For the first time in over a decade, the 2024 NHL All-Star Game will be played north of the border. Next weekend, the premier players from across the National Hockey League will descend on the place where the first ASG game took place over 70 years ago: Toronto, Canada.
And the league is looking to create a unique experience this time around. This will be the first year that the four-team, three-on-three format used since 2016 will be combined with the ‘fantasy draft' format that was used earlier in the 2010s. The draft will kick off the weekend on Thursday, followed by the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Friday and, of course, Saturday's All-Star Game.
The last time an ASG was played in Canada, Minnesota Wild legend Marian Gaborik was earning MVP honors in Ottawa back in 2012. Just over 14 years later, the best the league has to offer will showcase their abilities at Scotiabank Arena between Feb. 1-3 — the ninth time Toronto will host the event.
To further enhance the always-exciting player draft, each of the four team captains will be accompanied by a celebrity. For Team McDavid, it's actor and comedian Will Arnett. Team MacKinnon will be joined by singer Tate McRae, while Team Hughes (featuring co-captains Jack and Quinn) gets singer and longtime Vancouver Canucks fan Michael Buble. And for Team Matthews, it's the one and only Justin Bieber. Should make for an intriguing draft on Thursday night (and here's everything you need to know about the skills competition).
But before a well-deserved break, there is still hockey to be played in Week 16. Not much of it, but every game is crucial for a lot of teams down the stretch. That's especially true for both the Senators and Predators — the only clubs in action on Monday. That tilt will be proceeded by two more games on Tuesday, followed by a three-contest slate on Wednesday. After that, there won't be an NHL game until the Avalanche and Rangers meet for a heavyweight duel at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 5.
If you're wondering how you're going to survive four days without hockey, trust me, you aren't the only one. Here's the latest edition of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings.
Previous 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings: Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3| Week 2 | Week 1
1. Vancouver Canucks (no change)
The Canucks found themselves down 4-1 to the lowly Blue Jackets in their final game before the All-Star break on Saturday, and all signs pointed to the end of their short run at the top of the NHL Power Rankings. But after a thrilling third period comeback that culminated in a 5-4 overtime victory, Vancouver finished the month of January a ridiculous 10-1-2, losing just one game in regulation and remaining at the top of league standings. A 33-11-5 record is beyond the wildest dreams for fans of this club, and there's a legitimate chance this roster can eclipse the franchise-best regular-season set in the heyday of the Sedins in 2010-11. The Canucks picked up at least a point in every game they played in Week 15, and they'll be sending a league-best five players to Toronto next weekend. Very well-deserved for All-Stars Thatcher Demko, Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser, who make up the core of the best team in the NHL through four months.
2. Boston Bruins (no change)
The Bruins are without a doubt the best team in the Eastern Conference, and they're neck-and-neck with the Canucks at the peak of the NHL Power Rankings. Boston picked up six of a possible eight points in Week 15 as the heater continues for Jim Montgomery's team. After back-to-back victories in Ottawa and Philadelphia, the B's have won seven of eight to improve to 31-9-9 and retain a five-point lead on the surging Panthers for the No. 1 spot in the conference. The Bruins will enjoy a well-earned All-Star break, and won't be back in action again until welcoming the Flames to TD Garden on Feb. 6.
3. Edmonton Oilers (+2)
It was only a matter of time before the Oilers cracked the top-three of the NHL Power Rankings, and it finally came to pass in Week 16. That's what happens when Edmonton goes on a 16-win heater that has them a single victory away from tying the longest winning streak in NHL history. That was set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins, who were led by Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, but were unable to win a third straight Stanley Cup. Is 2023-24 the year for Connor McDavid and his Oilers? This team clean swept the Blue Jackets, Blackhawks and Predators in Week 15, moving to 29-15-1 and just 12 points back of the Canucks for the top spot in the West — with four games in hand. Edmonton won't play again until they try to enter NHL lore on Feb. 6. in Las Vegas. If the Oil can get the victory on the strip, every eye in hockey will turn to a monumental matchup between the Oilers and Ducks in Anaheim on Feb. 9.
4. Colorado Avalanche (-1)
The Avalanche didn't do anything to earn a bump down the NHL Power Rankings — that's just the reality when Edmonton wins 16 straight. Still, Colorado had a great Week 15, absolutely pummelling Philadelphia, Washington and Los Angeles, in that order. The Avs smoked the Flyers 7-4, crushed the Capitals 6-2 and kicked an already-down Kings team, 5-1. With that, they retained the top spot in the Central Division, holding a precarious one-point lead on the Stars (and two on the Jets). Now at 32-14-3, three Avs players will head north to Toronto for All-Star festivities before the team is back in action against the Rangers at MSG next Monday.
5. Winnipeg Jets (-2)
Finally, the Jets have fallen back down to earth — sort of. Winnipeg are losers of three straight, not having the greatest time of it against fellow Canadian teams. The Leafs beat the Jets twice in Week 15, a 1-0 overtime final on Wednesday followed up by a 4-2 victory three days later. That followed a 4-1 loss to the powerhouse Bruins, and some simple math will reveal the three goals this team scored in that span. With Kyle Connor now healthy, that's obviously not ideal. Winnipeg still heads into the All-Star break with a phenomenal 30-12-5 record, but they'll be looking for better results starting next Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
6. Florida Panthers (+1)
At no point during the 2022-23 regular-season did the Florida Panthers seem like legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. They barely made the playoffs, after all. But we all know what happened next. And the regular-season version of this Cats team is looking much more like the 2023 postseason. That's fantastic news in Sunrise, especially with the team fully healthy. Florida won all four of its last four games ahead of the All-Star break, dispatching the Preds, Coyotes, Penguins and Islanders. A combination of 16 goals for and seven against in that span is a clear recipe for success, and Paul Maurice's club is buying in. Now just five points back of the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference, the work continues — after the break — when the Flyers visit Amerant Bank Arena next Tuesday.
7. Dallas Stars (+1)
The Stars are knocking on the door of returning to the NHL Power Rankings top-five for the first time in several weeks. That's because Dallas hasn't lost since Jan. 21, scoring 14 goals over three consecutive wins against the Red Wings (5-4), Ducks (4-3 in OT) and Capitals (5-4 in OT). Obviously, not the cleanest way to win hockey games, but points are points. And how about former No. 18 overall pick Thomas Harley, who scored the winner against Anaheim and did it again against Washington two days later. It's not every day you see a defenseman scoring back-to-back overtime winners, and you can bet Harley will be enjoying his All-Star break. Next week, the battle with the Avs and Jets for the Central Division lead continues.
8. New York Rangers (-2)
What an outrageous fall from grace its been for the Blueshirts over the last few weeks. A staple in the No. 1 NHL Power Rankings slot for over a month, the Rangers are close to playing themselves out of the top-10. Although they salvaged Week 15 with a come-from-behind, 7-2 drubbing of the lowly Senators, it came on the heels of four losses in five tries. Not counting Ottawa, New York has scored just 11 goals in five games, while doing a bad job of keeping it out of their net. Something is clearly wrong in the Big Apple, and the All-Star break couldn't have come at a better time for this club. The lead over the Hurricanes for the Metropolitan Division crown is now just two, and Peter Laviolette's team isn't inspiring confidence to keep pace with surging Carolina. Flip Chytil suffering a setback that will cost him the rest of the 2023-24 campaign is just awful as well.
9. Carolina Hurricanes (+2)
Surging Carolina is right. The Hurricanes have fully meshed into a Stanley Cup contender, with wins in three straight and six of eight. After struggling mightily for long stretches of the year — and even being waived at one point — Antti Raanta has settled in nicely in the crease as of late. He led his team to two of their three victories in Week 15, allowing just three goals while watching the offense do just enough in 3-2 and 3-1 wins over the Devils and Coyotes, respectively. A five-game homestand continues against the Canucks, Avalanche and Devils after the All-Star break, and this could be the last full week of Rod Brind'Amour's team not owning the No. 1 berth in the Metropolitan. They look like the clear favorites to win the division at this point.
10. Vegas Golden Knights (-1)
After a brutal stretch that lingered through the back half of December, the Golden Knights have completely turned things around over the last two weeks of January. Vegas is 7-3-1 since Jan. 6, returning to form even without the services of Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore. The new top line of Nicolas Roy, Jonathan Marchessault and Ivan Barbashev has been lights out, with the three forwards leading the way in wins over the Islanders and Rangers. Marchessault recorded his seventh career hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the latter. With Adin Hill now healthy — and with two straight wins under his belt — the Knights are looking hungry to chase down the Canucks. An absolutely monumental Pacific Division clash awaits against the Oilers next Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (-1)
All eyes in hockey will descend on The Six this weekend, with All-Star festivities returning to the place where it all started back in 1947. And the Leafs couldn't have asked for a better week before the break, following up four-in-five losses with impressive wins over the Kraken and Jets (x2) in Week 15. Ilya Samsonov seems to have put his early-season woes in the rearview mirror; the Russian was lights out in back-to-back victories over Winnipeg, even shutting out one of the league's best teams in the first half. Add a 3-1 masterclass win over Seattle and you have a goalie who has his confidence back. Leafs fans will be in good spirits ahead of what should be an electric All-Star Weekend at Scotiabank Arena. Also, we need to get Justin Bieber back on the ice.
12. Tampa Bay Lightning (+1)
Nikita Kucherov is back to leading the NHL in scoring (for now), and the Bolts are winners of eight-of-nine. This team is on an irrefutable journey up the Eastern Conference leaderboard, and are now finally back in a top-three spot in the Atlantic Division. They've also reduced Boston's lead to just 12 points for the top spot after three straight wins over the Flyers, Coyotes and Devils in Week 15. Interestingly, all three of those scores were 6-3, and Andrei Vasilevskiy was the winning goalie in all of them. For those who thought this would be the season the core started to falter in Tampa Bay, they're proving there's still some juice left in the tank. With the All-Star break probably coming at a bad time for the red hot Lightning, it'll seem like forever until they're back in action again. Actually, it's only 11 days between Saturday's win and next Wednesday's tilt with the Rangers in New York.
13. Detroit Red Wings (+1)
Besides Patrick Kane, the Red Wings are virtually back to full health — and it's led to a ton of recent success in Motown. Detroit has won three of four and six of eight, continuing to battle the Lightning and Leafs for the No. 3 spot in the Atlantic and falling just two points short ahead of the All-Star break. The Wings continue to slowly climb up the NHL Power Rankings, and could very well be a top-10 team once Showtime gets back on a line with Alex DeBrincat. Detroit did well with some very tough teams in Week 15, beating the Lightning, Flyers and Knights while losing a tight 5-4 final to the Stars. At 26-18-5, the postseason is a very realistic goal coming out of the All-Star break. But first, the Wings are one of the few teams to play this week — they'll welcome the Senators to Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (-2)
Carter Hart took an indefinite leave of absence from the Flyers last week, related to the ongoing 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship sexual assault case. That leaves Samuel Ersson as the starter in Philadelphia for at least the short-term. And he's been abysmal lately. The 24-year-old was chased by the Bruins on Saturday, giving up four goals before being pulled. And Philly has lost five straight games to limp into the All-Star break. The amount of goals they've given up over those five defeats? 27. The amount of goals scored? 12. Something is really wrong in the City of Brotherly Love, but the floundering Flyers remain in third place in the Metro — for now.
15. Nashville Predators (+2)
The Predators are one point away from the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference, and this roster keeps battling hard for points. But Nashville had a tough stretch in Week 15, losing identical 4-1 games to the Panthers and Oilers. A nice 3-2 win over the Wild ensured it wasn't a three-game skid, and the team played decently well in all three of those contests. They remain 26-22-1 and a postseason contender, and will have a chance to bank a few more points before the All-Star break. Smashville is in Ottawa on Monday before returning to Bridgestone Arena to welcome the Kings on Wednesday.
16. New Jersey Devils (no change)
The Devils have been one of the least eventful NHL teams over the last few weeks, and they continue to struggle without Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. New Jersey has lost five of seven, but remain firm in the NHL Power Rankings due to Los Angeles' continued struggles. In Newark, it was a thrilling 6-5 win over the Golden Knights followed up by losses in Carolina and Tampa Bay in Week 15, sending them to 24-20-3 — good enough for sixth place in the constantly crowded Metropolitan Division. Hughes might not be healthy, but he should be front and centre in Toronto next weekend.
17. Los Angeles Kings (-2)
The Kings are begging for the All-Star break, but Gary Bettman has LA playing one more game before the reset. Maybe they'll fare better against the Predators than they did against the Sharks, Sabres, Avs and Blues. Anze Kopitar's team lost all four of those contests, picking up just two points as their first and last game of the week went past regulation. Although David Rittich has been much better than Cam Talbot lately, neither goalie is inspiring any kind of confidence for a team that has lost a ridiculous 14 of 16 games dating back to Dec. 28. No longer a top-three team in the Pacific — and with that unlikely to change because of the Oilers — this club is just battling for a postseason berth at this point. What an absolute turnaround, for all the wrong reasons, in California.
18. Seattle Kraken (no change)
Philipp Grubauer is finally back to full health, but it remains the Joey Daccord show in the State of Washington. The 27-year-old has started each of Seattle's last five games, and led them to two victories in three tries in Week 15. After a nine-game winning streak, followed by a four-game slide, the Kraken are back in the win column with one more game before the All-Star break. That's against the lowly Sharks, and could be Grubauer's first start since Dec. 7. Jordan Eberle was the man of the week for this club, scoring two goals — including the winner — in a 4-2 win over Columbus at home on Sunday. The 21-18-10 Kraken are just two points back of the Kings for the final Western Conference playoff berth.
19. Pittsburgh Penguins (+2)
As Jake Guentzel's future in Pennsylvania continues to capture headlines, the Penguins quietly picked up three of six possible points in Week 15. Not great, but enough to earn them a bump up the NHL Power Rankings due to the continued lack of success for the divisional rival Islanders and Capitals. That was highlighted by a come-from-behind win over the Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. Although Pittsburgh had lost three straight before then, Sidney Crosby's club remains competitive, up to fifth place in the Metro and just five points back of the Flyers for a top-three spot. It hasn't been a great season in Pittsburgh, but a surge on the other side of the All-Star break is all it would take to get this team back into playoff contention. That begins next Tuesday vs. the Jets.
20. New York Islanders (-1)
The Islanders added Patrick Roy behind the bench, but it hasn't led to any kind of success on Long Island. After winning the legendary former goaltender's debut, the Isles haven't won since, dropping three straight to the Knights, Canadiens and Panthers in Week 15. As has been the overarching problem in New York for years, this team is struggling to score goals. Bo Horvat, Matt Barzal and Brock Nelson can only do so much up front, while D-man Noah Dobson has been doing it all — he's going to shatter career-highs across the board with 52 points in 49 games already. Still, there are big problems for an Islanders team that is now 20-17-12 and five points out of a playoff spot.
21. Washington Capitals (-1)
Alex Ovechkin is finally heating up for the 2023-24 Capitals — and they can't turn it into any kind of success. Like the Islanders above them, the Caps dropped a spot in the NHL Power Rankings after losing four games in four tries dating back to Jan. 20. Nine goals in four games isn't going to translate to victories, and neither is 19 against. Washington can't afford to be losing games at such a prolific clip with under three months left in the season, and the postseason hopes are slipping away in the nation's capital. A much-needed break has the Caps off until the Habs visit Capital One Arena early next week.
22. St. Louis Blues (+3)
After being one of the more middling teams in the National Hockey League for the first three-and-a-half months of the 2023-24 season, the Blues have turned it on over the last two weeks. For the first time all year, St. Louis is winners of five straight. Ridiculously, each of the last four games ended in a 4-3 score. Even more ridiculously is that the final three were all decided in overtime. Brayden Schenn scored the winner against the Canucks on Wednesday, Pavel Buchnevich called game against the Kraken on Friday, and Schenn got the job done again against the Kings on Sunday. With that, the Blues are 26-20-2, fourth place in the Central Division, and with a pristine opportunity to make it six consecutive victories against the Blue Jackets before the break.
23. Arizona Coyotes (-1)
The Yotes had a tough Week 15. It started out well with a 5-2 victory over the Penguins, but slowly devolved into three straight losses in Florida, Tampa Bay and Carolina. The Eastern stretch didn't do any favors for the 23-22-3 Coyotes, who are battling for their playoff lives but now barely over .500. Arizona will have a long break to think about where things are going wrong with a 12-day break between games. After a 3-1 loss to the Hurricanes to enter the break, it'll be all hands on deck against the Golden Knights next Thursday. The Yotes are five points out of a wildcard berth as of Monday.
24. Calgary Flames (-1)
Craig Conroy must be as conflicted as any NHL general manager ahead of the Mar. 8 trade deadline. First, his team wins four straight games and seven of nine to return to postseason contention in the Western Conference. Then, they follow it up with four losses in five tries, falling back to .500 at 22-22-5. It still seems assured that the firesale out of Calgary is coming, with Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin almost sure to get dealt. A 1-0 win over the lowly Hawks salvaged an awful Week 15, but things don't get easier for the Flames; they'll embark on a four-game Eastern road trip after the All-Star break, with a very difficult stretch against the Bruins, Devils, Islanders and Rangers. That road trip could decide the 2023-24 Flames' season.
25. Minnesota Wild (-1)
Is there a new Calder Trophy contender in 2023-24? The award was Connor Bedard's to lose, but after he fractured his jaw, Brock Faber has entered the conversation on the Wild blue line. The 21-year-old has been averaging a ridiculous 24:51 of time on ice in his rookie season and adding a very respectable 29 points in 49 games. He's taken over the top powerplay unit with Jared Spurgeon out for the year, and is legitimately looking like the top D-man of the future in the State of Hockey. But despite the youngster's electric rookie campaign, the Wild lost two in a row on the heels of a three-game heater — and that's with superstar Kirill Kaprizov back in the lineup. Filip Gustavsson is also healthy, and there likely won't be any more reinforcements coming for this roster. The Wild still have what it takes to make the playoffs, but now seven points back, it's going to take a special second half.
26. Buffalo Sabres (no change)
The Sabres have remained right around the No. 25-27 spot in league standings for most of the season, which is exactly where they continue to land on the NHL Power Rankings. Buffalo started Week 15 poorly by losing to the Ducks, but righted the ship in back-to-back wins in Los Angeles and San Jose to finish the California road trip in style. Still, the Sabres are 22-23-4 and remain nine points out of a playoff berth. Crazier things have happened, but it looks like this team just doesn't have the legs. The Sabres have been known to finish strong, so if Tage Thompson can figure his season out and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen can string some wins together, there could be some hope on the horizon in Western New York.
27. Montreal Canadiens (no change)
What a phenomenal bounce back season it's been for Sean Monahan. The 29-year-old said in the offseason that at one point, he thought he'd never play NHL hockey again. Instead, the former No. 6 overall pick has been one of Montreal's best players, scoring an excellent 35 points in 49 games. He has been especially phenomenal as of late, amassing 12 points over his last seven games. Unfortunately in Quebec, the Habs lost four of those, including two of three last week. We all know a playoff berth would be a miracle for this roster, but it's always nice to have feel-good stories like Monahan's bounce-back campaign. As one of the team's top trade chips, he is well-deserving of a trade to a contender — and the chance to compete for a Stanley Cup — in 2024.
28. Ottawa Senators (no change)
Speaking of trades, the Senators will likely be busy on that front ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. Vladimir Tarasenko is almost sure to get dealt after signing a one-year deal in Canada's capital this summer, while Jakob Chychrun has also seen his name swirling in trade rumors — much to the 25-year-olds chagrin. The Sens keep losing more than they win, dropping to 18-25-2 after consecutive losses to the Bruins and Rangers. Ottawa isn't on the All-Star break just yet; they're in Nashville on Monday before flying back to Canada to play the Red Wings at home on Wednesday night.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets (no change)
Boone Jenner getting back into the lineup is a huge win in a Blue Jackets season that doesn't have many of them. This continues to be a very bad team, one that has lost seven games in nine tries since Jan. 6. In a four-game week, Columbus lost three times, picking up a point in an overtime win against Vancouver and coming up empty against Seattle and Edmonton. A 5-2 victory over the Flames was nice, but means nothing. Patrik Laine is the latest player to enter the NHL Player Assistance program, and that's a huge blow to an already weak offensive core. It'll be intriguing to see if Elvis Merzlikins ends up getting shipped out of Ohio after requesting a trade earlier this month. The Jackets are in Missouri on Tuesday before the break.
30. Anaheim Ducks (+1)
The Ducks and Hawks are both so bad, it's difficult to decide who gets the No. 30 spot in the NHL Power Rankings on any given week. This time around, it's Anaheim after they won two games in the same week for the first time in over a month. Gotta take the wins where you can get them, and that's what the Ducks did, beating the Sabres and Wild in Week 15. We won't talk about a 4-3 overtime loss to the Stars that could have marked their first three-game streak in over three full months. Status quo for the Ducks ahead of the All-Star break.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
The Hawks are an absolute mess without Connor Bedard, and they're back to the No. 31 spot in the NHL Power Rankings after a quick seven-day run in the top-30. There just isn't anything positive to say here; Chicago has lost four in a row, and in three of those games, they didn't score a single goal. That is absolutely terrible; the Hawks were shutout easily by the Canucks, Oilers and Flames, and I'm starting to wonder if this team will ever score again. At 14-34-4, the entire Chicago front office is already praying for that No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. At this point, Hawks fans are just praying that Bedard will be back to full health on the other end of the All-Star break.
32. San Jose Sharks (no change)
Logan Couture's return to the Sharks lineup ushered in three straight wins, and it was almost enough to get this team out of the ClutchPoints NHL Power Rankings basement. But a 5-2 loss to the Sabres in the final tuneup before All-Star festivities kept San Jose in the No. 32 spot for at least another week. They're right there to knock the Hawks down the final peg, but they haven't done enough just yet. And Couture has just one point in four games since his return. If the Sharks can beat the Kraken or the Ducks before the break — or even just one of them — it could be enough to re-enter the top-31 in Week 16. But for seven more days, SJ is at the bottom of everything.
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