NHL Power Rankings: Not All Roses For The Elite Teams As Capitals Hang On

Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

It was not a banner week for some elite teams. The Washington Capitals remain No. 1 in this week’s NHL power rankings almost by virtue of default.

Last week’s No. 2 ranked team, the Vegas Golden Knights, lost four straight and six of their last seven with Adin Hill ceding starts to Ilya Samsonov as they go with a 50-50 rotation. The No. 6 ranked Dallas Stars also struggled, losing three of four before defeating the Detroit Red Wings. The New Jersey Devils are also in trouble, with just one regulation win since Dec. 28 and losing nine of their past 11. All three teams tumbled – most likely temporarily – down the list.

Meanwhile, thanks to Leevi Merilainen, the Ottawa Senators continue to climb the rankings. With shades of Andrew ‘Hamburglar’ Hammond, Merilainen has backstopped the Sens to four wins in his last six starts. The only blemishes came against the Capitals in a 1-0 overtime loss and allowing two goals in the team's 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. The Rangers also look like they’re turning it around going 5-0-3 in their past eight when it looked like they were in danger of spiralling into lottery status.

1. Washington Capitals (32-10-5, +51. Previous: 1)

I know this sounds really bad coming from a writer based in Vancouver, but if Spencer Carbery doesn’t win the Jack Adams this season, we riot.

2. Winnipeg Jets (31-14-3, +49. Previous: 3)

The Jets played arguably their worst game Monday against Utah, and the key for them is to avoid an extended slide. Their longest losing streak this season stands at just four games from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, but so far in 2025, they’re a pedestrian 4-3-2.

3. Edmonton Oilers (29-15-3, +24. Previous: 4)

It might be a tough week with the Oilers not having Connor McDavid for the entire week, but at least their last two losses have been just by one goal. They’ve been excellent after a slow start, and all eyes will be on Thursday’s rematch against the Canucks in Edmonton after a raucous Saturday matchup.

Related: Edmonton Oilers: 'We Share In Our Fans' Frustration' Over McDavid Suspension

4. Los Angeles Kings (25-14-5, +19. Previous: 5)

The Kings are 1-4-0 in their last five with just nine goals scored, five of which came against a Canucks defense that allowed three goals in less than 10 minutes in the first period. If Anze Kopitar’s scoring slows down – he has four assists in eight games in January – they need someone else to pick up the slack… has anyone seen Kevin Fiala this season?

5. Carolina Hurricanes (29-16-3, +25. Previous: 10)

A sigh of relief with Frederik Andersen returning and earning a win even though he wasn’t sharp. I noted previously the Hurricanes haven’t been particularly good since late November, but hopefully, a healthy goalie tandem will change that.

6. Vegas Golden Knights (29-14-4, +28. Previous: 2)

The bigger concern during the Knights’ 1-5-1 slide is who they’re losing to. The offense has dried up a little, but defensively, they’ve been uncharacteristically bad. Losing 2-1 to the rapidly improving Rangers is one thing, but allowing 14 goals to the Islanders (27th in goals-for per game), Predators (28th) and Blackhawks (31st) is totally unacceptable.

7. Minnesota Wild (28-15-4, +6. Previous: 7)

After the first two months of the season, the Wild had a plus-19 goal differential through 24 games. There are a ton of metrics to rate teams, but goal differential tends to be a really good indicator. This might be a temporary lull with the Wild missing several key players to injury, but if they’re not careful, the Stars and Avalanche will catch up very quickly.

8. Colorado Avalanche (28-19-1, +10. Previous: 8)

The Mackenzie Blackwood bump has worn off a little. So far in 2025, they’re 5-4-1 without any consecutive wins. They’re in playoff position, but it would be wise to finish top three in the Central. It’s the difference between facing Minnesota or Dallas in the first round rather than Winnipeg or Vegas.

9. Dallas Stars (29-17-1, +32. Previous: 6)

What’s starting to be a little concerning is the Stars’ inability to beat good teams. Of course, they’re harder games to win but they’re 3-9-1 against the Capitals, Panthers, Hurricanes, Jets, Kings, Knights, Wild and Avalanche this season – all teams they will inevitably have to face at some point in the playoffs.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs (30-16-2, +15. Previous: 11)

The Maple Leafs can be hard to gauge. They looked terrible during their 0-3-0 stretch against Carolina, Vancouver and Dallas with four goals scored but then reeled off three-straight wins against Eastern rivals with 16 goals scored. That they could bounce back so nicely after tying the longest losing streak of their season is a good sign. Let’s hope they get hot at the right time in the spring.

Related: Just How Low Is The Maple Leafs' Scoring From Morgan Rielly And Their Defense?

11. Florida Panthers (28-17-3, +14. Previous: 12)

Take away the Panthers’ two-game sweep of the Ducks by a combined score of 8-2 and the Panthers are 3-4-1 in 2025, another team that’s struggling in the New Year. Perhaps the soft matchup can turn them around, but of particularl concern is their offense: Aleksander Barkov has not scored a goal since Dec. 30 and Matthew Tkachuk since Jan. 3.

12. New Jersey Devils (26-17-6, +23. Previous: 9)

The Devils have to be really careful here. Is this a slump, or are some changes necessary? They have just one regulation win (!) since Dec. 28, and they’re 2-6-3 overall during that stretch, averaging a paltry 1.82 goals per game (!), the worst mark in the league.

13. Montreal Canadiens (24-19-4, -12. Previous: 18)

Aside from blowing a 3-0 lead to the Leafs, the Canadiens have basically been the best team in the NHL since mid-December. Think I’m joking? Since the beginning of their first three-game winning streak of the season on Dec. 17 – they have yet to have a winning streak longer than that – they’re 13-3-1 with a .794 points percentage. They’re this season’s ‘comeback kids.’

14. Tampa Bay Lightning (25-18-3, +36. Previous: 14)

I think one of the most fascinating storylines as we enter the second half of this decade is how the Lightning will stay relevant. They’re respected but certainly not feared like before. They’ve really been unable to generate any kind of consistent momentum this season and have now lost four of their last seven, including a blown 2-0 lead Monday against the Canadiens.

Related: NHL Trade Deadline Needs: Toronto Maple Leafs And Tampa Bay Lightning

15. Columbus Blue Jackets (22-18-7, -1. Previous: 17)

A six-game losing streak followed by a five-game losing streak followed by a six-game winning streak. The Jackets’ season has been a complete rollercoaster, but I’m all for it. The silver lining to Sean Monahan’s injury is watching Adam Fantilli excelling as a No. 1 pivot. They’ve never had a prospect like him.

16. St. Louis Blues (23-21-4, -5. Previous: 15)

What great pickups Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg turned out to be. Since Dec. 1, Holloway has 23 points in 23 games and formed a formidable secondary scoring duo behind Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours. They’re ninth in goals-for per game despite ranking 22nd for the season, which tells you how much their offense has improved.

17. Calgary Flames (22-16-7, -12. Previous: 16)

The Flames just keep hanging around and a big reason for that is Dustin Wolf. Per naturalstattrick.com, Wolf has saved the second-most goals above average at 5-on-5, trailing only Connor Hellebuyck. The postponed game in L.A. on Jan. 8 has been re-scheduled to the last day of the regular season on April 17. Now, a mid-season game suddenly has major playoff implications.

Related: 'I Think That's The Goal': Nazem Kadri Explains Why The Calgary Flames Should Buy, Not Sell

18. New York Rangers (23-20-4, -3. Previous: 24)

The more the Rangers win, the less inclined they should be to make another drastic move. Since their 1-7-0 stretch to close out December, they’re a league-best 7-1-3 since Jan. 1. Having Igor Shesterkin certainly helps a lot, and I would absolutely not rule out a top-three finish in the Metro.

19. Ottawa Senators (24-19-4, even. Previous: 20)

This is such a strange team – they’re either shutting teams out or getting shut out themselves. They’ve been shut out in four of their last five losses, but they’ve also shut out teams twice in their past five wins. They’ll be in the thick of the wild-card race, but you wonder if the lack of consistency will be their ultimate undoing.

Related: Ottawa Senators Rookie's Emergence Came At A Perfect Time

20. Boston Bruins (23-19-6, -20. Previous: 13)

Another team that’s been hard to figure out. They jumped up the power rankings following a close OT win against the Panthers and a convincing win against the Lightning but then blew a two-goal lead to the Senators and nearly blew another one against the Sharks before getting two empty-netters to win.

21. Vancouver Canucks (20-16-10, -15. Previous: 22)

Blown leads have been a big problem, and the Canucks are 4-6-3 over the past month since Dec. 23, which is coincidentally the last time they had as many wins as losses (17-10-7). They’re squandering regulation wins to overtime losses, and after a brief reprieve in a 3-2 win over the rival Oilers on Saturday, it does seem like a J.T. Miller trade is inevitable, forcing the Canucks to potentially sell for quarters on the dollar.

22. Philadelphia Flyers (22-20-6, -20. Previous: 23)

The Flyers have won five of their past six games, and Matvei Michkov is scoring again. The bigger turnaround, however, has been their goaltending. Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov are a combined 5-0-1 with only 10 goals allowed on 143 shots (.930 SP). I think goaltending will be the deciding factor in whether or not they make the playoffs.

23. Detroit Red Wings (21-21-5, -20. Previous: 19)

The margin for error is really thin. After going 1-3-1, the Red Wings are now five points out of a wild-card spot. It doesn’t help that all the teams around them are heating up while they stumble. After relying on a ridiculous offense to buoy their seven-game losing streak, their power play has gone 1-for-9 during their slide.

24. Utah Hockey Club (20-19-7, -7. Previous: 21)

Not sure what it is about this franchise and the second half of the season, but they tend to fade after a promising start. Their two most recent wins against the Blues and Jets are good signs, and perhaps the timely return of Connor Ingram (2-1-0, .926 SP, 2.01 GAA in 2025) will keep them in the playoff race.

25. Seattle Kraken (21-24-3, -11. Previous: 25)

The stretch of games where they were forced to start Philipp Grubauer – I don’t understand why they didn’t at least give Niklas Kokko a look – might’ve tanked their season. Their big issue is they can’t seem to string many wins together.

26. Nashville Predators (17-22-7, -22. Previous: 28)

Impressive four-game winning streak, including a comeback win against the Sharks after trailing 5-1 on Tuesday. (It’s the Sharks, I know, but still impressive nonetheless). A five-game losing streak and a subsequent eight-game losing streak killed their season, but that won’t stop them from trying to make it interesting.

27. New York Islanders (19-20-7, -14. Previous: 30)

The threat of a major roster overhaul might’ve sparked a 5-2-0 stretch, but it’s far too little, too late. For the second-straight season, Ilya Sorokin is also losing playing time to a goalie with the hotter hand.

28. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-21-8, -32. Previous: 26)

I think the recent internet chatter that Kyle Dubas is looking at a potential firesale is a little shocking for two main reasons: Sidney Crosby is still an effective player, and that they’re pulling the plug so early. Over the past few seasons, the Pens have made every effort to cling onto whatever desperate strategies they can come up with – trading for Erik Karlsson counts – but perhaps the harsh reality has become just too difficult to ignore.

29. Buffalo Sabres (18-24-5, -16. Previous: 31)

The Sabres are still in the East’s basement even after winning four of their last seven, which shows you how dire their situation is right now if a playoff berth was the goal. They’ll need to go on an extended winning streak to even have a chance, but without a healthy Tage Thompson – he hasn’t taken faceoffs in ages – or steady goaltending, how is that possible?

Related: As Cozens' Pedestrian Play With The Buffalo Sabres Continues, Kulich Seizes His Moment

30. Anaheim Ducks (18-23-6, -37. Previous: 27)

The return of Trevor Zegras still couldn’t solve the Ducks’ offensive woes as they’ve lost eight of their last 10, getting shut out three times and scoring two goals or fewer seven times.

31. San Jose Sharks (14-30-6, -52. Previous: 29)

The Sharks may be entertaining, but their past two losses have been horrific. First, they blew a 3-2 lead to the Bruins and allowed four third-period goals, and then in the following night blew a 5-1 lead and again allowed four goals in the third period.

32. Chicago Blackhawks (15-28-4, -39. Previous: 32)

The silver lining is the Hawks' offense has improved because Anders Sorensen isn’t interested in grinding out low-event games. The problem is their goaltending has completely gone into the toilet. I think everyone’s relieved that they’re not playing in the Winter Classic next season.

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