Standen NHL per 6 december
 | De laaggeklasseerde Boston Bruins verbaasden de NHL door het ruilen van captain Joe Thornton voor Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau en Brad Stuart van de eveneens laaggeklasseerde San Jose Sharks. Beide ploegen wonnen de eerste twee wedstrijden na de ruil. De Ottawa Senators, vorig seizoen nog op het randje van een faillissement, blijven nog altijd het sterkste team. |
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||
| Atlantic Division | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | GF | GA | HOME | AWAY | L10 | |
| N.Y. Rangers | 29 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 39 | 92 | 72 | 10-2-2 | 8-6-1 | 7-3-0 | |
| Philadelphia | 25 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 34 | 101 | 86 | 10-3-2 | 5-3-2 | 4-3-3 | |
| New Jersey | 25 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 28 | 81 | 81 | 8-4-1 | 5-6-1 | 7-3-0 | |
| N.Y. Islanders | 26 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 27 | 81 | 89 | 5-5-1 | 8-7-0 | 6-3-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 27 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 20 | 77 | 111 | 3-7-3 | 4-7-3 | 2-7-1 | |
| Northeast Division | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | GF | GA | HOME | AWAY | L10 | |
| Ottawa | 25 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 42 | 115 | 52 | 12-2-0 | 9-2-0 | 8-2-0 | |
| Montréal | 27 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 35 | 77 | 82 | 9-4-2 | 6-3-3 | 3-4-3 | |
| Buffalo | 28 | 17 | 10 | 1 | 35 | 92 | 91 | 8-5-1 | 9-5-0 | 8-1-1 | |
| Toronto | 28 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 33 | 97 | 91 | 9-5-1 | 6-5-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| Boston | 29 | 10 | 14 | 5 | 25 | 91 | 101 | 5-6-1 | 5-8-4 | 3-7-0 | |
| Southeast | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | GF | GA | HOME | AWAY | L10 | |
| Carolina | 26 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 34 | 93 | 87 | 9-4-0 | 7-4-2 | 4-5-1 | |
| Tampa Bay | 28 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 33 | 87 | 83 | 8-5-1 | 7-5-2 | 8-1-1 | |
| Atlanta | 28 | 10 | 15 | 3 | 23 | 94 | 105 | 5-7-1 | 5-8-2 | 3-5-2 | |
| Florida | 28 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 22 | 69 | 92 | 7-6-1 | 2-9-3 | 3-6-1 | |
| Washington | 26 | 9 | 15 | 2 | 20 | 75 | 104 | 7-5-1 | 2-10-1 | 3-5-2 | |
| Western Conference | |||||||||||
| Central Division | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | GF | GA | HOME | AWAY | L10 | |
| Detroit | 28 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 38 | 103 | 73 | 9-5-1 | 9-3-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| Nashville | 24 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 37 | 71 | 61 | 13-2-0 | 4-2-3 | 8-2-0 | |
| Chicago | 26 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 22 | 71 | 92 | 5-4-0 | 5-10-2 | 4-4-2 | |
| Columbus | 26 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 14 | 48 | 93 | 4-8-0 | 3-11-0 | 2-8-0 | |
| St. Louis | 23 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 62 | 90 | 3-9-1 | 2-6-2 | 3-7-0 | |
| Northwest Division | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | GF | GA | HOME | AWAY | L10 | |
| Vancouver | 28 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 36 | 92 | 81 | 12-1-0 | 5-8-2 | 6-4-0 | |
| Calgary | 28 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 35 | 69 | 70 | 10-2-2 | 6-7-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| Edmonton | 28 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 32 | 88 | 84 | 6-4-2 | 9-7-0 | 6-3-1 | |
| Colorado | 27 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 31 | 104 | 90 | 7-4-3 | 7-6-0 | 5-4-1 | |
| Minnesota | 26 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 24 | 68 | 65 | 7-4-1 | 3-8-3 | 2-6-2 | |
| Pacific Division | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | GF | GA | HOME | AWAY | L10 | |
| Dallas | 25 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 35 | 88 | 72 | 9-5-1 | 8-2-0 | 8-2-0 | |
| Los Angeles | 28 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 33 | 98 | 85 | 10-4-0 | 6-7-1 | 4-6-0 | |
| Phoenix | 29 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 32 | 85 | 75 | 9-5-1 | 6-7-1 | 7-3-0 | |
| Anaheim | 27 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 28 | 72 | 69 | 10-5-2 | 2-6-2 | 5-5-0 | |
| San Jose | 26 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 24 | 73 | 87 | 4-3-2 | 6-9-2 | 2-5-3 |
