As another year nears an end, the NHL season is rocking.
Before Jan. 1, we graded every Western Conference team’s 2024 portion of the season — take a bow, Vegas Golden Knights. Plus, we added a New Year’s resolution for good measure.
All records and statistics are through Sunday’s games.
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks (12-23-2) | Grade: F | 11 losses in their past 15 games since Thanksgiving put the Blackhawks squarely in the lead for the best lottery odds in the NHL. Connor Bedard appears back on track with 12 points in 10 games since the firing of Luke Richardson as head coach.
Resolution: Turn Bedard into the generational player many believe he can become.
Colorado Avalanche (22-15-0) | Grade: B+ | The Avalanche refused to watch their season implode because of nightmare goaltending. League worst through Thanksgiving in save percentage, Colorado’s goaltending is seventh best in save percentage since because of trades for netminders Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood.
Resolution: With goaltending fixed, the Avs should turn their attention to their 5-on-5 play. The acquisition of a speedy, two-way bottom-six forward (Buffalo’s Ryan McLeod?) makes sense.
Dallas Stars (21-13-1) | Grade: B | Dallas could use a little more from its top players — forwards Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz have been somewhere between fine and good. But forward Tyler Seguin’s renaissance season coming to a screeching halt due to a hip injury means the Stars need more from their best players.
Resolution: Just 8-8-1 against the 16 best teams in the league by points percentage, Dallas must step it up against top competition.
Minnesota Wild (22-11-4) | Grade: A- | Minnesota cooled after a hot start, winning just two of its past 10 games in regulation. The defensive structure is back under head coach John Hynes, as the Wild are first in goals against per 60 minutes (1.85) and second in Natural Stat Trick’s expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.09).
Resolution: Resolve to acquire additional 5-on-5 talent. Only the Vancouver Canucks are worse at generating high-danger chances among the teams currently in a playoff spot.
Nashville Predators (11-18-7) | Grade: F | Our final “F” grade fits neatly in the same bin as the Rangers. The Preds were a playoff team a season ago and one that took big swings in free agency on veteran players to support the rest of their core. So far, this plan has failed dreadfully.
Resolution: The metrics are actually much kinder to Nashville than the results, so maybe just stay committed to this awhile longer.
St. Louis Blues (17-17-4) | Grade: C- | The Blues have issues scoring, but they’re the second-best team in limiting high-danger chances in the NHL since Jim Montgomery took over as head coach on Nov. 25. They’re 8-5-3 in that span.
Resolution: A club notorious for being against full tear-it-down rebuilds must commit to seeing how Montgomery continues to handle this team.
Utah Hockey Club (16-13-6) | Grade: B- | Recent three-game losing streak notwithstanding, Utah has started to figure things out enough to get out of the cellar. It is grading favorably in almost every metric and getting improved goaltending thanks to the resurgence of Karel Vejmelka.
Resolution: If there’s a bona fide top-six scoring forward — preferably at center — with term on his contract, Utah should leverage its trove of assets to bring him in. Tage Thompson comes to mind if Buffalo decides to make changes.
Winnipeg Jets (26-10-1) | Grade: A | Could it be that this Winnipeg team is finally different than the one that has struggled mightily in the playoffs the past two seasons? The 5-on-5 numbers are only so-so, but the goaltending is elite again and the power play is best in the league.
Resolution: Win a playoff series for the first time since 2020-21.
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks (14-17-4) | Grade: D- | The Ducks are bleeding chances across the board yet again and struggling to score. They have the sixth-best team save percentage in the league, which is likely why they’re not quite in Chicago territory at the moment.
Resolution: End the Trevor Zegras saga.
Calgary Flames (17-12-7) | Grade: B | Calgary has continued to put off calls for a full-scale rebuild, and it has played a lot of high-event hockey that somehow hasn’t resulted in much scoring for or against. They’re 6-9-4 against the current top 16 teams in the NHL by points percentage, an indication of where the Flames stand in the league hierarchy.
Resolution: Give 23-year-old goaltender Dustin Wolf more playing time.
Edmonton Oilers (21-12-3) | Grade: A- | Things appear to have settled down in Edmonton after a plodding start. By the numbers, the Oilers are at or near the top in virtually every 5-on-5 metric for finishing, possession and chances.
Resolution: Win the Stanley Cup.
Los Angeles Kings (21-10-5) | Grade: A- | The Kings the best shot suppression team in hockey and scoring the fifth-most goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
Resolution: Finally beat the Edmonton Oilers (or whoever they face) in the first round of the playoffs.
San Jose Sharks (11-22-6) | Grade: D- | The Sharks were 9-27-3 this time a year ago, so this is a step in the right direction. 2024 top draft pick Macklin Celebrini has been a point-per-game player as an 18-year-old and 22-year-old goaltender Yaraslav Askarov has played well in his five appearances (.915 save percentage).
Resolution: Keep letting the young guys cook.
Seattle Kraken (16-19-2) | Grade: D | Seattle made big bets in free agency and on highly drafted players who they paid up front to keep long-term costs down. But the results are a team 24th in high-danger chances for and struggling to finish.
Resolution: Find hidden offensive elements in newly acquired winger Kaapo Kakko’s game.
Vancouver Canucks (17-10-8) | Grade: B- | The Canucks are getting another gem of a season from captain Quinn Hughes (42 points in 34 games) while the J.T. Miller-Elias Petterson saga has taken strange twists and turns. Meanwhile, they’re 30th in the NHL in 5-on-5 high danger chances for per 60 minutes.
Resolution: Vancouver needs to find additional play-driving at 5-on-5.
Vegas Golden Knights (25-8-3) | Grade: A+ | By the numbers, Vegas is a bit of an oddball team. It’s good to middling at plenty and really only elite at one thing: scoring (third in goals for per 60 minutes at 5-on-5). But they’re 11-7-1 against the current top 16 teams in the league by points percentage, so something is working.
Resolution: Get superstar center Jack Eichel’s contract extended on July 1.
