Blues Lightning Hockey — NHL Power Rankings: Sorting out every team's point leaders so far in the 2023/24 season

NHL Power Rankings: Sorting out every team's point leaders so far in the 2023/24 season

Modified Dec 29, 2023 04:59 GMT

Every week, we bring you engaging NHL power rankings, usually based on performances from the past week. However, with every team off for three days to celebrate holidays, there wasn't much data to analyze for team-based power rankings.

Instead, we got creative and thought it would be fun to rank teams based on how good their leading scorer is, which gave us a unique perspective of the NHL. Despite the teams' overall success to this point, the power rankings got a complete overhaul this week and did not mirror the standings.

(Statistics reflect games played until Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023.)

NHL Power Rankings: Sorting out every team's point leaders so far in the 2023/24 season

32) Washington Capitals - Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome (20 points)

Alex Ovechkin is a nine-time goal-scoring champion and closing in on the NHL record, but he only has six lamplighters this year and is tied with teammate Dylan Strome as the league's lowest-scoring team leader.

31) Columbus Blue Jackets - Zach Werenski (25 points)

Surprisingly, Zach Werenski is one of three defensemen to lead his team in scoring this season and is the only skater on the list with just a single goal.

30) Calgary Flames - Nazem Kadri (25 points)

Although several fans wondered how Nazem Kadri would fit in with the Calgary Flames, he's proven this year that he can still be a difference-maker with the help of young and hungry prospects.

29) Anaheim Ducks - Frank Vatrano (25 points)

Despite the lack of team success in Anaheim, Frank Vatrano is having a career resurgence. He is ready to shatter all his best totals while turning himself into a potentially coveted deadline pick-up.

28) San Jose Sharks - Tomas Hertl (27 points)

After 34 games, Tomas Hertl is on track to surpass 20 goals for the sixth time in his career, but with a young, inexperienced supporting cast, it'll be tough for him to crack 30 goals or reach 60 points again.

27) Philadelphia Flyers - Travis Konecny (27 points)

Last year, Travis Konecny was Philadelphia's lone All-Star representative when he surpassed 30 goals. Thanks to the team's recent climb in the standings, he will reach the plateau for the second consecutive season.

26) Seattle Kraken - Vince Dunn (29 points)

Vince Dunn is another defenseman currently leading his team in scoring, which seems surprising given the talent in the Seattle Kraken lineup. Despite the team's struggles, he's on pace to surpass a career-high of 64 points, which he achieved last season.

25) Montreal Canadiens - Nick Suzuki (30 points)

Nick Suzuki is trying to steer the Montreal Canadiens back to respectability alongside Cole Caulfield and other young stars. After a personal best of 66 points in 2022-23, he's almost halfway to that total in just 33 games.

24) Buffalo Sabres - Casey Mittelstadt (30 points)

The Buffalo Sabres continue to add layers to a never-ending rebuild, with Casey Mittelstadt being one of their most recent top draft picks tearing it up this year. Following a dream year in 2022-23, the 25-year-old is about to shatter all his best numbers with more than half the season left.

23) Arizona Coyotes - Clayton Keller (30 points)

There are so many things clicking together for the Arizona Coyotes. However, one thing is still consistent: Clayton Keller leads the team in scoring. Although he's performing under his 1.04 point-per-game pace from last year, he's got time to rack up more points and get back to last year's 86-point total.

22) Los Angeles Kings - Anze Kopitar (31 points)

The Los Angeles Kings are a top 10 team in the NHL, but they win games by shutting teams down and scrapping by with a few goals a night, which explains why captain Anze Kopitar ranks so low. Even though he's never been flashy, Kopitar is a reliable performer who is now the team's all-time leading scorer.

21) Dallas Stars - Jason Robertson (32 points)

In 2022-23, Jason Robertson tallied 109 points to set a franchise record and is underperforming based on the expectations he set last year. Still, he's not responsible for carrying the entire team alone, so it's okay.

20) Chicago Blackhawks - Connor Bedard (32 points)

At 18 years old, Connor Bedard is almost a lock to win the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. Even though it's still early, he's got a chance to climb this list and approach 80 points on one of the NHL's worst teams.

19) Ottawa Senators - Tim Stutzle (33 points)

Shockingly, the Ottawa Senators are also one of the worst teams in the NHL, which explains why their head coach was fired and why Tim Stutzle is struggling to regain the scoring touch that saw him net 90 points in 78 games last year.

18) Minnesota Wild - Kirill Kaprizov (33 points)

Kirill Kaprizov remains one of the top Russian NHL players, leading a Minnesota Wild team that is struggling to stay ahead in the competition while avoiding falling too far behind this deep into the season.

17) Detroit Red Wings - Alex DeBrincat (34 points)

The Detroit Red Wings made the biggest splash in the NHL offseason by acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Senators, which looks like a steal at this point. However, the team is struggling now after reuniting him with Patrick Kane.

16) New York Islanders - Mathew Barzal (35 points)

Interestingly, Mathew Barzal is one of the best young NHL players. However, he doesn't get nationwide attention because he plays for the New York Islanders and has only had one year where he hit 80 points.

15) Carolina Hurricanes - Sebastian Aho (35 points)

Even though the Carolina Hurricanes have a roster loaded with talented NHL players, the offense has and will continue to run through Sebastian Aho, who is trying to keep the team in contention for the Stanley Cup.

14) Winnipeg Jets - Mark Scheifele (36 points)

As one of the biggest name pending free agents in the NHL, Mark Scheifele put ink to paper and has rewarded the Winnipeg Jets for committing to him by returning to a point-per-game pace after 33 contests.

13) St. Louis Blues - Robert Thomas (37 points)

Ultimately, Robert Thomas is a relatively unknown NHL leading scorer outside of the St. Louis area, making several fans look him up, only to learn he's on pace to shatter his career-best numbers this year.

12) Pittsburgh Penguins - Jake Guentzel (38 points)

Considering Jake Guentzel is surrounded by four potential Hall of Famers in Pittsburgh, it's no surprise to see him benefit from the experience around him as he continues his quest for another 40-goal season.

11) Nashville Predators - Filip Forsberg (38 points)

Unfortunately, Filip Forsberg missed some time due to injuries last year, derailing the Nashville Predators' chances, but this year, he's healthy and on track for hopefully his best season in the NHL.

10) Vegas Golden Knights - Jack Eichel (39 points)

Jake Eichel proved all the doubters wrong last season by leading the Vegas Golden Knights in scoring during the NHL regular season and playing a significant role in capturing the Stanley Cup.

9) New Jersey Devils - Jack Hughes (40 points)

In the beginning, Jack Hughes was terrorizing NHL goalies on a nightly basis, and even though he's cooled off and the New Jersey Devils have become an average team, he's still the heartbeat of the franchise.

8) Florida Panthers - Sam Reinhart (42 points)

Any ordinary fan would expect Matthew Tkachuk to be in this position. Still, Sam Reinhart is leading the charge in Florida, aiming to guide the Panthers to a better season than last year, which resulted in an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.

7) Edmonton Oilers - Connor McDavid (44 points)

Interestingly, Connor McDavid appeared hurt at the beginning of the season, which explained an unexpected dip in production. However, he's on a tear now and leapfrogging opponents on the NHL scoring charts like it is 2022-23 again.

6) Boston Bruins - David Pastrnak (45 points)

Although one part of The Perfection Line is retired, David Pastrnak continues to skate without skipping a beat and is still aiming to become the first Boston Bruins player with back-to-back 60-goal seasons.

5) Toronto Maple Leafs - William Nylander (46 points)

Can anyone else name a more prominent name in the NHL who took a gamble on themselves in a contract year and collected a 17-game point streak to start the year? William Nylander is on pace for a career year and a career-defining contract offer.

4) New York Rangers - Artemi Panarin (46 points)

Unsurprisingly, the New York Rangers offense runs through Artemi Panarin, and he's doing magical things with his linemates right now, which means the team doesn't need to go "improve" at the NHL trade deadline.

3) Vancouver Canucks - J.T. Miller (48 points)

Most Rangers fans are still wondering where this J.T. Miller was during his time on Broadway, but the Vancouver Canucks are Presidents' Trophy contenders, and Miller has remained in the top ten in scoring since the first week of the season.

2) Colorado Avalanche - Nathan MacKinnon (56 points)

After a slow start, Nathan MacKinnon is singlehandedly driving the Colorado Avalanche to a top spot in the West, once again making sure fans include his name when discussing today's best NHL players.

1) Tampa Bay Lightning - Nikita Kucherov (58 points)

Despite the struggles of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nikita Kucherov is on a mission to recapture the Art Ross Trophy, ending Connor McDavid's three-year reign at the top as the NHL's leading scorer.