canucks (Trey: 25, Andrew: 25, Chris: 24) Average: 24.67
26. Ottawa Senators (Trey: 26, Andrew: 26, Chris: 26) Average: 26
27. San Jose Sharks (Trey: 27, Andrew: 27, Chris: 27), Average: 27
28. Philadelphia Flyers (Trey: 28, Andrew: 28, Chris: 28) Average: 28
29. Arizona Coyotes (Trey: 29, Andrew: 29, Chris: 29) Average: 29
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (Trey: 30, Andrew: 31, Chris: 30) Average: 30.33
31. Chicago Blackhawks (Trey: 32, Andrew: 30, Chris: 31) Average: 31
32. Anaheim Ducks (Trey: 32, Andrew 31, Chris: 32) Average: 31.67
See You In January!
That’s all we have for this month’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings. Now it’s time to see how December plays out. There’s never been a better time to get into the NHL!
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