NHL Power Rankings: Wild leap into top five with Jesper Wallstedt in net

Avalanche
The Avalanche haven’t lost a game in regulation since Oct. 25. That means the people of Denver have celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving without seeing their team drop two full points. Will this streak live until Christmas? At this point, I won’t bet against it. — 19-1-6
2

Stars
Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell are quite a tandem on the blue line. The Stars are controlling nearly 60% of the expected goals and own a plus-8 goal differential with those two on the ice at five-on-five. — 17-5-5
3

Lightning
With Victor Hedman on the shelf due to injury, Darren Raddysh of all people has stepped up. Over his last nine games, Raddysh has 13 points. Everyone is rolling in Tampa these days. 1 16-8-2
4

Hurricanes
Is Andrei Svechnikov finally turning a corner? He failed to register a point in the first eight games of the season, but he has seven goals and seven assists in 17 games since then. 1 16-7-2
5

Wild
Jesper Wallstedt isn’t just hot — he’s operating on a different plane of existence entirely. Over his last seven starts, Wallstedt has allowed just seven goals while posting a .971 save percentage, 17.7 (!) goals saved above average and four (!!) shutouts. 12 15-7-5
6

Capitals
You knew Alex Ovechkin wasn’t going to stay cold for long. Since Nov. 11, Ovechkin has nine goals, which is tied for the second-most over that span. He’s now on pace for 37 goals at the age of 40. 12 16-9-2
7

Ducks
Beckette Sennecke is doing things that haven’t been done in Anaheim since Paul Kariya was there. Sennecke hit 20 points in 26 games on Monday, and only Kariya hit that number faster as a rookie. Sennecke also tied Kariya for the longest rookie point streak in team history at eight games. 2 16-9-1
8

Kings
Once a two-way wizard, Phillip Danault has taken a massive step back. Not only is Danault not producing on offense (four points in 26 games), but his defensive prowess has deteriorated. The Kings are allowing 2.64 xGA/60 with Danault on the ice at five-on-five, one of the worst numbers on the team. 4 12-7-7
9

Devils
New Jersey needs Jacob Markstrom at his best to reach its full potential, but he’s been nowhere near his peak yet. Markstrom owns a .873 save percentage and has allowed 7.7 goals above average, which ranks 73rd in the NHL. 3 16-9-1
10

Islanders
Hockey tough story of the week: Kyle Palmieri tore his ACL, got up, stripped the puck from a defender and assisted on an Islanders goal before going to the locker room. 2 14-10-3
11

Senators
Goaltending has been bad for Ottawa all season, but especially on the penalty kill. Linus Ullmark and Leevi Merilainen have combined to allow 9.02 goals above average in those situations, leading to a league-worst 68.4% success rate on the kill. 4 13-9-4
12

Flyers
Even after battling back from injury issues, the 32-year-old Sean Couturier can still get the job done in his own zone. Couturier has some of the best defensive metrics on the Flyers, and that’s good to see after a step back in that department last season. 7 14-8-3
13

Golden Knights
Mitch Marner has been very good for the Golden Knights, but he needs to shoot more often. Marner, a player with 30-goal upside, has five goals in 26 games and just snapped an 11-game goal drought. I know Marner is an elite playmaker, but he has to start being more selfish. 2 12-6-8
14

Red Wings
Patrick Kane had a fairly productive 2024-25 campaign for the Red Wings, but the wheels have come off this year. Kane owns a 44.2% expected goals share and minus-10 goal differential at five-on-five. Detroit may be best served to use him as more of a power play specialist moving forward. 5 14-11-2
15

Bruins
The Bruins are walking their very narrow pathway to success so far. David Pastrnak needs to play like a Hart candidate. Morgan Geekie needs to repeat his 2024-25 offensive outburst. Jeremy Swayman has to return to his elite form. Check, check and check. 1 15-13-0
16

Penguins
There has been buzz about the Oilers possibly targeting Tristan Jarry on the trade market, and it may be in the Penguins’ best interest to cash in on his hot start. Jarry is 17th in goals saved above average (4.27), but he hasn’t shown any consistency over the last few years. 5 13-7-5
17

Panthers
Things haven’t gone smoothly for the Panthers so far, and the reasons are obvious. That said, Gustav Forsling has remained as steady as ever on the back end. His underlying metrics are terrific, and his plus-four goal differential at five-on-five is the best mark on the team. 7 12-12-1
18

Kraken
The Kraken do not have a single player in the top 141 scorers this season. For context, that’s almost 20% of the league. Yet, Seattle remains in a playoff spot. This team confounds me. 5 11-7-6
19

Rangers
Can Vincent Trocheck provide a spark for this Rangers team? Since returning from injury on Nov. 10, Trocheck has five goals and seven assists in 12 games. New York needed some help on offense, and Trocheck has provided it thus far. 4 14-12-2
20

Sharks
There’s been plenty of talk about Macklin Celebrini and his 40 points this season, but another Sharks youngster has gone overlooked. Will Smith, the Fresh Prince of the Bay Area, has 27 points in 27 games. That is going to be one heck of a duo for a very long time. 4 13-11-3
21

Blue Jackets
There are rumblings that Kent Johnson has hit the trade block, and it’s not hard to see why. The gifted 23-year-old has five points in 25 games, and his five-on-five numbers have been putrid. It’s clearly not a fit in Columbus, so a fresh start could make sense. 4 12-9-5
22

Canadiens
Goaltending isn’t the only problem in Montreal right now, but it’s definitely a big one. Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes have combined to allow 15.4 goals above average, and Montembeault is dead last in that category. 6 13-9-3
23

Oilers
The Oilers became Jesper Wallstedt’s latest victim on Tuesday in a 1-0 loss. Even when Edmonton gets goaltending, it can’t score. When this team plugs one leak, another one springs up. 3 11-11-5
24

Jets
With Connor Hellenbuyck out, the Jets have been trending in the wrong direction. They’re 3-5-0 in their last eight, and the team has fallen out of playoff position. Oddly enough, however, some of the five-on-five numbers have improved. 9 13-12-0
25

Blackhawks
Tyler Bertuzzi’s first season in Chicago was one to forget, but he looks much more comfortable now. Bertuzzi is red hot and up to 23 points in 23 games. He looks much more like the player the Blackhawks thought they were getting in the 2024 offseason. 3 11-9-6
26

Sabres
One Sabres player I was hoping to see more out of this season was Zach Benson. However, he’s been plagued by injuries and has zero goals in 13 games. That said, there is plenty of time for the 20-year-old to find his game. 1 11-11-4
27

Maple Leafs
If you’re looking for signs of life from the Maple Leafs, you have them, faint as they may be. Toronto has won three of its last four on this road trip, and a key game against the Hurricanes in Raleigh awaits on Thursday. 1 12-11-3
28

Mammoth
The Mammoth are in free fall, and the most concerning part of all of this has been the play of Mikhail Sergachev. Utah needs Sergachev to be a true No. 1 on the blue line, but he has a 47.3% expected goals share and minus-8 goal differential at five-on-five. 8 12-12-3
29

Flames
The Flames scored a key victory in the race for Gavin McKenna when the Predators blew them out on Tuesday night. Chess not checkers, kids. 1 9-15-4
30

Blues
Rookie Jimmy Snuggerud will be re-evaluated in six weeks after undergoing wrist surgery. If the Blues wanted to rage quit this season, I probably wouldn’t blame them. 1 9-11-7
31

Predators
Finding something positive to say about the Predators, two players score their first career goals on Tuesday. Reid Schaefer did it with his family in town, and Ozzy Wiesblatt did it before tributing his late brother, Orca. 1 9-13-4
32

Canucks
How bad must the vibes be in Vancouver? The Canucks have won two of their last 10, and the entire hockey world is speculating about whether your best player will be a Devil or a Red Wing before the season is over. 1 10-14-3