This week’s edition of the TWC Power Rankings is relatively stable, but there are still a few big changes, including a new number one team and some surprising rankings for contenders. Teams have separated into tiers with two being best-in-league, a handful being not far behind, then there’s finally the mediocre to downright uninspiring displays of hockey at the very bottom. Read on to see where your team ended up!
TWC Power Rankings explained
If you’re new to our power rankings, this is how it all works.
Here at TWC, we use a statistical model to effectively rank teams on a week to week basis. The model takes into effect winning percentages, CF%, SCF%, HDCF% as well as SV%. Each statistical category is weighed and scored differently, giving each team a unique TWC Score that determines their ranking after each week. The formula puts the highest emphasis on winning percentages over other statistics. All numbers are taken in all situations, to incorporate special teams into the fray.
We got some excellent feedback over the course of last season from our readers as to how we could improve this model moving forward. This year we have slightly altered the weightings of the statistical categories, but also re-worked the recency component to make sure that each week the teams that are riding hot streaks are more appropriately demonstrated in the rankings.
Don’t like where your team is ranked? Unfortunately, they will have to turn it around on the ice, as we take zero personal opinions into effect.
Have any suggestions for the TWC Power Rankings for next season? Leave us a comment and let us know. Without further ado, this week’s power rankings are below!
Week 8 NHL Power Rankings
| Rank | Change | Team | Team Name | Last Week | Record | TWCScore |
| 1 | +1 |  | Boston Bruins | 2-0-0 | 20-3-0 | 862.8 |
| 2 | -1 |  | New Jersey Devils | 2-0-1 | 20-4-1 | 848.9 |
| 3 | – |  | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-0-1 | 15-5-6 | 765.7 |
| 4 | +5 |  | Carolina Hurricanes | 3-0-0 | 14-6-5 | 762.2 |
| 5 | +2 |  | Tampa Bay Lightning | 3-1-0 | 15-8-1 | 752.4 |
| 6 | -1 |  | Seattle Kraken | 2-1-0 | 15-6-3 | 747.7 |
| 7 | +3 |  | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2-0-1 | 13-8-4 | 740.6 |
| 8 | -4 |  | Vegas Golden Knights | 2-1-0 | 18-7-1 | 737.7 |
| 9 | +3 |  | Dallas Stars | 2-0-1 | 14-6-5 | 736.2 |
| 10 | -2 |  | Winnipeg Jets | 2-1-0 | 15-7-1 | 732.8 |
| 11 | +6 |  | Minnesota Wild | 3-0-0 | 13-9-2 | 707.6 |
| 12 | +1 |  | Florida Panthers | 2-1-1 | 12-9-4 | 707 |
| 13 | +8 |  | Nashville Predators | 3-0-0 | 12-9-2 | 693.9 |
| 14 | – |  | Detroit Red Wings | 1-2-1 | 12-7-5 | 691.4 |
| 15 | -9 |  | Colorado Avalanche | 1-2-0 | 13-8-1 | 687.3 |
| 16 | +2 |  | Edmonton Oilers | 3-1-0 | 14-11-0 | 682.7 |
| 17 | -6 |  | New York Islanders | 1-2-0 | 16-10-0 | 682.3 |
| 18 | -2 |  | New York Rangers | 1-2-1 | 11-10-5 | 664.9 |
| 19 | +3 |  | Calgary Flames | 2-1-0 | 11-10-3 | 663.3 |
| 20 | -5 |  | Los Angeles Kings | 1-1-1 | 13-10-4 | 659.1 |
| 21 | +4 |  | Ottawa Senators | 2-1-0 | 10-13-1 | 630.7 |
| 22 | +1 |  | Vancouver Canucks | 1-2-0 | 10-12-3 | 628.1 |
| 23 | +4 |  | Buffalo Sabres | 2-1-1 | 11-13-1 | 622.2 |
| 24 | – |  | Washington Capitals | 1-1-1 | 10-12-4 | 620.8 |
| 25 | -6 |  | St Louis Blues | 0-3-0 | 11-13-0 | 603.7 |
| 26 | -6 |  | Montreal Canadiens | 1-2-0 | 12-11-1 | 601.5 |
| 27 | -1 |  | San Jose Sharks | 1-3-0 | 8-16-4 | 569 |
| 28 | – |  | Columbus Blue Jackets | 1-1-1 | 8-13-2 | 564 |
| 29 | – |  | Philadelphia Flyers | 1-2-0 | 8-12-5 | 532.2 |
| 30 | – |  | Arizona Coyotes | 0-1-1 | 7-11-4 | 509.4 |
| 31 | – |  | Chicago Blackhawks | 1-2-0 | 7-13-4 | 505.5 |
| 32 | – |  | Anaheim Ducks | 0-2-2 | 6-17-3 | 492.1 |
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Week 8 Highlights
Once again this week there are really only two teams in contention for top spot in the power rankings. The Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils the clear class of the league at this point in the season. This week, they traded spots, with Boston taking the number one position back from the Devils, after putting up a 2–0–0 record on the week.
The Bruins are second place in the league in terms of both expected goals share and high-danger Corsi, and lead the way in save percentage. Combined with an undefeated record on the week, it’s no wonder they top the rankings.
Interestingly, in those same categories the Bruins rank second in, the Devils are the lone team better. Even with the lost position, there should be no doubt they are among the very best in the league. But, with an extra-time loss to the Nashville Predators and weaker team save percentage, it wasn’t enough to retain the top spot another week.
In third place again this week are the Toronto Maple Leafs. After their bug jump in Week 7, they managed to retain their position with a 2–0–1 record in Week 8. They’re a top-ten team in high-danger Corsi and expected goal shares, and have an impressive team save percentage of 91.2%. Considering the injuries the team has faced on defence and in net, these numbers are even more impressive.
Just behind the Maple Leafs in fourth place are the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes went undefeated, winning three games and moving up five spots in the rankings. They’re also the top possession team in the league by a wide margin, with a five percent gap to the second place Florida Panthers in terms of Corsi. With both a dominant record and elite underlying numbers, their climb up the standings makes perfect sense.
In fifth place are the Tampa Bay Lightning. In a week where Steven Stamkos recorded his 1000th point, it’s only fitting that the team would do well in the power rankings. They won three games and lost one, good for a two-position bump up. The Lightning’s underlying numbers don’t look as good as the other teams in the top five, but the win-loss record is the most important thing, and theirs speaks for itself. With a 15–8–1 record on the season, they’re showing they’re once again a Stanley Cup contender.
Another noteworthy contender? The Colorado Avalanche. The reigning champs fell nine spots this week, after posting a 1–2–0 record. They find themselves in 15th place now. The injuries are catching up. Interestingly for a team that was so dominant last season, most of their underlying metrics are average this far into the season. Not only that, they actually have the fourth-best team save percentage in the league after losing Darcy Kuemper in the offseason.
On a more positive note—at least for Minnesota Wild fans—they saw one of the biggest jumps of any team this week, up six spots into 11th. With a 3–0–0 record this week and the fourth best share of expected goals on the season, the model was impressed.
One team that had a particularly tough week was the St. Louis Blues. They lost three games, and won none. This translated to a six-position drop. For a team with high expectation coming into the season, it’s noteworthy that these losses aren’t just a run of bad luck, either. The team is struggling to maintain possession or create chances.
Lastly, to end on a positive note, this week’s biggest climber: The Nashville Predators. The Preds went a perfect 3–0–0, outscoring their opponents 10–5 in that span and moving up to 13th place. Although they don’t excel in any of the advanced stats the model considers, winning is the most important thing, and they’ve been rewarded for that.
Past 2022–23 Power Rankings
Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Check here for how teams have done over past weeks and stay tuned for upcoming power rankings.
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