NHL Power Rankings: Vegas Playing For More Than Just Hockey

The undefeated Golden Knights currently sit atop the Week 1 NHL power rankings and continue to be #VegasStrong

Nobody in their right mind could predict that the NHL’s 31st franchise would go undefeated in its first three games of existence.  They probably wouldn’t also have the New Jersey Devils, the owners of the 2016 first overall pick, going undefeated as well through three games.  But as analysts will tell you, it takes about 20-30 games to determine whether a team or a trend is legit.  Regardless, it’s been an entertaining first week to say the least, and that’s reflected in our NHL power rankings.

We saw the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs score 15 goals each in their first two contests, Alex Ovechkin post two back-to-back hat tricks and Devin Dubnyk make a save-of-the-year highlight play.

But for every team thriving out of the gate, there is a team struggling for wins.  The Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars are the bottom of their divisions for now, but their fa bases have nothing to worry about.  It’s nothing a few points can’t fix. So take these rankings lightly.  They will be vastly different in the coming weeks.

Without further ado, here are your Week 1 NHL power rankings, courtesy Blackhawk Up’s Aaron Goldschmidt and Colin Likas.