Pencils down, folks, it’s report card time for every team, courtesy of the Rankings Boys.
Every team gets graded based on their performance over the first quarter of the season. Here at Rankings HQ, though, we grade on a curve — every grade is loosely based on expectations.
If you’re a good team playing good, that’s cool and all, but that’s about what we expected out of you; an average grade is what you deserve. A good team playing great though? That gets an A, as would a terrible team playing just fine. Just fine is great for Columbus, but it’s horrible for Edmonton.
That’s the gist of it — here are our grades.
Last week: 1
Sean’s ranking: 1
Dom’s ranking: 1
Sean grade: A+
Dom grade: A+
There are nits to pick with the Jets — some more prime chances at five-on-five wouldn’t hurt, and they’re probably not going to shoot 25 percent on the power play for a full season — but it’d be unfair to do any more than mention them in passing, at this point. It’s been a remarkable start to the season, and, if we’re being honest, a surprising one, too. If they don’t get full marks, who does?
Last week: 2
Sean’s ranking: 2
Dom’s ranking: 2
Sean grade: A+
Dom grade: A+
We’ve spent the entire first quarter (okay, fine, half decade) talking up the Hurricanes so it should come as no shock that they earn high marks for their start. Every new addition has crushed it to degrees no one could’ve seen coming and the returning players look as strong as ever. They’ve got depth, they’ve got oomph. They’ve got offense, they’ve got defense. Most of all, they’ve got their system and this might be the year it finally pays off.
Last week: 5
Sean’s ranking: 3
Dom’s ranking: 3
Sean grade: A
Dom grade: A
The Wild just keep on winning. They are now 13-3-3 and proud owners of the second-best points percentage in the league. They’d be division favorites if not for the first-place team, also from the Central.
Everything that needed to go right for the Wild this season did, and then some, and they’re back to looking like a legit contender. Kirill Kaprizov is on an MVP run and everyone around him has elevated their games appropriately. Color us impressed, the Wild are the real deal.
Last week: 6
Sean’s ranking: 4
Dom’s ranking: 5
Sean grade: B+
Dom grade: B
It’s hard to be too harsh on a 12-5-1 start. The Rangers are still plugging along and winning games at a high rate, but there is still room for concern. They’ve struggled this season against playoff opponents, have seen a rapid decline from Mika Zibanejad, and have had some second pair woes too.
A 114-point pace is still a 114-point pace, but the Rangers haven’t exactly been given the toughest test so far. How they fare in Q2 and beyond might be more telling to what they can be.
Last week: 4
Sean’s ranking: 5
Dom’s ranking: 4
Sean grade: B
Dom grade: B
The Stars are getting slow starts from Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnson, but the fact that they’re still clocking in this high is a testament to how good the rest of the roster has been. Let’s start with Matt Duchene, who leads the team in scoring with 21 points. We’d say it’s a throwback to his time in Colorado, but 4.62 points/60 is miles ahead of anything Duchene managed in his first 15 (!) seasons.
Last week: 3
Sean’s ranking: 7
Dom’s ranking: 7
Sean grade: A-
Dom grade: A-
Losing to the Blackhawks? That’s enough to bump Florida’s grade down from “A” to “A-minus.” Sorry, but we’ve got to be tougher critics against the defending champions. The expectations to keep being the best are very high.
So far, though, the Panthers are meeting them. The stars have shone bright and are getting the most out of a makeshift defense corps. Florida has enough sauce to win the Atlantic Division again, and even if the Panthers don’t, they’ll still be a tough out for any team unlucky to face them.
Last week: 10
Sean’s ranking: 6
Dom’s ranking: 9
Sean grade: A+
Dom grade: A+
There’s simply no underselling just how impressive Washington’s start to the season has been. If there was a letter grade above “A-plus,” the Capitals would’ve convincingly earned it. Sure, there’s an element of puck luck involved with their start and they may cool down at some point — but that doesn’t change how well this group has played over the first quarter. The kids have taken big steps, the stars have had resurgent seasons, and the team looks deep both up front and on the back end. The Capitals are the best story in hockey and we’re enjoying the ride.
Last week: 9
Sean’s ranking: 7
Dom’s ranking: 8
Sean grade: B+
Dom grade: B+
A lot of people figured the Devils would get back on the contention path after a surprising down season, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen from them so far. Sheldon Keefe deserves a lot of credit here for the team’s defensive improvement; the Devils are in the top 10 for xGA/60 after finishing 20th last season. They looked especially good against Carolina in that regard Thursday night.
Last week: 11
Sean’s ranking: 10
Dom’s ranking: 6
Sean grade: B+
Dom grade: B+
The Leafs woke up on Thursday in first place in their division (and ahead of their preseason points projection) despite Auston Matthews not playing since Nov. 3. They’ve now got six players on injured reserve. That alone gets them reeeeally close to an “A” — and if they keep it together much longer, we’ll have to revisit.
Last week: 7
Sean’s ranking: 9
Dom’s ranking: 10
Sean grade: A
Dom grade: A-
It’s business as usual for Vegas who are on pace for 107 points. That gets an A-grade from us thanks to playing at a much stronger pace than we figured given how weak their wingers looked to start the season. That the Golden Knights have survived lately with Mark Stone missing time (something we all assumed would happen at some point), makes it even more impressive. Pavel Dorofeyev, by the way, is on pace for 41 goals. That unexpected leap certainly helps!
Last week: 12
Sean’s ranking: 12
Dom’s ranking: 11
Sean grade: B
Dom grade: B
The Lightning deserve two grades: one for Andrei Vasilevskiy games (yay!) and one for Jonas Johansson games (boooooo). The difference between the two has been stark, enough to leave the Lightning at a solid B. Tampa Bay is playing at a 100-point pace and is pretty much right in line with expectations so far — no complaints here.
Last week: 15
Sean’s ranking: 11
Dom’s ranking: 15
Sean grade: B+
Dom grade: B+
Lockdown defense (1.95 goals against per 60 at five-on-five) and juiced-up offensive production put the Kings solidly ahead of their preseason projections. The fact that they’ve done almost all of it without Drew Doughty, and while getting substandard goaltending, makes it all even more impressive.
Last week: 8
Sean’s ranking: 13
Dom’s ranking: 14
Sean grade: C
Dom grade: C
Outside of the play of Quinn Hughes — remember, he’s an MVP candidate, not just a Norris candidate — not a ton has gone well for the Canucks. Example A: Brock Boeser is still tied for the team lead in goals (11) despite missing six games. Still, they’ve managed to keep their heads above water. And look, off in the distance! That’s Thatcher Demko!
Last week: 13
Sean’s ranking: 16
Dom’s ranking: 12
Sean grade: C-
Dom grade: C
It’s a bit unfair to grade the Avalanche right now. They’re like the kid who missed a month with mono — of course they’re going to be behind the rest of the class. The Avalanche have played commendable hockey despite all the absences and things are starting to turn around of late now that they’re getting healthier. Still, it’s hard to give anything higher than a C right now. Yes, their circumstances were tough, but the work they’ve handed in so far still leaves a bit to be desired.
15. Edmonton Oilers, 10-9-2
Last week: 14
Sean’s ranking:
Dom’s ranking: 13
Sean grade: D-
Dom grade: D
We’re not mad, we’re just disappointed.
Once again, the Oilers got off to an extremely slow start where Connor McDavid looked a bit off before being sidelined with injury, and Stuart Skinner forgot how to make a save. The “D” stands for “deja vu.”
Will the Oilers be better going forward? Probably. They should still be able to challenge for the Pacific Division title despite their tepid start. But we expected a whole lot better from the team many expected to be the league’s absolute best going into the season. It’s not enough to just show up to the regular season — you have to put in the work. The Oilers are learning that lesson all over again.
Last week: 22
Sean’s ranking: 15
Dom’s ranking: 16
Sean grade: A-
Dom grade: A
Raise your hand if you had the Flames fifth in the West after the first quarter with an 11-6-3 record. No one? Not a single soul? We didn’t think so.
Few starts have been more shocking this year than Calgary’s and while we wait for the other shoe to drop, the Flames just find a way and keep winning. Blame Dustin Wolf who is showing some serious juice as a full-time starter. His work during an audition last year left a lot to be desired, but he’s made up for it quickly this year. He’s carrying the Flames.
Last week: 19
Sean’s ranking: 14
Dom’s ranking: 17
Sean grade: C+
Dom grade: C
We assume Buffalo tried (and failed) to petition for an immediate end to the regular season on Thursday morning — they’d have been in the playoffs on tiebreakers. We’ll use this space to mention Alex Tuch for the first time in a while; he’s tied for the team lead in points (18) and scored a couple shorthanded goals along the way. When he, Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka are on the ice together, good things happen.
Last week: 16
Sean’s ranking: 18
Dom’s ranking: 18
Sean grade: C-
Dom grade: D+
With five minutes left against Detroit Thursday night, the Islanders were up 1-0. Five minutes later they went home empty-handed with not even a beloved loser point to hold on to. It was yet another missed opportunity for an Islanders team that’s been on the wrong side of mid this season. We thought this would be a 95-point team, not an 85-point one — and they’re not even on pace for that.
The Islanders are dealing with a lot of injuries so they get a slight pass for that. But this is how you re-pay us for actually believing in you guys?
The good news? The rest of the Eastern playoff hopefuls look just as bad right now, so the Islanders haven’t technically lost much ground yet.
Last week: 23
Sean’s ranking: 19
Dom’s ranking: 19
Sean grade: C
Dom grade: C
The Kraken projected as an aggressively mediocre team ahead of the season, and they’ve delivered on that potential. A middle-of-the-table team, almost across the board. Also, Matty Beniers has three points in his last nine games and 10 overall. Seems like a potential problem!
Last week: 20
Sean’s ranking: 20
Dom’s ranking: 20
Sean grade: F-
Dom grade: F-
The Bruins looked a lot better (on the power play anyway) in their first game under Joe Sacco, but there’s a lot of damage that still needs to be undone. It’s not like we expected the Bruins to be world beaters by any means, but what they’ve shown so far has been nothing short of pathetic. It was difficult to watch Jim Montgomery try to coax a weak and flawed roster into looking like a contender and he ultimately paid the price for the sins of Don Sweeney. Maybe Sacco presses the right buttons to get the team back on track — it’s not like the rest of the East poses much of a threat — but it’ll take a helluva turnaround.
When a team with playoff aspirations has to fire their coach because they’re tied for second last in goal differential with the San Jose Sharks, an F-minus is the only fair grade that can be given.
21. Detroit Red Wings, 8-9-2
Last week: 21
Sean’s ranking: 21
Dom’s ranking: 21
Sean grade: D
Dom grade: C
How you feel about the Red Wings’ start depends a lot on how you felt about the Red Wings to start. The Model viewed them as an 81-point team and at 8-9-2 they are pretty much exactly what they were expected to be.
But damn is it still disappointing to see it actually happen in practice. Moritz Seider looks great, Simon Edvinsson might be the real deal, and the goaltending has been actually solid. And yet the team still stinks.
It’s possible that Thursday’s comeback regulation win over the Islanders can serve as a turning point, but it’s still been an ugly, ugly start. The Red Wings just don’t look good enough.
22. Ottawa Senators, 8-10-1
Last week: 17
Sean’s ranking: 22
Dom’s ranking: 22
Sean grade: C
Dom grade: C-
“This year will be different!” Whoops!
To Ottawa’s credit, the team’s underlying numbers are indeed much improved and it is tragically ironic that the team’s major offseason fix is currently the biggest problem. If Linus Ullmark looks like Linus Ullmark more often, the Senators might be fine. But he hasn’t and so here we are. The strong xG might mean they earn a better grade in Q2. For Q1, it’s hard to give a team that was supposed to make some sort of leap much credit for an 8-10-1 start.
23. Utah HC, 7-9-3
Last week: 18
Sean’s ranking: 23
Dom’s ranking: 23
Sean grade: C+
Dom grade: C-
Things started so well for Utah in its inaugural season but have imploded since. Losing Sean Durzi stung, as did the news of John Marino being out long-term. But even with those losses on the back end, Utah should be better than what they’ve shown over the last month. The team’s offense has felt anemic most nights and Connor Ingram has been a shade of himself between the pipes. There was some hope that Utah could climb to relevancy this season after a big offseason, but instead it’s been more of the same.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets, 8-9-2
Last week: 29
Sean’s ranking: 24
Dom’s ranking: 25
Sean grade: A-
Dom grade: A-
Everyone in the hockey world hoped for nothing but the best for Columbus this season and thankfully that’s exactly what we’re getting. The team is winning games in thrilling ways, they’re seeing breakthroughs from some young players, Zach Werenski looks like a truly elite No. 1 defenseman (he had five points against the Lightning!) and Sean Monahan is channeling his best self to play the best hockey of his career. It’s been a storybook start that has the Blue Jackets hovering around .500, a beautiful sight to see.
Last week: 30
Sean’s ranking: 26
Dom’s ranking: 24
Sean grade: C-
Dom grade: B-
Credit where credit is due, the Ducks are playing .500 hockey right now which is way better than many could’ve expected. Credit Lukas Dostal’s heroics and a three-game winning streak for that one.
But man does this team still look rough on a nightly basis. We’ll give them a pass because a win is a win, but even a record well above expectations isn’t enough for high marks when the Ducks are still getting caved in and the young core has seemingly regressed.
Last week: 26
Sean’s ranking: 25
Dom’s ranking: 26
Sean grade: B-
Dom grade: C+
Technically speaking, the Flyers haven’t had a great start to the season. They’re 8-10-2 and don’t look close to the team that clawed its way into the playoff race last season.
In other words — Q1 could not have gone better.
The Flyers look better positioned for a high pick thanks to their weak start which should get their rebuild back on track. On top of that, all the players the team needs to look good are looking great right now. Travis Konecny has been awesome, Travis Sanheim has been a rock, and Matvei Michkov has been as good as advertised. All that and a losing record? Perfect. No notes.
Last week: 24
Sean’s ranking: 27
Dom’s ranking: 27
Sean grade: D+
Dom grade: C-
For all the hemming and hawing about us not respecting the Blues, here they sit after the first quarter with a 9-11-1 record. They’re 24th in the league in points percentage and have the fourth-worst goal differential. We can’t even say “We are who we thought they were” because the Blues might actually be worse. Sorry for being correct!
Last week: 27
Sean’s ranking: 28
Dom’s ranking: 28
Sean grade: F
Dom grade: D
Just when you thought things couldn’t sink any lower for the Penguins, they deliver a craptastic start to the season that has left absolutely no doubt about the team’s direction. Any hope of a last playoff run with Sid and Co. is essentially over — this team is cooked.
GO DEEPER
The Penguins have hit rock bottom. What is the path forward?
Last week: 32
Sean’s ranking: 29
Dom’s ranking: 29
Sean grade: C-
Dom grade: D
Things are starting to pick up a bit lately for the Canadiens, but those expecting the club to take a step this season have been sorely disappointed. There have been a few bright spots (Cole Caufield’s goal-scoring being the biggest), but far more sore spots to call Montreal’s Q1 performance anything but a failure.
30. San Jose Sharks, 6-11-5
Last week: 31
Sean’s ranking: 30
Dom’s ranking: 30
Sean grade: D+
Dom grade: C
The Sharks have been feisty and Macklin Celebrini has been worth the price of admission so far. That’s a plus, but they’re still the Sharks and they’re still one of the worst teams in hockey. Even grading on a curve can’t save them.
31. Chicago Blackhawks, 7-12-1
Last week: 28
Sean’s ranking: 31
Dom’s ranking: 31
Sean grade: D-
Dom grade: D+
The only thing that really matters for this Hawks season is getting Connor Bedard to reach the next level. So far the Blackhawks have mostly failed to do that thanks to some puzzling linemate choices. It’s nice that the Blackhawks beat Florida Thursday and have been ‘in it’ in almost every game this season. But the end result is still a team with a whole lot of Ls.
Last week: 25
Sean’s ranking: 32
Dom’s ranking: 32
Sean grade: X
Dom grade: F-
Sure, there were reasons to side-eye the Predators’ summer spending spree, but anyone who says they expected them to have a worse points percentage than the Sharks is a liar. Good power play, abysmal everything else. They’re not even fun!
(Top photo of Mitch Marner: Mark Blinch / NHLI via Getty Images)
