THW Daily - Week 15 NHL Power Rankings & 2024 Draft Rankings for January
Also, why dealing Sean Monahan makes sense for Habs, midseason reflections for the Maple Leafs & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have power rankings for Week 15 in the NHL, January draft rankings, why making a trade to move Sean Monahan makes sense for the Canadiens, and much more.
Don’t forget to check out all of our FREE team Substacks, and sign up for your favorites…or all of them if you want.
You can also upgrade your subscription to a paid THW account, and get access to ALL of our Premium content from ALL of our team Substacks for one low price.
Now, here’s the good stuff…
Check Out Some THW Premium Substack Content:
Detroit Red Wings: Red Wings Weekly Recap: Alex Lyon Backstops West Coast Sweep by Jordan Orth
Colorado Avalanche: Avs Player Grades at Halfway Mark of 2023-24 Season by Stefano Rubino
New Jersey Devils: Devils Sunday Brunch - Heading South by Josh Reinitz
Philadelphia Flyers: Flyers Flash: Heading in the Right Direction by Justin Giampietro
Vancouver Canucks: Canucks Prospect Report: Brzustewicz, Bains, Bloom & More by Matthew Zator
St. Louis Blues: Blue Note Weekly Audio Report: Blues Continue To Play Well in Tough Stretch of Opponents by Ethan Carter
Check Out THW’s Professional Women’s Hockey League Coverage
Welcome to the THW Professional Women's Hockey League Substack
Introducing THW's Professional Women's Hockey League Substack Coverage
Yesterday’s Scores…
Trading Monahan at the Deadline Makes Sense for the Canadiens
January 15, 2024 by Trege Wilson
It’s been quite an up-and-down season for the Montreal Canadiens: they have looked excellent against solid teams, weak against weak teams, and a little bit in between against other teams. So far, they are just under .500 for the season, with a record of 17-18-7 and 41 points at the halfway mark; the Habs are on pace to finish with around 80-82 points, where most media and fans expected them to.
This is not a bad progression from last season, especially with the rash of injuries they have had once again this season. The man-games lost keep adding up with top players like Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak, and Tanner Pearson all out long-term. One player, however, who has played every game this season is Sean Monahan, and because of his health and relatively good play, many fans want him to stay a Hab. That’s not bad in theory, but it would be a massive mistake by management.
NHL 2023-24 Power Rankings: Week 15
January 15, 2024 by Eugene Helfrick
Needless to say, in order for teams to win that many games in a row, there must be other teams that are losing a lot. Indeed this is the case, which means we are seeing a major separation between the best teams in the NHL and the worst, with a number of contenders appearing vulnerable as early season magic fades away.
So, all this to say, it’s time to start shuffling my Rankings around. This week, expect more movement between sections than normal, as I start to separate the contenders and deadline dealers from everyone else. So, with all the big news caught up, let’s take a look at THW’s Power Rankings for Week 15!
Maple Leafs’ 2023-24 Midseason Reflections
January 15, 2024 by Spencer Lazary
The Toronto Maple Leafs have now played half of their 2023–24 season. Their record is 21-12-8 for 50 points, and they currently sit third in the Atlantic Division and 11th in the league. The Maple Leafs have been very good at times but also very confusing. The team isn’t bad by any means; they are an elite team in the NHL. However, they aren’t necessarily playing like that.
They struggle in different areas, such as defence or killing penalties, which have cost them leads and games. The Maple Leafs look to be on the road to making the playoffs, which means in the next 41 games, they need to fix the issues that have been ailing them. For now, though, we will reflect on stories that have happened so far in the 2023-24 season for Toronto.
Flames’ Zary Has Realistic Chance At Calder Trophy Win
January 15, 2024 by Derek Olsen
We are now over halfway through the 2023-24 NHL season, and the Calgary Flames are starting to pick up some steam. As the All-Star Break approaches, the team as a whole has seemingly bought into rookie head coach Ryan Huska’s system and has started to string together some more wins.
The Flames have gone 5-2 since the new year began, most recently defeating the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 3-1. While there are still lots of games left, many fans were worried that this season would be a write-off, but the team’s recent stretches have helped rid them of that mantra. Let’s have a look at his stats so far, his competition, and what needs to happen for him to win.
2024 NHL Draft: Baracchini’s Top 64 January Rankings
January 15, 2024 by Peter Baracchini
Welcome back to my NHL Draft Rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft! It’s been a long time coming since my top-32 rankings that were posted at the beginning of the season and there has been a lot of movement. Both in seeing a lot of risers and fallers as the season continues. A big part of that has been the play at their respective level but also with the World Junior A and World Junior Championships coming to a conclusion.Â
To no one’s surprise, Boston University centre Macklin Celebrini has been stealing the spotlight with his production as a freshman. The consistency and elite level he has played to at this point has been very impressive. As he continues to run away with the top spot, there continues to be more competition to battle it out for the rest of the top-10. Is Sam Dickinson the most well-rounded defender in this draft? Can Cole Eiserman’s goal scoring abilities keep him in a great spot? Will Konsta Helenius’ consistency push him further up the draft board?
Dylan Holloway Will Impact Oilers’ Trade Deadline Plans
January 15, 2024 by Rob Couch
Dylan Holloway has not had a great deal of injury luck in his young career thus far. While it has caused concerns for the Edmonton Oilers — who drafted him in the top half of the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft (14th overall), I believe he is still going to be an impactful player.
As mentioned on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, the plan for Holloway was to give him four to six games in Bakersfield and then call him up. Holloway has played two games already, scoring one goal and recording two points. The Condors play Jan. 16, Jan. 17, Jan. 20, and Jan. 21. He could either play the team’s first two games of the week on Tuesday and Wednesday and head to the Oilers afterwards, or finish the week and come back to the Oilers to begin next week. Edmonton is currently on a 10-game winning streak, but they still could do with a little change up front to their bottom-six. That is what Holloway will provide.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Philadelphia Flyers - Flyers Need to Trade Nick Seeler
Seattle Kraken - Kraken’s Wennberg Talks Team Success, Blue Jackets & More
Vancouver Canucks - Revisiting Our Bold Preseason Predictions for the Canucks
NHL News & Rumors - Senators, Flames, Red Wings, Panthers, Penguins
From TSN - Avalanche's Nichushkin to enter NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program
From Sportsnet - Why trade talk around Flames goalie Markstrom is premature
From ESPN - Blackhawks' Connor Bedard (jaw) back on ice amid recovery
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform.