NHL Power Rankings
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

Trades in the NHL have always been money-driven. Typically, teams with Stanley Cup aspirations acquire high-priced talent from those out of the running, enabling the bottom-feeders to save some money and acquire some valued prospects.
These days, teams are making trades that have everything to do with money and nothing at all to do with the exchange of talent. On Tuesday, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks essentially dumped Sergei Fedorov on the Columbus Blue Jackets, receiving only a couple of marginal NHLers in return. The Blue Jackets improved dramatically, while the Ducks saved about $4.5 million. This trade – and an impressive surge by the Calgary Flames over the past two weeks – has had a significant impact on The New York Sun’s weekly NHL Power Rankings.
Statistically, teams are measured from left to right in record, goals scored, goals allowed, power-play success, and penalty-killing success. Each team’s ranking from last week appears in parentheses.
1 DETROIT cial teams RED play WINGS has the (2) Wings Excellent rolling spethrough the competition. Youngsters Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are leading the charge up front, while veteran Nicklas Lidstrom anchors the defense.
W-L-OT GF GA PP% PK%
15-3-1 72 42 25.0% 87.0%
2 OTTAWA no Chara and SENATORS Wade Redden (1) Blueliners have made Zdelife pretty easy for goaltender Dominik Hasek. The Sens’ power play has cooled off considerably, though, and a lack of scoring depth could prove problematic.
13-3-0 76 33 18.5% 84.7%
3 MONTREAL jury to Alexei CANADIENS Kovalev will keep (3) A knee the star inwinger out for about six weeks. Look for rookie Alexander Perezhogin to break out playing alongside Saku Koivu.
13-3-3 61 54 20.1% 82.6%
4line CAROLINA of Eric Staal HURRICANES , Erik Cole, (5 and ) The Cory top Stillman has been brilliant, but it’s the contributions of a resurgent Rod Brind’Amour and Ray Whitney that have enabled the Hurricanes to go 9-1 in their last 10.
13-3-1 62 48 19.8% 81.3%
5Hartnell NASHVILLE has raised PREDATORS his (7 to ) Scott new
game heights; the Predators’ power forward is leading the team with a +8 rating and is doing his part to make up for the extended absence of winger Scott Walker.
12-2-3 52 45 18.8% 86.0%
6need PHILADELPHIA to improve their FLYERS road play (4) if The they Flyers ‘re to compete for the Cup. Peter Forsberg’s feathery passes have enabled Simon Gagne to tally an eye-popping 17 goals in just 16 games.
11-4-1 70 55 21.0% 75.7%
7 LOS ANGELES KINGS (10) Former Rangers goaltending prospect Jason LaBarbera has taken a leave of absence, so Mathieu Garon takes over between the pipes. Forwards Alexander Frolov and Craig Conroy are on fire.
12-6-1 70 53 15.7% 85.3% 8line VANCOUVER of Markus Naslund CANUCKS , Todd Bertuzzi (11) The , and top Brendan Morrison is one of the NHL’s finest, while Anson Carter has proven to be a big upgrade over Trent Klatt on the Sedin twins’ line. 11-5-2 60 53 16.7% 81.3% 9winning CALGARY streak FLAMES has enabled (17) A seven the Flames -game to surge into a first-place tie with the Canucks. Defensemen Dion Phaneuf, Roman Hamrlik, and Andrew Ference have all made significant offensive contributions. 11-7-2 51 52 15.2% 79.8% 10once DALLAS again STARS scoring (12 at ) a Mike point Modano -per-game is clip, while the Finnish quartet of Jere Lehtinen, Jussi Jokinen, Niko Kapanen, and Antti Miettinen provides solid scoring depth and excellent two-way play..
11-6-1 62 56 17.4% 82.7% 11 TORONTO Leafs are rumored MAPLE to be LEAFS looking (8) for The a trade partner to take on Jason Allison. The playmaking center will likely be moved for a puck-moving defenseman.
10-7-2 69 69 25.2% 82.6% 12er NEW -say YORK -die Rangers RANGERS have (16 a ) slim The one nev- – point lead over the Flyers (who have four games in hand). They lost a heartbreaker in Toronto on Tuesday night, but remain one of the Eastern Conference’s better teams.
11-6-3 66 48 17.7% 87.4% 13 COLORADO kic hasn’t found AVALANCHE his groove yet (6 (15 ) Joe points Sa- , -3 rating), while former Rangers grinder Ian “Wild Thing” Laperriere has emerged as one of the Avs’ most important forwards, leading the team (by far) with a +12 rating. Go figure… 9-6-2 70 58 20.6% 85.9% 14 BOSTON have been BRUINS reeling since (13) Brian The Bruins Leetch went down with a knee injury. Not only does Leetch provide much-needed stability in the defensive zone, but his end-to-end rushes take a lot of pressure off the forward corps.
7-7-5 64 69 19.0% 85.0%
15 EDMONTON Ryan Smyth and OILERS RaffiTorres (22) Left score wingers about 30% of the Oilers’ goals. With just one goal in 20 games, Chris Pronger is due to break out.
10-9-1 60 59 17.2% 82.1%
16hand TAMPA injury BAY to LIGHTNING Martin St. (14 Louis ) A freak will keep the star winger out for about a month. It’s a huge surprise that Vaclav Prospal – not Vincent Lecavalier or Brad Richards – is the Lightning’s top scorer.
8-9-3 60 62 13.2% 83.1%
17and Kyle JOSE McLaren SHARKS have (18) Brad played Stuart extremely well thus far, and the return of Evgeni Nabokov between the pipes has further solidified the Sharks’ stifling defense.
8-7-2 47 57 13.2% 81.8%
18 MINNESOTA vide an interesting WILD glimpse (9) The into Wild what prolife would be like for the Rangers without Jaromir Jagr: The absence of scoring winger Marian Gaborik has significantly hampered Minnesota’s offense.
8-9-2 50 45 19.0% 90.1%
19Satan YORK has sunk ISLANDERS into a slump (19) , Miroslav leading Isles head coach Steve Stirling to separate him from Alexei Yashin. Jason Blake and Shawn Bates have been playing at an all-time high level lately.
9-9-0 53 63 15.3% 81.9%
20 PHOENIX the Ducks for COYOTES a fourth- ( round 21) Dumped pick, for by – ward Mike LeClerc has emerged as the Coyotes’ top scorer. Paul Mara and Derek Morris run the points on a rapidly improving power play.
9-9-2 54 52 18.7% 80.1%
21is BUFFALO the offensive SABRES leader, while (20) Daniel Ales Kotalik Briere and former Islander Tim Connolly have also played well in recent weeks. Look for the Sabres to deal a goalie when Ryan Miller returns from injured reserve.
9-9-0 57 62 21.0% 80.9%
22The COLUMBUS acquisition BLUE of Sergei JACKETS Fedorov gives (27) Columbus a huge edge over Chicago and St. Louis. Look for Nikolai Zherdev to thrive alongside Fedorov.
5-13-0 34 62 9.2% 83.5%
23 ANAHEIM Ducks appeared MIGHTY to be DUCKS a bona fi (15 de ) Cup The contender entering the season, but their dumping of Fedorov is a bad sign. Look for GM Brian Burke’s team to struggle unless another top-tier forward is acquired.
7-7-4 49 51 15.6% 82.2%
24 FLORIDA forward PANTHERS Nathan Horton (23) is Budding out unpower til the weekend (at least) with a sprained knee. Without their goal-scoring and plus-minus leader, the Panthers have struggled badly.
6-9-4 43 55 12.9% 80.1%
25Lehtonen ATLANTA and THRASHERS Mike Dunham are (25 out ) Kari with groin injuries, leaving the net-minding duties to former Denver University star Adam Berkhoel.
7-9-1 61 58 23.2% 78.9%
26ils’ offense JERSEY is in shambles DEVILS ( , 26 and ) The the Dev de – – fense isn’t much better. Look for GM Lou Lamoriello to make some cost-cutting moves to clear room for Patrik Elias’s return, dealing either Richard Matvichuk (likely) or Dan McGillis (less likely).
8-8-2 52 64 19.2% 84.8%
27Lemieux PITTSBURGH is battling PENGUINS a stomach (24) Mario virus, which is bad news for a team that finally seemed to be getting back on the right track. Marc-Andre Fleury appears ready to take over in goal.
5-8-6 57 81 17.6% 77.1%
28mo CHICAGO Ruutu BLACKHAWKS and Eric Daze (28 are ) Tuo the – Hawks’ best forwards, but both players remain sidelined with back injuries.
7-11-0 50 69 13.3% 80.4%
29Alexander WASHINGTON Ovechkin CAPITALS single-handedly (30) carried the Caps to victory over the Lightning on Tuesday, providing further indication that he is in fact the NHL’s best rookie.
7-11-0 47 76 11.8% 78.0%
30has . LOUIS missed BLUES all but two (29) Keith Tkachuk with in-
games juries that stem from poor conditioning, while rumors are swirling that center Doug Weight could be the next high-profile forward to be dealt in a salary-dump.
2-12-3 44 72 14.2% 79.8%