The Hockey PDOcast: The 2017-18 NHL Watchability Rankings

The Hockey PDOcast aims to provide entertaining and thoughtful dialogue about the game of hockey. There’s obviously an analytical tinge to the conversation, but it’s hopefully not as nerdy as it may initially sound.

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Craig Custance joins Dimitri Filipovic to help put together the annual Watchability Rankings, where we stack every team in the NHL from 31 all the way down to 1 based on the entertainment value they figure to provide viewers with this season.

As has been the case in years past, the following is a good synopsis of how we approached the task, and what it’s ultimately trying to capture:

“If you’re sitting down on a random Thursday night and there’s a plethora of games to choose from, which teams are you prioritizing seeing (all other things being equal, putting rooting allegiances aside)? Talent is obviously king, but style and likelihood of engaging in a back-and-forth, fast-paced affair are just as important. It’s important to remember that sometimes being a very successful hockey team in terms of wins and losses and your place in these rankings can be inversely related.”

Here’s a list of the order in which teams were discussed:

31: Vancouver Canucks
30: Vegas Golden Knights
29: Detroit Red Wings
28: Buffalo Sabres
27: Los Angeles Kings
26: Colorado Avalanche
25: Arizona Coyotes
24: Boston Bruins
23: Florida Panthers
22: Calgary Flames
21: New Jersey Devils
20: Anaheim Ducks
19: Ottawa Seantors
18: St.Louis Blues
17: Montreal Canadiens
16: San Jose Sharks
15: New York Islanders
14: Carolina Hurricanes
13: Minnesota Wild
12: New York Rangers
11: Philadelphia Flyers
10: Columbus Blue Jackets
9: Nashville Predators
8: Dallas Stars
7: Chicago Blackhawks
6: Pittsburgh Penguins
5: Washington Capitals
4: Tampa Bay Lightning
3: Winnipeg Jets
2: Toronto Maple Leafs
1: Edmonton Oilers

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