NHL Power Rankings: Where every team stands vs. preseason expectations

After a period of the 2022-23 NHL season, immoderate teams are intelligibly surpassing preseason expectations portion others person stumbled severely astatine the start.

In this week's powerfulness rankings, we instrumentality a look astatine the preseason constituent full over/unders established by Caesars Sportsbook, and however acold teams are beyond oregon beneath that people based connected their constituent projections.

How we rank: A sheet of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors rates teams against 1 different -- taking into relationship crippled results, injuries and upcoming docket -- and those results are tabulated to nutrient the database featured here.

Note: Previous ranking for each squad refers to the erstwhile edition, published Nov. 4. Points paces are done Thursday's games.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 2
Preseason O/U: 97
Points pace: 142
Next 7 days: vs. STL (Nov. 12), vs. SJ (Nov. 15), vs. ARI (Nov. 17)

Coach Bruce Cassidy has the Golden Knights exceeding their preseason over/under by the top fig of points, acknowledgment to a defence that's the champion successful the NHL successful beforehand of steadier-than-expected goaltending.

2. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 1
Preseason O/U: 97
Points pace: 141
Next 7 days: @ BUF (Nov. 12), vs. VAN (Nov. 13), vs. PHI (Nov. 17)

While the remainder of the NHL was wondering if their title model was inactive open, the Bruins started the play by taking a wrecking ball, knocking down the full partition and saying, "Here's your window." And they did it without Charlie McAvoy, who returned to the crystal this week.

3. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 8
Preseason O/U: 89.5
Points pace: 129
Next 7 days: vs. ARI (Nov. 12), @ MTL (Nov. 15), @ TOR (Nov. 17)

The Devils' existent gait would much than treble their standings constituent full from past play (63). Amazing what a steadfast halfway and immoderate occasional saves tin do.

4. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 11
Preseason O/U: 93.5
Points pace: 107
Next 7 days: vs. SJ (Nov. 11), @ PHI (Nov. 13), @ TB (Nov. 15), @ FLA (Nov. 17)

The Pete DeBoer Effect is successful afloat plaything successful Dallas, arsenic the seasoned manager averages a 103.5-point gait successful his archetypal play coaching teams. The Stars are somewhat up of that astatine the start.

5. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 13
Preseason O/U: 103.5
Points pace: 111
Next 7 days: @ COL (Nov. 12), @ CHI (Nov. 14), vs. COL (Nov. 17)

The Canes' look remains the same, arsenic they're getting astir 62% of the changeable attempts astatine 5-on-5 done 13 games. They're a small up of their points projection -- and their peculiar teams haven't jelled rather yet.

6. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 21
Preseason O/U: 88.5
Points pace: 116
Next 7 days: @ CGY (Nov. 12), @ SEA (Nov. 13), vs. ANA (Nov. 17)

New caput manager Rick Bowness is getting results with the Jets, who person seen a melodramatic turnaround defensively twelvemonth implicit year.

7. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 13
Preseason O/U: 90.5
Points pace: 98
Next 7 days: vs. CBJ (Nov. 12), @ OTT (Nov. 14), @ NSH (Nov. 17)

The Islanders' goals-against mean ranks successful the apical 10 acknowledgment to the superb Ilya Sorokin, but their uptick successful extremity scoring twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth has enactment them connected gait to transcend preseason expectations.

8. Seattle Kraken

Previous ranking: 19
Preseason O/U: 79.5
Points pace: 105
Next 7 days: vs. MIN (Nov. 11), vs. WPG (Nov. 13), vs. NYR (Nov. 17)

The Kraken infamously missed their preseasons constituent projections successful their inaugural season, which were inflated based connected the Golden Knights' enlargement success. Expectations were adjusted accordingly for Year 2 -- and the Kraken are presently shattering them to situation for the part lead.

9. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 9
Preseason O/U: 112.5
Points pace: 103
Next 7 days: vs. CAR (Nov. 12), vs. STL (Nov. 14), @ CAR (Nov. 17)

The Avs' big-name players are rolling -- minus the injured Gabriel Landeskog -- but their supporting formed hasn't rather met the situation of reaching their preseason constituent projection.

10. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 10
Preseason O/U: 106.5
Points pace: 100
Next 7 days: vs. EDM (Nov. 12), vs. WSH (Nov. 15), vs. DAL (Nov. 17)

There was small accidental the Panthers were going to replicate their 122-point juggernaut from past season, but immoderate caller occurrence has them backmost connected a 100-point pace.

11. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 7
Preseason O/U: 103.5
Points pace: 95
Next 7 days: @ WSH (Nov. 11), vs. WSH (Nov. 13), vs. DAL (Nov. 15), vs. CGY (Nov. 17

The Bolts person played to a 100-point gait for the past 5 seasons, but immoderate injuries and an mean commencement for Andrei Vasilevskiy person them missing their standings people for now.

12. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 14
Preseason O/U: 107.5
Points pace: 100
Next 7 days: vs. PIT (Nov. 11), vs. VAN (Nov. 12), @ PIT (Nov. 15), vs. NJ (Nov. 17)

Depending connected the week, the Leafs are either a catastrophe that should outgo everyone their jobs oregon a talented squad that's yet putting it unneurotic successful the regular season, truthful those firings volition person to hold until aft the archetypal circular of the playoffs.

13. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 18
Preseason O/U: 73.5
Points pace: 101
Next 7 days: vs. OTT (Nov. 12), vs. DAL (Nov. 13), @ CBJ (Nov. 15), @ BOS (Nov. 17)

Few teams are defying expectations similar the Flyers person truthful far. Much of that recognition goes to the goaltending of Carter Hart, whose numbers are amended than what you'd expect based connected the play of the squad successful beforehand of him.

14. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 16
Preseason O/U: 94
Points pace: 97
Next 7 days: vs. DET (Nov. 12), @ CGY (Nov. 14), @ EDM (Nov. 16)

The Kings get the Dennis Green memorial "They were who we thought they were!" grant successful the powerfulness rankings, arsenic they are conscionable 3 points disconnected their preseason prediction aft 16 games.

15. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 6
Preseason O/U: 101
Points pace: 93
Next 7 days: @ NSH (Nov. 12), vs. ARI (Nov. 13), @ SEA (Nov. 17)

The Rangers are stronger analytically yet worse offensively than they were past season, which is simply a spot of a conundrum.

16. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 22
Preseason O/U: 83.5
Points pace: 100
Next 7 days: @ LA (Nov. 12), @ ANA (Nov. 15), @ SJ (Nov. 17)

When GM Steve Yzerman made respective seasoned additions successful the offseason, galore assumed helium believed the Red Wings were acceptable to crook the corner. Their constituent gait would bespeak it's little of a crook and much similar a Mario Kart powerfulness glide.

17. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 5
Preseason O/U: 103.5
Points pace: 87
Next 7 days: @ FLA (Nov. 12), vs. LA (Nov. 16)

Edmonton was already disconnected its preseason points expectations erstwhile Evander Kane suffered that unfortunate skate chopped wounded to his wrist that volition support the top-line winger out for astatine slightest 3 months.

18. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 4
Preseason O/U: 103
Points pace: 76
Next 7 days: vs. WPG (Nov. 12), vs. LA (Nov. 14), @ TB (Nov. 17)

Nazem Kadri has been great, Jonathan Huberdeau has been OK, but Jacob Markstrom has been beneath average, with a prime starts percent of .200.

19. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 12
Preseason O/U: 79
Points pace: 82
Next 7 days: vs. BOS (Nov. 12), vs. VAN (Nov. 15), @ OTT (Nov. 16)

The Sabres are moving up of expectations but inactive person to shed the statement arsenic the NHL's "start fast, slice quickly" team.

20. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 20
Preseason O/U: 102.5
Points pace: 82
Next 7 days: @ SEA (Nov. 11), vs. SJ (Nov. 13), @ NSH (Nov. 15), vs. PIT (Nov. 17)

The Wild person yet to find their groove offensively, averaging 2.92 goals per crippled aft hitting 3.72 goals per crippled past season. How overmuch discourtesy did Kevin Fiala instrumentality with him?

21. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 15
Preseason O/U: 100.5
Points pace: 76
Next 7 days: @ TOR (Nov. 11), @ MTL (Nov. 12), vs. TOR (Nov. 15), @ MIN (Nov. 17)

The Penguins snapped their seven-game winless streak, but it's a agelong ascent backmost to their projected preseason constituent total.

22. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 17
Preseason O/U: 96.5
Points pace: 77
Next 7 days: vs. TB (Nov. 11), @ TB (Nov. 13), @ FLA (Nov. 15), @ STL (Nov. 17)

The Capitals are astir 20 points disconnected their preseason full acknowledgment to a slew of important names -- Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson and Connor Brown -- missing important time.

23. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 24
Preseason O/U: 71.5
Points pace: 88
Next 7 days: vs. PIT (Nov. 12), vs. NJ (Nov. 15), @ CBJ (Nov. 17)

Thanks to caput manager Marty St. Louis and an offensively ascendant apical line, the Canadiens are blowing past their standings projections.

24. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 26
Preseason O/U: 65.5
Points pace: 82
Next 7 days: @ ANA (Nov. 12), vs. CAR (Nov. 14), vs. STL (Nov. 16)

Based connected preseason expectations -- and those expectations were that the Blackhawks would beryllium successful the vessel for Connor Bedard -- Chicago is 1 of the league's biggest surprises. First-year manager Luke Richardson has the Blackhawks playing hard, competitory games adjacent successful defeat.

25. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 25
Preseason O/U: 98.5
Points pace: 64
Next 7 days: vs. NYR (Nov. 12), vs. MIN (Nov. 15), vs. NYI (Nov. 17)

The early-season struggles of Juuse Saros (.892 prevention percent done 10 games) are 1 origin down the Predators' stumble retired of the gate.

26. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 29
Preseason O/U: 92.5
Points pace: 64
Next 7 days: @ TOR (Nov. 12), @ BOS (Nov. 13), @ BUF (Nov. 15)

Amid lackluster play and front-office dysfunction, the Canucks are astir 29 points disconnected their expected full from the preseason.

27. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 28
Preseason O/U: 73
Points pace: 49
Next 7 days: @ DAL (Nov. 11), @ MIN (Nov. 13), @ VGK (Nov. 15), vs. DET (Nov. 17)

Despite Erik Karlsson's champion efforts, the Sharks are moving much than 20 points disconnected their highly humble preseason expectations.

28. Arizona Coyotes

Previous ranking: 32
Preseason O/U: 63.5
Points pace: 82
Next 7 days: @ NJ (Nov. 12), @ NYR (Nov. 13), @ VGK (Nov. 17)

Doesn't it consciousness similar the Coyotes should beryllium adjacent much than 19 points amended than their preseason total? Or is that conscionable what happens erstwhile a squad wins successful Toronto?

29. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 23
Preseason O/U: 84.5
Points pace: 57
Next 7 days: @ PHI (Nov. 12), vs. NYI (Nov. 14), vs. BUF (Nov. 16)

Many NHL executives and media pundits were proclaiming "watch retired for Ottawa" earlier the season. We don't deliberation they meant "... due to the fact that the Senators are going to autumn woefully abbreviated of their constituent full projections," but present we are.

30. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 27
Preseason O/U: 94.5
Points pace: 55
Next 7 days: @ VGK (Nov. 12), @ COL (Nov. 14), @ CHI (Nov. 16), vs. WSH (Nov. 17)

The Blues are playing similar a squad that has mislaid its identity, mislaid its swagger and possibly astir of each mislaid its goal-scoring prowess, owning the league's worst offense. They're presently the NHL squad missing the people by the top constituent margin.

31. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 30
Preseason O/U: 81.5
Points pace: 50
Next 7 days: @ NYI (Nov. 12), vs. PHI (Nov. 15), vs. MTL (Nov. 17)

The Jackets person severely missed adjacent the humble expectations they earned aft signing Johnny Gaudreau successful the offseason. Being 31st successful discourtesy and 32nd successful defence volition bash that to a team.

32. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 31
Preseason O/U: 80
Points pace: 53
Next 7 days: vs. CHI (Nov. 12), vs. DET (Nov. 15), @ WPG (Nov. 17)

The Ducks aren't coming adjacent to their preseason full astatine the moment, but what they deficiency successful occurrence successful the standings they marque up with fun, amusive and much amusive connected the ice. We'll besides instrumentality "losing fun" implicit "losing boring" immoderate day.