NHL Quarter-Season Rankings: Canucks Claim Bottom Spot as Struggles Intensify

As the NHL season reaches its quarter mark, the league is beginning to separate genuine contenders from pretenders, while the middle remains cluttered with uncertainty.

Four clubs currently sit below .400, with ten more under .500. It has been a difficult opening stretch for numerous franchises.

A handful may climb out of the bottom ten, but several appear headed toward the lottery, pinning their hopes on draft luck come May.

Traditionally, American Thanksgiving serves as the benchmark for when teams reveal their true identities. With less than two weeks remaining, any club hoping to avoid this group must accelerate immediately.

Here is a look at the teams at the bottom and whether they can climb out and mount a playoff push.

Vancouver Canucks

3-16-1, 7 points, .175 P%

Vancouver has endured a difficult season, managing just one win since October 3, when they stood at 2-1-0. A brief spark of optimism quickly faded. With 16 losses—15 in regulation—any hope of competitiveness has all but disappeared.

Vancouver is on pace for roughly 15 wins, and even that feels generous. Although their offense ranks near the middle of the pack, they have surrendered 95 goals—more than any other team, with the next closest allowing no more than 78. The organization anticipated struggles, but not to this extent.

Chicago Blackhawks

5-13-1, 11 points, .289 P%

Chicago opened the season without superstar captain Connor Bedard. After missing half a dozen games, he returned and has been outstanding, leading the Blackhawks with 15 points in 13 games. Despite his impact, the team’s results remain underwhelming.

Aside from Bedard, production has been scarce, though Russian rookie Roman Kantserov leads the team with nine goals and ranks second in scoring behind Bedard. Chicago hoped to take a significant leap this season, but key players have not taken the necessary steps forward.

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Los Angeles Kings

5-10-2, 12 points, .353 P%

Los Angeles is enduring a disastrous season. The Kings appear lost on the ice, and while their record does not match Vancouver’s futility, they look just as incapable. Every time they seem to turn things around, they stumble. Every strong individual performance is followed by inconsistent play.

Artemi Panarin, Brandt Clarke, and Adrian Kempe have been the only bright spots. Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore have underperformed, and inconsistency has infected every position. Returning to playoff contention will be difficult.

Philadelphia Flyers

5-10-6, 16 points, .381 P%

Philadelphia has dropped several overtime games and sits among the league’s most unhappy teams. A cloud has hung over the franchise all season, and speculation that prized youngster Matvei Michkov might want a trade has only added to the unrest.

Head coach Rick Toccett appears to be at the center of the tension. Offensively, Philadelphia lacks elite firepower and is tied for the third-fewest goals in the league. Known for a brash, in-your-face identity, the Flyers have lacked that edge this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets

7-10-0, 14 points, .412 P%

Columbus ranks among the NHL’s lowest-scoring teams, though they have shown flashes of competence. Young players need to step up. Kent Johnson is producing at a point-per-game pace, but when only he and Zach Werenski are meeting expectations, more is needed.

Adam Fantilli returned just before the season opener after summer contract negotiations resulted in an 11th-hour signing. He has managed only six points, and missing training camp has clearly affected his development. Columbus could re-enter the playoff conversation, but it will require Fantilli to return to form or better.

Pittsburgh Penguins

7-10-2, 16 points, .421 P%

Pittsburgh needs to rediscover its previous form. For the first time in his NHL career, Sidney Crosby is not producing at a point-per-game pace, managing 13 points in 19 games. Crosby is not the cause of the losing, but he has not carried the team as he has in previous seasons.

An aging core and underwhelming supporting cast have left Pittsburgh middling in most categories and near the bottom of the standings. A turnaround is possible, but reaching true contender status seems unlikely.

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Detroit Red Wings

7-10-3, 17 points, .425 P%

Detroit’s season has largely matched expectations. Their captain, who requested a trade, played briefly before being suspended. Moritz Seider and rookie Michael Brandsegg-Nygard have performed well, but victories have been scarce. A recent five-game losing streak has compounded the struggles, though this outcome was always a possibility.

Toronto Maple Leafs

8-11-2, 18 points, .429 P%

Toronto has been inconsistent—sometimes good, sometimes not. A nightmare homestand produced five straight losses against quality opponents.

Auston Matthews, Jack Roslovic, and Easton Cowan have delivered strong performances. However, prized off-season goaltending acquisition Sergei Bobrovsky has struggled badly. Toronto can recover if it stabilizes the net, but that remains a significant uncertainty.

San Jose Sharks

8-11-2, 18 points, .429 P%

San Jose’s promising rise last season, driven by Macklin Celebrini, has given way to a more difficult campaign. The team held a players-only meeting, has been inconsistent early on, and has failed to score at the expected level.

Young players are carrying the load, but more is needed from the defense and in goal. San Jose could easily get back into contention if things begin to click.

Calgary Flames

8-10-1, 17 points, .447 P%

Calgary can likely be satisfied with its position. The Flames remain near the bottom, positioning them for a high draft pick, but they have stayed somewhat relevant despite low expectations.

Losses have sometimes been ugly, but avoiding last place at the quarter mark is a victory for a team many predicted would finish among the league’s worst three.

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