NHL Power Rankings: Here Come Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers were a known commodity.

They arrived at the beginning 2023-24 regular season having reached the playoffs four straight times and were on most experts' short list of Stanley Cup favorites.

Then came an 8-1 loss at Vancouver to start the schedule and a 5-12-1 opening run that saw $25 million goalie Jack Campbell sent to the AHL and coach Jay Woodcroft fired.

Funny how eight straight wins can change a fanbase's mood.

Reigning MVP and scoring leader Connor McDavid has regained otherworldly status during the streak, registering 22 points while the team has outscored opponents by a 38-13 margin and converted on 44 percent of its power-play opportunities.

The spike helped the Oilers jump a league-best 10 spots from 25th to a tie for 15th in B/R's Power Rankings, which are led this week by Vegas Golden Knights, which eliminated Edmonton from the playoffs in a six-game second-round series last spring.

The Golden Knights leapt from fourth to first in the balloting and are followed by two other teams from the Pacific Division: Los Angeles in third and Vancouver in fifth. The Boston Bruins took second for the second straight week, while the New York Rangers dropped three spots from first to fourth.

Scroll through to see where your favorite team wound up and drop a thought of your own in the comments.

Votes were tallied from the B/R NHL Staff before games on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Previous Ranking: 32

Overall Record: 9-18-1

Connor Bedard is playing like a superstar in waiting, but it's not translating to success for the team, which has dropped seven straight on the road after Tuesday's loss in Edmonton.

However, Bedard has a recorded point in 10 straight road games, the second-longest run in league history for an 18-year-old.

Previous Ranking: 30

Overall Record: 10-17-0

Forward Ryan Strome received a five-minute major and a game misconduct following a knee-on-knee collision that injured Winnipeg's Kyle Connor on Sunday, but a league source told Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press that he'll avoid suspension because it was determined the contact was not deliberate.

Previous Ranking: 31

Overall Record: 9-17-3

They're not within reach of .500 overall quite yet, but it's certainly been a month-plus of pretty good for the Sharks.

They have won three straight, gone 6-2-2 in their last 10 and are actually 9-6-3 since the second of two straight losses on November 4 in which they gave up 10 goals.

Previous Ranking: 29

Overall Record: 9-16-5

Special teams were the downfall for the Blue Jackets on Sunday against visiting Florida, which killed off two power plays early in the third period before scoring with the man advantage minutes later.

"We've got to find a way to come together and win those hockey games," forward Cole Sillinger told reporters.

Previous Ranking: 27

Overall Record: 9-14-7

A milestone night for goalie Joey Daccord couldn't have come at a better time for the Kraken, which saw the 27-year-old record his first career shutout Tuesday to end an eight-game slide.

"It gets pretty heavy when you're working hard, you're close, but the moral victories, they don't ring very true after you go through that for several games," coach Dave Hakstol said. "So, for the guys to be able to let loose, enjoy a good win knowing that they worked for it, that's huge."

Previous Ranking: 26

Overall Record: 11-14-4

A two-night trip through Colorado and Las Vegas resulted in two straight one-goal losses for the Flames, which have lost five of six overall.

Calgary has dropped to fifth in the Pacific Division and sits two points outside what would be the eighth Western Conference playoff position.

Previous Ranking: 28

Overall Record: 12-14-3

Goalie Devon Levi has been on point since his return from a brief stint in the NHL, going 2-0-1 in first three starts while allowing just five goals and posting a .942 save percentage.

The 21-year-old had gone 3-4-1 while posting a sub-.900 save percentage in seven of nine appearances.

Previous Ranking: 23

Overall Record: 10-12-4

The Wild split four games on coach John Hynes' first trip with the team, salvaging a .500 mark with a 3-0 win at Seattle on Sunday. They're 5-2 in the new man's initial seven games behind the bench.

"You're always happy with .500 on the road," goalie Filip Gustavsson said. "And if you're better than that, that's extra."

Previous Ranking: 14

Overall Record: 13-14-1

The post-Stanley Cup afterglow officially ended in St. Louis on Tuesday when coach Craig Berube was let go amid a four-game losing streak.

Berube was hired during the 2018-19 season and led the franchise to its only championship that same season.

AHL coach Drew Bannister will debut Thursday night.

Previous Ranking: 22

Overall Record: 11-12-0

The Senators went 0-for-4 on the power play against visiting Carolina on Tuesday, prolonging a puzzling home stretch in which they had not scored on 20 straight opportunities with a man advantage.

Still, it was just the second loss in five games for Ottawa, which remains last in a competitive Atlantic Division.

Previous Ranking: 24

Overall Record: 12-13-3

Home cooking has not been particularly tasty of late for the Canadiens, which entered Wednesday's game having gone 1-6-1 in their last eight at the Bell Center.

Montreal was 6-3 in its first nine at home but has been outscored 31-18 in the more recent eight-game stretch.

Previous Ranking: 21

Overall Record: 12-12-3

The Penguins ended an 0-2-2 skid with Tuesday's defeat of Arizona and, just as importantly, netted a pair of power-play goals to end a 0-for-37 drought that stretched more than a month to November 11.

"It's been a little bit of a tough stretch for us here, obviously," forward Jeff Carter said. "We stuck with it."

Previous Ranking: 13

Overall Record: 13-13-2

The road has not been kind for the Coyotes, which have dropped all three games of a trip to Boston, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. It adds up to four straight losses for Arizona, which has been outscored 18-8.

"There are things I would like to do differently," coach Andre Tourigny said, "but the effort was definitely there."

Previous Ranking: 20

Overall Record: 13-12-5

The Lightning dropped a 4-1 decision to Vancouver on Tuesday, but the game was more noticeable for the absence of defenseman Victor Hedman, who was out after suffering an upper-body injury on Saturday.

Hedman has 27 points in 29 games, and his 23:39 average ice time is tops on the team.

Previous Ranking: 12

Overall Record: 15-12-1

Two goals on the power play and a 31-save effort from goalie Pyotr Kochetkov were the perfect antidote for a four-game slide for the Hurricanes, which scored four unanswered goals in a Tuesday win at Ottawa.

"It's been a tough road trip for us, so it's nice to get back in the win column," forward Sebastian Aho said.

Previous Ranking: 17

Overall Record: 14-11-1

A four-game western road swing was largely successful, resulting in three straight wins at Vancouver, Seattle and Calgary before a 4-1 loss to Edmonton in Sunday's finale.

"I think the schedule got us a little bit, we didn't have quite the energy," coach Lindy Ruff said.

Previous Ranking: 18

Overall Record: 16-13-0

It may be lost in the shuffle behind other Tennessee-based sports, but the Predators are having a quietly strong start under the new regime of general manager Barry Trotz and coach Andrew Brunette.

Tuesday's defeat of Philadelphia was their second in a row, fifth in six games and 11th in their last 14.

Previous Ranking: 25

Overall Record: 13-12-1

Tuesday's win against Bedard and the Blackhawks got the Oilers within a single victory of tying the franchise-record nine straight with which they finished off the 2022-23 regular season.

"Any time you win it is fun," forward Zach Hyman said, "and it is fun doing it the right way."

Previous Ranking: 15

Overall Record: 15-10-2

An OT loss at Nashville ended a four-game winning run for the Flyers on Tuesday, but it kept alive a point streak and pleased coach John Tortorella, whose team had rallied from two goals down.

"I don't have one problem with the team tonight," he said.

Previous Ranking: 16

Overall Record: 14-8-3

The Capitals improved to 4-0-0 on the back ends of back-to-back games with a Sunday win at Chicago.

The team is getting closer to getting reinforcements via a new face after Max Pacioretty, who's rehabbing an Achilles tendon injury, practiced for the first time since signing as a free agent in July.

Previous Ranking: 7

Overall Record: 15-9-4

The Red Wings put together a brief recovery from a rare bout of adversity in the early season, rallying in the third period to defeat St. Louis on Tuesday and end a three-game losing streak.

Detroit had won six of seven games before losing at Buffalo and home against San Jose and Ottawa.

Previous Ranking: 19

Overall Record: 13-7-7

Defenseman Noah Dobson, the 12th overall pick in the 2018 draft, has played an integral role in the Islanders' hot start, registering five goals and 27 points in his initial 27 games.

His 82-point pace for the season would easily eclipse his career high of 51 points across 80 games in 2021-22.

Previous Ranking: 11

Overall Record: 17-9-2

It was a streak-ending night for the Panthers in a visit to Seattle, where Sam Reinhart's run of five straight games with a point ended and the team went 0-for-3 on the power play on the way to a 4-0 loss that snuffed out a three-game win streak.

Previous Ranking: 10

Overall Record: 16-9-2

The good news? Winnipeg emerged from a Sunday game in Anaheim with a 2-1 victory.

The bad news? They'll be without forward Kyle Connor, who had 17 goals and 28 points in 26 games, for six to eight weeks thanks to a lower-body injury sustained in a knee-on-knee collision with Ryan Strome.

Previous Ranking: 6

Overall Record: 16-8-3

The sting of a 6-1 home loss to Vegas was at least partially remedied by a six-goal outburst in a defeat of Detroit two days later.

Still, it's been an uncharacteristically generous five-game stretch for the Stars, which have allowed 22 goals while going 2-3 and sinking into a three-way tie for 12th with a 3.07 goals-against average.

Previous Ranking: 5

Overall Record: 17-9-2

Nathan MacKinnon's winning goal against Calgary on Monday extended his point streak to 12 games, the sixth time in his career he's reached a dozen.

The 28-year-old has also registered at least a point in 14 straight home games, a run in which he's scored nine goals and assisted on 17 others.

Previous Ranking: 9

Overall Record: 15-6-5

The Maple Leafs are officially firing on all cylinders after a 7-3 win over the Rangers on Tuesday in New York got them to 9-1-3 in their last 13 games.

Auston Matthews scored twice and became the season's first 20-goal scorer—getting to 21 on the same night Vancouver's Brock Boeser netted three to tie him.

Previous Ranking: 8

Overall Record: 19-9-1

He doesn't get the attention devoted to other high-profile players, but forward Brock Boeser has played like an elite for the first quarter-plus of the season, already eclipsing the 18 goals he scored in 74 games last season.

"It's obviously really awesome, especially after last season," he said. "That being said, if I focus on that too much, I feel I get away from my game. I have to continue to focus on what's giving me success. My main focus every day is working hard and helping my team win."

Previous Ranking: 1

Overall Record: 19-7-1

It's the first prolonged skid of the season on Broadway, where the Rangers have lost three of four after a Tuesday drubbing by Toronto.

Of particular concern is goalie Igor Shesterkin, who's allowed at least four goals in three straight starts and seven times in 17 appearances this season.

Previous Ranking: 3

Overall Record: 16-5-4

The Kings won 11 straight road games to begin the season before losing an OT decision at the New York Islanders on Saturday and a regulation game to the Rangers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

"A lot of things have been going our way, so it's nice to have a little adversity," defenseman Mikey Anderson told reporters.

Previous Ranking: 2

Overall Record: 18-5-3

There's nothing like a visit from Arizona for the Bruins, which beat the Coyotes for the 10th straight time at TD Garden on Saturday.

Boston has defeated Arizona 20 times in their last 21 overall meetings and last lost to the Coyotes on home ice in October 2010.

Previous Ranking: 4

Overall Record: 20-5-5

A 6-6-2 "skid" through November is gone thanks to a now-nine-game point streak that's included a 5-0-1 start to the final month of 2023.

"We were clawing our way into games and getting into overtime when we weren't playing our best hockey," forward Mark Stone said. "Right now, we're actually playing pretty well."