It was a very mad scramble at the end of the season this year for a few teams. Vegas tried their absolute best to make the playoffs and keep their streak alive, but three points separated them and the Predators from a date with the Avalanche in the first round.

Vancouver also had a good blast at the end but, sadly the Predators held on to the last spot in the playoffs. Here are the best teams from the 2021-2022 season.

Honorable Mention

Dallas Stars

It looked like the Stars were not going to make the playoffs this year, but they really pulled it off in the last quarter of the season.

The Stars went 46-30-6 on the season for 98 points. I know that is a lot of points, but the Knights also had 94 points and Vancouver had 92, so it is still very impressive.

Joe Pavelski led the Stars this season with 27 goals and 54 assists for 81 points on the season. The Stars forced a game seven against Calgary but ended up losing after Ottinger stopped 64 shots against.

Top 10 NHL Teams

10. Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins didn’t play as well this season as they have in seasons past. You could really tell they were missing David Krejci this season.

They also could be losing Patrice Bergeron to retirement, and it is looking like Marchand may be out long term as well. It sadly might be time for them to retool around some other players. It stinks when a core gets broken up or retires.

Marchand led the Bruins in scoring this season with 80 points in 70 games. They also went 51-26-5 on the season, making the playoffs. They were eventually beaten by the Hurricanes in seven games during the first round of the playoffs.

9. St. Louis Blues

It looked like the Blues were going to have a different look in their lineup, with Tarasenko wanting a trade and being left exposed at the expansion draft.

After that, he stayed on the roster and scored 34 goals and 48 assists for 82 points in 75 games. The Blues went 49-22-11 on the season for 109 points, playing some very solid hockey with Husso and Bittington in net.

They made it past the Wild in the first round of the playoffs and at the time of writing are currently down 3-1 against the Avalanche in the second round.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning have clearly found the secret formula for staying elite during the cap era of hockey.

Despite having some of the biggest names in hockey, they are financially capable of keeping them all on the ice. Stamkos led the team in points with 106 points in 81 games this season, while his team in general went 51-23-8 on the season.

Good enough for 110 points on the season. They have clinched their date in the Eastern Conference Final and are just waiting on the Rangers or Hurricanes to finish.

7. New York Rangers

No one expected the Rangers rebuild to come around this quickly but, it has been a very exciting time as it has happened.

The biggest reason for this massive success has been the absolutely insane play of Igor Shesterkin. In 52 games, this season had a 2.07 GAA along with a .898 SV%. On offense, the team was led in points by Artemi Panarin with 22 goals and 74 assists in 75 games.

The Rangers went 52-24-6 on the season. They are currently tied with the Hurricanes in the playoffs, and anything can happen from here.

6. Calgary Flames

I did not have high expectations for the Flames this year, they seemed to be a team on the decline for a few seasons.

But, when a few players have career years, things can change in a hurry. Johnny Gaudreau had 115 points, Tkachuk with 104, and Elias Lindholm with 82.

Pretty good for your top offensive players. They went 50-21-11 on the season for 111 points. Currently, the Flames are down 3-1 in a series versus the Edmonton Oilers.

5. Minnesota Wild

It was a pretty disappointing end for the playoffs when it came to the Minnesota Wild. Kirill Kaprizov had 7 goals in as many games, but it wasn’t enough as they were eliminated by the Blues. In the season, they went 53-22-7 for 113 points, good enough for fifth in the NHL.

The bulk of their offense came from the previously mentioned Kirill Kaprizov, who scored 108 points on the season. Better luck next year I suppose, the Wild only have upward to go from here.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Another great season in Toronto, followed by an equally disappointing playoff performance and exit. The Leafs went on an impressive 54-21-7 run this season for 115 points, but it was all for not as they blew a 3-1 lead in the postseason.

They were led on offense by Auston Matthews who had 106 points in 73 games, and a league leading 60 goals. Marner also wasn’t far behind with 97 points. It is very hard to be excited for the Leafs when they constantly end their year like this.

3. Carolina Hurricanes

Despite being third in the NHL standings, it kind of felt like the Hurricanes had a down year. Their best player was Sebastian Aho who had 37 goals and 44 assists for 81 points.

Svechnikov was also low on points this year, with 69 points in 78 games. Despite all of that, the Hurricanes went 54-20-8 on the season, enough for first in the Metro Division. They are currently tied with the Rangers in the second round of the playoffs going back to Carolina.

2. Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche had a pretty rough start to the season, but those who know, knew that would not last. They were without multiple star players throughout the season, but they kept charging along.

Mikko Rantanen led the Avalanche in points during the season with 36 goals and 56 assists for 92 points in 75 games played. The biggest shock was Kadri coming out with 28 goals and 59 assists for 87 points.

The Avalanche went 56-19-7 on the season for 119 points. They could have made a shot at the Presidents Trophy but elected to rest some players going into the playoffs.

1. Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers led the NHL for the majority of the season and ended up winning the Presidents Trophy.

The team went 58-18-6 for 122 points on the season. They played truly great hockey all 82 games of the season. They were led offensively by Huberdeau, who scored 30 goals and 85 assists for 115 points. They added some great players at the deadline, with Giroux putting up 23 points 18 games for the Panthers.

Despite their efforts, they lost in four games to the Lightning in the second round of the playoffs. This team surely won’t look like this next season but, it was one awesome season to watch.

How would you rank these National Hockey League Teams in the 2021-2022 season? Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings. 

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