NHL Franchise All-Time Rankings Update (Pre-Playoffs 2014)

The 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs are about ready to start, so I thought I’d provide a brief update on where my official ranking of the all-time best and worst NHL franchises stands.

First, I should note that the rankings have changed a bit since I published my lists last year. I went back and tweaked the formulas a bit, and also corrected some data entry errors. So the revised list for the conclusion of the 2012-13 season looks like this — 1. Canadiens, 2. Flyers, 3. Bruins, 4. Red Wings, 5. Oilers, 6. Devils, 7. Islanders, 8. Avalanche, 9. Senators, 10. Maple Leafs. Sorry Dallas, you got bumped.

The Best

Pittsburgh Penguins alternate logo

With the revised top 10 in mind, there are some changes coming on the next list. Already I can tell you that there is a switch at the #10 position, and we will be saying goodbye to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After failing to qualify for the playoffs this year, the Leafs have been bumped out of the #10 spot by the Pittsburgh Penguins. If the Penguins make it deep enough into the playoffs they could bump the Senators out of the #9 spot, so I’ll be keeping my eye on them.

The Worst

The Columbus Blue Jackets still sit all the way at the bottom position, but thanks to a good regular season and playoff berth they are less than a tenth of a point away from bringing their overall average into positive territory. Otherwise, there’s not much going on in the bottom 10 this season.

At this point it looks like the team with the best chance to improve their chances of breaking out of the bottom 10 is the Minnesota Wild. A Stanley Cup trophy would certainly put them right into the middle of the pack, but even making it to the Finals would be enough to move them past the Capitals.

Of course you’ll want to check out my complete collection of sports lists, right?