Power Rankings: One word to describe each team's 2022-23 season

The Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils proceed to heap up the points, portion the defending Stanley Cup champ Colorado Avalanche suffered a large wounded stroke this week with the quality that Nathan MacKinnon would miss time. Recent additions connected the crystal and down the seat person done their just stock to power their caller teams -- oregon person disappointed. And a caller people of superstars has emerged, from Jason Robertson to Tage Thompson to Matty Beniers and galore more.

It mightiness beryllium pugnacious to sum up the archetypal 2 months of the 2022-23 NHL play successful conscionable 1 connection per team, but on with this week's Power Rankings, we've attempted to bash conscionable that.

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 astir caller edition, published Dec. 2. Points paces are done Thursday's games.

1. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 86.00%
Next 7 days: @ ARI (Dec. 9), @ VGK (Dec. 11), vs. NYI (Dec. 13), vs. LA (Dec. 15)

Commanding. How other to picture a Boston squad that hasn't dropped back-to-back decisions each play oregon slid retired of a top-three spot successful the standings? The Bruins person been a accordant unit since Game 1.

2. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 82.69%
Next 7 days: vs. NYI (Dec. 9), @ NYR (Dec. 12), vs. DAL (Dec. 13), vs. PHI (Dec. 15)

Magnificent. Truly, it's hard to prime a azygous word for the Devils. What tin truly seizure the thrust New Jersey has been on? A 13-game triumph streak was awesome enough. But the Devils are multidimensional, their occurrence hardly predicated connected immoderate 1 constituent oregon 1 subordinate oregon 1 position.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 71.43%
Next 7 days: vs. CGY (Dec. 10), vs. ANA (Dec. 13), @ NYR (Dec. 15)

Fascinating. Somehow Toronto went from a mediocre commencement -- with a near-full complement of steadfast players disposable -- to a 12-game constituent streak amid losing three-quarters of its apical 4 defensemen and some goalies to injury. Quite a turnaround.

4. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 70.00%
Next 7 days: @ CHI (Dec. 9), vs. WSH (Dec. 11), vs. VGK (Dec. 13), vs. NSH (Dec. 15)

Renewed. These aren't past season's Jets. New manager Rick Bowness has earned buy-in connected the antiaircraft broadside that's translated to accordant effort -- and occurrence -- for Winnipeg successful becoming 1 of the league's apical teams. Connor Hellebuyck playing similar a Vezina Trophy contender hasn't hurt, either.

5. Seattle Kraken

Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 66.00%
Next 7 days: @ WSH (Dec. 9), @ FLA (Dec. 11), @ TB (Dec. 13), @ CAR (Dec. 15)

Striking. The Kraken bolted their mode into the apical 10 with an unthinkable 11-2-1 tally done November into aboriginal December that went wide underreported. But springiness Seattle its flowers -- adjacent aft a mates of losses -- due to the fact that the second-year squad has travel a agelong mode from its humble rookie-season roots.

6. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 69.64%
Next 7 days: vs. PHI (Dec. 9), vs. BOS (Dec. 11), @ WPG (Dec. 13), @ CHI (Dec. 15)

Convincing. Vegas answered its doubters aboriginal and often aft missing the playoffs past season. Logan Thompson has been fantabulous successful net. Jack Eichel -- anterior to a caller wounded -- looked adjacent amended than his aged self. Defensively, the squad pulled together. Even erstwhile Vegas shows its inconsistencies -- arsenic it has much lately -- that instauration is bound to support it successful bully standing.

7. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 65.39%
Next 7 days: @ NYI (Dec. 10), @ DET (Dec. 13), vs. SEA (Dec. 15)

Diligent. Carolina started hot, cooled disconnected and precocious caught occurrence with a four-game triumph streak that's helped propel it backmost up the standings. The Hurricanes mightiness not beryllium blowing teams retired (and volition driblet the occasional dud, similar an overtime nonaccomplishment to Anaheim), but they instrumentality to the program and gain results.

8. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 64.81%
Next 7 days: vs. DET (Dec. 10), @ PIT (Dec. 12), @ NJ (Dec. 13), @ WSH (Dec. 15)

Electrifying. And that's conscionable Jason Robertson. The Stars are fun, flashy and person gone toe-to-toe with conscionable astir everyone (that shutout against Toronto being a uncommon exception). Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin person been resurgent, Jake Oettinger has played great, and the Robertson-led apical enactment makes Dallas assignment viewing.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 61.54%
Next 7 days: @ BUF (Dec. 9), vs. BUF (Dec. 10), vs. DAL (Dec. 12), @ FLA (Dec. 15)

Experience. As in, there's nary substitute for it. Pittsburgh has gone done its lulls -- and 1 well-documented seven-game winless streak -- to travel retired the different broadside with much accordant bully habits to enactment it backmost successful the league's apical tier.

10. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 59.62%
Next 7 days: @ DAL (Dec. 10), vs. CAR (Dec. 13), @ MIN (Dec. 14)

Refined. The Red Wings person importantly improved from being 1 of the league's worst antiaircraft teams a twelvemonth ago. New manager Derek Lalonde has helped Detroit summation immoderate polish, and GM Steve Yzerman's additions -- peculiarly netminder Ville Husso -- person earnestly moved the needle. The Red Wings necessitate much consistency but person travel a agelong way.

11. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 54.17%
Next 7 days: vs. OTT (Dec. 10), @ STL (Dec. 12), vs. EDM (Dec. 13), @ WPG (Dec. 15)

Patient. Nashville conscionable goes astir its business. The Predators weren't getting hero-like goaltending from Juuse Saros, which wounded them aboriginal on, but lately Nashville has started to summation existent traction and slope immoderate coagulated victories.

12. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 59.26%
Next 7 days: @ NJ (Dec. 9), vs. CAR (Dec. 10), @ BOS (Dec. 13)

Stable. The Islanders person established a formula: fantabulous goaltending down full-team defence supported by capable coagulated discourtesy and peculiar teams to get the occupation done. More often than not, it's getting bully results.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 62.00%
Next 7 days: vs. FLA (Dec. 10), vs. SEA (Dec. 13), vs. CBJ (Dec. 15)

Steady. The Lightning embody that not-too-high-or-too-low cliche. They've scaled a fewer mountains, aft all. Tampa Bay's play started retired rocky, but present the Lightning are winning much often erstwhile they should. Confidence appears to beryllium building. Full steam ahead.

14. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 56.00%
Next 7 days: @ EDM (Dec. 9), @ VAN (Dec. 10), vs. EDM (Dec. 12), vs. DET (Dec. 14)

Adaptive. Minnesota turned the leafage connected its dilatory commencement acknowledgment to much implicit squad efforts and a record-setting (not to notation exhilarating-to-watch) Kirill Kaprizov, who present owns the longest extremity and constituent streak successful Wild history. GM Bill Guerin's summation of Ryan Reaves to the premix is paying large dividends, too. Sometimes tiny changes tin person a large impact.

15. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 55.17%
Next 7 days: @ MTL (Dec. 10), @ CBJ (Dec. 11), @ BUF (Dec. 13), @ BOS (Dec. 15)

Chaotic. L.A. has been each implicit the map, adjacent much than accustomed lately. The overtime losses started gathering -- similar that mind-bending 9-8 decision against Seattle -- and the Cal Petersen play was unexpected. The Kings request immoderate wins, particularly against bully teams, connected their existent roadworthy swing.

16. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 55.77%
Next 7 days: @ CBJ (Dec. 9), @ TOR (Dec. 10), @ MTL (Dec. 12), vs. VAN (Dec. 14)

Streaky. The Flames posted consecutive wins lone 2 times from precocious October to aboriginal December. They've vacillated connected the crystal from adjacent nonaccomplishment to blowout triumph successful 48 hours, and they precocious shuffled successful nett from 2022 Vezina Trophy runner-up Jacob Markstrom to backup Dan Vladar. Who knows what's next?

17. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 56.25%
Next 7 days: vs. NYR (Dec. 9), @ STL (Dec. 11), vs. PHI (Dec. 13), vs. BUF (Dec. 15)

Star-crossed. The reigning Stanley Cup champs cannot drawback a interruption with injuries. It started with Gabriel Landeskog requiring country earlier the play adjacent started and snowballed into a laughably agelong database of sidelined skaters that present includes Nathan MacKinnon. No astonishment the losses are opening to heap up.

18. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 55.56%
Next 7 days: vs. MIN (Dec. 9), @ MIN (Dec. 12), @ NSH (Dec. 13), vs. STL (Dec. 15)

Satisfactory. Edmonton is humming on connected the backs of its apical players without needfully blowing anyone away. Which is fine. Jack Campbell's struggles successful nett person surely slowed the Oilers down astatine times, but there's plentifulness of endowment determination to support them connected track.

19. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 55.36%
Next 7 days: @ COL (Dec. 9), vs. NJ (Dec. 12), vs. TOR (Dec. 15)

Perplexing. New York's play has been arsenic head-scratching arsenic its caller six-game tally that included losses to Anaheim, Ottawa and Chicago. The Rangers person been an up-and-down .500 squad erstwhile expectations were precocious that they'd prime up wherever past play ended -- arsenic enforcers of the East. There's inactive time.

20. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 55.56%
Next 7 days: @ TB (Dec. 10), vs. SEA (Dec. 11), vs. CBJ (Dec. 13), vs. PIT (Dec. 15)

Fickle. Those Florida felines person fooled america a fewer times, pursuing up runs of large hockey with confounding losses. But hey, these Panthers are ne'er dull.

21. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 53.85%
Next 7 days: vs. LA (Dec. 10), vs. CGY (Dec. 12), @ OTT (Dec. 14), vs. ANA (Dec. 15)

Surprising. Montreal has turned heads. The team's operation of guardant talents -- led by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield -- has challenged opponents and made the Canadiens an entertaining, unexpectedly palmy group. Can they transportation that momentum done midseason? Time volition tell.

22. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 48.08%
Next 7 days: vs. PIT (Dec. 9), @ PIT (Dec. 10), vs. LA (Dec. 13), @ COL (Dec. 15)

Enlightening. Buffalo is learning connected the job. Fueled by their rising stars (Tage Thompson, anyone?), the Sabres person stumbled and shone, struggled and recovered. It's each portion of the maturation process from which Buffalo volition payment successful the future.

23. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 50.00%
Next 7 days: vs. MIN (Dec. 10), @ CGY (Dec. 14)

Turbulent. Vancouver has had issues crossed the board. Lengthy winless streak? Check. Coaching uncertainty? Indeed. Drama surrounding prima players (looking astatine you, Brock Boeser)? Of course. Somewhere successful the mediate of each that, the Canucks really pulled themselves adjacent to a playoff spot, lone to promptly autumn backmost retired of it. But, of course, Vancouver's been winning much of late. Where does that instrumentality it?

24. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 50.00%
Next 7 days: vs. SEA (Dec. 9), @ WPG (Dec. 11), @ CHI (Dec. 13), vs. DAL (Dec. 15)

Mediocre. The Capitals' astir applicable storyline is Alex Ovechkin chasing history. Otherwise, Washington has been a run-of-the-mill squad, neither large nor unspeakable but determination successful the crowded middle.

25. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 44.44%
Next 7 days: vs. COL (Dec. 11), vs. NSH (Dec. 12), @ EDM (Dec. 15)

Mystifying. Everything astir St. Louis' play gives you whiplash. The demoralizing eight-game losing skid. The resurgent seven-game triumph streak. Feisty Jordan Binnington picking fights. Top players producing, past not. Who are the existent Blues?

26. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 42.31%
Next 7 days: @ NSH (Dec. 10), vs. ANA (Dec. 12), vs. MTL (Dec. 14)

Frustrating. Ottawa was expected to beryllium amended than this. GM Pierre Dorion worked each offseason with that extremity successful mind. The Senators person conscionable failed to travel unneurotic often capable connected the ice. Ottawa's caller performances suggest anticipation for a imaginable turnaround, but the existent question is wherefore these Senators tripped truthful hard retired of the gate.

27. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 42.59%
Next 7 days: @ VGK (Dec. 9), @ ARI (Dec. 11), @ COL (Dec. 13), @ NJ (Dec. 15)

Painful. The Flyers did person that 5-2-0 agelong retired of the gate. They person not won 5 games full since. Injuries person been an issue, and goaltender Carter Hart could lone bash truthful overmuch for truthful long. Philadelphia knew this play mightiness beryllium rough, and truthful it has been.

28. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 36.21%
Next 7 days: @ ANA (Dec. 9), vs. ANA (Dec. 13)

Dismal. San Jose has hovered -- somewhat inexplicably -- adjacent the bottommost of the league contempt immoderate top-end talents successful the lineup. The Sharks person been 1 of this season's underachievers, and it'll beryllium funny to spot however GM Mike Grier goes astir adjusting course.

29. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 36.00%
Next 7 days: vs. CGY (Dec. 9), vs. LA (Dec. 11), @ FLA (Dec. 13), @ TB (Dec. 15)

Cursed. But seriously. The Blue Jackets landing Johnny Gaudreau should person been a terrific omen for this season, which alternatively has been defined by who's not successful the lineup. Zach Werenski, Patrik Laine, Elvis Merzlikins, Jake Bean, Jakub Voracek; the database goes connected of players who person missed clip (some of them present retired agelong term). That's nary excuse, though. Laine and Merzlikins are back, and the Blue Jackets inactive can't debar being regularly blown out.

30. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 36.00%
Next 7 days: vs. WPG (Dec. 9), vs. WSH (Dec. 13), vs. VGK (Dec. 15)

Predictable. Chicago was meant to beryllium successful the heavy of the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. For the astir part, that's wherever the Blackhawks person remained -- with immoderate enjoyably competitory contests tossed in. But mostly Chicago appears to beryllium staying connected task.

31. Arizona Coyotes

Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 37.50%
Next 7 days: vs. BOS (Dec. 9), vs. PHI (Dec. 11), @ SJ (Dec. 13)

Punishing. Any squad could buckle nether the value of a 14-game roadworthy trip. The Coyotes person gotten immoderate large goaltending from Karel Vejmelka, and their apical players person made dependable contributions, but there's nary denying the Coyotes' early-season slate has had a antagonistic impact.

32. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 31.48%
Next 7 days: vs. SJ (Dec. 9), @ OTT (Dec. 12), @ TOR (Dec. 13), @ MTL (Dec. 15)

Disappointing. Anaheim's excavation of young endowment -- led by the electrifying Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry -- should astatine slightest support them competitive. Yet the Ducks person managed a azygous regularisation triumph this play and produced an alarming fig of lopsided losses (with a fewer astonishing overtime wins tossed in). The rebuild is intelligibly inactive on.