Christmas is almost here and that means it’s time for your favorite team to start making its list for Santa.
Some teams have longer lists than others and some have more realistic asks. We don’t judge, we just report here at Power Rankings HQ. Well, one of us anyway. Sean is currently lurking on a hill above Who(ckey)ville plotting a way to steal hockey Christmas, so he needed the week off. You’re stuck with just Dom this week, sorry.
Anyway, here’s every team’s top Christmas wish and here’s hoping Santa brings them exactly that under their franchise tree this season.
1. Colorado Avalanche, 22-2-7
Last week: 1
Christmas wish: A plaque that says “best team ever”
With 51 points in 31 games, the Avalanche are on pace for 134.9 — right in line with Boston’s record set three years ago. Amazingly, Colorado has a real shot at breaking it. In order to get the plaque, though, they’ll need to do what the Bruins couldn’t: Actually make it matter. The Stanley Cup putting an exclamation point on the best regular season ever would leave no doubt. For a team that’s stacked across the roster, this is the only thing the Avalanche want. Well, other than a power play that works, of course.
2. Dallas Stars, 21-6-5
Last week: 2
Christmas wish: A couple of top nine forwards
With Tyler Seguin likely done for the year and Mavrik Bourque not quite progressing as expected, Dallas’ forward group sure looks a lot thinner than usual. With Alex Petrovic ascending to competency in the top four on the backend, Dallas’ biggest need has shifted to help up front.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning, 18-11-2
Last week: 4
Christmas wish: Brayden Points
Brayden Point returned from injury this week and did something he hadn’t done since his first game of the season: Put up a multi-point game. Two days later, he did it again. Hopefully, that signifies Point is back — he had just eight points in the previous 21 games.
4. Carolina Hurricanes, 19-9-2
Last week: 6
Christmas wish: An offensive star
Hey, look at that, same thing the Hurricanes ask for every year! Maybe this year the Hurricanes will actually get the real thing instead of a guy that didn’t stay (Jake Guentzel), a guy they had to exchange (Mikko Rantanen) or a guy that hasn’t lived up to expectations (Nikolaj Ehlers).
5. Washington Capitals, 18-9-4
Last week: 3
Christmas wish: Respect from the model
Folks, Christmas came early! Washington currently ranks fifth in Stanley Cup chances behind Colorado, Tampa Bay, Vegas and Dallas. Hooray! It finally happened! Welcome to the contender Capitals era.
6. Minnesota Wild, 17-9-5
Last week: 5
Christmas wish: Offense from the blue line
Only three teams had fewer points from their blue line than Minnesota’s 50 going into Thursday’s games. The Wild are also the only team without a single defenseman projected to have an above-average Offensive Rating. Yuck. After starting the season with eight points in 10 games, Zeev Buium has just five in 20 games since.
7. Vegas Golden Knights, 15-6-9
Last week: 8
Christmas wish: An overtime playbook
Somehow, some way, Vegas already has nine loser points to its name and is on pace for 25 this year. The NHL record is 18 and the Golden Knights are already halfway there, going 3-6 during three-on-three and 1-3 during the shootout. It’s time to figure this one out, Bruce. Can’t expect the other team to just give you the puck every time.
8. Anaheim Ducks, 19-11-1
Last week: 10
Christmas wish: Defense for Dummies
Randy Carlyle, Bob Murray, Dallas Eakins, Greg Cronin and now Joel Quenneville. It doesn’t matter who’s been behind the bench, the Ducks have struggled to defend for far too long. Even amidst the team’s rise this season, defense has felt optional most nights. Anaheim’s xGA/60 sits second last this season behind only Vancouver. It’s time to get every player on the team the latest in the “for Dummies” series and figure out what to do without the puck.
9. New York Islanders, 18-11-3
Last week: 11
Christmas wish: An Olympic invitation for the kid
Since writing about Matthew Schaefer’s Olympic candidacy a few weeks ago, he’s continued to build his case that he belongs on Team Canada. Over the last 11 games, Schaefer has continued to play shutdown minutes and has earned 54.5 percent of the expected goals while outscoring teams 10-5 in the process. By Net Rating, Schaefer now rates as one of the league’s 10 best (!) defensemen. Bring him.
10. Los Angeles Kings, 14-8-8
Last week: 13
Christmas wish: A finishing touch
As usual, the Kings are a tough team to score on. They’re also a tough team to bet on scoring. The Kings are bottom five this year in goals scored above expected, struggling to finish on their fair share of chances. The Kings have just two players scoring above a 25-goal pace and only one, Kevin Fiala with 11 in 30 games, at a 30-goal pace. And just barely, too.
11. Philadelphia Flyers, 16-9-4
Last week: 7
Christmas wish: An opportunity for Matvei Michkov
Sure, Michkov hasn’t been at his best during his sophomore season. But you’d think a player who put up 63 points in his rookie season would be getting more than 15 minutes per night. Michkov is playing two fewer minutes per game despite his on-ice metrics remaining strong and a high enough points-per-60. For a team whose power play isn’t good, does it really make sense to only be giving Michkov 48 percent of the minutes?
12. Montreal Canadiens, 16-11-3
Last week: 15
Christmas wish: A franchise goalie
Boy, did Jacob Fowler look great in his NHL debut. The Canadiens got out-chanced, again, but this time their goaltending was up to the task. Fowler saved 2.2 goals above expected last night, looking every bit as good as his pedigree.
13. Boston Bruins, 19-13-0
Last week: 20
Christmas wish: A Rocket Richard
I truly hope Morgan Geekie never stops scoring. He’s up to 22 goals in 32 games, a disgusting 56-goal pace that puts him behind only Nathan MacKinnon. If he pulls off a Rocket Richard win, it may be one of the most surprising wins in its history.
14. Detroit Red Wings, 17-12-3
Last week: 19
Christmas wish: Two defensemen with a pulse
Moritz Seider is having an electric season that will surely warrant some heavy Norris consideration. Simon Edvinsson is blossoming before our eyes into a true top pair defenseman alongside him. If the Red Wings could get just two more guys who have at least heard of defense, they might start cooking with gas. It’s amazing that the Red Wings are where they are in the standings given what happens anytime the top two defensemen leave the ice.
15. Pittsburgh Penguins, 14-8-7
Last week: 9
Christmas wish: A top four defenseman?
Remember the start of the season when the Penguins weren’t expected to be very good and looked likely to be one of the league’s biggest sellers? Well, it’s fair to wonder 30 games in: Could they be … buyers?!
If one more playoff run is on the line for Sidney Crosby and the gang, why not? Should the Penguins keep this up and go that route, their biggest need is probably a top four defenseman. The forwards look solid, the goaltending has stood tall, and the team has three effective defenders who can play top four minutes. Shift Ryan Shea down the lineup and the Penguins could be feisty.
16. Edmonton Oilers, 14-11-6
Last week: 22
Christmas wish: The fountain of youth
One of the main reasons it didn’t seem wise for Connor McDavid to sign with the Oilers before the season was the potential impact of Father Time on the roster. It’s too late for takebacks now, but we’re starting to see that manifest throughout one of the league’s oldest rosters. The team is getting back on track a little bit, but as a whole, the roster looks worse than last year’s version and some of that can be traced to age-based decline.
If Santa’s elves can’t come up with a fountain of youth, I guess the usual ask for a goalie will have to do.
17. Toronto Maple Leafs, 14-11-5
Last week: 18
Christmas wish: Auston Matthews’ patented wrist shot
Sometimes you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone.
18. Florida Panthers, 15-13-2
Last week: 24
Christmas wish: Playoff Bobrovsky
The Panthers are still controlling play to their usual high degree, but with a 15-13-2 record, they’re not turning that into wins to their usual degree. Sergei Bobrovsky struggling is a big part of that: Only four starters have a worse GSAx this season. These games matter more than usual for the Panthers, it’s time for Bobrovsky to act like it.
19. New Jersey Devils, 17-13-1
Last week: 12
Christmas wish: Quinn Hughes
Doesn’t a Hughes brothers Christmas sound nice?
Without question, New Jersey’s biggest need is a true No. 1 defenseman. Quinn solves that problem, and then some. His presence bumps the Devils up several tiers, though even he might not be able to save the current mess they’re in.
Next on the list: A do-over on the puzzling Jacob Markstrom extension. Oof.
20. New York Rangers, 15-13-4
Last week: 17
Christmas wish: The real JT Miller
The “real” JT Miller has always been a bit hard to pin down because his play tends to oscillate heavily. Right now, the Rangers are getting the bad version with just 18 points in 30 games. That’s a far cry from the 35 in 32 he scored when he came over last season. A lot of Rangers are struggling to score, but the captain has been among the worst.
21. Ottawa Senators, 14-12-4
Last week: 14
Christmas wish: A save on the penalty kill
The Senators currently sit second in the league in expected goals allowed per 60 on the penalty kill. They also sit second last in actual goals allowed per 60 thanks to an ugly .801 save percentage. Some better goaltending in general wouldn’t hurt, but it’s been especially felt while down a man.
22. Columbus Blue Jackets, 13-12-6
Last week: 16
Christmas wish: Last year’s version of Sean Monahan
Sean Monahan’s resurgence last season was unbelievable, but like most things that are hard to believe, they don’t last. Monahan’s point pace has dropped from 87 to 46 and his five-on-five metrics have sunk heavily. Columbus could sure use last year’s version right about now.
23. Utah Mammoth, 14-15-3
Last week: 21
Christmas wish: Nick Schmaltz’s one-month hot streak to last one whole season
It seems like every year there’s a one-month period where Nick Schmaltz decides he’s one of the best players alive. This year, that happened right off the jump with an October where Schmaltz had 17 points in 11 games — tied for fifth in the league. In the 21 games since, Schmaltz has just nine points.
Maybe one of these years, Schmaltz puts it together for an entire calendar year. Probably not, but we can dream.
24. San Jose Sharks, 15-14-3
Last week: 26
Christmas wish: An entire top pair
Some nerds see Macklin Celebrini’s shockingly poor 38.5 percent xG and see a flawed superstar due to regress. I see a poor young soul who has to share the ice with ghosts of Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg, Nick Leddy and Mario Ferraro. This team desperately needs two true top pair defensemen, if only so Celebrini stops having to suffer like this. Imagine how many points he could get if he didn’t spend so much time chasing the puck because of who he plays with?
25. Chicago Blackhawks, 13-11-6
Last week: 25
Christmas wish: A Robin for Bedard-man
Connor McDavid has Leon Draisaitl. Sidney Crosby has Evgeni Malkin. Connor Bedard has… uhh… Frank Nazar? Tyler Bertuzzi? For now, the options aren’t great. Anton Frondell is on the way and the Blackhawks have some other intriguing pieces on the horizon, too. But considering how good Bedard has been this season, it would be nice if someone else stepped up as a sidekick until that happens.
26. Buffalo Sabres, 13-14-4
Last week: 28
Christmas wish: Fewer empty net goals against
Fun stat: When Buffalo has its net empty looking to tie the game, the Sabres are being outscored 12-1 this season. Last year, they were outscored 25-10. No team has allowed more empty net goals against and has a worse goal differential than the Sabres over the last two seasons. No comebacks, just pure demoralization.
27. Seattle Kraken, 12-10-6
Last week: 23
Christmas wish: A large hook that keeps Chandler Stephenson off the ice
I don’t know what it is that makes the Kraken use Chandler Stephenson so much in such difficult minutes, but the team needs to be saved from itself. This year is going even worse than last year, where Stephenson is down to a league-worst 35 percent xG and an almost league-worst 3.58 xGA/60. The Kraken are willingly giving him 20 minutes a night. A large hook could prevent this.
28. Calgary Flames, 12-16-4
Last week: 32
Christmas wish: Some more losses
The Flames are getting hot, going 7-3-1 of late. A little too hot if they know what’s good for them. Calgary started the season looking like a lock to nab a top three pick. That’s started to slip away a bit thanks to this recent hot stretch. The Flames are still a heavy favorite to land a top five pick this season at 67 percent, but it was closer to 77 percent at the start of that streak.
29. Nashville Predators, 12-14-4
Last week: 30
Christmas wish: More StammerTime
Who knew ol’ Steven Stamkos still had it in him? Stamkos had a four-goal game against the Blues, giving him eight goals in his last eight games. He had just four in 22 before that. Is Stamkos back? Probably not, but it would be a nice story for a team in desperate need of anything good happening to them.
30. Winnipeg Jets, 14-15-1
Last week: 27
Christmas wish: A real 2C
As many predicted, the whole Jonathan Toews 2C experience was a disaster waiting to happen. He’s down to the fourth line (where many also predicted he belonged) and that’s left the Jets with ol’ reliable Vladislav Namestnikov taking over the reins behind Mark Scheifele. Not great! A swift return for Connor Hellebuyck might be the wish on most people’s minds, but even with him, this team is a mess.
31. St. Louis Blues, 11-14-7
Last week: 29
Christmas wish: Last year’s Montgomery magic
Things are so bad in St. Louis that even I feel bad. You guys let this version of Steven Stamkos drop four on you and this version of the Predators score seven? That’s bleak.
The vibe shift between last season and now has been absolutely colossal and maybe that’s for the best. This franchise could use a high-end draft pick to add to the current re-tool.
32. Vancouver Canucks, 11-17-3
Last week: 31
Christmas wish: A massive haul for Quinn Hughes
It cannot be overstated how much the Canucks need to extort as much value as possible in a Quinn Hughes trade considering he may be the best asset to hit the market in the cap era. It also cannot be overstated enough how much this Canucks franchise feels absolutely incapable of meeting that moment with competence. Colleague Thomas Drance had a great breakdown of that.