The National Hockey League's 2024 iteration of All-Star Weekend was, actually, a lot of fun. The ASG will never be for everyone, and a lot of hockey fans probably took a break from the sport for a couple of days, along with all of the players who weren't selected to participate. But the NHL made some positive changes this time around, and Toronto brought electric energy hosting the festivities.
Although Thursday night's draft had some cringeworthy moments, the skills competition was mostly free of gimmicks and genuinely exciting. And the All-Star Game was much-improved compared to the last few seasons; the players took it at least a little bit seriously, and the draft and prize involved meant there was more at stake. Everyone at Scotiabank Arena seemed to be enjoying themselves, and there was a real buzz around the city all weekend.
Of course, All-Star Weekend is never going to be as fun over the television as it is in person. But it looked like a great time, with some Canadian celebrities adding to the atmosphere — Will Arnett was hilarious and Justin Bieber brought the energy — and Toronto fans were sent home happy. Team Matthews dispatched of Team Hughes in Saturday's second game, before beating Team McDavid 7-4 in the final. And the Leafs' 1C earned himself some more hardware, with Auston Matthews taking home the MVP award in his seventh All-Star Game.
The level of talent on display was undeniable throughout the weekend, and Gary Bettman dropped a bombshell in Toronto by officially announcing that even more best-on-best action is coming. The NHL will be going back to the Olympic Games in 2026 in Milan, Italy, which is absolutely monumental. The last two iterations of the Winter Olympics have just felt wrong, and it's exciting that hockey's elite will be back in a couple of years. But first, a 2025 ‘4 Nations Face-Off' that will pit Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden against each other. That should be a ton of fun, and a great lead-in to a much-anticipated return to the Olympics.
With the ASG in the past, it's time to look towards the crucial second-half push. There are still a ton of things to be decided in the final few months of the regular season, and it all begins on Monday night. The Leafs will be one of four teams in action when Patrick Roy's Islanders travel to Ontario; at the same time, the Rangers and Avalanche will meet for a heavyweight clash at Madison Square Garden.
With only six total games in Week 16, and just nine teams in action, this is probably the least amount of movement we'll ever see in an edition of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings. But with a couple of blockbuster trades going down — Elias Lindholm being shipped to the Canucks and Sean Monahan heading from the Habs to the Jets — there is still some meaningful change in this version of the list. Let's get into it.
Previous 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings: Week 16 | 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)
Welcome to Vancouver, Elias Lindholm. The longtime Flames forward was linked to the Bruins for months, but it was Canucks GM Patrik Allvin who stunned the hockey world by bringing the former 42-goal scorer to British Columbia. It wasn't cheap, with a few interesting prospects headed back to Alberta, along with Andrei Kuzmenko and a first-round pick. It'll be a steal if the front office can re-sign Lindholm, but if he ends up just being a rental, the price is steep. Still, the Nucks are all-in after acquiring Nikita Zadorov and now Lindholm, and they may not be done. An elite club just got even better ahead of the second-half President's Trophy push, and the top spot in both league and NHL Power Rankings standings remains Vancouver's for at least another seven days. Lindholm will make his Canucks debut against the team that drafted him — the Carolina Hurricanes — on Tuesday.
2. Boston Bruins (no change)
Losing out on Lindholm will be a tough pill to swallow for B's fans, especially as it was starting to feel inevitable that the Swede would be dealt to Boston. But with both he and Sean Monahan off the table — two top-six, potentially difference-making centers — Bruins GM Don Sweeney will have to look elsewhere ahead of the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline. There are still some enticing names available, but obviously missing out on Lindholm will be extremely disappointing to fans and the front office alike. Regardless, the B's have as good a chance as any top team to capture the President's Trophy. Nobody in Beantown cares about that, especially after last year, but they will care about an excellent 31-9-9 record and top spot in the Eastern Conference. It's Bruins-Flames at TD Garden Tuesday night.
3. Edmonton Oilers (no change)
Connor McDavid was the big winner at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Friday night, winning a cool $1 million while showing everyone why he's the best player on the planet. Although Team McDavid couldn't get it done against Team Matthews and a hostile crowd, that's irrelevant compared to what's ahead. The Oilers have a chance to tie the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins if they can defeat the Golden Knights — on Super Bowl week in Vegas, no less. If Edmonton can make it 17 on Tuesday night, a chance to join NHL lore awaits at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday.
4. Winnipeg Jets (+1)
The Jets watched a Western Conference team get better on the trade market, and immediately followed suit. Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff sent a first-round pick to Montreal for Sean Monahan less than 48 hours after the Canucks acquired Lindholm. For that reason, the Jets are one of the few teams that get a bump up the NHL Power Rankings despite not playing a game in Week 16. Monahan will be a great addition in Manitoba, set to slot in on the second line with Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti, as well as the bumper spot on the top powerplay unit with Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey. Like Vancouver, Winnipeg is all-in in 2024, and the West playoff picture is going to be invigorating down the stretch.
5. Colorado Avalanche (-1)
Two West teams got better last week, and the Avalanche were not one of them. For that reason, they undeservedly took a minor slide down the NHL Power Rankings. The star power on Colorado's roster was on full display over the weekend, with Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon each winning of the skills competition events (Makar beat Elias Pettersson for the hardest shot, while Mack won the One Timers event). Alexandar Georgiev also performed well, winning the $100,000 goalie prize.
Georgiev will continue to be one of the busiest NHL goalies over the next few months. But I'm not sold on the team's middle six right now. The trio of Ryan Johansen, Artturi Lehkonen and new signing Zach Parise is a third line on a Stanley Cup contender, and so is Ross Colton-Miles Wood-Logan O'Connor. This will be a completely different offense once Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog are healthy, but we have no idea when that is. Still, Avs-Rangers at MSG on Monday.
6. Florida Panthers (no change)
The Panthers were inactive in Week 16, and didn't make any meaningful roster moves over the break. Both Sam Reinhart and Sergei Bobrovsky faded away in All-Star competition, with neither doing anything noteworthy in the skills challenge or ASG. The Cats have been off since last Saturday, but have won four in a row dating back to Jan. 22. They begin a three-game homestand against the Flyers on Tuesday, before welcoming the Capitals and Avalanche in two-day intervals after that. Second in the Eastern Conference and just five points back of the Bruins, Florida has its sights set on the No. 1 spot with a fully healthy roster starting the second half.
7. Dallas Stars (no change)
The Stars also didn't have much going on in Week 16, playing zero games and laying low ahead of All-Star Weekend. Dallas finished the pre-ASG portion of the season strongly, though, beating the Red Wings, Ducks and Capitals while scoring 14 goals over that stretch. Jake Oettinger was the team's lone representative in Toronto, and he fared pretty well in the one-on-one challenge, as well as the All-Star Game. A three-game road trip begins straight out of the break in Buffalo on Tuesday, before stops in Toronto and Montreal in Week 17.
8. New York Rangers (no change)
The most exciting thing that happened in New York last week was the team being linked to two former players in Anaheim Ducks forwards Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano. Something needs to change in the Big Apple for a Rangers club that lost four of six games before the break. But the finale was a thrilling, come-from-behind, 7-2 drubbing of the Senators on Jan. 27. The Blueshirts will have a chance to continue righting the ship at home on Monday night, with the visit from MacKinnon and the Avs sure to create a buzz at The Garden. It's the first of two straight home contests — the other being against the Lightning — before a trip to Chicago on Friday.
9. Carolina Hurricanes (no change)
Also out of action in Week 16, hockey fans in Raleigh were keeping an eye on Sebastian Aho at All-Star festivities. He was basically invisible in the ASG, with Team MacKinnon bowing out early to Team McDavid. The Hurricanes were scorching heading into the break, with three consecutive victories and winners of six of eight dating back to Jan. 11. The Canes will remain at PNC Arena for all of Week 17, welcoming a familiar face in Lindholm and the Canucks on Tuesday. That'll be followed by the Avalanche on Thursday and the Devils on Saturday as Carolina continues chasing New York for the No. 1 spot in the Metropolitan Division.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (+1)
It just made sense to put the Leafs back into the top 10 of the NHL Power Rankings after Team Matthews' big win over the weekend. With Justin Bieber behind the bench (and on the ice for warmups), Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly helped the squad secure the ASG title on Saturday, with Matthews taking home the MVP. It was a fitting end to the first All-Star Weekend in Toronto since 2000. The Leafs will have to earn the No. 10 spot the rest of the way, and it begins when the Islanders visit Scotiabank Arena on Monday night. For some reason, I'm expecting a big game from Toronto's gunners.
11. Vegas Golden Knights (-1)
It's Super Bowl week in Las Vegas, and it's understandable that the Golden Knights will take a bit of a backseat to what promises to be an electric SB between Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs and Brock Purdy and the 49ers. Still, the Knights are on the verge of turning around a cold spell, winning five of seven games before the break. It'll be Edmonton on Tuesday on the strip and Arizona in the desert in Week 17. The day after Super Bowl LVIII will see the Knights back at home to take on the Wild at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas has fallen a long way from the No. 1 spot, but I see them surging back into the top-10 imminently.
12. Tampa Bay Lightning (no change)
The big Lightning story of Week 16 was Nikita Kucherov's effort level — or lack thereof — at the skills competition. He heard it from the crowd at Scotiabank Arena on Friday, and was booed even louder at the All-Star Game the next day. But it seems like the two-time Stanley Cup champion took it in stride, and he didn't send any shots at the Leafs afterwards (unlike David Pastrnak). It was maybe not Kuch's best showing, but he remains embroiled in one of the best Hart Trophy races in recent memory. He and MacKinnon continue to dominate the league, and one of the two will almost certainly win it — barring a McDavid miracle in the second half. The Lightning are on an absolute heater, with eight wins in nine tries ahead of a trip to MSG on Wednesday.
13. Detroit Red Wings (no change)
Finally, a team that played hockey in Week 16. The Red Wings were in action just once, taking on the Senators at Little Caesars Arena last Wednesday night. And Detroit salvaged a point, with Dylan Larkin erasing a 2-1 deficit with under 10 minutes to go. But the Wings would lose in overtime, falling to 26-18-6 in the process. A few more days off await this team after the break, with no more hockey in Motown until Saturday night against the first-place Canucks. Also, Alex DeBrincat was robbed of the All-Star Game MVP; he was one of the best players on the ice and a huge reason the Leafs contingent got the W.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (no change)
With Carter Hart now officially charged with sexual assault, it's very obvious that he won't play another game in 2023-24. That means, yes, it's Samuel Ersson's net. I wrote last week about how bad the Swede has been lately, but his season-long numbers are still solid. The Flyers look to be a toss up to get into the postseason; they're floundering with five consecutive losses on the heels of winning five straight. John Tortorella's team is now holding onto the No. 3 berth in the Metro for dear life. Only four points separates Philly from being on the outside looking in, and that will happen very quickly if this roster can't start winning games again. Tuesday night in Florida is the next chance.
15. New Jersey Devils (+1)
The Devils got a bump up the NHL Power Rankings after sitting idly by and watching the Predators — one of just three teams to play twice in Week 16 — lose both of their games. That, along with the monumental news that Jack Hughes is back at practice in Newark, is enough to get New Jersey back into the top-15. But it's still been a disappointing campaign for this team, and five losses in seven tries left a bad taste heading into the All-Star break. With the roster hopefully getting healthier early in the second half, it's approaching crunch time for a Devils team that is seven points back of a wildcard berth in the East. A couple of outer conference games are on tap in Week 17, with the Avalanche and Flames making the trip to the Prudential Center.
16. Nashville Predators (-1)
A tough go for the Preds in Week 16. With an opportunity to make up some ground in the crowded Central Division playoff race, Nashville instead lost in overtime to Ottawa on Monday, and were doubled up 4-2 by the floundering Kings two days later. Obviously, not ideal for a team that is tied for the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference. On the bright side, Filip Forsberg was electric on a line with DeBrincat at the ASG, and he also made a pretty decent MVP case. Forsberg is hoping to bring that positive energy to Smashville for the stretch run, and it begins on Saturday vs. the Coyotes.
17. Los Angeles Kings (no change)
The Kings got a rare, rare victory before the All-Star break, riding a strong David Rittich goaltending performance to upend the Predators. It wasn't enough to get LA above Nashville in the NHL Power Rankings, but it's close. After somehow winning just two games dating back to Dec. 28, last Wednesday's W was a crucial one on the road for this club. Still occupying the top wildcard slot in the Western Conference, Los Angeles will play just once in Week 17, welcoming the league's hottest team in McDavid and the Oilers on Saturday. With Todd McLellan out, it'll be intriguing to see if the Kings can have more success under interim Jim Hiller.
18. Seattle Kraken (no change)
The Kraken are lucky none of the three teams trying to catch them in the NHL Power Rankings were in action last week, especially after a disgusting 2-0 loss to the Sharks. Getting shut out by San Jose is inexcusable, although Mackenzie Blackwood is a good goalie on a bad team. Still, that is not at all how Seattle wanted to go into the break. The team has now lost six of eight, but a wildcard spot remains just two points away. Oliver Bjorkstrand was the last player picked in the All-Star draft, but he's still having a great year. And he'll be a key factor as to whether the Kraken get back into the postseason in their third year of existence.
19. Pittsburgh Penguins (no change)
What is Kyle Dubas going to do ahead of the deadline? The Pens are 22-17-7, good for fifth place in the Metropolitan Division and 10th in the Eastern Conference. There's certainly a chance this roster will surge and advance to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and likely just as good a chance that the team will miss back-to-back postseasons for the first time in the Sidney Crosby era. Dubas must think hard about the future of a few of his players, including Jake Guentzel and Reilly Smith. A second-half turnaround could quickly vault Pittsburgh back to the dance, and they're still just seven points back of a playoff spot. Let's see what Sidney Crosby's Pens can do over the last three months, beginning Tuesday against the Jets.
20. New York Islanders (no change)
Mathew Barzal represented the Islanders well in the All-Star skills competition, finishing second to McDavid for fastest skater and also finishing top-three in a few other categories. His skills were on full display as he enjoys a resurgent campaign in Long Island in 2023-24. Barzal didn't go anywhere once the ASG was finished; instead, he waited in Toronto for his New York teammates to land. With seven losses in eight games and playoff hopes slipping away, the 26-year-old is going to be crucial down the stretch. He may have been buddy-buddy wth Team Matthews over the weekend, but that's all in the past come Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.
21. Washington Capitals (no change)
Tom Wilson was maybe the least impactful out of any 2024 NHL All-Star, and he really had no business being involved at all. The NHL made some nice strides this year, and maybe in 2026 (the 4 Nations Faceoff will replace the ASG in 2025) the league will finally stop inviting one player from every team. Wilson and Team MacKinnon were out early, and it didn't quite feel the same without Alex Ovechkin there. But this is all in the past, as the Caps are battling for their playoff lives after losing four straight games heading into the break. Washington badly needs a win when the Canadiens come to town on Tuesday.
22. St. Louis Blues (no change)
The Blues had an excellent opportunity to continue climbing up the NHL Power Rankings, especially as the team entered Week 16 on a five-game heater. A victory over the lowly Blue Jackets was all it would have taken to get St. Louis to No. 21, or even into the top-20. Instead, the Blues were shut out 1-0 in one of the least eventful games of the entire season. That was a big W for Elvis Merzlikins, and a big L for Missouri. This team will have an opportunity to secure back-to-back wins over the lowly Sabres and Canadiens on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. But fans in St. Louis will not be blamed for paying a little more attention to another Sunday game instead.
23. Arizona Coyotes (no change)
Clayton Keller looked absolutely electric on Auston Matthews' wing at the All-Star Game, and you've got to think that the two will be linemates on Team USA in 2025 and beyond. The Americans are stacked with talent, like Canada, and next year's best-on-best international play should be excellent. Keller will now fly back to the desert to join his teammates, and they'll welcome their state neighbors in the Golden Knights on Thursday. Losers of three in a row and just five points back of a wildcard berth, every game is crucial for the Yotes down the stretch.
24. Minnesota Wild (+1)
With the Flames trading away Elias Lindholm — and getting worse in the process — the Wild earned a slight jump up the NHL Power Rankings despite being off in Week 16. Although it's been an up-and-down season that has been mostly down, Minnesota is approaching full strength on the other side of the All-Star break, and they're still just seven points back of advancing to the dance. But there are six other teams battling for just two wildcard berths, and the odds aren't great. It'll take an enormous second-half from All-Star Kirill Kaprizov, as well as excellent goaltending from Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury. The Wild aren't ready to throw in the towel, and the work continues for the State of Hockey on Wednesday in the Windy City.
25. Calgary Flames (-1)
Nikita Zadorov was first; Elias Lindholm was next; what will be the next domino to fall in Calgary? Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev are probably the next pair to get dealt as the firestorm continues, and even Jacob Markstrom might not be safe. But unlike the Zadorov return that included only draft picks, Craig Conroy got a more substantial return for his former 1C. That includes Andrei Kuzmenko, who has struggled mightily in Vancouver this year after a phenomenal rookie season. He will immediately slot in on the top line with Yegor Sharangovich and Jonathan Huberdeau, as well as the top powerplay unit — a place he was relegated from in British Columbia. The Flames beat the Hawks 1-0 to snap a four-game slide before the break, and it'll be interesting to see if the new top line can find some success over the final few months.
26. Buffalo Sabres (no change)
Nothing is going right for the Sabres in 2023-24, and that continued last week with the news that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson would miss the remainder of the campaign. That comes just after Jack Quinn was injured, leaving Buffalo shorthanded again. They've already been without Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner for stretches of the season, and there's just not enough depth to overcome those ailments. A full 10 points separates the Sabres from a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but they'll come out of the break on a two-game winning streak. With four straight home games on tap over the next two weeks, banking some points in February will be crucial for the fading postseason aspirations.
27. Ottawa Senators (+1)
Along with the Predators, the Senators played a full two games in Week 16. And although it took past regulation to decide a winner in both of them, it was Ottawa who earned four of a possible four points. The Sens beat the Preds 4-3, downed the Red Wings 3-2, and saw their wide playoff gap close to 16 points. That will be nearly impossible to overcome, but it was still a great way to go into the All-Star break. The Senators will play just one game over the next seven days, taking almost another full week off before welcoming the Leafs to Canada's capital next Saturday.
28. Montreal Canadiens (-1)
Kent Hughes and the entire Habs front office should be given a ton of credit for their exceptional asset management of Sean Monahan. The Habs were given a first-round pick to even take him in the first place, and Montreal's GM flipped him for another first as the 29-year-old enjoys a resurgent campaign in 2023-24. Losing Monahan will be disappointing for fans of the team, as he was fantastic over 49 games. But he now has a chance to compete for a Stanley Cup with the Jets, and the Habs get even more draft capital as the rebuild continues. That is very tidy work by the league's most storied franchise. Montreal heads to America's capital on Tuesday, and Alex Newhook could be an option to replace Monahan as he approaches a return from an ankle sprain.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets (no change)
Boone Jenner fractured his jaw six weeks ago, and then he scored at the All-Star Game. Yes, he was one of the players who should not have been there, but it was still nice to see the fan favorite put one in the back of the net. And before that, the Blue Jackets shut out the Blues as Merzlikins continues trying to up his trade value ahead of the deadline. Columbus is last place in the Eastern Conference and long past competing for the postseason, and losing rookie Adam Fantilli for two months won't help that. The Jackets don't play again until Saturday against the Lightning.
30. Anaheim Ducks (no change)
The final game before the All-Star break was a late-night clash between the Ducks and Sharks on Wednesday. Not the strongest game to end the month of January on, but it at least treated the fans at Honda Centre to a little extra puck. Anaheim won it 3-2 in overtime, with Frank Vatrano scoring the winner. He would then go on to score at the ASG in Toronto, and he might be scoring goals for a different team once the deadline passes. The Ducks have quietly won two games in a row and three of four to remain in the top-30 of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings. A potential history-defining matchup awaits against the Oilers on Friday.
31. San Jose Sharks (+1)
The Sharks were the only team in the league to play two games in Week 16, and they picked up three of a possible four points en route to the big jump out of the NHL Power Rankings basement. The Blackhawks are just awful, and it seems unlikely that San Jose will be basement dwellers again anytime soon — especially with Logan Couture back in the lineup. Mackenzie Blackwood shut out the Kraken 2-0 last Tuesday at home, and Kaapo Kahkonen allowed three on 34 shots in a 3-2 OT loss to the Ducks in Anaheim the next night. But the Sharks are no longer last place, and that's something to celebrate in California.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
Until Connor Bedard returns from injury, I don't see a world where the Blackhawks land anywhere but No. 32 in the NHL Power Rankings. Without question, this Chicago team is the worst NHL roster on paper. Bedard is the key injury, but Taylor Hall, Tyler Johnson and Andreas Athanasiou are all out as well, among others. The Hawks may have been off last week, but the Sharks were not, and they banked some points. With that, they're out of the league basement, and that was the last straw for Chicago in the top-31. Until Bedard returns, let's not expect any more movement from the Hawks — in NHL or ClutchPoints standings.
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