NFL
By: Jesse Rosales
The leaves have finished changing, the weather has become colder, and there will never be another sunset after 6 pm in 2022. But fear not! The NHL season is in full swing and there even though Halloween is over (I have stolen well over 40% of my son’s candy haul so far), there are still plenty of tricks and treats to decipher for many of the teams as it related to my NHL Power Rankings. Typically by Thanksgiving, we know who will be a legit contender for a playoff spot and who will not be. The month of November is truly the last month we have to ask the question “is this team for real?”. Well, I can assure you that the teams in these power rankings are very much for real. Where others might fall for the fools’ gold, these NHL Power Rankings do not. These are the top 10 teams in the NHL.
NHL Top 10 Power Rankings
*+/- compared to preseason rankings*
10. Winnepeg Jets (not ranked) 
The Jets are a very well-balanced team. They are getting solid goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck, who is top 10 in save percentage, they have above-average goal scorers, and rock-steady D. They play just as well on the road as they do at home and currently sit in 5th place in the Western Conference. I really like their chances to get back to the playoffs, assuming Hellebuyck continues to stay healthy and dominate between the pipes. This team has playoff-upset potential written all over them.
9. Colorado Avalanche (-8) 
Avs fans are literally freaking out! This start to the season is far from what fans expected or wanted. Heck, no one really saw it coming. That all being said they are missing several key players, including their captain Gabriel Landeskog. The lines have not had a chance to gel together yet, but they will. Also, let me note that Cale Makar has 0 goals through 9 games. That is a streak that is VERY unlikely to continue. They are seeing solid play from their goaltenders which is a great sign given the limited amount of cap dollars they are spending at the position. This team simply had to move down the rankings given how things have started out, but everything is going to be fine in Colorado and they will be competing for the top stop in the West, come the end of the season.
8. New York Islanders (not ranked) 
This is probably the best team that does not get talked about. I mean literally anywhere, even in their own state. They are not super flashy or sexy. They don’t have a huge market despite their location (although a very die-hard fan base). But they are a tough team with great players and a goalie who gives them a chance to win every time he is in the net. Their goal differential is +11 which is the 3rd best in the East. They also have some real standout quality wins against the Rangers, Avalanche, and Hurricanes. I’m not sure they are ready to compete for a cup just yet, but they should be in the hunt for a mid-level playoff spot come springtime
7. Dallas Stars (not ranked) 
Let me say that I am a HUGE Jake Oettinger fan. The kid looks amazing and is the early front-runner to win the Vezina trophy as the top goaltender in the league. He played great last season, but there has been no drop-off from then to now. Injuries are a slight concern with Oettinger but if he can stay healthy, he can single handly pull the Stars into the playoff picture similar to how Dominik Hasek used to do for the old Buffalo teams. Then you add what the offensive has been doing, which includes the rise of Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Both of whom are in the top 10 in overall points so far. This team is definitely on the rise and a pleasant surprise to watch.
5. Calgary Flames (+2) 
The Flames currently have 10 points to start the season and honestly have a mixed bag of really high-quality wins, with really disappointing losses. That being said, the firepower this team has is too much to ignore and I don’t expect netminder Markstrom to remain outside the top 15 in all major goalie stat categories for the entire season. You could say this team has underperformed to some extent through 8 games, but the ceiling is still very high and will continue to be. This team is a sleeping giant at this point and when they wake up, it’s not going to be a good thing for the rest of the league.
5. Edmonton Oilers (-1) 
It’s super unfair that the Oilers have the 2 best players in the league. Connor McDavid is the clear-cut #1 in my book, but if he wasn’t around, Leon Draisaitl would be my clear-cut #1 player in the league. They are that much higher than everyone else right now. They lead the league in overall points and are both top 3 in goals scored. 43 points in 10 games between 2 players is simply mind-boggling, to say the least. That being said, the Oilers also have benefited greatly from their goaltending as well. The Campbell/Skinner combo is paying great dividends right now, but Skinner is actually second in goals against average and currently has the #1 save percentage in the league. I’m not sure THAT will continue, but I do expect both goaltenders to be good enough to give the Oilers a chance to be competitive against ANY other team.
4. New York Rangers (-2) 
I absolutely love this Rangers team. Yes, they dropped 2 spots in the rankings, but it’s really more about how well the top 3 teams have played to this point as opposed to how the Rangers have been playing. They still have the best goaltender in the league in my book, and they have 2 of the strongest starting lines compared to any other team. Adam Fox is playing like he has something to prove, which for being a former Norris trophy winner, is saying a lot. I may not enjoy typing Zibanejad’s name in articles I write, but I definitely enjoy watching him play hockey. He’s growing into one of my favorite players hands down. Every night before I go to sleep, I say a little prayer to the hockey gods for a Stanely Cup Finals matchup between the Rangers and Avalanche. We will see if we get there, but for now, the Rangers remain a top 4 team in my rankings.
3. Vegas Golden Knights (not ranked) 
The Golden Knights have been the second biggest surprise for me so far this season. It was probably a 50/50 split on whether people had Vegas returning to the playoffs this year. So far there has been little doubt that they will be there. Much of the credit for that should go to Jack Eichel and goalie Logan Thompson. They have the second-best goal differential in the league and are tied for the most points through 10 games. What’s also impressive is their road record which sits at 4-1. They have plenty of quality wins on their record and their only 2 losses have come against the Avalanche and Flames. This team is for real and even though they were not ranked in the top 10 to start the season, they will no doubt remain in the top 10 for the foreseeable future. Vegas is back everyone!
2. Carolina Hurricanes (+4) 
Carolina is a juggernaut. I don’t care what anyone else says. The team is getting great production from goalies Frederik Andersen and backup Antti Raanta, who has no regulation losses so far this season. Offensive stars Sebastian Aho, Necas, and one of my favorite names to say out loud…. Andrei Svechnikov, have brought the heat, combining for 33 points in 9 games. They maybe don’t have the highest ceiling of any team in the league, but I really think they have one of the highest floors. They are a very well-rounded and complete team. The expectations are high for this team, but so far it looks like they are up to the challenge
- Boston Bruins (not ranked)
If the Golden Knights were the second biggest surprise this season, then the Boston Bruins would deserve to be #1. Well that, and they are the number 1 team in the league so far with 18 points and only 1 loss, and they have the best goal differential in the league at +19. Perhaps the scariest part is that they still haven’t had Charlie McAvoy back yet, who is arguably their best defenseman. He is slated to return in late November assuming there are no setbacks. Many people, including myself, thought that Boston would not be super competitive this year. Age was catching up to them, and they would have trouble finding a playoff spot. Well through 10 games, that just sounds silly. Also silly, is what they just did to the Penguins coming back from being down 5-2 in the second period.
As long as Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, and Lindholm continue to play at the level they have shown to this point, this team is not only a tough out for any team in the playoffs, but they might just be a legit cup contender as well.
For more NHL news and updates, be sure to follow me on Twitter @5280Jesse and Nuts and Bolts Sports
