The Seattle Kraken won the first National Hockey League game of the New Year, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 at the 2024 NHL Winter Classic in Washington on Monday. And they made history in the process, with Joey Daccord recording his second shutout of the season, and the first ever at the Winter Classic. It was the 15th iteration of the contest, and the 39th outdoor game in NHL history.
Both the Kraken and Knights showed up in style on Monday afternoon; Seattle players wore outfits resembling Pike Place Fish Market workers, while Vegas went for the Elvis Presley costumes. A very nice touch by both teams ahead of a solid if unspectacular Winter Classic.
New Year's Day is always a great time to watch outdoor hockey, and fans will be treated to two more contests on the ODR before the conclusion of the 2023-24 NHL season. A back-to-back Stadium Series set awaits in February, to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The Flyers and Devils will take to the ice on Feb. 17, followed by a battle of New York that will pit the Rangers against the Islanders the next day.
With a small gap in ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings for the Christmas break, all 32 teams have played the equivalent of nearly two weeks of games as of Jan. 2. Thus, even more than usual, there is a plethora of movement in the first Power Rankings of the New Year. With 2023 behind us, the grind continues in earnest ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs come April. There's still a ton to decide with just over four months of the regular-season left, and here's where each team lands at the flip of the calendar.
But first, enjoy the best of the Joey Daccord show at the 2024 NHL Winter Classic:
Previous 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings: Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3| Week 2 | Week 1
1. New York Rangers (no change)
The New York Rangers took over the top spot in the NHL Power Rankings back in Week 8, and they will remain in the top spot for at least another seven days. Despite stiff competition from the teams directly below them, the Blueshirts remain 25-9-1 and first place in league standings through 35 contests. The Rangers have won three of four dating back to Dec. 23, and have opened up a seven-point lead on the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. This is a well-coached team that plays hard and is extremely familiar with each other. Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider all have the opportunity to record career-best years. And that's saying a lot for the best team in the National.
2. Boston Bruins (+1)
Despite uncharacteristically falling out of the No. 2 spot in Week 11 of the NHL Power Rankings, the Bruins are back with a vengeance — both in the PRs and Atlantic Division standings. Boston is back at the top of the division, their three wins in a row helping to build a four-point cushion on the also surging Florida Panthers. The B's are 22-7-6, haven't lost since Dec. 23, and are looking like a juggernaut again after a bit of a rough patch in December. Just one point behind the Rangers for the top spot in the National Hockey League, this team will look to get back on top in Columbus on Tuesday night.
3. Vancouver Canucks (+1)
There's been a lot of chatter in hockey circles that the Vancouver Canucks coming back down to earth is a matter of when, not if. Well, this team did come back to earth in November, rotating wins and losses in a two-week stretch that dropped them to 16-9-1 on Dec. 5. But the response was powerful in British Columbia; the Canucks have won seven of 10 since, picked up a point in nine of them, and are proving that the early season success was no fluke. Vancouver is 23-10-3 and on top of the Pacific Division, the lead remaining for at least another few days after Vegas lost to Seattle at the Winter Classic. Conor Garland, Dakota Joshua and Teddy Blueger are playing like one of the best third lines in hockey, both Casey DeSmith and Thatcher Demko are providing above average goaltending, and the stars up front are continuing to produce. The lowly Senators are in town for an all-Canadian clash on Tuesday.
4. Colorado Avalanche (+4)
After months of inconsistency, the Colorado Avalanche remain inconsistent — but they're on the upswing in Week 12. After a stretch of five losses in six games at the beginning of December, the Avs have won seven of 10 since, the exact words I just typed about the Canucks. With that, this team is back to top spot in the Central Division after wins over the Blues and Sharks at the end of the month. At 23-11-3, Colorado simply needs to find consistency to be the team to beat in the division. Could this be the only roster to send three players to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto next month? None of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen or Cale Makar should be left out.
5. Vegas Golden Knights (-3)
After a marvellous October, a decent November and a great start to December, the Golden Knights have been slumping in a huge way over the past nearly three weeks. Vegas has lost six of eight, first place in the Pacific Division and a few spots in the NHL Power Rankings. All six of those losses came in regulation, and a 22-11-5 record looks worse than it is considering this team won 11 of its first 12. Logan Thompson is going through a touch stretch of his own, and it's becoming abundantly clear how much the Golden Knights miss Adin Hill. Vegas will look to right the ship in another Stanley Cup Final rematch, this time at T-Mobile Arena against the Panthers on Thursday.
6. Winnipeg Jets (no change)
Even without Kyle Connor in the lineup, the Winnipeg Jets are finding ways to win games. Although they've conceded the top spot in the division to the Avalanche, all it would take is a single victory to get back into the top spot. Ridiculously, the Jets have secured at least a point in 12 of their last 13 games, and are looking like a legitimate contender to win the Central. Back-to-back wins over Minnesota has Winnipeg up to 22-9-4, and they'll try to leapfrog back over Colorado with a win over the Lightning at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday.
7. Dallas Stars (+2)
Enter another NHL team that has won seven of its past 10 games: the Dallas Stars. A middling end to November has been replaced by a roaring end to 2023. The Stars went from 14-7-3 to 22-9-4 in a span of just under four weeks, and a team that got within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final last May is again starting to look like that squad. With the exact same record as Winnipeg, Dallas completes the three-headed beast at the top of the Central Division. Any of those three teams could come out on top, and the Stars have a great chance, especially the way Scott Wedgewood is playing. After Jake Oettinger went down to injury early in December, the veteran netminder has started eight in a row and won six of them. This is still a Stanley Cup contender in 2024.
8. Los Angeles Kings (-3)
The LA Kings aren't playing bad hockey — not by any means — but they're struggling to win games at the prolific clip they did earlier in the campaign. This team is playing under .500 since Dec. 9, with six losses and just four wins in that span. Los Angeles is still elite on both ends of the rink, and remain in the upper echelon of both goals for and against. This uncharacteristic slump should be relieved in the New Year, although it cost them a few spots in the NHL Power Rankings. The Kings' first game of 2024 is against the Maple Leafs on Thursday.
9. Florida Panthers (+1)
It took months, but the Panthers are finally back to looking like the team that marched all the way to the Stanley Cup Final as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference last June. The Cats have won five of seven, including their biggest game of the regular season on Dec. 23. It was a win over the Golden Knights, a 4-2 victory in front of the raucous home crowd in the first matchup since Game 5 of the Finals. With three more dubs after that satisfying triumph, they'll look to win the season series against Vegas in emphatic fashion at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday night. But first, to the desert to start a four-game road trip against the Yotes on Tuesday.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (-3)
The Maple Leafs had a great month of November, but the last 31 days of 2023 were not kind to this team. Toronto just cannot keep the puck out of their net. A huge reason for that is Ilya Samsonov, who was just waived but probably should have been weeks ago. Martin Jones is playing pretty well, and he figures to be the starter until Joseph Woll returns. Still, the Leafs have lost five of six, giving up a ridiculous 28 goals in that span. The lowlight was getting hung for nine goals by the Sabres on Dec. 21, and it hasn't gotten much better since. They'll look for better results in California against the Kings, Ducks and Sharks to open their 2024 slate.
11. New York Islanders (+1)
The Islanders have rotated between losses and wins since a 5-3 defeat to the Canadiens on Dec. 16, but they've managed to pick up at least a point in 12 of their last 15. That has the Isles at 17-10-9 and fourth place in the Metro, and just a single win away from leapfrogging both the Flyers and Hurricanes. New York has the potential to be a top-10 team in the NHL, although they've struggled to build meaningful momentum throughout the latter half of December. If this team can find a way to have a little bit more success when games go past regulation — they've suffered more overtime and shootout losses than wins — there's a very good chance they finish top-three in the division come April.
12. Edmonton Oilers (+3)
The show just continues to go on for Connor McDavid and his Oilers, who have quickly forgotten about all of the early-season woes. The Jay Woodcroft era is over in Alberta, and Kris Knobluach continues to impress in his first chance as a head coach. The Oilers won eight in a row, lost three in a row, and have now opened up another winning streak, this time at five games and counting. That has Edmonton up to 18-15-1. Finally, a winning record for this Stanley Cup contender. Stuart Skinner has come around and has been a wall for his team, while the goals are coming in droves for the one of the league's more talented rosters. Now just 12 points back of the Nucks for the division lead, the Oil will look to make it six consecutive triumphs when the Flyers come to town on Tuesday.
13. Carolina Hurricanes (+3)
The Canes have been as up-and-down as any NHL team throughout the month of December. They began it with four losses in five tries, improved to .500 midway through, and finished off with four victories in six contests. Once 14-12-1, Carolina is now 20-13-4 and back to competing for the Metro division crown — as we all predicted at the beginning of the season. Three straight wins over the Predators, Habs and Leafs was a great way to ring in the New Year, and the Hurricanes will look to continue the positive momentum in a heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden vs. the Rangers on Tuesday.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (-1)
John Tortorella became one of the top-10 winningest coaches in NHL history, and coached his 1,500th game — both in the month of December. It's unfortunate that his Flyers lost four of five games to limp into 2024. Philadelphia is still 19-12-5 and third place in the Metro, but it was a tough way to end the year. This team is just a few weeks removed from a stretch where it won seven of eight, and it'll be looking for that kind of success again in January. That begins in Edmonton against the surging Oilers on Tuesday.
15. New Jersey Devils (-4)
The Devils have been hanging around over the past two weeks, but haven't quite looked like a juggernaut, even with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier back in the lineup. The absence of Dougie Hamilton looms large, as does the below-average goaltending continuing to be seen in Newark. New Jersey has lost four of seven despite a three game winning streak, and remain in sixth place in the Metro. There is a ton of potential for this to be a top-10 team again — both in the standings and ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings — but that hasn't materialized just yet. This team badly needs a capable goaltender, and right now, Vitek Vanecek is not that. Maybe rookie Nico Dawes will get a longer look after a convincing 6-2 win over the Senators in his first start of the campaign.
16. Tampa Bay Lightning (+2)
It took some time, but Andrei Vasilevskiy is looking back to normal for the Bolts as they continue to chase the Bruins for the division lead. They're nine points back, but have been better of late, winning four of six games dating back to Dec. 19. Nikita Kucherov continues to lead the league in points, and is making a legitimate Hart Trophy case in 2023-24. But Tampa Bay needs more from the periphery, and that limits the upside of what has been a perennial Stanley Cup contender in the 2020s. A three-game road trip begins in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
17. Nashville Predators (no change)
Steady as she goes for the Preds, who are in a playoff spot in 2024. That in itself is a huge win for this franchise, but there's belief that there will be playoff hockey in Smashville this year after a rare miss in 2023. The top line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist continues to drive the bus, while solid defense and above-average goaltending from Juuse Saros has this squad at 20-16-1 after a shootout win over the Capitals in their last game of the calendar year. The work continues against Connor Bedard's Hawks on Tuesday.
18. Detroit Red Wings (-4)
Although Patrick Kane is looking like a phenomenal signing in the Motor City, it isn't translating to wins for the Red Wings. Showtime has scored five goals and 11 points in his last seven games, and Detroit has won just two of them. The Wings have been battered by injuries, with JT Compher and Dylan Larkin notably missing time. But they're now nearly fully healthy, and there aren't many more excuses to be made for a team that has lost 10 games in 13 tries. Now just over .500 at 17-16-4, Detroit has fallen to fifth in the division ahead of a three-game California trip that will take them through San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim this week.
19. Arizona Coyotes (+2)
One minute Connor Ingram is the guy, and the next it's Karel Vejmelka who is excelling in the desert. But with two goalies playing great hockey, it's helped the Coyotes win six of seven games after a four-game slide. Three of those wins were shutouts, proving again how valuable an effective one-two punch is between the pipes. Like the Preds, the Yotes are in a playoff spot in 2024, which is a monumental achievement. But ask anyone on the roster, and they'll say getting into the postseason in April is the expectation. At an impressive 19-14-2 at the start of the New Year, a five-game homestand begins with the Panthers in town on Tuesday.
20. Minnesota Wild (no change)
The Minnesota Wild have been on a heater since Nov. 28, winning 11 of 16 games in that stretch to improve to 16-15-4 on the campaign, a much better record than when Dean Evason was fired. Still, the Wild have lost two games in a row, and lost two key players in Kirill Kaprizov and Filip Gustavsson. Kirill the Thrill will be out 1-2 weeks, while Gustavsson is still being evaluated and could be on the shelf for longer. Those are two monumental losses, and how Minnesota responds over the next few weeks could be the difference between postseason hockey in April, or the golf course in May. The Flames are in Saint Paul on Tuesday.
21. Washington Capitals (-2)
The Capitals were winning a lot of games they probably shouldn't have, and they're now losing a lot of games they probably should. Washington is in the midst of a four-game slide, and have lost nine of 14 dating back to Dec. 2. A 17-11-6 record through 34 games in not too bad at all, although it has the Caps just outside of the playoff picture at the start of 2024. They truly look like a toss-up to get in at this point, and they need a lot more goals from Alexander Ovechkin over the next four months. Washington is in Pittsburgh for a Metro division battle on Tuesday.
22. Seattle Kraken (+7)
I'll admit I was starting to think the season was lost for the Kraken when they fell to 8-14-7 on Dec. 10. Instead, they haven't lost in regulation since. Enter Joey Daccord, who has been lights out ever since taking over the starting job, helping this Seattle team open up a five-game heater after the Winter Classic triumph. Daccord made NHL history by shutting out the faltering Golden Knights, and Yanni Gourde said in his post-game interview that this was starting to mesh into the roster that won 46 games last season. The Kraken are now above .500 at 15-14-9, and have confidence they can continue the climb up both the Pacific Division and NHL Power Rankings standings in 2024.
23. St. Louis Blues (-1)
The Blues are the epitome of a .500 team, and they've showed it through 36 games in 2023-24. At 18-17-1, St. Louis has never won more than three in a row, nor lost more than four. This is certainly a roster that can make the playoffs, but it isn't looking promising in a division that is now much more competitive. The Preds and Coyotes are surprising, the Avalanche, Stars and Jets are all elite teams, and there are only so many postseason berths. The Blues have lost two games in a row, and things are about to get incredibly difficult. St. Louis will begin a gauntlet of 2024 against Vancouver, Carolina, Florida, NYR and Boston in the next two weeks.
24. Pittsburgh Penguins (+2)
Although the Penguins are still a disappointment in 2023-24, and ahead of just the lowly Blue Jackets in the Metropolitan Division, they closed 2023 strong with three straight wins and seven victories in nine tries dating back to Dec. 12. Like the Caps, the record isn't bad; an 18-13-4 pace should be enough to compete for a postseason spot. There is a lot of work to do, but it's also ridiculous that the top seeded Rangers and No. 7 Pens are separated by just 11 points. A continued surge into 2024 could quickly get Sidney Crosby's team back into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
25. Calgary Flames (-2)
The Flames continue to hang around the Western Conference playoff race at 15-16-1, but there probably isn't much confidence in a roster that will look a lot different after the NHL Trade Deadline in March. Like the Blues, this figures to be a .500 team all season, and a postseason berth is a longshot. It'll be intriguing to see if Elias Lindholm gets dealt, and what the potential return is if so. Other than that, there's not too much going on in Calgary as the calendar flips to 2024.
26. Montreal Canadiens (-1)
Despite being a tough team to play against and not taking any nights off, the Habs haven't been able to string together more than two wins in a row this season. And they lost their last three of 2023. Each of Cayden Primeau, Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault was in net for one of those losses, and it'll be intriguing to see how long it takes for one of Montreal's tendies to get dealt. As it stands, the Canadiens are limping in 2024 at 15-16-5, and will need a herculean few months to get back into the playoffs for the first time since advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
27. Ottawa Senators (-3)
It's been an absolute train wreck in Canada's capital since mid-December. The Senators were already 11-12 before going on a six-game losing streak that caused captain Brady Tkachuk to say “I don't think I've felt worse in my life” after a 6-4 loss to Colorado on Dec. 21. On the bright side, Ottawa finished the year strong, winning three of four games and scoring 16 goals in that span. But entering the New Year, the Sens are dead last in the Atlantic, and that's a disaster for a team that had legitimate playoff aspirations. Those haven't been totally dashed, but at 14-18-0, it's going to take an incredible resurgence to even get close to a berth.
28. Buffalo Sabres (-1)
It's now probably safe to say that the 2022-23 Sabres are a completely different team than the roster that is hitting the ice this season. Most of the personnel is the same, but the results most certainly aren't. Buffalo is floundering, their latest loss a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Senators. This team is 13-19-4 and just seems to have a piece missing, although no one seems to know what it is. With seven losses in 11 tries, the season is slowly slipping away in Western New York.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets (+1)
There truly isn't too much to say about a Blue Jackets team that seems ready to look to 2024-25 after captain Boone Jenner fractured his jaw. Columbus is the worst team in the Metropolitan Division, and not by a little. At 12-18-8, there aren't too many silver linings that can be drawn from the first half of the season, and that's especially true after Zach Werenski got hurt again. Jenner and Werenski are undoubtedly the two most important players on this roster, and they'll be watching from the press box for at least the next few weeks. The big bad Bruins are in town on Tuesday.
30. Anaheim Ducks (+1)
The Ducks have easily been the worst team in the NHL since Nov. 15, winning just four games in a month-and-a-half stretch — and one of them came in a shootout. Anaheim's game log is just dominated by Ls, with a few Ws sprinkled in here and there. That has earned this team a truly awful 13-23 record, which would be last in the league if it wasn't for the Hawks and Sharks. Trevor Zegras' three points in four games since returning from injury is encouraging, but there really isn't anything else to write home about after that. The Ducks are already looking to the draft.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (+1)
The Hawks are also looking to the 2024 NHL Draft, but unlike the Ducks, they have something to cheer about in the present. That of course is Connor Bedard, who is getting better and better and now leads all rookies with 15 goals and 33 points in 36 games. The rookie phenom is a treat to watch every single game, from pulling lacrosse-style goals to celebrating his first overtime game-winner with the Vince Carter “It's over” celebration. Chicago fans know this season is a lost cause; an 11-23-2 record will do that to ya. But it's the Connor Bedard show for the last 46 games of the 2023-24 season.
32. San Jose Sharks (-4)
The Sharks tried to fool us into thinking they were anything but a No. 32 team, but the course has unfortunately corrected itself in California. San Jose went on an encouraging run, winning 6-of-9 games between Nov. 25 and Dec. 12. But the sky has fallen again, and the Sharks haven't won since. Eight losses in a row has San Jose firmly back in last place in National Hockey League standings, as well as the all-too-familiar basement of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings. One of the Ducks, Hawks or Sharks will almost certainly occupy the No. 32 spot for the rest of the season, and they'll duke it out for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft while hockey fans turn their attention to what is shaping up to be a thrilling playoff race in 2024.
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