NHL Power Rankings: Canes on top, plus each team’s best newcomer for 2022-23
The 2022-23 NHL regular season is just 10 days old, but it’s time to assess what all 32 teams have done thus far — for better or worse.
For this week’s Power Rankings, we also identified the best newcomer for every team.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors rates teams against one another — taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule — and those results are tabulated to produce the list featured here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the last edition, published Oct. 10. Points paces are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 0.750
Next seven days: @ CGY (Oct. 22), @ VAN (Oct. 24)
Brent Burns seems tailor-made for the Hurricanes (and not just because he loves a storm surge celebration). The veteran blueliner stepped right into a top-pairing slot with Jaccob Slavin. He can still play over 22 minutes per game, get shots through traffic, play physically and make solid first passes. It’s good energy for the Canes.
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 0.750
Next seven days: vs. CAR (Oct. 22), vs. PIT (Oct. 25)
Nazem Kadri scored his first goal as a Flame by going coast-to-coast through the Oilers and heating up the always fiery Battle of Alberta. That’s one way to say hello. Kadri has been a perfect early fit in Calgary with his balance of talent and tenacity.
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 0.700
Next seven days: vs. CBJ (Oct. 23), vs. COL (Oct. 25), @ NYI (Oct. 26)
Vincent Trocheck can be the Rangers’ jack-of-all-trades: a high-speed, top-line contributor and special-teams stalwart who continuously pushes the pace offensively. It took Trocheck some time to get comfortable in the preseason and build chemistry with new linemates, but the veteran averaged a point per game out of the gate and is noticeably more confident with every game.
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 0.875
Next seven days: @ MTL (Oct. 22), @ OTT (Oct. 24), @ BOS (Oct. 25), vs. WSH (Oct. 27)
Mason Marchment is off to a dynamic start for Dallas that included two goals in his Stars debut — the top-shelf snipe was especially nice — and the big winger has continued to ooze confidence. He’ll earn plenty of ice time at 5-on-5 and can be lethal on the power play, all things Dallas hoped for when Marchment signed his four-year, $18 million deal last summer.
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 0.875
Next seven days: @ CBJ (Oct. 22), @ EDM (Oct. 24), @ CGY (Oct. 25)
Jeff Petry is at his best when, as coach Mike Sullivan says, he’s making the Penguins “harder to play against.” That’s been Petry’s goal early on in navigating his new environment, leaning on his brand of hard-nosed hockey to elevate Pittsburgh’s defense. It hasn’t been perfect, but Petry’s a player his team believes in.
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 0.750
Next seven days: vs. TB (Oct. 21), vs. NYI (Oct. 23), @ CHI (Oct. 25), @ PHI (Oct. 27)
Matthew Tkachuk has ably transitioned his signature blend of scoring skill, puck-hounding and ability to aggravate right into the Sunshine State. He notched two goals in two games to start the season in tandem with a strong defensive effort and, of course, getting under opponents’ skin. That Tkachuk-ian attitude is just what the Panthers needed.
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 0.700
Next seven days: vs. MIN (Oct. 22), vs. DAL (Oct. 25), vs. DET (Oct. 27)
How much does A.J. Greer love being a Boston Bruin? Enough to celebrate his first goal in black and gold by literally kissing the logo on his chest. Greer scored again in that Bruins home opener and has continued raising the bar on Boston’s third line with physicality and strong defensive habits.
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 0.800
Next seven days: vs. COL (Oct. 22), vs. TOR (Oct. 24), @ SJ (Oct. 25)
Bruce Cassidy is the most notable new face for Vegas, and he has the Golden Knights back up and running. The team appeared to need another fresh voice behind the bench, and Cassidy has supplied it in helping guide the Golden Knights to a 4-1 start. Change can be a good thing.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 0.625
Next seven days: vs. SEA (Oct. 21), @ VGK (Oct. 22), @ NYR (Oct. 25)
Alexandar Georgiev lands here almost by default because the reigning Stanley Cup champions are basically running it back with the same group that took it to the house last season. The major exception, of course, is Georgiev replacing Darcy Kuemper as the team’s starter in net. He’s off to a solid start at 2-0 with a .911 SV% and 2.51 GAA.
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 1.000
Next seven days: @ EDM (Oct. 22), @ WPG (Oct. 24), vs. EDM (Oct. 26), @ NSH (Oct. 27)
Jake Neighbours got a taste of the NHL in nine games last season, and the rookie battled to make St. Louis’ roster out of camp. The 20-year-old is a strong competitor with bite to his game, and he’s showing dynamic offensive potential with a playmaker’s edge. Wherever Neighbours slots in the lineup he’s capable of chipping in.
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 0.500
Next seven days: @ WSH (Oct. 22), vs. TB (Oct. 25), vs. WPG (Oct. 27)
Kevin Fiala is delivering on the scoresheet for Los Angeles. The Kings went all-in on trading for — and then extending — Fiala to boost their forward depth, and so far it’s paying off. The winger popped in a goal and two assists against his former team, the Minnesota Wild, and has showcased good chemistry with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 0.600
Next seven days: @ WPG (Oct. 22), @ VGK (Oct. 24), @ SJ (Oct. 27)
Calle Jarnkrok has been a solid addition to the Leafs’ third line. He’s durable and versatile, a low-maintenance linemate who makes players around him better. Jarnkrok can contribute just about anywhere, including on the scoresheet, and he has looked like a nice under-the-radar pickup by Toronto.
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 0.750
Next seven days: @ NSH (Oct. 22), vs. SJ (Oct. 23), vs. FLA (Oct. 27)
John Tortorella gets the nod here because in all honesty no one is having the impact on the Flyers that he is. Philadelphia’s new coach is brutally frank, and that attitude is what will continue to define the atmosphere around this team. If anything, Tortorella seems to have the Flyers believing in themselves — even if no one else did.
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 0.500
Next seven days: @ TB (Oct. 22), @ FLA (Oct. 23), vs. NYR (Oct. 26)
Robin Salo rounded up a pair of goals in his second game of the season and has been a steady performer on the Islanders’ blue line. The rookie came into this season with 21 games previously under his belt, and early on Salo looks increasingly ready to become a full-time NHL skater.
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 0.417
Next seven days: vs. PHI (Oct. 22), vs. STL (Oct. 27)
Nino Niederreiter started hot in Music City with four goals in his first four games. Nashville previously lacked depth scoring, and Niederreiter is providing the solution there with timely offensive contributions while creating chances and helping drive play for his linemates.
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 0.833
Next seven days: @ CHI (Oct. 21), vs. ANA (Oct. 23), vs. NJ (Oct. 25), @ BOS (Oct. 27)
Ville Husso opened his tenure as Detroit’s starter with a 29-save shutout. That memorable debut is just the beginning of Husso’s potential with the Red Wings, who have desperately needed stability between the pipes. Looks like Husso — in tandem with Alex Nedeljkovic — is primed to provide it.
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 0.750
Next seven days: @ VAN (Oct. 22), @ SEA (Oct. 25), vs. MTL (Oct. 27)
Eric Comrie already made history in Buffalo as the first goaltender to register an assist — this one on an Alex Tuch goal — in his Sabres debut. The former Winnipeg Jet has been solid for the Sabres so far, with good technique and some big-time saves. Buffalo needs all that and more while finding its bearings this season.
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 0.400
Next seven days: vs. LA (Oct. 22), @ NJ (Oct. 24), @ DAL (Oct. 27)
Dylan Strome just wanted to be wanted. His early play with the Capitals shows that Strome still has much to offer. He’s a skilled skater and passer with good instincts and transitions up the ice quickly. That looks to fit with what Washington needs most as it weathers the start of this season without the likes of Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson.
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 0.500
Next seven days: vs. TOR (Oct. 22), vs. STL (Oct. 24), @ LA (Oct. 27)
Sam Gagner joining the Jets on a one-year deal in September was widely under-discussed. No matter, Gagner has done the necessary talking on the ice early in the season. He’s a hardworking grinder who has been a perfect fit on Winnipeg’s fourth line and second power play unit.
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 0.500
Next seven days: vs. STL (Oct. 22), vs. PIT (Oct. 24), @ STL (Oct. 26), @ CHI (Oct. 27)
Dylan Holloway turned an excellent training camp and preseason into an opening night roster spot to make his NHL debut in Edmonton’s top six. That’s impressive enough. Holloway has worked hard finding his way and will continue learning on the job — and through a few turnovers — to ideally become a consistent piece of the Oilers’ lineup.
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 0.600
Next seven days: vs. DAL (Oct. 22), vs. MIN (Oct. 25), @ BUF (Oct. 27)
Arber Xhekaj was a great story before he stepped onto NHL ice. The undrafted blueliner made a bruising debut with the Canadiens on opening night, and also tallied an assist. Xhekaj has been noticeable ever since and continues to show why Montreal found a place for him in the lineup.
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 0.250
Next seven days: @ FLA (Oct. 21), vs. NYI (Oct. 22), @ LA (Oct. 25), @ ANA (Oct. 26)
Vladislav Namestnikov has technically played for Tampa before, from 2013-14 to 2017-18, but the Lightning might need him now more than ever. Namestnikov has been part of Tampa Bay’s revamped third line and shown some good early returns. What the veteran lacks in flash he can make up for in reliability and consistency, two things Tampa could use.
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 0.500
Next seven days: vs. ARI (Oct. 22), vs. DAL (Oct. 24), vs. MIN (Oct. 27)
Jake Sanderson has fit beautifully onto Ottawa’s back end, and looks poised to retain a top-four role. The rookie plays a confident game, can control pace of play and isn’t afraid to take calculated chances. The Senators have to be feeding off that energy.
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 0.400
Next seven days: vs. PIT (Oct. 22), @ NYR (Oct. 23), vs. ARI (Oct. 25)
Johnny Gaudreau is an elite talent who can drive Columbus’ offense — and the Blue Jackets will need their new acquisition to do that as Patrik Laine is sidelined three to four weeks with an elbow sprain. Gaudreau is still settling onto his top-line perch while giving Columbus over 21 minutes per game with good returns on the scoresheet.
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 0.250
Next seven days: @ BOS (Oct. 22), @ MTL (Oct. 25), @ OTT (Oct. 27)
Sam Steel is one of Minnesota’s only new faces this season, and he has not been lost in the crowd. Checking in on the Wild’s third or fourth line, the 24-year-old has been reliable defensively and added some offense (including a critical game-tying goal) to be a viable option within the team’s bottom-six group.
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 0.500
Next seven days: vs. SJ (Oct. 22), vs. WSH (Oct. 24), @ DET (Oct. 25)
Alexander Holtz isn’t completely new to the Devils — he played nine games for them last season — but the rookie is eyeing a bigger role this season. The 20-year-old already notched his first career goal and could be a versatile piece in New Jersey’s bottom six as coach Lindy Ruff has already shuffled him throughout New Jersey’s lineup.
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 0.300
Next seven days: @ DET (Oct. 23), vs. TB (Oct. 26)
Ryan Strome announced himself with Anaheim in a three-point debut to fuel the Ducks’ comeback win over Seattle. That’s the impact Anaheim hoped its new top-line center would have when Strome inked a five-year, $25 million free agent contract last summer.
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 0.200
Next seven days: vs. BUF (Oct. 22), vs. CAR (Oct. 24), @ SEA (Oct. 27)
Andrei Kuzmenko has a shot just like Alex Ovechkin — or so says his coach, Bruce Boudreau. The 26-year-old rookie did score in his NHL debut and has exhibited some early chemistry with center Elias Pettersson. While Kuzmenko is still adjusting from the KHL game, there’s an assuredness and ease to him that suggests he’ll be fine.
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 0.333
Next seven days: vs. DET (Oct. 21), vs. SEA (Oct. 23), vs. FLA (Oct. 25), vs. EDM (Oct. 27)
Jason Dickinson wanted a fresh start in Chicago and in his debut game (a 5-2 win over the Red Sharks) had a goal and two assists. Dickinson barely had any notice he’d be suiting up, but it didn’t matter as the 27-year-old played on instinct and clicked with his new club.
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 0.400
Next seven days: @ COL (Oct. 21), @ CHI (Oct. 23), vs. BUF (Oct. 25), vs. VAN (Oct. 27)
Matty Beniers is the present and future of this Kraken squad. The 19-year-old is already centering Seattle’s top line, and his rookie season is off to a good start offensively with four points in five games.
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 0.250
Next seven days: @ OTT (Oct. 22), @ CBJ (Oct. 25)
Dylan Guenther might not be a fixture all season with Arizona, but the 19-year-old is making the most of his moment. Playing a second-line role, Guenther tallied an assist in his NHL debut and appears composed and confident beyond his years. That’s an excellent start.
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 0.167
Next seven days: @ NJ (Oct. 22), @ PHI (Oct. 23), vs. VGK (Oct. 25), vs. TOR (Oct. 27)
Luke Kunin went straight to a top-line role for the Sharks as a complement to Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. San Jose grabbed Kunin from Nashville in a summertime trade to maximize its scoring potential and Kunin has tried to oblige with a pair of points in his first five games. Like the rest of San Jose’s lineup, there’s more Kunin can offer, too.
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Greg Wyshynski
The Dallas Stars‘ 3-1 win in Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night was a contrast in offensive efficiency. The Jets converted just once on 72 shot attempts. Dallas center Mikael Granlund, meanwhile, needed only three shot attempts in the game to score three goals. His hat trick was all the offense the Stars needed to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, moving one win away from their third straight trip to the Western Conference finals.
“Obviously, the job is not done. We’ve got a lot of work to do. [But] that was a good win,” Granlund said.
It was the first career hat trick for Granlund, a 13-year veteran whom the Stars acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a trade back in February. Three goals on three shots, all of them sailing past Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who remained winless on the road in the 2025 postseason.
Granlund’s first goal came at 8:36 on the power play, as he skated in on three Jets defensemen and fired a snap shot past Hellebuyck from the top of the slot.
“I was just shooting it somewhere and it went in,” Granlund said.
“I got a clean enough look. It was just a damn perfect shot, just above my pad and below my glove,” Hellebuyck lamented.
“Obviously, he probably wants the first one back, the wrister,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said of Hellebuyck. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to get him some run support. Get him a lead.”
Granlund’s second shot and second goal came on a play started by Mikko Rantanen, whose league-leading point total now stands at 19 for the playoffs. His outlet pass found Granlund in the neutral zone, sparking a 2-on-1 with Roope Hintz. Granlund kept the puck and roofed it to give Dallas a 2-1 lead after Nik Ehlers had tied the game for Winnipeg earlier in the second period.
“When you pass all the time, you can surprise the goalie sometimes when you shoot the puck. It’s good to shoot once in a while,” said Granlund, who had twice as many assists (44) as goals (22) in the regular season.
Granlund’s third and final shot attempt of the game was on another Dallas power play in the third period, following a double-minor penalty to defenseman Haydn Fleury for high-sticking Hintz.
Defenseman Miro Heiskanen, in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 28 after missing the last 32 regular-season games and first 10 playoff games because of a knee injury, collected the puck after Matt Duchene rang it off the post. Heiskanen slid it over to Granlund for a one-timer that brought him to his knees on the ice. After the shot beat Hellebuyck at 7:23 of the third period, waves of hats hit the ice in celebration of Granlund’s three-goal night.
It was fitting that Rantanen and Heiskanen had points on Granlund’s hat trick. This was the first game that the Stars’ so-called “Finnish Mafia” played together, as Heiskanen was injured before Granlund and Rantanen joined the team. Those three skaters joined countrymen Hintz and defenseman Esa Lindell in helping Dallas to victory.
“It was fun for sure. Fun to finally be on the ice with them,” Heiskanen said.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger did the rest with 31 saves, many of them on dangerous Winnipeg chances. But in the end, all the Stars needed were three shot attempts, while the Jets’ voluminous offensive night produced only one goal.
“Oettinger made some big stops. But we had 70 shot attempts. We have to get more than one goal,” Arniel said. “If we can’t find more than one goal, we’re not going to win hockey games, especially [against] this team.”
Dallas will attempt to close out the series on Thursday night in Winnipeg.
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David Schoenfield
Pete Rose, Joe Jackson, seven other members of the 1919 Chicago “Black Sox”, six other former players, one coach and one former owner are now eligible to be voted on for the Hall of Fame after commissioner Rob Manfred removed them from Major League Baseball’s permanently ineligible list.
Hall of Fame chairwoman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement: “The National Baseball Hall of Fame has always maintained that anyone removed from Baseball’s permanently ineligible list will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration. Major League Baseball’s decision to remove deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered.”
Due to Hall of Fame voting procedures, Rose and Jackson won’t be eligible to be voted on until the Classic Era Baseball committee, which votes on individuals who made their biggest impact prior to 1980, meets in December of 2027.
Let’s dig into what all this means.
Why were these players banned?
All individuals on the banned list who were reinstated had been permanently ineligible due to accusations related to gambling related to baseball — either throwing games, accepting bribes, or like Rose, betting on baseball games.
Most of the banned players, including Jackson and his seven Chicago White Sox teammates who threw the 1919 World Series, played in the 1910s, when gambling in baseball was widespread. As historian Bill James once wrote, “Few simplifications of memory are as bizarre as the notion that the Black Sox scandal hit baseball out of the blue. … In fact, of course, the Black Sox scandal was merely the largest wart of a disease that had infested baseball at least a dozen years earlier and had grown, unchecked, to ravage the features of a generation.”
The most famous player, of course, was Jackson, one of baseball’s biggest stars alongside Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker in the 1910s. While many have tried to exonerate Jackson through the years, pointing out that he hit .375 in the 1919 World Series, baseball historians agree that Jackson was a willing participant in throwing the World Series and accepted money from the gambling ring that paid off the White Sox players.
While the White Sox players were acquitted in a criminal trial in 1921, commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned the eight players in a statement that began with the words “Regardless of the verdict of juries …”
If there was an innocent member in the group, it was third baseman Buck Weaver, not Jackson. Weaver had participated in meetings where the fixing of the World Series was discussed, and Landis banned him for life for guilty knowledge.
As for Rose, he was banned in 1989 by commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for betting on games while he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds, including those involving his own team. While Rose denied the accusations for years, he eventually confessed. He died last September at age 83.
Who else is impacted?
Phillies owner William Cox was banned in 1943 and forced to sell the team for betting on games. Cox had just purchased the team earlier that season. None of the other non-White Sox players are of major significance, although Benny Kauff was the big star of the Federal League in 1914-15, winning the batting title both seasons. The Federal League was a breakoff league that attempted to challenge the National and American leagues.
When is the soonest Rose and Jackson could go into the Hall of Fame?
The Hall of Fame voting process for players not considered by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America — such as Rose and Jackson, who never appeared on the ballot due to their banned status — includes two eras: the Contemporary Baseball Era (1980 to present) and the Classic Baseball Era (pre-1980). The voting periods are already set:
December 2025: Player ballot for the Contemporary Era.
December 2026: Contemporary Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires.
December 2027: Classic Era ballot for players, managers, executives and umpires.
Each committee has an initial screening to place eight candidates on the ballot, so Rose and Jackson will first have to make the ballot. While it’s unclear how a future screening committee will proceed, it’s possible that both will make the ballot. While comparisons to players with PED allegations aren’t exactly apples to apples — since they were never placed on the ineligible list — it’s worth noting that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro were included on the eight-player Contemporary Era ballot in 2023.
Once the ballot is determined — a 16-person committee consisting of Hall of Fame players, longtime executives and media members or historians — convenes and votes. A candidate must receive 12 votes to get selected. In the most recent election in December, Dave Parker and Dick Allen were on the Classic Era ballot.
Which players have the best HOF cases?
Obviously, Rose would have been a slam-dunk Hall of Famer had he never bet on baseball and had he appeared on the BBWAA ballot after his career ended. The all-time MLB leader with 4,256 hits, Rose won three batting titles and was the 1973 NL MVP. And while he’s overrated in a sense — his 79.6 career WAR is more in line with the likes of Jeff Bagwell, Brooks Robinson and Robin Yount than all-time elite superstars — and hung on well past his prime to break Ty Cobb’s hits record, his popularity and fame would have made him an inner-circle Hall of Famer.
Whether he’ll get support now is complicated. Bonds and Clemens both received fewer than four votes in 2023. The committee usually consists of eight former players, and they may not support Rose given the one hard and fast rule that every player knows: You can’t bet on the game.
Jackson, meanwhile, was a star of the deadball era, hitting .408 in 1911 and .356 in his career, an average that ranks fourth all time behind only Cobb, Negro Leagues star Oscar Charleston and Rogers Hornsby. He finished with 62.2 WAR and 1,772 hits in a career that ended at age 32 due to the ban. Those figures would be low for a Hall of Fame selection, although the era committees did recently elect Allen and Tony Oliva, both of whom finished with fewer than 2,000 hits. And again, it is hard to say how the committee will view Jackson’s connection to gambling on the sport.
The only other reinstated player with a semblance of a chance to get on a ballot is pitcher Eddie Cicotte, who won 209 games and finished with 59.7 WAR. While his final season came at 36, the knuckleballer was still going strong, having won 29 games for the White Sox in 1919 and 21 in 1920 before Landis banned him.
For what it’s worth, the top position players in career WAR who made their mark prior to 1980 and aren’t in the Hall of Fame are Rose, Bill Dahlen (75.3), Bobby Grich (71.0), Graig Nettles (67.6), Reggie Smith (64.6), Ken Boyer (62.8), Jackson and Sal Bando (61.5).
Pitching candidates would include Luis Tiant (65.7), Tommy John (61.6) and Wes Ferrell (60.1). John was on the recent ballot and received seven votes. Others on that ballot included Steve Garvey, Boyer, Negro Leagues pitcher John Donaldson, Negro Leagues manager Vic Harris and Tiant.
Other potential pre-1980 candidates could include Thurman Munson, Bert Campaneris, Dave Concepcion and Stan Hack.
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