With the NHL trade deadline looming ever closer, the importance of power rankings like these increases with each day. Teams need to decide if they’re contenders or pretenders, and they need to decide right away to be prepared for the next portion of the season.
Even 19 weeks into the season, there’s plenty of action in the power rankings, with games heating up as the playoff push heats 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 19 NHL Power Rankings
| Rank | Change | Team | Team Name | Last Week | Record | TWCScore |
| 1 | – |
 |
Florida Panthers | 2-1-0 | 38-16-4 | 783.5 |
| 2 | +3 |
 |
New York Rangers | 3-1-0 | 39-17-3 | 755.2 |
| 3 | – |
 |
Carolina Hurricanes | 2-1-1 | 34-18-6 | 749.5 |
| 4 | +3 |
 |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-0-0 | 33-16-8 | 748.8 |
| 5 | -3 |
 |
Dallas Stars | 1-2-1 | 35-16-8 | 735.1 |
| 6 | +3 |
 |
Winnipeg Jets | 3-1-0 | 36-15-5 | 733.5 |
| 7 | +3 |
 |
Los Angeles Kings | 2-1-0 | 29-17-10 | 726.5 |
| 8 | -2 |
 |
Edmonton Oilers | 1-2-1 | 33-20-2 | 725.1 |
| 9 | -5 |
 |
Vancouver Canucks | 1-3-0 | 38-16-6 | 721.6 |
| 10 | -2 |
 |
Boston Bruins | 2-0-2 | 34-12-13 | 716.6 |
| 11 | – |
 |
Colorado Avalanche | 1-1-1 | 35-19-5 | 694.1 |
| 12 | +4 |
 |
Minnesota Wild | 3-1-0 | 28-24-6 | 691.7 |
| 13 | +1 |
 |
Philadelphia Flyers | 1-2-0 | 30-22-7 | 685.6 |
| 14 | +7 |
 |
Nashville Predators | 4-0-0 | 32-25-2 | 685.3 |
| 15 | +2 |
 |
Pittsburgh Penguins | 2-0-1 | 26-21-8 | 679.8 |
| 16 | +4 |
 |
Detroit Red Wings | 4-0-0 | 32-20-6 | 678.4 |
| 17 | -5 |
 |
Tampa Bay Lightning | 2-2-0 | 32-23-5 | 674.9 |
| 18 | -3 |
 |
New Jersey Devils | 1-3-0 | 29-25-4 | 667.7 |
| 19 | -6 |
 |
Vegas Golden Knights | 1-2-1 | 32-19-7 | 667.2 |
| 20 | +2 |
 |
Ottawa Senators | 3-0-1 | 25-27-3 | 666 |
| 21 | +3 |
 |
Calgary Flames | 3-0-0 | 28-25-5 | 662.1 |
| 22 | +3 |
 |
Washington Capitals | 2-0-1 | 26-21-9 | 657.3 |
| 23 | -5 |
 |
Seattle Kraken | 1-1-1 | 24-22-11 | 649.8 |
| 24 | +2 |
 |
Buffalo Sabres | 3-1-0 | 27-27-4 | 640.9 |
| 25 | -2 |
 |
New York Islanders | 1-2-0 | 23-20-14 | 635.9 |
| 26 | -7 |
 |
St Louis Blues | 1-2-0 | 30-25-2 | 627 |
| 27 | +1 |
 |
Columbus Blue Jackets | 2-2-0 | 19-28-10 | 599.9 |
| 28 | -1 |
 |
Montreal Canadiens | 0-3-0 | 22-28-8 | 567.8 |
| 29 | – |
 |
Arizona Coyotes | 0-2-1 | 23-29-5 | 560.7 |
| 30 | – |
 |
Anaheim Ducks | 1-2-1 | 20-35-3 | 536.1 |
| 31 | – |
 |
San Jose Sharks | 0-2-0 | 15-36-5 | 494.5 |
| 32 | – |
 |
Chicago Blackhawks | 0-2-2 | 15-39-5 | 489.8 |
Let’s be honest. The teams at the top and bottom are set. We know the contenders already, and we know the tankers. It’s the mushy middle that keeps fans engaged as the playoff race heats up, so let’s focus on that.
The team who made the biggest jump this week was the Nashville Predators, leaping up seven places in these rankings, and into the thick of the playoff race in the NHL standings. Middling in terms of possession and chance creation, the Predators keep finding a way to get it done.
Assumed to be a seller by just about everyone to start the season, they may have to pause those plans, sitting just inside a playoff spot less than two weeks away from the deadline.
Similarly, the Detroit Red Wings are heating up right when it looked like the season might be another write-off. But, near the bottom of the league in both chance creation and possession, they seem an unlikely candidate to keep up their recent success.
But, for the time being, they are left with a question mark heading to the deadline. If they had the same underlying success as even the Preds, they would have realistically seen an even bigger jump in these rankings. Sometimes, despite a hot streak, a team just isn’t what it needs to be.
The Red Wings would be wise to not get caught up in the moment, and save their assets for another playoff push in another year.
On the flip side of that equation, the New Jersey Devils lost three places this week, collecting just two out of a possible eight points. But, unlike the Red Wings and Predators, have really strong possession and chance numbers.
The only category this model considers in which they really struggle is goaltending. They are third to last in the entire league in save percentage, and it’s crushing their playoff hopes. Considering their strong play in other respects, they seem to be a prime candidate to buy this deadline, despite currently sitting seven points out of a playoff spot.
And these are just the teams who made the biggest moves in the past week. Easily ten teams haven’t revealed their hand yet and could either buy or sell by the March 8 deadline.
Keep checking back on these rankings to see who in the middle should really go for it, and who would be better off loading up for another year. A new update is published each week, and the next one will be the last one before the deadline!
Past 2023–24 Power Rankings
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18
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