Top NHL teams entering week 17

With the all-star break coming up this weekend and the trade deadline just a little bit over a month away, teams are starting to set themselves for playoff positioning and other teams are just trying to stay alive. Some teams are looking forward to the 2018-2019 season, but it obviously still a ways away. Here are this week's top ten teams:

10. Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers are 15-5-1 in there last 21 games ever since losing 10 straight games and the fans calling for Dave Hakstol's job. The truth is they are heating up and if they are going to keep this up, they must continue to rely on there top line and defensive unit.

The goaltending will be the difference in whether or not they make a run. Philadelphia had a terrific weekend beating the New Jersey Devils 3-1 on Saturday afternoon and the Washington Capitals 2-1 in overtime yesterday afternoon. The Flyers record is 23-16-8 with 54 points so far this season. Last week's ranking: not ranked.

9. Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets have solved their funk, but injuries to key players are the reason why they are inconsistent at times this season. Only scoring 126 goals in 47 games is a concern for this team, but the offence should start to explode once again when they are healthy.

Columbus has only given up 130 goals this season which means Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo are doing a solid job between the pipes. Columbus's record so far this season is 26-18-3 with 55 points. Last week's ranking: not ranked.

8. New Jersey Devils: New Jersey is coming off a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, but the Devils are still playing well. New Jersey has three games in hand on the Washington Capitals and they are five points back of the Capitals for first in the Metro Division. Hall continues to ignite the Devils offence with 17 goals and 31 assists.

With backup Keith Kinkiad place on injured reserve, they are either going to have to call up Ken Appleby or Mackenzie Blackwood from the minors or trade for someone to backup Cory Schneider. The Devils record so far this season is 24-13-8 with 56 points. Last week's ranking: not ranked.

7. St. Louis Blues: The Blues continue to play roller coaster hockey, but they should be getting back Jaden Schwartz soon. Brayden Schenn shockingly leads the Blues in points so far this season with 47 (19 goals and 28 assists). Vladimir Tarasenko needs to step up his game even though he has scored 20 goals and 25 assists so far this season.

The Blues seem to have a goalie controversy between Jake Allen (18-14-2 record with a .909 save percentage and 2.74 GAA, along with one shutout) and Carter Hutton (10-4-1 record with a .938 save percentage and a 1.91 GAA, along with one shutout). The Blues record so far this season is 28-18-3 with 59 points. Last week's ranking: 8.

6. Washington Capitals: The Capitals have lost three consecutive games ever since there bye week. They lost 4-3 in overtime against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday Night, 3-2 to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday Night, and a 2-1 overtime loss against the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday afternoon.

Braden Holtby surprisingly doesn't have a shutout this season and Alex Ovechkin has now scored 29 goals this season. Washington's record is 28-15-5 with 61 points so far this season. Last week's ranking: 3.

5. Nashville Predators: Nashville has won five consecutive games and they have only given up 119 goals so far this season in 45 games which is the third best in the NHL. The Predators have been playing more gritty ever since Filip Forsberg has been injured.

Pekka Rinne continues to shut the door. His record is 23-8-3 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.42 GAA, along with three shutouts. Nashville's record so far this season is 28-11-6 with 62 points. Last week's ranking: 5.

4. Boston Bruins: The Bruins are 7-0-3 in their last 10 games and they have given up the least amount of goals this season (112). Boston has scored 150 goals and they aren't far behind for having the best goal differential in the NHL. The Bruins continue to play with speed and heart.

They have one of the most underrated blue lines in the NHL and Charlie McAvoy is having himself a solid season with five goals and 20 assists and his plus/minus is 18. The Bruins record so far this season is 27-10-8 with 62 points. Last week's ranking: 10.

3. Vegas Golden Knights: Even though the Vegas Golden Knights have the best record in the NHL (31-11-4 with 66 points) as well predicted, they still have some flaws like any other team. I think they are a very good team, but I don't think they are the best team in the league.

Marc-Andre Fleury continues his sensational season with an 11-3-2 record, .946 save percentage and a 1.68 GAA, along with two shutouts. Vegas has different players stepping up each night like Alex Tuch, William Karlsson, James Neal, David Perron, Nate Schmidt, etc. Last week's ranking: 4.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning have lost three in a row and they are human after all. They are still one of the top teams in the league. Tampa Bay still has the best goal differential in the league at the moment (164/121), but the Boston Bruins aren't far behind them. Also the Lightning are only three points up on the Bruins and Boston has a game in hand. Tampa's record so far this season is 31-12-3 with 65 points. Last week's ranking: 1.

1.Winnipeg Jets: For the first time in a while, I have a new number one in my NHL rankings. The Jets are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. The Jets have the fourth best goal differential in the NHL (156 goals scored and 128 given up).

Winnipeg continues to play feisty and they won a 2-1 game in the shootout on Saturday Afternoon against the Calgary Flames on the road. Winnipeg's record so far this season is 28-13-7 with 63 points. Last week's ranking: 2.