NHL Power Rankings: Handing out a present to all 32 groups

The nature of lists this time of yr relies upon drastically on the age of the particular person scratching them out. 

If you’ve solely just lately discovered to spell or are at a degree the place your dad and mom simply allowed you your first cellphone to faucet notes on, your listing is nearly actually a group of needs.

If you’re a bleary-eyed grownup attempting to make the magic occur for the household, likelihood is you’re targeted on a bunch of to-do bullet factors that HAVE to get completed within the subsequent two weeks.

There’s a little bit of a need vs. want dynamic to all of it.

With Christmas across the nook, it’s value remembering that NHL groups all have a group of needs and wishes, too. Some needs are rooted in necessity, whereas others might be thought-about extra of a nice-to-have.

Either method, it’s formally gifting season and we’re right here handy one thing out to all 32 golf equipment, whether or not they desperately require it or not.

1. Colorado A-Z Eventz (21-2-7): With all that firepower, in some way the Avs have the 24^th-ranked energy play within the NHL. Colorado might use a couple of extra PPGs.

2. Dallas Stars (21-5-5): It’s a giant ask, however might this workforce land a right-shot defenceman for the highest 4? Two seasons in the past, they bought one in Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames. Could the golf equipment hook up once more in a deal for righty (and pending-UFA) Rasmus Andersson?

3. Washington Capitals (18-9-3): How a couple of beginning gig for Canada on the Olympics that Logan Thompson makes use of to show he is usually a big-game goalie.

4. Vegas Golden Knights (14-6-9): Hey Santa, can we preserve Mark Stone wholesome for a protracted stretch? He’s solely performed 13 video games this season, however amongst guys who’ve competed in that many contests, Stone’s 1.69 points-per-game is second solely to Nathan MacKinnon (1.70).

5. Carolina Hurricanes (18-9-2): Playoff scoring and dependable goaltending, similar to final yr! And the yr earlier than…and the yr earlier than…

6. Anaheim Ducks (19-10-1): The Ducks want some assistance on the PK, the place the workforce is healthier than solely 5 different NHL golf equipment. 

7. Minnesota Wild (16-9-5): How a couple of large, splashy addition to assist with the offence. Minny’s 2.73 goals-per-game ranks 26^th within the league. 

8. Philadelphia Flyers (16-9-3): The Flyers don’t need to ask for something new; it could be sufficient to only preserve the gamers they’ve and make it into the playoffs for the primary time in an 82-game schedule since 2018.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins (14-7-7): One extra season for 39-year-old Evgeni Malkin.

10. Los Angeles Kings (14-8-8): How a couple of three-way deal that lands Ryan O’Reilly in L.A., Phillip Danault again in Montreal and a Kings first-rounder with a Montreal prospect in Nashville?

11. Tampa Bay Lightning (17-11-2): An Atlantic Division title that doesn’t include the headache and trauma of taking part in the Panthers as a wild-card workforce in Rd. 1. 

12. New York Islanders (17-11-3): Don’t get grasping, guys; transferring up the lottery 10 spots to draft Matthew Schaefer solely to seek out out he’s Rod Langway crossed with Bobby Orr is sufficient for one yr. 

13. Detroit Red Wings (17-11-3): Any all-world defencemen from Michigan on the centre of commerce hypothesis the Wings might pursue?

15. Boston Bruins (18-13-0): Please, please let this be the true Morgan Geekie.

16. Florida Panthers (15-12-2): Did you already know Santa’s official residence is positioned in Finland? Surely he’s bought a delicate spot for the Finns, so possibly he can ship a wholesome Aleksander Barkov for Game 1 of the playoffs. 

17. New Jersey Devils (17-12-1): Forget Quinn Hughes; how about, when Jack Hughes returns to the lineup from his newest damage, we make it the beginning of, like, three years the place the man doesn’t miss a recreation. 

18. Edmonton Oilers (13-11-6): “Dear Santa, nearly 20 years ago we traded for this goalie at the deadline named Dwayne Roloson who took us to the Cup final; any chance you could re-create history for us?”

19. Montreal Canadiens (15-11-3): This time of yr, a purple mild is related to Rudolph’s glowing nostril. In Montreal, although, it means extra terrible goaltending from Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes. Canadiens followers might be begging St. Nick — and another magic man they will consider — to have issues change with touted prospect Jacob Fowler now on the scene. 

20. Chicago Blackhawks (13-11-6): How about some underlying numbers that match the positivity of being in a playoff chase? Right now, the Hawks have the worst five-on-five anticipated objectives share within the NHL, in line with Moneypuck. 

21. New York Rangers (15-13-4): It may be the Rangers who give us all one thing in the event that they don’t re-sign Artemi Panarin and he turns into one of many few very intriguing UFA choices on the open market. 

22. Winnipeg Jets (14-14-1): Christmas might come a bit early in Manitoba as Connor Hellebuyck is again practising with the workforce. Really, it will probably’t come early sufficient. 

23. Columbus Blue Jackets (13-11-6): Adam Fantilli has been good, however followers in Ohio would like to unwrap a actuality the place he makes the sort of Year 3 leap the 2 guys drafted forward of him in 2023 — Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson — have made. 

24. Ottawa Senators (13-12-4): How a couple of bunch of Norris Trophy votes for Jake Sanderson?

25. Utah Mammoth (14-15-3): Utah is probably going asking for it to be October once more. After beginning the yr 8-2-0, the Mammoth are 6-13-3 of their previous 22 outings. 

26. San Jose Sharks (14-14-3): The World Junior Championship is a vacation custom and the Sharks certainly need Michael Misa — the second-overall choice final June — to go there, dominate and use that as a springboard to a optimistic second half to his rookie professional season.

27. Seattle Kraken (12-10-6): The first three issues on Seattle’s listing must be expertise, expertise and expertise. The Kraken have scored 2.62 objectives per recreation this yr, fewer than all people besides the Calgary Flames. 

28. St. Louis Blues (11-13-7): Are we on the level the place Blues followers are simply asking for good returns for signature franchise gamers like Brayden Schenn and Jordan Binnington?

29. Nashville Predators (11-14-4): If there’s one factor Nashville had for 20 years, it was a transparent identification. Now it appears like time to ask for a brand new one. 

30. Calgary Flames (12-16-4): “Dear Santa, we have never selected in the top 3 picks of the draft since moving to Calgary; can we just get one lottery win to stop all this arguing about whether to tank or not?”

31. Buffalo Sabres (12-14-4): Buffalo wants street wins in a foul method. The Sabres’ .286 factors share because the customer is the worst mark within the NHL.

32. Vancouver Canucks (11-16-3): An enormous, big Quinn Hughes haul, every time it occurs.