Toronto Maple Leafs v Vancouver Canucks — NHL Power Rankings 2023/24: Does the Oilers' historic win streak push them to the top, or are other Canadian teams still ranking ahead of them in Week 16?

NHL Power Rankings 2023/24: Does the Oilers' historic win streak put them at the top, or are other Canadian teams still ahead of them in Week 16?

Modified Jan 26, 2024 13:09 GMT

In this week's NHL Power Rankings, we try to sort out where all the top Canadian teams rank after impressive first-half records leading up to the All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto, Ontario.

Even though previous lists had several teams on franchise-record win streaks, the Edmonton Oilers remain the last team standing at 15 in a row and are on the cusp of immortality. Is it enough to push them to the top despite their recent efforts?

Check out the latest statistics and power rankings based on win percentage as each team approaches 50 games this season.

NHL Power Rankings Jan. 26, 2024: Statistics

Hottest NHL Teams

Vancouver Canucks (8-0-2)
Tampa Bay Lightning (8-2-0)
Edmonton Oilers (15-0-0)

Coldest NHL Teams

Chicago Blackhawks (3-7-0)
New York Islanders (2-7-1)
Los Angeles Kings (2-5-3)

Highest-scoring NHL Teams

Detroit Red Wings - 169 goals
Tampa Bay Lightning - 169
Dallas Stars - 178 goals
Vancouver Canucks - 181 goals
Colorado Avalanche - 185 goals

Worst Goal Differential in the NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets (-34)
Montreal Canadiens (-38)
Anaheim Ducks (-43)
Chicago Blackhawks (-71)
San Jose Sharks (-90)

NHL Power Rankings Jan. 26, 2024: Bottom 16

#32.) Chicago Blackhawks (.306)

#31.) San Jose Sharks (.313)

#30.) Anaheim Ducks (.354)

#29.) Columbus Blue Jackets (.415)

#28.) Ottawa Senators (.432)

#27.) Buffalo Sabres (.479)

#26.) Montreal Canadiens (.490)

#25.) Minnesota Wild (.490)

#24.) Calgary Flames (.490)

#23.) Seattle Kraken (.521)

#22.) Arizona Coyotes (.521)

#21.) New York Islanders (.531)

#20.) Washington Capitals (.543)

#19.) St. Louis Blues (.543)

#18.) Pittsburgh Penguins (.545)

#17.) New Jersey Devils (.554)

NHL Power Rankings Jan. 26, 2024: Top 16

#16.) Nashville Predators (.552)

The Nashville Predators are clinging to a Western Conference wildcard spot, which could be gone today or tomorrow. After the All-Star Game, this team better get some extra wins, or it will be a stressful two months of hockey in the Music City.

#15.) Philadelphia Flyers (.571)

Despite the potential off-ice drama about to overcome the Philadelphia Flyers, they have a reliable netminder in Samuel Ersson, who can lead the team toward their first playoff spot in four seasons.

#14.) Detroit Red Wings (.573)

Since the last time Patrick Kane skated for the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 14, they are 4-2-0 compared to the 7-9-2 record with the future Hall of Famer in the lineup. It will be interesting to see if they keep winning without him.

#13.) Tampa Bay Lightning (.582)

The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the NHL's hottest teams, going 8-2-0 in their last 10 games. Considering Nikita Kucherov continues to score at a torrid pace, he's singlehandedly carrying this team into a favorable playoff spot.

#12.) Los Angeles Kings (.589)

The Los Angeles Kings are in freefall right now. Once thought to be a powerhouse in the Western Conference, this team no longer scores enough goals to win hockey games, and their goaltending statistics have taken a nose dive. There's still half a season to go, but if these trends continue, it could result in a nonplayoff finish.

#11.) Toronto Maple Leafs (.609)

As expected, Auston Matthews is about to become the first player to reach 40 goals, the only thing keeping the Toronto Maple Leafs afloat in the standings. Since signing his mega contract in early January, William Nylander has netted only seven points and is on the cusp of dropping out of the top 10 in NHL scoring.

#10.) Carolina Hurricanes (.628)

The Carolina Hurricanes will attempt to keep up in the Metropolitan Division race with a pair of goalies, Antti Raanta and Spencer Martin, who have a combined 155-105-35 record with six different franchises. Either the team makes a move at the NHL deadline or hopes Pyotr Kochetkov returns earlier than expected.

#9.) Vegas Golden Knights (.646)

For the Vegas Golden Knights to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, they must overcome adversity. They are now swimming in it with Jack Eichel on the shelf, but star goalie Adin Hill is back. Thankfully, their break is coming up, giving everyone much-needed time to rest and prepare for the stretch drive.

#8.) Edmonton Oilers (.648)

The Oilers are only two wins away from tying an NHL record (17) for most consecutive wins by a franchise, a mark held by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Interestingly, the Penguins did not repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 1992-93, the year they set the mark. Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets are next on the list at 16, and they've never played hockey outside the second round.

#7.) New York Rangers (.649)

The New York Rangers are in one of the NHL's most demanding markets, and the fans are not pleased with their recent play, including a lackluster effort that cost them a game against the last-place San Jose Sharks. Once the highest-ranked team in the league, they better shape up after the All-Star Game, or there could be significant changes in the offseason.

#6.) Florida Panthers (.660)

The Florida Panthers are playing better this year than last, as evidenced by a recent nine-game win streak. Ultimately, everything is coming together at the right time for this team who are above to give the Boston Bruins a run for the Atlantic Division title.

#5.) Dallas Stars (.667)

The Dallas Stars are within striking distance of a jammed-packed Central Division crown. Although they are at no risk of falling out of playoff contention, winning the division would give them a favorable matchup, and as a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, avoiding a tough matchup in the opening rounds could end their season earlier than expected.

#4.) Colorado Avalanche (.677)

As one of the top teams in the NHL, most would expect that the Colorado Avalanche are solid from top to bottom, but that isn't the case. Nathan MacKinnon has a 17-point advantage over the second-highest scorer in the lineup, and netminder Alexandar Georgiev has some of the worst statistics as a starter with a .896 save percentage.

#3.) Winnipeg Jets (.707)

The Winnipeg Jets remain the top team in the Central Division and were once the top team in the NHL for the first time in franchise history. Although they recently hit a bump on the road, this year's team isn't going to fade down the stretch and may surprise everyone with a deep playoff run.

#2.) Boston Bruins (.719)

The Bruins were supposed to take a step back and fall out of the playoff picture on paper. However, this year's squad continues to prove all the naysayers wrong with brilliant performances between the pipes and up and down the lineup.

David Pastrnak will score at least 50 goals, Brad Marchand could finish with 40, and Jeremy Swayman may take home the Vezina. These are just a few examples of the veteran presence in the lineup.

#1.) Vancouver Canucks (.719)

The Vancouver Canucks reclaim the top spot in the NHL standings based on points and points percentage. Although they took a stumble a while back, this year's team is too good to overlook, which includes five NHL All-Stars and three still hanging around the top 15 in league scoring.

Even though it is premature to call them the Stanley Cup favorites, they won't be an easy elimination for anyone in the Western Conference.