NHL Power Rankings Week 7: Blue Jackets rising, Islanders at rock bottom

Minnesota has to find a way to get more goals. Devan Dubnyk has been outstanding in goal for the Wild, but they simply aren’t scoring. Eric Staal and Ryan Suter are the team’s two leaders in points with 13 points a piece. However, only Charlie Coyle has double digit points other than those two. That has to change. Getting Zach Parise back (six points in 10 games) should help. But the Wild will likely have to go into the trade market if they want to improve their offense. Luckily, their defense has been one of the best in the NHL. Also, the Central Division hasn’t exactly been a powerhouse this year. Wild fans should be thankful for new head coach Bruce Boudreau.

The Edmonton Oilers are starting to look a bit like the old Oilers. And not in a good way. They have struggled mightily in the month of November with a 4-6-1 record. Moreover, four of those three wins have come against the Islanders and Red Wings. And they needed a shootout to beat the lowly Islanders. The Pacific Division is terrible, so perhaps the Oilers can stay a playoff team, but they’ve been playing quite poorly as of late. Edmonton fans should be thankful for Connor McDavid not just this week, but every week.