The talk of the NHL world this week was the 2023 Global Series taking place in Stockholm, Sweden. In a change to the format, this year four teams played two games each over the course of multiple days. The teams making the trip across the Atlantic Ocean were the Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
While these franchises came into the Global Series in various forms of disarray, they all brought an incredible effort to the ice, with some local European stars showcasing the best the sport has to offer. At the very least, we can say the NHL put on quite the show in Stockholm, with most games taking wild swings in momentum
Back in North America, things feel like they are getting to a sense of normalcy. Many pre-season favorites are finding ways to win, while teams that got out to hot starts may be experiencing a bit of a market correction. This created some chaos in the Rankings, as we saw the spread between the best teams and the worst teams shrink a little bit more.
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So, with eyes looking from Stockholm towards American Thanksgiving this week, let’s take a look at THW’s Week 7 Power Rankings.
32-25: Separation Occurring At The Bottom of the NHL
32. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously 30th)
31. San Jose Sharks (Previously 31st)
30. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously 27th)
29. Edmonton Oilers (Previously 32nd)
28. Seattle Kraken (Previously 29th)
27. Minnesota Wild (Previously 25th)
26. Nashville Predators (Previously 26th)
25. Calgary Flames (Previously 28th)
Last week, when I moved the Sharks out of the 32nd position, I did so as a bit of an honorary promotion. I was expecting to knock them back down as the Oilers experienced the bump in play that happens anytime you fire a coach. However, here we are and they once again find themselves in the 31st position after winning another game this week.
The unfortunate team that finds themselves below the Sharks is the Blue Jackets, who have lost nine straight games. Heading into the season I really expected Columbus to take a step forward in their rebuild, and after a promising start, they have completely collapsed again. If this continues, it’s hard to know what the next move could be other than the franchise moving on from long-time general manager Jarmo Kekalainen
Another surprising team near the bottom of the Rankings are the Wild, who I had as a top-10 franchise just a few weeks ago. However, after losing both games in the Global Series and dropping their last five games, they are 2-5-3 in their last 10 games and sit towards the bottom of a relatively weak Central Division. While they could use their trip to Sweden as a reset for their season, they need to immediately go on a winning streak back in North America if they want to make a run at the postseason.
24-12: The NHL Goes Streaking
24. Buffalo Sabres (Previously 18th)
23. New York Islanders (Previously 22nd)
22. Montreal Canadiens (Previously 17th)
21. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously 24th)
20. Anaheim Ducks (Previously 19th)
19. St. Louis Blues (Previously 14th)
18. Arizona Coyotes (Previously 20th)
17. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously 16th)
16. New Jersey Devils (Previously 10th)
15. Ottawa Senators (Previously 23th)
14. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously 21st)
13. Detroit Red Wings (Previously 9th)
12. Washington Capitals (Previously 15th)
If you are a fan of losing streaks, then the middle of the Rankings has been everything you can hope for. The Islanders experienced a seven-game losing streak that mercifully ended on Saturday, while the Canadiens and Sabres saw significant losing streaks of their own. The Sabres in particular I’m disappointed in, as I expected them to take a big step forward this season, yet they find themselves at the bottom of the Atlantic Division alongside Montreal heading into American Thanksgiving.
Also, it’s worth noting that the Red Wings had a chance to win both games in the Global Series, including a huge comeback against the Senators and a blown 2-0 lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs. These losses paint the picture of a franchise that is starting to come back to reality after jumping out to a strong start. Their 3-5-2 record over their last 10 games is very concerning, and they are quickly losing ground in the division.
On the positive side of the spectrum, the Capitals are one of the biggest surprises of the season so far, as they have gone 8-1-1 in their last 10, and have put themselves firmly in contention. Also, the Flyers are moving in the right direction again with Carter Hart returning from injury and a five-game winning streak under the belts. They are another team that is performing incredibly well despite some reasonable questions heading into the season.
Overall, there were a lot of interesting events going on in the middle of the NHL this week. Between big winning and losing streaks, we are seeing teams either setting themselves up for a run at the postseason or a potential rebuild.
11-1: Winning Ways at the Top
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously 11th)
10. Florida Panthers (Previously 13th)
9. Vancouver Canucks (Previously 4th)
8. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously 6th)
7. Dallas Stars (Previously 5th)
6. Colorado Avalanche (Previously 12th)
5. Los Angeles Kings (Previously 7th)
4. Winnipeg Jets (Previously 8th)
3. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously 1st)
2. Boston Bruins (Previously 2nd)
1. New York Rangers (Previously 3rd)
Well, after weeks of inaction at the top of the Rankings, we finally saw some movement. First, the Golden Knights suffered their first real setback after they lost three of four games this week. Next, the Rangers continued their hot streak, and they are now 9-0-1 in their last ten games, despite the loss of top players like Adam Fox. They are firing on all cylinders right now and look like the best team in the NHL.
One trend of the top teams this week is winning. Of the 11 franchises at the top of the Rankings, 9 have at least six wins in their last 10 games played, and the only teams below that mark, the Maple Leafs and Avalanche, are on four and three-game winning streaks of their own.
What this means is the top teams are starting to look like the best teams in the NHL. They are dispatching lesser foes, and quickly building a pile of points that will help set the rest of their season.
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The only team that fell significantly this week are the Canucks, which is less of a sign of their losses and more of a sign of the competition around them. Vancouver is still playing strong hockey, but it’s hard to keep them near the top of the Rankings after a relatively middling week. There’s still so much to be excited about from their start to the season, however, and I believe this fall won’t last for a long time.
NHL’s Global Series Was a Hit
After a successful Global Series, it’s time to look toward the next big event on the NHL calendar: American Thanksgiving. If you look at the past, roughly 75 percent of the teams holding a spot in the postseason at this point of the year make the playoffs. That means by the end of next week, we may already know the majority of the teams who will be competing for the 2024 Stanley Cup.
Until then, if you’re in the United States, enjoy your Holiday week ahead!