With Hunter Crowther<\/p>\n
The 2025-26 season continues to be a weird one for the NHL. On top of players dropping left and right with injuries, including important names like Connor Hellebuyck, the parity is airtight, even as we approach the American Thanksgiving threshold. Only the Avalanche look like one of the league\u2019s truly elite teams, and only six teams are below a .500 points percentage. This could mean that the playoff race ends up being an exciting one this season, but it may also mean that, for those armchair GMs, we don\u2019t see as much trade action as past seasons.<\/p>\n
Hunter Crowther and I navigate through the season with another year of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF\/60, 5-on-5 xGA\/60, power play xGF\/60, and shorthanded xGA\/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that\u2019s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.<\/p>\n
Record: 16-1-5, +38
Last Week: 1st (0)\u00a0
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 1st
Scott\u2019s Rank: 1st<\/p>\n
Scott: The Avalanche continue on their insane run to start the season, besting the Rangers, Predators and Blackhawks to extend their winning streak to nine games. The Avs have still lost just one game in regulation all season, becoming the fourth team to do so through 20 games in NHL history. That said, there is some slight concern with that: of the other three teams, only the 2012-13 Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup, and they were the only team to play a shortened season. Colorado continues to be a step above the rest of the pack, but if I have any concerns: they may just be peaking too early. The 2022-23 Bruins know a thing or two about that.<\/p>\n
Record: 14-6-2, +13
Last Week: 2nd (0)
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 3rd
Scott\u2019s Rank: 2nd<\/p>\n
Scott: This hasn\u2019t exactly been the best stretch for the Canes, as they\u2019ve been trading wins and losses for the last seven games (3-2-2). Still, they\u2019ve got points in five of them, and they continue to play strong hockey even in the losses, as they\u2019ve only lost the expected goals battle seven times all season. In a weakened Eastern Conference this season, the Hurricanes are emerging as the frontrunners thus far.<\/p>\n
Record: 10-4-7, +7
Last Week: 4th (+1)
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 2nd
Scott\u2019s Rank: 3rd<\/p>\n
Scott: On one hand, the Golden Knights haven\u2019t lost in regulation over the last five games (3-0-2), but still, they\u2019ve now gone 5-4-5 in their last 14 games. Some of that can be pointed to some bad luck, as not only has their goaltending been inconsistent, but they\u2019ve had brutal luck beyond regulation, going 1-7 in overtime and the shootout. By the way, Carter Hart has an .875 save percentage in his first two games in the AHL, so he\u2019s not exactly looking like the solution in net either, or at least by the Dec. 1 date that would allow him to play in the NHL.<\/p>\n
Hunter: Everyone got a good laugh out of Mitch Marner\u2019s game-winning assist on Saturday night against the Ducks, but the fact Vegas is still gobbling up points while their goaltending is below par tells me there\u2019s still room for them to dominate. That being said, Akira Schmid has looked great in his last four starts, and I\u2019ll even include the 4-3 OT loss to Anaheim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 13-5-4, +10
Last Week: 3rd (-1)
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 4th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 4th<\/p>\n
Scott: The Stars are another top team that was inconsistent last week, as they lost games to the Islanders and Flames with a win over the Canucks sandwiched in between them. Dallas got some great news with the return of captain Jamie Benn from a collapsed lung sustained in the preseason, but they\u2019ll be without a different key forward as Mikko Rantanen has been automatically suspended for one game after getting game misconducts in two of his last three games. Considering he was also fined over the weekend, it hasn\u2019t been a great week for Rantanen.<\/p>\n
Hunter: I watched both of the Stars\u2019 games after the one against the Islanders, and it felt like Rantanen was more aggressive than usual, finishing every hit and engaging more than he usually does. I wonder if someone got in his ear and told him to run with it. Either way, it cost him a game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 12-7-2, +6
Last Week: 12th (+7)
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 5th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 6th<\/p>\n
Hunter: The Lightning won all three of their games last week, scoring five times in two of those contests. Did you also know that Tampa has lost just three games since Oct. 23? That was a month ago, and one of those losses was against the Avalanche! Jake Guentzel scored a hat trick against the Devils and Brandon Hagel had two goals and two assists against the Caps \u2014 a desperately needed performance, as every pundit has erased his name from Olympic contention in the last few weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott: The Lightning are starting to prove my preseason predictions for them right, especially amidst all of these injuries, but they may have to add two more to their plate after both Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point left Saturday\u2019s win. That combined with Hedman is a big blow to their lineup.<\/p>\n
Record: 14-7-1, +11
Last Week: 8th (+2)\u00a0
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 6th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 9th<\/p>\n
Hunter: At this point, it isn\u2019t even worth putting a bet on the Jack Adams Award, because it\u2019s Joel Quenneville\u2019s to lose. The Ducks are at the top of the Pacific Division with the fourth-most points in the league, the third-best goal differential, and Leo Carlsson looks like the best thing to come out of Anaheim since Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry recorded 80-plus points in 2013-14. Of course, there will be regression, with a 102 PDO and an expected goal differential that\u2019s in the bottom third of the league, but that\u2019s for next week\u2019s power rankings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott: Wouldn\u2019t the looming threat of regression mean that this is the best time to vote against Quenneville for the Jack Adams?<\/p>\n
Hunter: You think the voters pay attention to that sort of stuff?! Also, if and when the Ducks make it to the playoffs, they\u2019ll give him the award on a platter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott: My point was more that the regression may just cause them to miss the playoffs outright, which in turn means that another coach who had lower odds right now will pay off in the long run.<\/p>\n
Hunter: True, but I don\u2019t see Anaheim regressing enough that they fall below a Wildcard spot. Now that I\u2019ve said that, I want to apologize to Ducks fans for the incoming 12-losses-in-14-games streak the team is about to go on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 11-6-4, +1
Last Week: 17th (+10)\u00a0
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 10th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 8th<\/p>\n
Scott: The Senators are a weird team. They are elite defensively (probably the best one in terms of chance suppression at even strength and on the penalty kill), but when it comes to their offense, it\u2019s the exact opposite. They rank 29th in 5v5 xGF\/60 and 30th in PP xGF\/60, and for my model, it\u2019s what drags them down from being an easy top-five team right now. Maybe that will return if Brady Tkachuk comes back later this week, but that is a concern for an otherwise great team.<\/p>\n
Hunter: I know I\u2019ve basically handed the Jack Adams to Quenneville, but one coach who deserves consideration is Travis Green. It makes sense that their defensive metrics read out like that, because when you watch their games, they are relentless. It feels like every zone entry from the opposing team is snuffed out, and the only goals Ottawa gives up are either on the penalty kill or when a weird accident occurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 10-6-5, +6
Last Week: 5th (-3)
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 13th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 5th<\/p>\n
Scott: The Penguins had a less than ideal return to North America, as they were blown out 5-0 by the Wild on Friday and then lost a 3-2 overtime nailbiter to the Kraken on Saturday. Our managing editor analyzed whether this Penguins team is actually a legit playoff team<\/a>, so I\u2019ll leave you to check that out for a deeper dive in that regard, but there is a lot to like about this team despite the recent struggles. The same question continues to remain, though: do they keep up this run to get Crosby, Malkin and Letang one last playoff run together, or do they commit to the tank that seemed so likely at the start of the season?<\/p>\n Record: 11-9-1, -3 Scott: What is up with these food-related injuries? First Jack Hughes got hurt last week cutting his hand on a piece of glass, and now Eetu Luostarinen is out for several weeks after burning himself at a barbeque. I think at this point, we need to cryogenically freeze players in between games for their safety, or at least only provide them food through a tube. What\u2019s next, someone will get hurt eating pancakes?<\/p>\n But seriously, that\u2019s another tough loss for a Panthers team already down Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Luostarinen was a big part of that line with Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand, so even though Mackie Samoskevich is a more than capable top-six forward in a pinch, it\u2019s another big blow to Florida\u2019s depth.<\/p>\n Hunter: Did you try out that pancake bit at an open mic at Comedy Bar on Bloor? I haven\u2019t seen this many food-related jokes since the early days of Down Goes Brown and Kyle Wellwood<\/a>. And by the way, where is Bloge Salming?\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 13-7-1, +1 Scott: After starting their stretch without Jack Hughes with a 3-2 win over the Capitals, the Devils have lost three straight to the Lightning, Panthers and Flyers, so maybe it\u2019s time for a bit of concern in New Jersey. Not to worry though, Jack has taken the attention away from his team\u2019s struggles by going on a dinner date with Tate McRae. And for those wondering, the Devils play the Blue Jackets three more times: Dec. 1, Dec. 31 & Feb. 3. Jack may be back in time for the last game in case Cole Sillinger is feeling jealous.<\/p>\n Hunter: My girlfriend thinks Tate McRae was created in a lab for the purpose of creating pop music for those in the hockey universe that are scared of new music. This only further illustrates the point.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 11-8-3, -1 Scott: There are some pockets of the internet that are showing concern over the Mammoth\u2019s recent play, and while losing nine of 11 games isn\u2019t ideal, their underlying play has still been mostly fine, aside from the odd defensive slip up. I think their hot start may have skewered some expectations for this team, but they\u2019re currently in a playoff spot which is where they were hoping to be, so we shouldn\u2019t be concerned over them just yet.<\/p>\n Record: 10-6-6, -3 Scott: At this point, I\u2019m done doubting the Kings<\/a>. They\u2019re still far from Stanley Cup contention with this roster, but I\u2019ll at least admit that I was wrong about them being a bad team this year. They still have plenty of offensive concerns, but despite my worries over their defense with the additions of Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, Los Angeles is still good defensively. I don\u2019t expect them to go far in the playoffs, but they\u2019ve at least bunkered down a playoff spot in the early going.<\/p>\n Hunter: I\u2019m waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Ken Holland to make some type of massive trade with the logic being it\u2019s Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty\u2019s last dance together. Typically, those types of moves being fuelled by nostalgia fail spectacularly, but they\u2019re in Hollywood, people! Anything can happen!<\/p>\n Record: 13-8-1, -4 Hunter: The Red Wings won two of three games last week and are currently first in the Atlantic Division. Let me repeat that, but with context: it\u2019s the week of U.S. Thanksgiving, and the Detroit Red Wings are leading the Atlantic Division. Combine that with the success of the NBA\u2019s Detroit Pistons, and this is the happiest Michiganders have been since Kid Rock moved to Florida. Lucas Raymond scored in three of his last four contests, while Moritz Seider has also found the scoresheet in five of his last six.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 11-5-6, -2 Scott: As the season goes along, there does look to be a little bit more legitimacy to the Kraken as a playoff team, as five of my six categories that I use for my model are in the top 15. The problem is that the one that isn\u2019t is last in the league, and it\u2019s a big one that\u2019s ailed Seattle for their entire franchise history: 5v5 chance generation. They still lack the high-end talent to drive that, and it\u2019s showing even more this year. They\u2019re in a good spot right now playoff-wise, but I wouldn\u2019t be shocked if this issue became a problem later in the season and cost them a spot.<\/p>\n Record: 11-7-3, -4 Scott: After a stretch of seven losses in eight games, the Canadiens finally bounced back and got a win\u2026 over an equally struggling Leafs squad. We\u2019ll wait and see if they\u2019re truly back after a few more games, but it is clear that this team isn\u2019t the juggernaut<\/a> that they looked to be at the start of the season, and they are in desperate need of a second-line center.<\/p>\n Hunter: Usually, I\u2019d say a win over your arch rival is the perfect fuse to light the tinder box, but as Scott said, we\u2019ll wait and see. As for Jakub Dobes, he\u2019s really struggled since he suffered his first loss of the season against the Devils on Nov. 6, which he got emotional over during the post-game scrum<\/a>. In those four games since, he\u2019s gone 1-2-1 with an .839 SV%, giving up 14 goals on 73 shots for a goals against average of 4.24.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 11-9-2, +9 Hunter: Every year, it feels like we fall for Alex Ovechkin\u2019s slow starts \u2014 this year only scoring three goals through the Capitals\u2019 first 15 games \u2014 then something awakens inside The Great 8 and he reminds us why he\u2019s the greatest goal scorer in the history of the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n With goals in five of his last seven contests, including a hat trick in a 8-4 win over the Canadiens on Thursday, Ovechkin now has 10 goals through 22 games. There\u2019s a non-zero percent chance he hits the 30-goal mark for the 20th time in his career, and perhaps the 40-goal mark for the 15th time. Don\u2019t bet against greatness.\u00a0<\/p>\n Side note: Tom Wilson has 11 goals and is in the top-20 among all NHL skaters in expected goals. We\u2019ve spent lots of time talking about Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard when it comes to Canada\u2019s 2026 Olympic roster \u2014 and rightfully so \u2014 but Wilson\u2019s name deserves to be in the conversation and not be met with an eyeroll when brought up.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget: February\u2019s tournament will be played on an NHL-sized rink, not the traditional international-sized one. Tighter spaces and international pride make for game-changing moments.<\/p>\n Record: 12-9-0, +8 Hunter: It was reported last week that Connor Hellebuyck would be out four to six weeks<\/a> following knee surgery. How did the Jets do in his absence? They went 1-2-0, with Eric Comrie giving up nine goals on 80 shots. Expect AHL call-up Thomas Milic to get a start this week. Also, after a red-hot start in October, Mark Scheifele has two goals in his last 10 games and the chatter around him making Canada\u2019s Olympic roster is starting to cool.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott: I\u2019ve been nagging the Jets all season for their poor play in front of Hellebuyck, and while I don\u2019t think Eric Comrie is a bad goaltender, I do think Hellebuyck is one of the few goalies capable of covering up the Jets\u2019 defensive mess. It\u2019s improved since Dylan Samberg\u2019s return, but I still think this is the kind of stretch that will put the Jets out of the playoff picture. But if it doesn\u2019t, maybe the extra rest for Hellebuyck will pay off in the playoffs.<\/p>\n Record: 10-11-2, -3 Scott: For the record, the Rangers would be 13th for me if not for the five-point rule I have, as their record is really lagging them behind the rest of the Eastern Conference. I still say from a standpoint of their on-ice play that they\u2019ll bounce back, but the recent \u201cstraight-legged skating<\/a>\u201d from J.T. Miller (their CAPTAIN of all people) makes me wonder if the team still isn\u2019t psychologically there. That may be the only thing stopping this team from actually being a legit contender this year.<\/p>\n Record: 13-8-2, +5 Hunter: Let\u2019s talk about Matthew Schae\u2014 just kidding, let\u2019s talk Patrick Roy.\u00a0<\/p>\n During last week\u2019s Islanders-Stars game, Rantanen delivered a hit<\/a> on Alexander Romanov \u2014 who will be out five-to-six months with a shoulder injury<\/a> \u2014 and was given a game misconduct. Roy reportedly* told Rantanen on his way out that his team was \u201cnot going to f\u2013king finish\u201d the two team\u2019s rematch in March.\u00a0<\/p>\n *I said reportedly, even though there\u2019s tape that shows Roy saying it clear as day\u00a0<\/a>.<\/p>\n Did Roy go too far? There may not be a \u201cright\u201d answer, but there\u2019s definitely one absolute truth: the NHL wants more of this. They want teams to hate each other. They want animosity in regular-season games that are typically snoozefests. If they didn\u2019t, dangerous plays like Rantanen\u2019s hit would get suspended (it wasn\u2019t), or they would suspend Rantanen\u2019s second hit for more than the mandatory one-game suspension<\/a> he was already going to receive (they didn\u2019t), or they would hire someone to head their Department of Player Safety whose previous job wasn\u2019t to bareknuckle fist fight on a nightly basis (they didn\u2019t).\u00a0<\/p>\n At this point, let the Islanders dress all of Ogie Ogilthorpe<\/a>, Tommy Hanrahan, Tim \u2018Dr. Hook\u2019 McCracken and Ross \u2018Mad Dog\u2019 Madison. Don\u2019t even count the one-game contracts against the salary cap. Give the fans \u2014 and the league \u2014 what they really want: a fight.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 11-6-3, +4 Hunter: The Flyers won both their games last week, including an emphatic 6-3 victory over their division rival in the Devils. Trevor Zegras is playing the best hockey we\u2019ve seen in years, on pace to reach career highs in all categories. While the team as a whole is struggling to generate many chances, they\u2019ve allowed the least amount of shots in the league and are in the middle of the pack in most team stats, including goal differential, Corsi, expected goal differential per 60, goals for per 60.<\/p>\n Record: 11-8-3, -3 Hunter: In last week\u2019s episode of \u201cHockey Fans Get Insecure About Nothing,\u201d The Ringer\u2019s Bill Simmons called the Blue Jackets the \u201cmost irrelevant franchise in professional sports<\/a>.\u201d If we\u2019re being honest, what did he say that\u2019s wrong? They have won just one seven-game Stanley Cup Playoff series in their franchise history, they\u2019ve had one 100-point campaign, they have never finished higher than third in their division. If you can think of a better answer among the four major North American professional men\u2019s leagues, I\u2019m all ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n Oh and Adam Fantilli owns the Maple Leafs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott: If anything, the Blue Jackets just got further ammunition for this season to prove Simmons wrong.<\/p>\n Hunter: And they already have the cannon! Thanks for that, Doug MacLean<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 12-7-4, +4 Hunter: Speaking of irrelevant teams \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n Kidding, kidding, the Wild actually make the playoffs nearly every season, and they\u2019ve recorded five 100-point campaigns in the last 10 seasons (remember when Minnesota nearly tripped into a Stanley Cup Final in 2002-03, just their third season in the league, with the tandem of Dwayne Roloson and Manny Fernandez?!).\u00a0<\/p>\n As for present day, the Wild have won five straight and have recorded three shutouts during that span, as both Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt look dominant in the crease. Next week, Minnesota faces division rivals in the Blackhawks and Avalanche, which will be important barometers for how good this team really is.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 10-9-5, -13 Hunter: Let\u2019s take a time machine back to Nov. 24, 2024: The Oilers are 11-9-2 with 24 points in 22 games, having just defeated Utah 4-3 in overtime. They are fourth in the Pacific Division and hold on to the No. 2 Wildcard spot in the Western Conference. They also have 64 goals for and 69 against, giving them a minus-five goal differential.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jump to present day: Edmonton is 10-9-5 with 25 points through 24 games, on the heels of a 6-3 win over the Panthers in a rematch of last spring\u2019s Stanley Cup Final. They are fifth in the Pacific and tied with the Mammoth for second in the Wild Card.\u00a0<\/p>\n The major difference? Their goal differential this season is minus-13, putting them in the bottom five of the league standings. Their combined save percentage between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard is .874, which despite the league average dropping to below .900 for the first time since 1995-96<\/a>, is still really bad \u2014 so bad that it\u2019s tied for last in the league. They have allowed at least four goals in 11 of their 24 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n I keep hearing how difficult it is to make trades midseason, how teams struggle to make the money work, how they don\u2019t have the assets. You know what else is hard? Literally every other job, ever \u2014 hockey-related or not. To face issues through your work is not unique, yet we just give the NHL\u2019s 32 general managers a pass, and it\u2019s dumbfounding.\u00a0<\/p>\n Oilers\u2019 GM Stan Bowman is arguably the most successful GM in the post-lockout era, having won three Stanley Cups and reached a fourth Final last spring. Sure, he may have inherited those teams, and his actual impact on those teams is open to debate, but Stanley Cup rings shine bright and championship banners fly forever.\u00a0<\/p>\n If Bowman ever wants to get close to another Stanley Cup Final, he needs to find a way to improve the Oilers\u2019 goaltending. If not, Edmonton CEO Jeff Jackson can find someone who will. And if he can\u2019t, then Connor McDavid will go out and find a group who are willing to.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 10-8-4, +7 Hunter: Three losses this week, including a 9-3 drubbing at the hands of the Sabres, quickly threw cold water on the Blackhawks\u2019 magical start to the 2025-26 campaign. That being said, Chicago responded to the Buffalo defeat with a strong performance against the best team in the league in the Avalanche, coming out strong in the first and holding them to a 1-0 game. Good to see Tyler Bertuzzi get in the lineup with three goals in his first two games back from injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 13-11-0, -2 Hunter: The Bruins lost three of four last week, including two during their California road trip. The Bruins are in the bottom-third in most traditional and analytical categories, so the expectations are low as we enter the U.S. holidays. But I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll be labelled a turkey when they eventually win three straight against the Islanders, Rangers and Red Wings next week.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 9-9-4, -4 Scott: I know we keep saying this and getting burned, but don\u2019t count out the Sabres just yet this season<\/a>! There is still some potential for this lineup if they get healthy, although that is a big if considering how many players are hurt. I think Zach Benson is the key absence though, as he was electric in his brief return to the lineup, and he\u2019s been underrated defensively. I really, really want to believe that this team will get to the playoffs this year, but they still have to put a consistent run together.<\/p>\n Hunter: If we don\u2019t get the Moneyball-like winning streak by the end of January, I\u2019m sticking a fork in them. Until then, I will begrudgingly watch and quietly root for this team to be relevant.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 9-10-3, -8 Hunter: I\u2019ve been watching Leafs hockey my entire life, and there\u2019s nuances in the day-to-day coverage of the team you pick up on. You can sense the moods of players and coaches in the morning skates, the post-game interviews, those hastily built sets with the team logo on a foldable sheet behind the interview subjects, with more than a dozen microphones and recorders and phones held by the hands of reporters with unclipped fingernails in the faces of frustrated professional athletes.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the last few weeks, this team \u2026 I\u2019ve seen this movie before. The team can\u2019t find a way to win, the same cliches repeated over and over. Players aren\u2019t looking reporters in the eyes when they answer questions. The head coach\u2019s tone shifts from \u201cAre you going to ask that same f\u2013king question again?\u201d to shrugged shoulders with a grin, like they\u2019re telling those same reporters and God themself, \u201cI don\u2019t know what else I can do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The thing is, that\u2019s usually in February or March, when the team has given everything they can, when the postseason is out of reach and the coach\u2019s three- or four-year run. We\u2019re in November. November. Parents haven\u2019t made their kids switch from their fall to winter jackets, and Christmas commercials aren\u2019t filling every break in the action.\u00a0<\/p>\n And with Auston Matthews out for who-knows-how-long-because-this-team-won\u2019t-share-any-information, and the goalie tandem of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll providing nothing like they did last season, and Craig Berube running out of ideas beyond scolding William Nylander \u2026 What else can you do? Look at Daily Faceoff\u2019s lineup page for the Leafs<\/a>: half the damn lineup is injured.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whatever the solution is, they need to figure it out fast. There\u2019s only one thing worse for a professional sports franchise than fans being mad: fans being apathetic. That\u2019s right around the corner.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott: Honestly, listening to Brad Treliving\u2019s press conference last Tuesday left me more concerned than anything. You want to stick by your head coach? Sure, I get that. You don\u2019t think a trade will fix things? Okay, but now you\u2019re starting to contradict your belief in your head coach if you think the new player will only join the free fall and not help them out of it. But if the roster shouldn\u2019t be changed, and the coach shouldn\u2019t be changed, doesn\u2019t that tell ownership that management is the thing that should be changed if this keeps getting worse? Considering how much of Treliving\u2019s recent roster decisions have backfired on him (are they really going to hand the Bruins another top-10 pick?), maybe he is the one to blame.<\/p>\n Record: 11-9-3, -4 Hunter: After disappointing losses to the Flames and Kraken, the Sharks won three of four games last week and are now 11-9-3 on the season. That\u2019s \u2026 basically average? Right in the middle of the pack in the standings? Why isn\u2019t anyone talking about Yaroslav Askarov, whose .913 SV% is tied for fourth in the league, which is even more impressive when you consider the Sharks have faced the second-most shots in the league? Scott hit the nail on the head last week<\/a> when discussing the Predators\u2019 decision to move him.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 9-12-2, -15 Hunter: After defeating the Capitals on Oct. 19, the Canucks have just five wins in their last 17 games. They\u2019re just outside the top five in goal differential, 32nd in the league in expected goal differential, yet are somehow in the top 10 for goals differential above expected. Translation? They\u2019re somehow playing better than they should, and right now, they\u2019re really bad. Whatever remaining credit goes to Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, whose \u201cGive A S\u2013t\u201d level has increased as of late.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott: It\u2019s starting to look like we\u2019re seeing the old Elias Pettersson return. It still feels like there\u2019s another gear or two left, but this is probably the best he\u2019s looked since signing his extension nearly two years ago. Between this and J.T. Miller\u2019s struggles, it\u2019s starting to look like the Canucks made the right choice there.<\/p>\n Record: 7-9-6, -23 Hunter: This team sucks! But as Jim Rome often says: \u201cSaying something sucks is not a take.\u201d So I will give an honest take related to this team: Credit to Justin Faulk, who just played his 1,000th career game<\/a>, becoming just the 137th defenseman in league history to reach the milestone. Faulk has six goals and 12 points in 22 games and is playing well enough that the Blues could eat half of his $6.5 million cap hit and shop him around the league, even with one year beyond the current one.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 8-13-3, -14 Scott: Would you believe me if I told you the Flames were the best defensive team this season, at least according to expected goals? Their three-game winning streak has at least proven that they\u2019re more than the disaster that they were to start the season, but they still have no scoring touch. Tanking is still the right way to go, even if management wants to plug their ears and pretend that they shouldn\u2019t try and get Gavin McKenna.<\/p>\n Record: 6-11-4, -24 Scott: The Predators only played one game last week, but it was a 3-0 loss to the top team in the league in the Avalanche, so we can probably cut them some slack. That said, Nashville has been shut out for two straight games and only has one goal in regulation in their last three, so it\u2019s still far from ideal. The clock keeps ticking on coach Andrew Brunette\u2019s job, even if GM Barry Trotz should probably be the one paying the price.<\/p>\n _____<\/p>\n POST SPONSORED BY bet365<\/p>\n _____<\/p>\n Recent Power Rankings<\/p>\n
Last Week: 10th (+1)
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 8th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 10th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 7th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 15th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 15th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 7th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 11th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 11th<\/p>\n
Last Week: 16th (+3)\u00a0
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 9th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 14th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 18th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 12th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 16th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 16th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 19th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 13th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 14th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 20th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 12th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 22nd<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 17th
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 23rd
Scott\u2019s Rank: 17th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 22nd
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Scott\u2019s Rank: 29th<\/p>\n
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Hunter\u2019s Rank: 27th
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Scott\u2019s Rank: 32nd<\/p>\n