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From the Sportlogik staff (@Sportlogik)
The NHL season is a few weeks old, so it’s time for the first edition of our weekly Power Rankings.
We use a weighted approach that rates teams based on goal difference, expected goal difference, recent performance and strength of schedule. The goal is to let you know how the teams did and how we expect them to do in the coming weeks.
Our best team right now is St. Louis Blues. The Blues have played the fewest games of any team, but you can’t ignore the results.
St. Louis is a perfect 3-0-0 with wins over Columbus, Seattle and Edmonton. The workload gets bigger this week with games against the Jets, Oilers, Predators and Canadiens. The Blues sit in the top five in goals scored and expected goal difference, so the process looks as strong as the results.
Our top-ranked Canadian team, the Ottawa Senators, ranks 10th overall in our rankings.
Sens fans had high hopes for their team after the additions of Alec DeBrinket and Claude Giroux, and the team has delivered so far. Ottawa is averaging 4.2 goals per game, fourth in the NHL. As mentioned, process matters in our rankings and the Senators currently have the second best expected goal differential in the league.
Team captain Brady Tkachuk leads the offense with eight points, tied for 10th in the league. Tkachuk continues to be one of the best in the league at creating high-quality chances from his 14 slots, ranking ninth in the NHL.
Next up are the Calgary Flames, who take the 11th spot on our list. The Flames have won four of five games to start the season despite their goaltending not being at the level we’re used to seeing. Calgary ranks 24th in goals against at minus-3.1. It’s still early and with a few strong performances in net, we expect the Flames to rise up our list soon.
In 12th place are the Toronto Maple Leafs. There has already been plenty of drama surrounding the Leafs despite their respectable 4-2-0 record. Ilya Samsonov has been solid in net since taking over for the injured Matt Murray. The Leafs rank 23rd in goals per game despite creating plenty of quality chances. Expect Auston Matthews and company to start finding the back of the net more and for the Leafs to climb into the top 10 of our list as early as next week.
The Edmonton Oilers are 19th overall in our inaugural rankings. The 2-3-0 Oilers are in the middle of the pack in goals and expected goal differential and rank 20th in total isolated goaltending (goals saved above expected). The power play is as dangerous as ever, clicking at 35.3 percent, however, more five-on-five offense will be needed for the Oilers to move up on our list. Edmonton is averaging one five-on-five goal per game, tied with the Coyotes for last in the NHL.
The 3-3-0 Montreal Canadiens make their debut on our list at No. 25. The Habs have posted a respectable record considering they have the worst expected goal differential of any team. Wins may be few and far between this season, but this Canadiens team is proving that there won’t be any turnovers and they’ve certainly been entertaining. Cole Coffield has four goals in six games and Arber Dzekaj is fast becoming a hometown favorite.
The Winnipeg Jets are ranked 26th overall, having won two of their first five games. The Jets rank 26th in scored goal differential and 24th in expected goal differential. It’s early, but the question remains whether Winnipeg could improve defensively. Winnipeg has allowed 3.4 goals per game, 24th overall, and ranks in the bottom 10 in expected goals against, slots and shots from the inside slot.
The NHL’s only winless team is last in the standings, but if it’s any consolation to Vancouver Canucks fans, their team is ranked 30th in our rankings. An expected goal differential of 19 won’t make fans feel any better, but we don’t expect the Canucks to be the best this season.
Everything that could go wrong did for the Canucks, highlighted by their NHL-record number of multiple-goal leads lost early in the season. However, the Canucks defense looks like that will be a problem as currently constructed. Vancouver has been losing chances for several years and currently ranks 29th in goals and 27th in rushing chances per game. The Canucks will be in for a tough game tonight against a relentlessly aggressive Carolina Hurricanes team.
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