NHL 2023-24 Power Rankings: Week 28 – Finale

In many ways, it feels appropriate that this persistent story reaches its conclusion in a season that has featured everything. From a constant flow of fired head coaches, aggressive trades, a prospect swap no one expected, and just so much news about the sport, positive and negative, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this often-discussed headache could be resolved in mere days. However, there’s also a real chance that none of this comes to fruition, and all of this was for naught. If you ask me, that would be the ultimate end to an unpredictable season.

With so much happening off the ice, it’s easy to forget that we still have meaningful games being played every day. While the eight contenders in the Western conference have been wrapped up, the East still has spots available for someone to claim. There’s a real chance the playoff race goes to Game 82 for a number of teams, which would make that final night of hockey truly special.

So, for the last time this season, let’s dive into Week 28 of THW’s 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings!

32-19: Waiting on the NHL Draft Lottery

32. San Jose Sharks (Previously 32nd) – Eliminated

31. Anaheim Ducks (Previously 31st) – Eliminated

30. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously 30th) – Eliminated

29. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously 26th) – Eliminated

28. Seattle Kraken (Previously 28th) – Eliminated

27. Montreal Canadiens (Previously 25th) – Eliminated

26. Calgary Flames (Previously 29th) – Eliminated

25. Ottawa Senators (Previously 24th) – Eliminated

24. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously 27th)

23. Minnesota Wild (Previously 19th) – Eliminated

22. Arizona Coyotes (Previously 22nd) – Eliminated

21. New Jersey Devils (Previously 21st) – Eliminated

20. Buffalo Sabres (Previously 20th) – Eliminated

19. St. Louis Blues (Previously 18th) – Eliminated

It’s almost over for these eliminated teams. For some, the regular season went exactly as planned, since the goal was to compete for the first-overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft. This makes for many long and painful games, but the long-term potential of a star player carrying your franchise to glory can make it all worthwhile.

For others, this season was a complete miss. The Blues, Devils, and Wild expected to be contenders, but slow starts led to fired coaches and a missed opportunity at a somewhat open Wild Card race. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the Blue Jackets mess, which led to a change of head coach before the season started and a fired general manager as the trade deadline loomed. What a shame for a team looking to take a step forward.

Also, I have to call special attention to the Flyers here. They are the only team not officially eliminated in this section of the Rankings. However, with one game remaining and a near four-way tie for the final Wild Card, they will need a lot of help to sneak into the postseason. For that reason, I don’t think they are going to make it, which is a shame given how strong a season they had until the final few weeks.

18-15: Snail Race for the NHL’s Final Wild Card

18. Detroit Red Wings (Previously 17th)

17. Washington Capitals (Previously 22nd)

16. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously 16th)

15. New York Islanders (Previously 15th)

Well, if you were looking for teams to emphatically grab the remaining postseason positions in the Eastern Conference, the Islanders finally answered the call. While they haven’t locked down third place in the Metropolitan Division, a 7-2-1 run in their last 10 games has put them above the 90-point threshold and just one more win would lock them in. Barring a major collapse, they will be playoff-bound despite some rocky play this season.

For the final Wild Card spot, it’s going to come down to the wire. The Red Wings, Flyers, and Capitals are tied, while the Penguins sit just one point behind. With two games remaining, this is a true anything-can-happen scenario with so many teams alive. If you ask me, however, the team that wins two straight games should make the postseason, as I have little reason to believe that all four teams will win their remaining contests. So, hold on for fun games with many nervous fans.

14-1: Fighting for Divisional Seeding

14. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously 14th) – Clinched

13. Los Angeles Kings (Previously 13th) – Clinched

12. Nashville Predators (Previously 12th) – Clinched

11. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously 11th) – Clinched

10. Florida Panthers (Previously 10th) – Clinched

9. Edmonton Oilers (Previously 8th) – Clinched

8. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously 7th) – Clinched

7. Colorado Avalanche (Previously 6th) – Clinched

6. Vancouver Canucks (Previously 5th) – Clinched

5. Winnipeg Jets (Previously 9th) – Clinched

4. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously 4th) – Clinched

3. Boston Bruins (Previously 3rd) – Clinched

2. Dallas Stars (Previously 2nd) – Clinched

1. New York Rangers (Previously 1st) – Clinched

The race at the top of the Rankings has been a great one this season. In prior years we knew almost all of the matchups, seeding, and President’s Trophy winner by the final week of play, but this year it’s all still in the air. Take the surging Jets, who won six straight to jump into second place in the Central Division above the Avalanche. With one point separating the two teams, we may not know who has home-ice advantage until every game is finished.

Even the President’s Trophy is an arms race, with the Hurricanes, Stars, and Rangers all within a point of each other at the top of the standings. With one game remaining each, the scenario is somewhat complicated. If New York wins, they claim the trophy. If they lose, then it comes down to the Hurricanes and Stars. If both win, Carolina will take home the trophy, where Dallas claims it with a win and a loss from their rivals at the top of the standing. Now, of course, an overtime loss would complicate all of these scenarios, but we will keep it simple for the moment.

Overall, there’s still a lot to play for, even if you’re competing to be the best team in the league. That’s an exciting thing, especially if you believe that home-ice advantage matters. While the President’s Trophy curse feels all too real for most teams, it would also be nice to see someone buck that storyline and win it all as the league’s best team.

Sendoff to the 2023-24 NHL Regular Season

As we wrap up the 2023-24 Regular Season Rankings, I just want to say thank you to anyone who stuck with me on this journey. When I committed to creating this weekly Power Rankings back in September, I had no idea how much would change in my life after October (mostly for the positive). This article gave me a constant to look forward to, even as my new responsibilities at work consumed my life.

While this may be the end of the Power Rankings this season, I hope to be back in 2024-25 to do this all over again. For now, though, let’s prepare ourselves for the best part of the hockey season, the start of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs!