Minnesota Wild dethrones the Winnipeg Jets and takes top spot

It took two months for the NHL to take action, but the Winnipeg Jets were eventually ousted as the league’s best team. The Minnesota Wild and several other teams are at their doorstep or surpassing them as the season progresses. Let’s take a look at the current Power Rankings to see what the top 10 teams look like after eight weeks of regular season action.

Winning streaks are not uncommon in this current ranking, and the Los Angeles Kings are currently one of those teams achieving that success. Three wins in a row enabled the Kings to move into second place in the Pacific Division.

Led by captain Anze Kopitar, who has 29 points in 25 games, LA’s offense is impressive. Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere are both on the 30-goal mark, and their defense can hold its own without star blue-liner Drew Doughty.

The defending champion is the epitome of resilience. Just when you think the Florida Panthers are showing weakness, they are coming off three straight wins against top-notch teams. They’ve also lost some stinkers lately, but it’s becoming clear that this team will contend throughout the regular season.

The Pacific Division leaders are the Vegas Golden Knights, and they have one of the least discussed MVP candidates this year. He has eight goals, 28 points and 36 points in 25 games and is on pace for the best offensive season of his impressive career. This makes the Golden Knights a top team in the Western Conference.

Three straight wins have propelled the Dallas Stars forward and this team is finally looking like it should. Jake Oettinger is playing at a Vezina Trophy level, Logan Stankoven was a top rookie in the NHL, and Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment are both off to career starts in their 2024 seasons.

Two recent losses have knocked the Carolina Hurricanes down a few spots, but the Canes are still not to be trifled with. Your endless goalkeeping questions remain, but they are a fast and aggressive forward control team that can beat you even without the best goalkeeper in the world.

Alex Ovechkin is back on ice just two weeks after breaking his leg and the Washington Capitals are still playing solid hockey without the leading scorer in NHL history. Dylan Strome fills the offensive void beautifully and the team is 17-6-1 with a goal difference of +32.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the hottest teams of the last week and have received an even bigger boost with the return of captain Auston Matthews from injury. Anthony Stolarz continues to surprise in net and the Leafs are top of the Atlantic Division.

The award for the best start in the league went to the Winnipeg Jets, but they have seemed beatable lately. Still getting top-level play from goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, they are one of the best teams in the Western Conference, but no longer the best team in the league.

The New Jersey Devils are at the top of the Metropolitan Division and are quickly moving to the top of the power rankings. They have a 7-3 record in their last 10 games and with Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt all averaging a point per game so far, there won’t be many teams that can surpass this Devils squad.

The Jets were finally dethroned by the Minnesota Wild thanks to another fantastic week. Despite dealing with a number of injuries, the team leads the NHL with a record of 17-4-4 and 38 points. With forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Matthew Boldy and Marco Rossi playing outstanding hockey up front, this team will likely last through the holiday season.

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