Welcome back to the ever-popular NHL power rankings at The Hockey News. Published every Wednesday, all 32 teams will be ranked from best to worst with an emphasis on their weekly performances.
There could be as many as seven players in the running for the Hart Trophy: Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Artemi Panarin, David Pastrnak, Auston Matthews and Sidney Crosby.
The race has never been quite like this.
If you’re wondering, the closest vote for the Hart in history was in 2001-02, when Jose Theodore and Jarome Iginla tied with 434 points apiece in voting. Theodore ultimately won with more first-place votes.
Could we see something similar this season, where a tiebreaker decides the winner, or if the difference comes down to a ballot that omitted a player everyone else had voted for?
With the season drawing to a close, this week’s NHL power rankings feature an MVP pick for each team. Ultimately, we will have to wait until June 26 to see who wins.
The Rangers keep the top spot this week but maintain only a one-point lead over the second-ranked Stars in the Presidents’ Trophy race. The biggest risers are the Islanders, who somehow find themselves in third place in the Metro, with the Flyers dropping out of playoff position and mired in a brutal losing streak. Another four teams are within two points of each other in the wild-card race in the East, which will surely be decided in dramatic fashion next week.
(All fancy stats are 5-on-5 and courtesy naturalstattrick.com. CF% stands for Corsi-for percentage and xGF% represents expected goals-for percentage.)
1. New York Rangers (53-22-4, +51 goal differential. CF% league rank: 19, xGF% league rank: 23)
This is, by far, the best season Artemi Panarin has ever had, in his age-32 season and ninth in the NHL. At 116 points, so far, it’s the second-highest total ever by a Ranger in the cap era, trailing Jaromir Jagr’s 123-point campaign in 2005-06.
Related: Where Does Artemi Panarin Rank Among the NHL’s Greatest Draft-Snubbed Players Ever?
2. Dallas Stars (50-20-9, +64. CF%: 5, xGF%: 3)
The Stars have had some excellent seasons from very good players, but no player is more important than Miro Heiskanen. Despite missing some time, he’s the only Stars defenseman to average more than 21 minutes per game and plays in all situations.
Related: Joe Pavelski Will Chase the Cup and a Record After Dallas Stars Clinch NHL Playoff Berth
3. Carolina Hurricanes (50-22-7, +61. CF%: 1, xGF%: 2)
They’ve had some excellent performances from different players during different stretches, but Sebastian Aho has been the ultimate constant. He’s already set career highs in multiple categories and will surely draw some Selke votes for the fourth straight season.
4. Boston Bruins (46-18-15, +45. CF%: 24, xGF%: 18)
David Pastrnak is literally heads and shoulders above everyone else, scoring 40 more points than Brad Marchand. He is the obvious choice, though it should be noted Charlie McAvoy is arguably having the best season of his career.
5. Edmonton Oilers (47-24-5, +56. CF%: 3, xGF%: 1)
Almost 100 assists? Are you kidding me, Connor McDavid?
6. Colorado Avalanche (49-24-6, +54. CF%: 6, xGF%: 10)
There’s a sort of controlled violence to the way Nathan MacKinnon can cut through the defense and make goalies look absolutely clueless. It’s as if he plays angry all the time.
Related: Nathan MacKinnon’s Hart Trophy Case Gets Even Stronger With Elite Points and Poise
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (46-23-9, +47. CF%: 16, xGF%: 13)
Even the biggest Leafs haters will stand and clap when Auston Matthews scores his 70th. There’s a camp that believes Matthews has a stronger case to win the Hart if he can get to that milestone – hogwash. There’s no real difference between scoring 69 goals or 70, and he’s already established the highest total ever in the cap era.
8. Winnipeg Jets (48-24-6, +47. CF%: 10, xGF%: 11)
The Jets are one of the very few teams who can claim to have an MVP-caliber goalie. That’s how much of a mess goaltending has been this season. Not even the Grinch can steal the Vezina from Connor Hellebuyck.
9. Vancouver Canucks (48-22-8, +54. CF%: 11, xGF%: 9)
Does the city riot if Quinn Hughes doesn’t win the Norris? Just six seasons into his career, he’s already the best Canucks defenseman ever.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning (44-27-7, +26. CF%: 17, xGF%: 21)
It’s easy to forget Nikita Kucherov is still just 30 years old. He’s so daftly good, and the Lightning power play has been potent for so long that you forget that Kucherov is also a beast at 5-on-5 with 87 even-strength points this season, trailing only MacKinnon.
Related: NHL Three Stars: Lightning’s Stamkos and Kucherov Own the Ice along with Penguins’ Nedeljkovic
11. Nashville Predators (45-29-5, +17. CF%: 9, xGF%: 6)
The first-half MVP is Ryan O’Reilly, and the second-half MVP is a toss-up between Roman Josi and Juuse Saros. But I’m going to go off the board a little here and pick Filip Forsberg, who’s now scored 40 goals in two of his past three seasons, generated over 330 shots on net and rewrote much of the Preds’ history books.
12. Florida Panthers (49-24-6, +60. CF%: 2, xGF%: 5)
No matter what you think about his inflated power-play numbers or shooting percentages, the raw stats say Sam Reinhart has been their most important player, and there’s not much to argue against a 50-goal scorer. He’s been efficient (27 power-play goals) and clutch (nine game-winners) all season.
13. Vegas Golden Knights (42-27-8, +21. CF%: 22, xGF%: 15)
Their capologist and liberal use of LTIR. Just kidding. The Knights don’t look as strong as they did last season due to various injuries – only three players are on track to play at least 80 games – but Jonathan Marchessault has been healthy and consistently good. He’s going to get paid following a Conn Smythe win last season and a 40-goal campaign this season.
14. Los Angeles Kings (41-26-11, +37. CF%: 4, xGF%: 4)
The Kings play such a disciplined system that it’s hard to pinpoint a standout player, but Anze Kopitar continues to prove himself as the greatest King ever. (Sorry, Mr. Gretzky). Here’s the greatest stat: From his rookie season at age 19 to his current 18th season at age 36, Kopitar has led all Kings forwards in ice time per game every single year.
15. Detroit Red Wings (38-32-8, +2. CF%: 29, xGF%: 29)
Dylan Larkin is their most important player, which makes him as good a candidate as any to be their team MVP, although Lucas Raymond has been excellent, especially in Larkin’s absence. Larkin’s fourth 30-goal season ties him with Henrik Zetterberg for most in the cap era.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins (36-30-12, +4. CF%: 12, xGF%: 12)
Sidney Crosby is the Penguins. No one else comes close to the impact he has from shift to shift and from game to game.
Related: Sidney Crosby’s MVP Season Should Get Him An Award This Year — But It’s Not the Hart Trophy
17. New York Islanders (36-27-15, -21. CF%: 25, xGF%: 20)
He’s having some trouble at the finish line, but Noah Dobson has been a standout, and no one else on that blueline can come close to doing what Dobson does. He ranks ninth in ice time and sixth in points among defensemen in the league.
18. Washington Capitals (37-30-11, -40. CF%: 27, xGF%: 25)
The Caps wouldn’t be here without Charlie Lindgren’s play, but John Carlson really stands out on a very average blueline. Carlson ranks second in the league among defensemen in ice time and plays nearly five minutes more than the next highest Capital ‘D’.
19. St. Louis Blues (41-32-5, -13. CF%: 30, xGF%: 30)
Robert Thomas proved this season he belongs in the elite conversation. It’s a breakout campaign for a playmaking center who’s no longer allergic to shooting the puck.
20. Buffalo Sabres (37-37-5, -1. CF%: 14, xGF%: 22)
Tage Thompson’s goal-scoring binge came a little too late, and Rasmus Dahlin couldn’t reach the lofty expectations set last season, which leaves Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Without Luukkonen, the Sabres wouldn’t even be close to being in the playoff race. On most nights, he gave them their best chance to win. He’s ranked in the top 10 or 15 in most goalie metrics.
21. Minnesota Wild (37-32-9, -12. CF%: 20, xGF%: 16)
It’s easily Kirill Kaprizov, who almost singlehandedly drives their offense, though Joel Eriksson Ek deserves an honorable mention. Kaprizov is only the third Wild player to ever score 40 goals and the only one to do it more than once.
22. New Jersey Devils (37-37-5, -16. CF%: 7, xGF%: 8)
Jesper Bratt doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Despite a disappointing season for the team, Bratt has been healthy and consistent and has become the first Devil to score at least 70 points in three consecutive seasons in the cap era.
23. Seattle Kraken (33-31-13, -12. CF%: 13, xGF%: 14)
I’m willing to take nominations for this one, but this also highlights the problem with the Kraken right now: They don’t have a go-to marquee player. Vince Dunn might come closest, but he missed a quarter of the season, so the MVP honor defaults to goaltender Joey Daccord, who has not played since March 30.
24. Arizona Coyotes (33-40-5, -22. CF%: 21, xGF%: 24)
There’s a ton of talent on this roster, but Clayton Keller is absolutely the straw that stirs the drink in the desert. It’s his second straight 30-goal, point-per-game season, and he does it without a No. 1 center or a strong power play to pad his stats.
Related: Q&A: Coyotes’ Josh Doan Feels Right at Home, Where His Father Is the Franchise Icon
25. Ottawa Senators (34-40-4, -26. CF%: 18, xGF%: 19)
This is another tough call, but Brady Tkachuk remains the heart and soul of this team. I mean, did you see how mad he got when Nico Hischier scored that empty-net goal after the horn?! He’s all about the code! A little sarcasm aside, Tkachuk is the first Senator to score 30 goals in three consecutive seasons since the peak of the Pizza Line era.
26. Montreal Canadiens (30-36-12, -49. CF%: 28, xGF%: 26)
I keep saying it: Nick Suzuki is a superstar player, and not enough people are talking about him as such. This is the first time the Habs have had a 30-goal or 70-point scorer in five years.
27. Philadelphia Flyers (36-32-11, -29. CF%: 8, xGF%: 7)
If it was possible, John Tortorella should win both the Jack Adams and MVP. Even for someone who thought the Flyers could surprise, they’ve truly reached heights nobody thought would be possible coming into the season. But, if we had to pick a player, it’s Travis Konecny.
Related: Looking at the Bright Side of the Flyers’ Slide
28. Calgary Flames (35-37-5, -20. CF%: 15, xGF%: 17)
I think MacKenzie Weegar has had an outstanding season, but that blueline was (once) pretty stacked. Nazem Kadri, meanwhile, has low-key had an excellent season. He scored 20 goals for the third straight season and currently leads the team in assists, even-strength points, power-play goals and points and shots. He also ranks second in faceoffs taken and faceoffs won behind Mikael Backlund.
29. Chicago Blackhawks (23-49-5, -99. CF%: 32, xGF%: 31)
The only guy who can put butts in the seats: Connor Bedard.
Related: Three Chicago Blackhawks Free Agent Targets to Help Connor Bedard
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (26-41-12, -60. CF%: 23, xGF%: 27)
Welcome back, Zach Werenski. Staying healthy has helped him put up one of the best statistical seasons of his career, but once again, the Jackets struggle to win games. Honestly, if the Jackets aren’t careful, they’re going to waste all of Werenski’s prime years.
31. Anaheim Ducks (26-48-5, -89. CF%: 26, xGF%: 28)
Easy – Frank Vatrano and his breakout 30-goal season. Nobody really saw this coming, and to be fair, there wasn’t much to write home about for the Ducks. Their losses have overshadowed an impressive season from Vatrano, who didn’t get to play with a premier playmaker.
32. San Jose Sharks (18-51-9, -137. CF%: 31, xGF%: 32)
He missed some time, but Mikael Granlund was relied upon heavily in all situations and managed to create 55 points virtually out of thin air, even though he topped out at 60-something playing on much, much better teams.
Related: Last Week’s NHL Power Rankings: It’s Still Crowded at the Top, But Canucks, Avs and Panthers Tumble
Related: Opinion: Forget Tortorella – Other NHL Coaches Deserve the ’24 Jack Adams Award More
Related: Opinion: Leafs’ Auston Matthews Is All Goals and All Hart
News Summary:
- NHL Power Rankings: Each Team's MVP in a Hart Trophy Race for the Ages
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.