The Athletic’s Dec. 5 Power Rankings of Canadian Teams
Every week, The Athletic rolls out its NHL power rankings, a mix of data, opinion, and a little old-fashioned gut feel. And every week, Canadians like me skip straight past the Panthers, Penguins, and Predators to see one thing: How did our teams do?
So let’s do what every Canadian fan secretly wants done anyway — pull the seven Canadian clubs out of the pack and stack them up using The Athletic’s actual ranking numbers, but with a little local colour added. These aren’t standings; they’re status checks. Who’s climbing, who’s wobbling, and who’s hanging on by a thread?
Here’s where the Canadian teams sit this week — from top to bottom — and why they landed there.
First in Canada: Ottawa Senators
The Athletic ranking: 14
Ottawa is the top Canadian team on the board this week, a sentence that hasn’t been written many times over the past decade. The reason is simple: Jake Sanderson has arrived. Sanderson’s becoming the engine of that blue line, driving play at five-on-five and pushing well past last year’s 58-point breakout season. At 23, he already looks like the cornerstone the franchise hoped to draft. The Senators aren’t a finished project — not close — but with Sanderson anchoring the back end, they finally look like a team building in the right direction instead of searching for the path.
Second in Canada: Montreal Canadiens
The Athletic ranking: 15
Montreal’s rise has been steady and, frankly, a little surprising. Cole Caufield is no longer just a shot machine. This season, he’s added playmaking, vision, and real drive. His primary assists per 60 minutes have jumped by about 50 percent. For a club built around youth, it’s encouraging to see its most electric scorer becoming a more complete player. The Canadiens are still early in their climb, but they’re climbing.
Third in Canada: Toronto Maple Leafs
The Athletic ranking: 18
The Maple Leafs were slipping toward chaos until Joseph Woll returned. His calm, positional game gave the team a jolt of confidence — and helped tidy up the defensive sloppiness that had been dragging them down. Woll’s .921 save percentage and solid goals-above-expected numbers made him look like the organization’s long-term answer in net. And then, in typical Toronto fashion, he exited Thursday’s game injured. It feels like this team can never quite exhale.
Fourth in Canada: Edmonton Oilers
The Athletic ranking: 22
According to The Athletic, the Oilers’ story right now is the sudden decline of Mattias Ekholm. For three seasons, he was a stabilizing force, a top-pair defender with elite defensive impact. This season, his numbers have crashed to almost league-average levels, and the defensive rating has dipped well below what the Oilers have come to rely on. If this is a blip, Edmonton can survive it. If it’s “the cliff,” as The Athletic writers put it, the Oilers are in serious trouble.
Fifth in Canada: Winnipeg Jets
The Athletic ranking: 27
Winnipeg doesn’t have many young players left to “explode on the scene.” That makes Cole Perfetti’s slow start stand out even more. His production has dropped significantly, and the fit with Jonathan Toews hasn’t quite clicked. The Jets still have enough veterans to stay competitive, but they badly need at least one young forward to push upward. So far, that hasn’t happened.
Sixth in Canada: Vancouver Canucks
The Athletic ranking: 30
The Canucks’ defensive issues are large enough to fill three columns, but Filip Hronek has been one of the bright spots. On a team that’s bleeding expected goals, Hronek has actually reduced defensive risk when he’s on the ice. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t make highlight reels, but in Vancouver’s current state, “solid defensively” qualifies as a minor miracle.
Last in Canada: Calgary Flames
The Athletic ranking: 32
It’s been a tough year in Calgary, and The Athletic’s ranking reflects it. Kevin Bahl has been excellent defensively, but that’s about the only good news. After that, the list shortens. Matt Coronato hasn’t taken the offensive step the Flames hoped for, and Dustin Wolf’s difficult start has raised questions none of us expected to ask so early. The Flames invested heavily last summer, anticipating a collective surge. So far, it’s been one step forward, two steps back.
Final Thoughts About the Canadian Teams
Canada doesn’t have a powerhouse team this season, at least not yet. Still, there’s no shortage of storylines. The Senators might finally be turning a corner. Montreal’s young stars are rounding out their games. Toronto lives and dies by goaltending. Edmonton waits to see if Ekholm rebounds. And the western trio — Winnipeg, Vancouver, Calgary — are all battling their own versions of “not quite enough.”
But it’s December. There’s time. And if Canadian hockey fans are good at anything, it’s believing there’s always another run in the tank.