Less than eight weeks remain in the 2023-24 NHL season, and the race for the Presidents' Trophy could not be tighter. The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins lead the pack with 82 points apiece through 60 games, although Vancouver has posted four more total victories and seven more in regulation. The Bruins are seeking their fifth Presidents' Trophy and are the reigning regular-season champions but made a quick exit last postseason, losing to the Florida Panthers in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Four other teams have a legitimate chance to finish at the top of the regular-season standings, as the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets all are within five points of Vancouver and Boston. The Rangers trail the duo by one point with a game in hand while the Panthers are two points back with two fewer games played. The Canucks and Bruins are three points ahead of Dallas and five in front of Winnipeg, but the Jets have a whopping four games in hand and face Vancouver two more times this campaign.

Florida and Winnipeg can gain ground this week, as they both play four times while Vancouver and Boston each have three games. 

In addition to the race for the Presidents' Trophy, there are several tight ones for division titles and wild-card berths. In the Eastern Conference, the closest battle is for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. While the Bruins and Panthers are separated by just two points, the Toronto Maple Leafs are not yet out of the equation as they trail Boston by eight points and have three games in hand.

The Detroit Red Wings (70 points) and Tampa Bay Lightning (69) occupy the two wild-card spots, but there are three teams that trail the Lightning by no more than seven points and have at least two games in hand, while the Pittsburgh Penguins are nine points behind Tampa Bay and have played five fewer contests.

Things in the Western Conference are even murkier, as Dallas, Winnipeg and the Colorado Avalanche are separated by four points in the Central Division. Meanwhile, four clubs trail the Los Angeles Kings (68 points) and Nashville Predators (66) by seven points or fewer for the two wild-card berths.

Now, we'll jump into the power rankings as we begin Week 21 of the 2023-24 NHL season. These rankings are based on the current state of the 32 teams, with their overall performance in several categories also factored in. Also included are SportsLine's odds to make the postseason for each club.

Which teams hold surprising spots in the NHL power rankings for Week 21? And which ones are lower than expected? ... Join SportsLine right now to see the NHL Week 21 power rankings from the expert who has covered the league and the sport of hockey for more than 20 years!