NHL Power Rankings: Oilers and Maple Leafs rising, Blues on top

The Edmonton Oilers are rising, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are still the cream of the crop in Week 2’s NHL power rankings. 

Week 1 of the NHL season shouldn’t be taken seriously. Teams get off to rough starts in October and wind up making the playoffs. For example, take a look at the Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Both teams were duds in October a year ago, but both teams wound up making the playoffs while the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

That said, a bad start can sometimes hurt your season if you dig yourself into too big of a hole. Teams who can overcome a slow start to their season don’t have to worry too much. But a slow start is still worth noting, even in a very small sample size.

These rankings will be compiled by a team’s record, who they have beaten, and how they have looked in games. A tough loss to a very good team isn’t the worst thing in the world if you play well. Obviously, small sample sizes might affect this ranking. But it should be a good barometer to how a team is playing.

The rankings are defined by some pleasant surprises. Led by Auston Matthews and a young core of players, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been good so far. The Edmonton Oilers have been surprisingly potent on offense thanks to the efforts of Connor McDavid. Nobody expected the Ottawa Senators to be 2-0-0, but that’s where they stand thanks to an overtime win and a shootout win.

However, it also features some disappointments. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks each do not have a win yet this season. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks are off to a 1-2-0 start so far this season. Here are this week’s NHL power rankings.