This will be an interesting first round in the western conference. There are thrilling rivalries and new teams ready to gain playoff experience. The President’s trophy winner Colorado Avalanche will face everyone’s best no matter the round. Dallas and Edmonton again have pressure to make it back to the conference championship while Minnesota will face more criticism if they can’t get past the first round. Anaheim and Utah look to upend everyone’s predictions while Los Angeles and Vegas make another push to return to the championship round. Most teams have their hands full against deep rosters wanting a conference finals appearance. It is time to break down and predict which four teams have the best chance of advancing to the second round.
#6 Anaheim Ducks v. #5 Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton gets another first round opponent from southern California. However, this time it is not Los Angeles.
This may be the easiest series to predict in either conference. The reigning western conference champion Oilers may not have former MVP forward Leon Draisaitl, but that won’t stop them against a young, inexperienced Anaheim team grateful to be back in the playoffs. Edmonton’s speed, scoring depth and massive advantages on special teams means this will be a fast series with or without Draisaitl.
Prediction: Oilers win series 4-0
#4 Minnesota Wild v. #3 Dallas Stars
The first official matchup of the NHL playoffs should be one of this year’s best.
Commissioner Gary Bettman must fix the playoff seeding at some point. It’s unfair that one of the central division’s three best teams has to be eliminated against a rival in the first round. Both Dallas and Minnesota look like complete teams that could give any opponent in the other three divisions fits. Sadly, one has to go home.
Most likely, that team is the Wild. Minnesota struggles to get depth scoring past their first two lines. The Stars are also the more experienced playoff team and defend better in front of the net. The Wild are more physical, but Dallas is more determined to get back to the championship round after fizzling out the last two years in the conference finals.
Prediction: Stars win series 4-2
#8 Los Angeles Kings v. #1 Colorado Avalanche
Colorado will play a nasty, physical series with Los Angeles.
Wonderful news for Los Angeles: they finally get a first round playoff opponent that isn’t Edmonton. Terrible news for Los Angeles: it’s against the NHL’s best Colorado Avalanche. The Kings finally figured out how to fix their offense with interim coach D.J. Smith, but that won’t be enough against what many believe are the most complete team in either conference. Coach Jared Bednar is back behind the bench after taking a puck to the face recently, and MVP front-runner Nathan MacKinnon is a nightmare once he sees open ice. The Kings have one of the NHL’s best defenses, but their lack of scoring and defensive depth will show the longer this series goes. At least franchise legend Anze Kopitar will end his fantastic career in the postseason playing against a Stanley Cup finals favorite.
Prediction: Avalanche win series 4-1
#7 Utah Mammoth v. #4 Vegas Golden Knights
Utah’s Vezina finalist Karel Vejmelka will be series MVP if the Mammoth get past Vegas.
This is my favorite western conference matchup. On paper, Vegas is the superior team with championship experience, a Stanley Cup winning coach and a deeper roster. However, Utah presents a lot of challenges to the Golden Knights.
Coach John Tortorella went 7-0-1 after Vegas hired him almost three weeks ago. The Golden Knights could be back to their dominant levels of years past. However, the Mammoth are a big test. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka is a Vezina finalist and took a big step forward being one of the NHL’s better players this season. Vejmelka handled a larger workload better than expected once backup/partner Connor Ingram went to Edmonton. Like a few teams in both conferences this round, Utah has a younger, talented scoring core unfamiliar with the playoffs. Despite these obvious disadvantages, Utah’s core was exceptional against quality opponents and wound up being the best team in the central division after the three headed hydra of Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota. That is certainly a big deal.
The Golden Knights’ coaching switch from Bruce Cassidy to John Tortorella came at the best time for them. Tortorella is dealing with disciplined veterans who know how to cleanly block shots, play more aggressive and defend better in front of the net. Even tenured Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny isn’t used to being in the postseason, and there will be a lot of growing pains top to bottom for Utah. While it’s obvious Vegas will win this series, the Mammoth will make the Golden Knights earn every win and learn a lot of valuable lessons this series.
Prediction: Golden Knights win series 4-2
Regular season western conference playoffs prediction record: 6-2
What an exhilarating offseason! The Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions are back after another summer of free agency. No one outside the Sunshine State has won the eastern conference and gone to the Stanley Cup finals the last six years. While a good number of teams out west improved, teams like New Jersey and Washington made trades to bolster their rosters and re-signed important depth players. The Maple Leafs and Hurricanes are more determined than ever to finish what they started last postseason. Then there are younger teams like Detroit and Montreal with long-term playoff aspirations.
It’s time to break down which teams in each division can push back hard or surprise a lot of people in making the 2025-26 playoffs.
Metropolitan
Washington Capitals
This could be the last season for the NHL’s best all-time goal scorer, Alexander Ovechkin (8).
The Caps have a great, defensive minded coach in Spencer Carbery who learned valuable lessons after his first postseason run. They also have the number one all-time goal scorer and a top five roster on the power-play and defense. Washington will make the playoffs.
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina’s roster is the envy of the east. No matter what happens in the postseason, I guarantee coach Rod Brind’Amour will have the Hurricanes clinch a playoff spot.
Devils core players Dawson Mercer (91) and Jack Hughes (86) are still learning how to play against the NHL’s best.
Pittsburgh’s aging core and lack of defensive depth could be an early issue. The Rangers nosedive will continue. The Islanders and Flyers should be better than last year, but neither have the scoring depth to clinch a postseason spot. Columbus may surprise many and find a way to clinch a playoff spot, but the Atlantic teams could have the edge in tie-breakers.
This leaves New Jersey as the remaining metropolitan choice. The Devils invested more money into both their goaltending and defensive depth. New Jersey will still be seen as an easy out in the postseason, but for now they’re re-building in the right ways.
Atlantic
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto’s core is back and more mature after Craig Berube’s first year as coach.
Toronto is the favorite to win the division again. From coach Craig Berube to a deep fourth line, the Maple Leafs will excel in the regular season.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay still has one of the NHL’s best rosters and coaching staff. The Lightning added and brought back key scoring and defensive depth players. After last year’s postseason exit, expect Tampa Bay to dial in and get back to 2022 levels of elite.
Ottawa Senators
Goaltender Linus Ullmark was good his first season in Ottawa. He can and should be better this year.
Ottawa nearly forced a triggering game seven with Toronto in last year’s first round. The Senators should take another leap this season and put the NHL on notice. Travis Green is the right coach for this young group, and general manager Steve Staios has done well adding and tweaking the roster.
Don’t be surprised if Ottawa faces the second place winner in the Atlantic and gives them fits the first round. The Senators could be a top ten team and make the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Florida Panthers
Despite some injuries to start the season, Florida aims for a championship three-peat.
One might wonder why Florida is lower on the list than Ottawa or Tampa Bay. Captain Aleksander Barkov and star forward Matthew Tkachuk will be out the entire regular season with lower body injuries. Those are big losses that threaten to loom over every important game the next few months.
The Panthers still have the NHL’s best active and the third most winningest head coach in Paul Maurice. Florida also has a lot of veteran talent that will give teams fits. However, they won’t be as high in the standings with the losses of Barkov and Tkachuk.
Detroit Red Wings
Captain Dylan Larkin leads Detroit into their centennial season.
Boston and Buffalo will be the dustbins of the Atlantic. Montreal’s playoff appearance amazed and surprised many, but more teams will take the Canadiens seriously this year. This leaves Detroit as the east’s surprise playoff team.
The Red Wings now have an elite goaltending tandem with John Gibson and Cam Talbot. The offense remains one of the NHL’s most dangerous. The deciding factor that gets Detroit into the playoffs is an improved defense. The 100th year of Red Wings hockey should be both a statement and a relief to audiences everywhere.
What a year it was for the western conference! Although Edmonton lost in fewer games in the finals, the conference certainly had entertaining playoffs. Many viewers wonder if the Oilers can make another run this year in coach Kris Knoblauch’s second full season. Edmonton doesn’t have any serious injuries before the season begins, and they have handled the salary cap issues better than most expected. There will certainly be competition and pushback from teams from St. Louis, Colorado and Vegas. Los Angeles and Minnesota have a lot to prove after last season’s playoff exits. A team like Utah could break out and do damage to whoever clinches a top seed, possibly throwing the playoffs into doubt. It’s time to break down which teams in each division have the best chances to make the 2025-26 postseason.
Pacific
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is a serious championship contender this year.
Let’s see…championship coach, forward and defensive depth, great scorers and shutdown defense. Pencil in the Knights for the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers
The addition of Connor Ingram last month finally gives Edmonton a stable presence in net. The Oilers could have another slow start to the season, but should gradually get better each month with two former MVPs in their prime.
Los Angeles Kings
Younger players like Quinton Byfield have to play better this season and step up in the playoffs.
The pacific will be one of two divisions featured that will have three teams predicted to make the postseason. Nothing about the other five teams in this division looks playoff-worthy compared to the central.
Future Hall of Famer and Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar will retire after the season. Los Angeles aims to make sure to reach the postseason for Kopitar to have one more championship run. Many people would like if they don’t draw Edmonton again in the first round.
Central
Dallas Stars
Jake Oettinger is the face of the franchise after captain Jamie Benn was placed on season ending IR.
Dallas did the right thing by firing Peter DeBoer after an atrocious conference finals elimination. DeBoer blaming US Olympic goaltender Jake Oettinger left a sour taste throughout the organization and the team. The promotion of Glen Gulutzan is a head scratcher, but the Stars have a lot of talent and should remain a top team throughout the season.
Colorado Avalanche
As long as Jared Bednar is alive and behind the bench, Colorado will make the playoffs. The return of captain Gabriel Landeskog immediately makes the Avalanche a top Stanley Cup champion contender.
St. Louis Blues
Expect St. Louis to build off of last year’s second half surge.
I am still stunned at the fight St. Louis put up in their first round series versus Winnipeg. Almost no one will want to play the Blues this season with Jim Montgomery behind the bench full-time. It wouldn’t surprise any serious viewers if St. Louis was one of the three best teams in both the division and the conference.
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg had a stellar 2024-25 season no matter what analysts say. No one expected the Jets to be the NHL’s best team nearly the whole regular season. Coach Scott Arniel should have an interesting year with a core still in its prime. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff signed defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tanner Pearson for additional physical depth and veteran presence. Winnipeg could be a more complete team this year.
Utah Mammoth
Behold, the first ever logo of the Utah Mammoth.
This is the only pick for the west (and maybe both conferences) that may stun a lot of readers. Utah gets the nod here with how close the roster is to complete. The Mammoth also have a long-tenured coach who has dealt and helped the team overcome several unique issues.
Chicago is easily the worst team in the central, Nashville is both older and stuck with a worse roster compared to last year, and Minnesota lacks defensive and goaltending depth. The Mammoth young core of Michael Carcone, Logan Cooley, Sean Durzi, Jack McBain and Dylan Guenther should break out this season while veterans Lawson Crouse, Clayton Keller, and Mikhail Sergechev grow more into their team captain roles.
The first round of the NHL playoffs set records and entertained many viewers. In the west, the reigning Presidents Trophy winners were two seconds away from elimination in a game seven against St. Louis. After a nine game regular season losing streak, Dallas fought hard and eventually won a thrilling game seven against Colorado. Vegas eliminated Minnesota in style, and the Oilers power-play caught fire against one of the league’s best defenses in Los Angeles. Four championship caliber teams will show audiences why they made it this far, but only two will advance to the conference finals. It’s time to predict which two have the best chance.
#6 Edmonton Oilers v. #2 Vegas Golden Knights
The first two picks of the 2015 draft face off again. This time it will be in an exciting second round series. Unlike Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Vegas’ Jack Eichel’s (9) won a championship.
Good thing no one pinned championship aspirations on Los Angeles. That would’ve been silly. Instead of facing a daunting Kings roster in the second round, Vegas could be relieved they got Edmonton. The Oilers played journeyman goaltender Calvin Pickard four of six games of the first round, and he won all four.
While Los Angeles was a quality opponent, the Golden Knights are the top threat in the west to make the finals. Vegas may not have Drew Doughty or Anze Kopitar, but their roster depth is only rivaled by Florida and Winnipeg. Edmonton’s still shaky and not playing at levels similar to last year. Other analysts pointed this out by talking about how Los Angeles lost the series rather than the Oilers constantly doing the right things to win. The Golden Knights are veteran champions and the hardest team Edmonton’s played in a series the last two years.
Prediction: Golden Knights win series 4-2
#3 Dallas Stars v. #1 Winnipeg Jets
Dallas needs centers like Roope Hintz to play the best series of their careers versus the President’s Trophy winning Jets.
It took two overtimes of a game seven in Winnipeg to determine which team would play Dallas in round two. Instead of a cozy, home ice advantage where the Stars could put St. Louis away in (maybe) six games, Dallas has a nightmare second round opponent.
The Jets thumped the Stars in every serious game they played in the regular season. Add in the high and positive energies within Manitoba since forward Cole Perfetti’s two goal performance and captain Adam Lowry’s game winner, and this is a daunting task for Dallas.
It’s important to point out no matter how good Winnipeg’s played against the Stars in the regular season, Dallas could also be at their best selves. The Jets cannot force a full series this time because Stars coach Peter DeBoer is undefeated in game sevens and goaltender Jake Oettinger’s 3-1 with a .950 save percentage. Oettinger’s lone game seven loss featured 64 saves on 67 shots. MVP and Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck has to play better and center Mark Scheifele should return sometime this series, yet Winnipeg is the more physical team that survived a brutal, battering 600 hit onslaught from St. Louis in seven games. The Jets have every advantage and shouldn’t lose any of them.
Prediction: Jets win series 4-2
Western conference first round playoffs record: 1-3
The NHL’s western conference was the first to have every playoff spot clinched. Seeding was final after last weekend. Many wonder if either of last year’s conference finals participants can replicate their success and represent the west in the conference championship. No western team wants to go two years in a row without winning the Stanley Cup. President’s Trophy winners Winnipeg Jets improved this season but drew a difficult first round opponent. Los Angeles and Vegas have the capabilities to make deep playoff runs.Finally, the Colorado Avalanche have returned to their Stanley Cup champion selves after serious roster moves at the trade deadline. Only four teams will advance to the second round. Time to break down which four have the best chance.
#6 Edmonton Oilers v. #4 Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles’ 5-0 shutout win in Edmonton last Monday could be a preview for what happens in this first round series.
For the fourth year in a row, the Kings and Oilers face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Edmonton won the previous three matchups in seven, six and five games. This time Los Angeles is in the best position to win the series.
The Kings wound up with the best home record in the NHL and coach Jim Hiller has improved the roster’s playing style. Hiller’s decision to have a five forward look after the acquisition of forward Andrei Kuzmenko is brilliant and makes Los Angeles nearly unstoppable.
The Oilers have been inconsistent since Four Nations ended, and the health of star players has been their biggest issue. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm will miss the entire first round. Forwards Zach Hyman, Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane won’t be fully healthy. By contrast, the Kings’ five forward rotation preserves the health of defensemen Drew Doughty and Joel Edmundson. Los Angeles’ success coupled with the Oilers continuous struggles means the Kings should finally get past their rivals into the second round.
Prediction: Kings win series 4-2
#5 Colorado Avalanche v. #3 Dallas Stars
If Dallas has any chance of winning this series, depth players like defenseman Thomas Harley (55) have to play their best, all-around hockey.
Two months ago, we saw this as the best first round series in any conference. Dallas went all-in at the trade deadline for former Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen. The Stars’ seven game losing streak has them in panic mode and coach Peter DeBoer has no answers.
Meanwhile, the Avalanche are back to their dangerous selves and got some extra rest after a Sunday win in Anaheim. Their new goaltending duo of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood will fluster Dallas’ already frustrated offense and power-play units. Colorado also has better coaching and higher confidence.
Prediction: Avalanche win series 4-1
#7 Minnesota Wild v. #2 Vegas Golden Knights
Forward Matt Boldy’s played more games without scoring depth than he probably imagined and wanted to this year.
Many believe this series has the potential to be the NHL’s best and longest in the first round. As goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s legendary career draws to a close, the Wild finally have all their star players back and healthy for the playoffs. Unfortunately, they drew one of Fleury’s former teams for the first round. Vegas knows how to beat Minnesota in many ways. Unless the Golden Knights suffer serious injuries, the Wild don’t have a chance of winning this series. Vegas has a lot of former champions, scoring depth, shutdown defensemen and great coaches. These veterans won’t be phased by Minnesota’s last hurrah for Fleury, a goaltender they originally acquired in their 2017 expansion draft.
Prediction: Golden Knights win series 4-1
#8 St. Louis Blues v. #1 Winnipeg Jets
2025 Jordan Binnington is playing like the legend he was in 2019. That’s bad news for Winnipeg.
We’ve been here before. Of course the President’s Trophy winning Jets drew the most challenging first round opponent for any team. Coach Jim Montgomery made sure St. Louis clamped down on defense and improved on both offense and the power-play. This Blues team is eerily similar to the 2018-19 championship team that also faced Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs.
The Jets won the regular season series but they’ll be without forward Nikolaj Ehlers for most of the first round. Winnipeg also has a lot of pressure to win a series after last year’s jaw-dropping collapse against Colorado. St. Louis has no pressure and is riding all kinds of highs after early season struggles. If that isn’t daunting enough, the superb play of Four Nations champion starting goaltender Jordan Binnington has been stellar. Binnington’s aggressive style will further frustrate the Jets offense and special teams deep into the series.
Western conference upset prediction of the first round: Blues win series 4-3
Regular season western conference playoffs prediction record: 6-2
Florida celebrates a goal in a 5-3 home wing versus the Rangers while starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin pouts in his last game of 2024.
Every NHL analyst said at the beginning at the 2024-2025 regular season the New York Rangers were a top five team to both reach and win the Stanley Cup finals. New York had everything on paper to punch their playoff ticket and get to the second round. A top franchise goaltender? Check. A championship winning coach? Yep. A tough, defensive captain? Of course. Scoring, grit and top five special teams units? Absolutely. There were few teams favored to eliminate the Rangers in a best of seven series.
Now? New York won’t pass the lowly Islanders or Sabres in the standings. Unlike last article with the Nashville Predators, the problem for New York wasn’t the organization signing and putting together veteran, championship players with pressure to win now. Their problem is managerial mistrust. It’s a WMD that takes down any franchise on the cusp of getting to a championship.
Owner James Dolan and general manager Chris Drury executed a masterclass in how to alienate top league talent and destroy trust for any sports team. Most of the blame goes to Drury, who insisted and pushed to re-sign starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin for a whopping, league-high eight year, $92 million contract. That’s a staggering number for someone who doesn’t sniff accolades to either Sunshine State netminders (who both eliminated the Rangers in previous postseasons). Drury then had to decide who was worth keeping before Shesterkin’s signature dried on the dotted line.
There was daily chaos in New York’s locker room before Igor Shesterkin’s contract extension. Key offensive players like Mika Zibanejad weren’t playing well. After the extension players were openly upset and frustrated. Captain Jacob Trouba was pressured by Drury to drop his no-trade clause so he could be moved. Trouba wound up going to Anaheim for Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth round pick.
That deal has ripple effects. The NHLPA and scores of players have complained that the Rangers front office should have put the former captain on waivers because Trouba had a no-trade clause for some teams, but didn’t have a no-move clause. According to Remy Mastey, that would mean New York should not have forced a trade. The Rangers did all this to their captain. It wasn’t surprising the roster’s played worse after the trade. The same was done to former captain Ryan McDonagh last decade, and we know how that worked out.
No one in the organization outside Shesterkin is safe. That was shown again when former 2019 second overall pick Kaapo Kakko openly criticized coach Peter Laviolette after a beatdown against St. Louis saying, “I know we’re losing games, but I think it’s just easy to take the young guy and put him out.” Kakko was one of the better defenders on the Rangers penalty kill and five-on-five after Thanksgiving. While Laviolette could have been right for taking Kakko out, the timing of when the former second overall pick said this leaves one to wonder if it was his way of telling Drury he wanted out. Who could blame him? Kakko found out about Trouba going to Anaheim at a hotel sauna in Dallas.
Not even 24 hours after Kaapo Kakko’s response to being pulled against St. Louis, he was traded to Seattle for defenseman Will Borgen and two draft picks. New York’s played worse during all three of these major stories. The worst performance of the season was a blown, 3-0 lead at home to Dallas before the Rangers lost in overtime last Tuesday. New York never trailed until forward Jason Robertson scored the overtime winner. The players also had a closed door meeting about their displeasure in general manager Chris Drury during their last winning streak.
We’re getting closer to seeing which NHL teams won’t make the playoffs. It’s stunning when analysts on Sportsnet, TSN, the NHL Network and ESPN all agree how there’s little hope for an organization reaching the playoffs due to shattered trust. No one will be surprised when players like Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox and Vincent Trocheck get dealt in 2025. The Rangers more than deserve this product.
Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (86) posterized goaltender Igor Shesterkin with a goal minutes into a lopsided home win in Tampa December 28th. Shesterkin was pulled after giving up five goals.
Time for the first power rankings of 2025. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to December. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off of how they’d perform on a neutral site.
#32 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 32)
The NHL has to stop forcing Connor Bedard and this awful Blackhawks team on national viewers. Real hockey has Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov or Sidney Crosby leading their teams to the playoffs, not top five in another horrifying draft lottery process.
#31 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 29)
Meanwhile, this season’s first overall pick Macklin Celebrini should be rookie of the year. Celebrini is tied for third in points with 28 and second in goals with 13 for San Jose. The Sharks are in another rebuilding year and are almost last on every side of the puck. They need to add more scoring and defensive depth this offseason.
#30 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 22)
It’s been another rough season for the Sabres as they became the only team to post multiple losing streaks of 13 games three times in at least 50 years. While Buffalo’s won five of their last eight games, NHL Network’s Steve Konroyd and Mike Johnson pointed out a big reason the Sabres struggle is due to the lack of physical play, especially around the net. Buffalo has to toughen up and take more chances.
#29 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 19)
Sometimes a slow start can derail an entire season, especially the closer teams get to the trade deadline. Nashville won four games in December but they were all against playoff favorites (yes, even the Rangers at that time). While the Predators lost to a good number of quality teams in their division, losses to Montreal, Calgary and Pittsburgh negated a lot of positives. Nashville should feel some relief January is an easier month and can make up some ground. They’re on a good start after winning their first two of three games to start the month.
#28 New York Rangers (last ranking: 5)
I said in previous power rankings that if a team ever falls more than ten spots, it’s deserved. There are many factors into why it’s happened; good or bad. New York absolutely deserves this 23 team drop. It’s a nosedive many audiences haven’t seen in years, if not a decade. The Rangers have no hope nor a chance of getting back to the top of the standings. That’s on ownership and management.
That said, it was SportsNet’s Ron MacLean with this jaw-dropping stat on December 28th after the Rangers lost to Tampa Bay: Igor Shesterkin allowed the most five or more goal performances of all netminders in 2024 with eleven. This is what general manager Chris Drury let go of Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko and probably much more for by extending Shesterkin.
#27 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 18)
At some point there has to be criticism towards general manager Ron Francis for how Seattle’s played the last two years. Teams adjusted to playing the Kraken after their unexpected postseason run in 2023, but Dave Hakstol wasn’t holding the roster back. Dan Bylsma struggles to get consistent scoring and defense from this roster. Bylsma isn’t a rookie coach either, he’s been successful for decades. Francis hasn’t replicated the magic he had with Carolina.
#26 New York Islanders (last ranking: 21)
What a terrible time to live in New York and be an NHL fan. The best team in the state is still last on the power-play and penalty kill. Their head coach also committed one last blunder of 2024 by…pulling their goalie on a defensive zone draw against the Toronto Maple Leafs down 2-1. Worth saying yet again this is the genius of general manager Lou Lamoriello after firing Barry Trotz.
#25 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 30)
Former third overall pick Trevor Zegras is on pace for 23 points this season after last year’s down year of 40. What kind of progression is this? What is going on with Anaheim’s development programs where one of the most treasured scoring phenoms becomes an afterthought?
#24 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 24)
The Red Wings needed a coaching change after Christmas. General manager Steve Yzerman didn’t waste time and fired Derek Lalonde on the 26th. Interestingly, Todd McLellan was chosen to succeed him and he did not hold back his thoughts of the roster after a one sided loss to Toronto. Detroit’s undefeated in 2025 after his objective rant at practice a day after losing to the Leafs.
#23 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 25)
He won’t win coach of the year but John Tortorella deserves a lot of credit for making the Flyers competitive. Philadelphia has one of the league’s worst rosters, a terrible power play and are a bottom five team on offense and defense. Yet the Flyers are still in the playoff race and have crucial wins over Columbus and Detroit. Philadelphia could fizzle out, but that won’t be in another month or two.
#22 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 31)
That was a stunning December for Montreal. The Canadiens closed out 2024 with three dominant wins over Florida, Tampa Bay and Vegas in total goals at 12-4. Then Montreal won thrillers over Colorado, Vancouver and Washington to start January. A big reason for the Canadiens’ hot streak is the better development of duo Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky under Martin St. Louis. SAP Coaching Insights revealed that of the age 21 or younger duos this season, Hutson and Slavkovsky are second in combined points this season with 54. There’s more roster building to do but the core of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Jake Evans and Hutson makes the team better.
#21 Utah Hockey Club (last ranking: 23)
It’s been an uncharacteristically quiet scoring season for Nick Schmalz. He had no goals and 17 assists until Utah’s 6-0 shutout of Vegas to end November. He four goals and six assists in December. If Schmalz gets hot this month or February, it would put the Hockey Club’s playoff chances in an interesting position.
#20 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 28)
The biggest winner from the Rangers tanking is Mike Sullivan. Not only are media outlets and division rivals not talking about how much time he has left in Pittsburgh, but the Penguins are just outside the postseason standings, tied for fourth in the metropolitan division despite giving up the most goals. New York’s fall means division and conference rivals will be closer in the playoff race than many assumed before the start of November.
#19 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 12)
Injuries to star forward Elias Pettersson (and formerly captain Quinn Hughes) explain some of Vancouver’s stall, but the rumours on a rift between Pettersson and center J.T. Miller are more serious. It’s why the Canucks didn’t play energized most of 2024. It could get uglier before the trade deadline.
#18 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 27)
There’s a golden opportunity for both coach Dean Evason and Columbus’ roster to be nominated for various awards. The Blue Jackets were considered a dark-horse postseason threat in the last power rankings. Now they’re tied for the eighth seed with Pittsburgh. The big question for Columbus would be how active they are at the trade deadline when general manager Don Waddell was hired to fix a lot of mistakes from previous trades.
#17 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 17)
Give credit to Calgary; they hung around with top teams in 2024 and seem to be a good litmus test for which western conference teams are serious about making the playoffs. As discussed in the last rankings, it’s unclear how much longer the Flames keep this up. They’re a bottom three scoring offense and penalty-killing team. That won’t go away unless there are major roster moves.
#16 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 26)
Jim Montgomery was the best hire at the right time. Despite a .500 December, St. Louis has hope for a strong playoff run. They’ll pass Calgary at some point and probably Vancouver (if the Canucks remain uninspired). The Blues would be a worst case scenario for the one seed in the west.
#15 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 20)
Ottawa should be one of the league’s better season stories. Unfortunately, injuries to both goaltenders Anton Forsberg and Linus Ullmark soured the great December the Senators had. They’ve lost five of their last six games despite not playing for almost two weeks. Ottawa cannot fall back into old, bad defensive patterns with Forsberg back in net.
#14 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 13)
Don’t be fooled by the standings. Boston remains stuck despite firing Jim Montgomery. Currently riding a six game losing streak, the Bruins still have a bottom three power-play and a bottom ten offense with Joe Sacco behind the bench. That’s Boston’s worst losing streak since last decade. There won’t be change until general manager Don Sweeney is humbled.
#13 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 15)
General manager Joe Sakic trading goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to San Jose for Mackenzie Blackwood (and then extending his contract) was perfectly timed. Blackwood will play more games than expected after Buffalo’s Zach Benson injured Scott Wedgewood in January 2nd’s game. Colorado’s defense has improved after the trade and that should carry over into the second half of the season.
#12 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 4)
That Tuesday overtime win in New York is a season highlight no matter how far Dallas goes in the playoffs. The Stars never led that game and still found a way to win. Even better, captain Jamie Benn had a three game goal streak and the offense is starting to play better.
#11 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 11)
There’s a high chance Tampa Bay surpasses Boston in the standings (they have five more games to play) and joins the race for top seed in the atlantic division. The Lightning have played the least amount of games in the eastern conference and are in-sync on every side of the puck. They just can’t lose to teams like Anaheim, San Jose or Montreal again.
#10 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 16)
Last power rankings had the prediction Edmonton would get hot later in the regular season. The Oilers aren’t there yet, but they’re gaining ground. Like Tampa, Edmonton’s eyebrow raising losses stand out. Yet the defense has fixed most of the issues that cost them wins the first two months of the season.
#9 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 10)
The big reason Los Angeles is a much better and consistent team this year is because of their dominance at home. They’re 14-2-1, score three and a half goals a game while giving up two on defense, and the power play is near 24%. The Kings were seen as a better road team in 2023 before the December collapse. Jim Hiller has done a great job fixing last year’s mistakes.
#8 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 2)
That was a rough month for what many considered the best team in the eastern conference. The only quality win was a weekend split against New Jersey on the 28th. It’s rare to say that every loss a team took for one month will affect their postseason chances, but that’s what happened to the Hurricanes.
#7 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 14)
The recent slump and roster inexperience keeps New Jersey from being a top five team. The Devils also played the most games in the eastern conference, and that means they’ll be passed in the standings by Carolina. There’s nothing else to critique because coach Sheldon Keefe has this young core playing their best. He should be a coach of the year nominee.
#6 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 9)
Like Ottawa, Minnesota was rolling and would probably be the talk of January had potential MVP candidate Kirill Kaprizov and captain Jared Spurgeon not fallen to injuries. The Wild are one of the league’s best stories this year, but there’s concern those injuries might place Minnesota behind Colorado if they have an average month.
#5 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 7)
It might’ve been a mistake for Toronto to transfer the team captaincy from John Tavares to Auston Matthews this year. Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reported Matthews is unsure if he’ll be able to fully move past his injury this season. Meanwhile, Tavares tied Evgeni Malkin Tuesday night for most seasons of 20+ goals among active players with 15. It wouldn’t surprise many viewers if Tavares is still seen in Toronto’s locker room as the de facto captain the rest of this season.
#4 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 8)
The spotlight is on Alex Ovechkin as he continues closing in on Wayne Gretzky’s total goals record, but the best Capital of 2024 was coach Spencer Carbery. Not only is Washington all-in with his system and tactics, they’re the best team in the eastern conference. The defense mirrors the 2018 championship season where Barry Trotz had the defense playing sharp. The offense is also back to the dangerous levels many hockey fans remembered.
#3 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 3)
This might be the only ranking readers push back on. The first half of December wasn’t what many wanted to see from Florida. While the Panthers beat Seattle and Philadelphia, they were shutout in consecutive games by Vancouver and Calgary.
Yet the second half of December is why Florida isn’t knocked down. The Panthers won a thriller in Edmonton in their first matchup since game seven of the finals. After that win, Florida dominated Minnesota, St. Louis and split with Tampa Bay. The Panthers might be where Tampa Bay was in 2022; ready for the postseason, but stuck with a lot of remaining games in the regular season. They could be distracted every other week. Until there’s a significant rough patch, don’t expect the Panthers to drop out of the top five.
#2 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 1)
Many expected some cooling for Winnipeg before 2025 started. The Jets are still tied for the best record and had impressive wins in December. There are teams Winnipeg struggles against, but there’s a few months of regular season hockey left and coach Scott Arniel has a lot of time to make those changes.
#1 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 6)
Vegas recorded a cool stat with their 3-1 home win over Anaheim on December 23rd: They’re the only team this season to be undefeated at home against their division. The Knights also won their first three games in 2025. Usually a fully healthy team back to playing championship level hockey takes care of their divisional rivals at home. Coach Bruce Cassidy has the Golden Knights playing like their old selves.
Vegas trading for San Jose forward Tomas Hertl (48, center) last year is paying off this season. His 11 goals make the Golden Knights offense one of the league’s top five units.
What a year it was for the western conference. Edmonton was one win away from the conference’s third straight Stanley Cup championship. Many viewers wonder if the Oilers can make another run this year with coach Kris Knoblauch’s interim tag removed. Edmonton doesn’t have any serious injuries before the season begins, but a lot of teams built up depth and are also healthy. There will be competition and pushback from teams like Nashville, Colorado and Vegas. Los Angeles and Winnipeg have a lot to prove after last season’s playoff exits. A team like Minnesota could break out and do damage to whoever clinches a top seed, possibly throwing the playoffs into doubt. It’s time to break down which four teams in each division have the best chances to make the 2024-25 postseason.
Pacific
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes (C) had a lot of success and growth his first year as team captain. Year two should be better.
Let’s start with the easier western division. Vancouver is a sure pick to reach the playoffs with head coach Rick Tocchet back behind the bench, Kevin Lankinen replacing the injured Thatcher Demko in net, Quinn Hughes returning as captain, and roster depth at every position. The Canucks were fun to watch last year and played great start to finish. Don’t be surprised if they look better this season.
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton was one game away from winning Canada’s first Stanley Cup in 30 years. Can the Oilers replicate their second half regular and postseason success this year?
It was a tale of two seasons for Edmonton. The team played better once Knoblauch became coach. The most important adjustments he made were improving the penalty-kill and getting additional scoring from the third and fourth lines. Those changes got the Oilers one win away from the Stanley Cup.
While some are unsure how Edmonton’s scoring and defensive depth will perform the whole season, having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together again means a future playoff berth.
Vegas Golden Knights
After a first round elimination against Dallas, Vegas should be back to full health once the puck drops tonight.
It wasn’t a surprise Vegas struggled the last half of the season. Injuries and some fatigue kept the Golden Knights in a lower seed. Then they were eliminated in the first round to number one seeded Dallas. Vegas should rebound this season.
The Golden Knights might not have former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault anymore, but we’ll finally see a healthy Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin play together. The addition of forward Victor Olofsson should help center Jack Eichel score more this season.
Los Angeles Kings
Despite a second half sputter, there’s optimism in Los Angeles.
There’s a lot to love with the Kings this year. Los Angeles let goaltender Cam Talbot leave in free agency and traded for Darcy Kuemper to replace him. The former champion will be hard to score against, and even if he misses time, David Rittich and Pheonix Copley have enough to hold the Kings defense together.
Barring another mid-season collapse, Los Angeles should have a breakout year with the offensive depth at center and forward.
Central
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado almost back to full health means more one-on-one scoring chances for reigning league MVP Nathan MacKinnon (29).
This could be the year captain Gabriel Landeskog returns from his long sustained leg injuries. For now, reigning league MVP Nathan MacKinnon, top scorer Mikko Rantanen, top defender Cale Makar and top five coach in the league Jared Bednar are more than enough to push Colorado into the playoffs.
Winnipeg Jets
Regardless of wherever Winnipeg lands in the playoffs, they have the talent and depth to return.
There was disappointment in Manitoba after last year’s playoff flop to the Avalanche. Poor season finale aside, no team in the central has better depth scoring than Winnipeg. The offense should be one of the league’s best again. The Jets also have a two time Conn Smythe winning goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck with at least six quality defensemen to help. It’s up to coach Scott Arniel to find ways to win this postseason.
Minnesota Wild
All Minnesota needs to make the playoffs is a better start to the regular season. The Wild can’t end goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s career with a whimper.
Minnesota missing the playoffs last year was due to a poor start that got coach Dean Evason fired. A difficult two months led to inconsistent play. While interim John Hynes did his best getting the Wild to play better defense, scoring went down. This season should be different.
It’s important Minnesota has a better start. The division is still the most competitive in the conference and most of the eight teams feel there’s something to prove. It’s also the last season for legendary goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, so the Wild have to do well if he wants to win a final championship.
Nashville Predators
(Left to right ) Nashville’s captain Roman Josi, Juuse Saros and Robby Fabbro will be playoff favorites this season.
General manager Barry Trotz is a happy and busy man. After he chose to keep the Predators core unit together after last season’s trade deadline, Nashville finished hot and almost made the second round of the playoffs.
This year it’ll be more fun in Music City. Trotz signed former champions Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, and added defensive depth with Brady Skjei and Scott Wedgewood. The Predators want to play lockdown defense on one end and high-scoring offense the other. It would take a lot to keep Nashville out of the 2025 postseason.
The finals are set. Florida and Edmonton are stacked with stars, deep rosters, and savvy coaches. Their power-plays and penalty kills are some of the best since playoffs began. Whoever wins the finals deserves the accolades and label of champion. It’s time to break down which team has the best chance of winning the finals and taking home both the Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup.
#4 Edmonton Oilers v. #3 Florida Panthers
Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky must play the best series of his life against Oilers captain Connor McDavid if he wants to win the Stanley Cup…and maybe the Conn Smythe trophy.
There couldn’t be two, more different finals opponents. Edmonton has two league MVPs, a defensive minded coach still in his first season with an NHL team and one of the best season turnarounds this decade. Florida has the second oldest and most winningest coach who’s never won a championship, a two-time Vezina winner in net, and fulfilled expectations to repeat as eastern conference champions. The province of Alberta has its first team back in the championship since 2006 while a Florida team is back in the finals for the fifth straight year.
The Oilers love to play the middle of the ice, use speed to drive to the net, and enjoy disrupting opponents from settling into their offensive attacks. The Panthers excel at playing the middle of the ice on defense, wear down opponents with brutal forechecking and create offense with multiple scoring chances better than anyone.
Series deciding factor: Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers power-play v. Mattias Ekholm and the Oilers penalty-kill
Florida learned the valuable lessons in last year’s beat-down against Vegas. The Panthers have perfected the focused, disciplined championship mindset. It shows best on special teams, and will face its ultimate test against the best penalty killing team this entire playoffs. Edmonton gave up a shocking zero power-play goals in the conference finals against Dallas, single-handedly swinging the series in their favor. A big reason the Oilers penalty kill succeeded was coach Peter DeBoer’s stubborn mindset of having the offense pass the puck around and take shots on the outside. Too many outside shots means little rebounding opportunities for second or third scoring chances.
Florida doesn’t have that mindset. They will challenge defensemen Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard more than the trio faced at any point in previous series. The main question many wonder about is how the almost perfect Edmonton penalty-kill and coach Kris Knoblauch respond and adjust once Florida scores. Captain Aleksander Barkov has always been a bright-minded scoring threat. His added determination to break defenses in layers this season has decimated the league’s best goaltenders and most creative coaching minds. Barkov will have the league’s second best goal-scorer of 2024 in Sam Reinhart, playoff leading scorer Carter Verhaeghe, the ever-dangerous Matthew Tkachuk and either one of the best defensemen in Aaron Ekblad or former champion and star Vladimir Tarasenko each power-play opportunity.
The Panthers have shown both audiences and teams they’ve played how to dictate gamepace. It comes with brutal, physical checking into the walls and around the net while creating quality shots and rebounding opportunities in front of the goaltender. No one embodies this like former Flame and Oilers rival Matthew Tkachuk, who will have goaltender Stuart Skinner (and maybe Calvin Pickard?) on edge every minute Florida’s in the offensive zone.
Verdict: Coaching is one of the two major factors determining who wins the championship. Dating back to his Winnipeg days, Paul Maurice has played the Connor McDavid-led Oilers perfect in the postseason. No other coach has frustrated or even shut-out Edmonton in a way the Oilers appeared to quit. Maurice hasn’t coached Florida as hard as he did with the Jets for various reasons, but when he does, he’s the best voice anyone could listen to and learn from. He has a two time Vezina winning goaltender playing like his prime self again and even star goal-scorers such as Vladimir Tarasenko bought in 100% to his philosophy.
Panther right-winger Evan Rodrigues loves fore-checking opponents, using his body to shot-block and make opponents like Edmonton’s Warren Foegele (37) commit more turnovers before they settle into their offense.
The other factor will be which team physically batters the other. The Stars decided not to rough up the Oilers in the conference finals, and it might have cost them the series. Florida is one of the meanest teams on ice, baiting opponents and initiating fights. Captain Connor McDavid is not a star player who likes to fight nor get physically assaulted during a game. The Panthers will have plenty of opportunities to establish their dominance by causing altercations after the whistle. Florida fan-favorite Ryan Lomberg alone could throw half the Edmonton roster off their focus.
Prediction: Florida Panthers defeat the Oilers 4-1 and win their first championship in franchise history.
What a fun end to the second round. Edmonton barely beat a desperate Canucks team in seven games. Kris Knoblauch implementing better defensive schemes further shows why general manager Ken Holland made the right move in firing Jay Woodcroft early in the season. The Oilers stars are playing some of their best hockey and Stuart Skinner’s goaltending was better after a two game benching. In what could be a last gasp attempt to win and hold the Stanley Cup, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin lead Dallas’ return to the conference finals. Both teams will have their hands full, and many believe whoever wins this series has a great chance to win the championship. Time to break down which one the best shot to win the western conference and advance to the Stanley Cup finals.
#4 Edmonton Oilers v. #1 Dallas Stars
Edmonton role players like Sam Carrick (39) will struggle to get past Jake Oettinger (29) and a suffocating Dallas defense.
Both teams have great offenses, stout defenses and dangerous special teams units. Both coaches are meant to counter the other (Kris Knoblauch’s defensive tactics counter a good number of Peter DeBoer’s offensive barrages). Edmonton’s power-play is always a threat to opposing defenses while Dallas’ scoring depth is a big reason they have home ice advantage.
At first glance, it appears both teams are equal. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The Oilers stole their second round series versus Vancouver with Brock Boeser injured after game six. Despite the Canucks playing without Boeser (their leading postseason scorer) and having a third string goaltender the entire series, Edmonton won by one goal. The Stars are well rested after eliminating Colorado in six games and don’t play their best players over 24 minutes a game like the Oilers. That’s a major factor if this series goes more than five games.
Dallas also has better depth scoring and defensive tactics. General manager Jim Nill made the best trade at the March eighth deadline, acquiring defenseman Chris Tanev from Calgary. Tanev shut down Jack Eichel (46:34) and Hart trophy (MVP) favorite Nathan MacKinnon (68:43) at five-on-five for a combined 115:17. Both Edmonton stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid have shown fatigue after two series and now have to deal with the physical, determined Tanev, and fellow Stars defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell.
Depth scoring cements who wins this series. Forwards Evgenii Dadonov, Ty Dellandrea, Radek Faksa, Mason Marchment and centers Sam Steel and Matt Duchene will be harder for the Oilers defense and goaltender Stuart Skinner to stop. Don’t be surprised if DeBoer’s veteran coaching tactics make this a quick conference finals.
Prediction: Stars win the western conference and the series 4-1
Western conference playoff predictions after two rounds: 3-3
The first round of the NHL playoffs intrigued and entertained many viewers. In the west, the reigning Stanley Cup champions were eliminated after a seven game series versus Dallas. After a wild game one 7-6 loss, Colorado crushed Winnipeg on every side of the puck. Vancouver keeps winning even if Thatcher Demko or Casey DeSmith doesn’t start in net, and the Oilers power-play stayed hot against one of the league’s best defenses in Los Angeles. Four fantastic teams will show audiences why they made it this far, but only two will advance to the conference finals. It’s time to predict which two have the best chance of advancing to the conference finals.
#4 Edmonton Oilers v. #2 Vancouver Canucks
Both Canadian teams play more physical while retaining a top ten offense.
Both western Canadian teams in this series have top ten scoring offenses and are dangerous on the power play. They’re both great on the penalty kill and play lockdown, physical defense. Vancouver proved last round they can hang with and play better against aggressive veteran teams like Nashville. The Canucks also won by getting depth scoring from players like Nikita Zadorov. Likewise, Edmonton’s progress under coach Kris Knoblauch continued after the regular season. The Oilers improved their 1-4 defensive “trap” coverage (a conservative forecheck strategy involving one forechecker in deep and four skaters along the blueline. The one center forechecker, pressures the puck while both forwards and defensemen hang back ready to defend. This formation is designed to prevent rushes and breakaways towards your goaltender), leading to a more aggressive defense. This frustrates opposing offenses used to playing at a faster pace.
Despite the number of offensive playmakers on both teams, this should be a defensive series that again requires depth scoring from third and fourth lines. Both teams are aggressive, but Vancouver can switch their offensive tempo from fast to slow better than Edmonton. The Oilers have struggled against the better constructed Canucks before and after Knoblauch’s promotion. Coach Rick Tocchet also knows how to get the most out of his roster and get his team to switch up their coverages to maximize the defensive pairings. This should work well against the Oilers offense and special teams.
Prediction: Canucks win series 4-1
#4 Colorado Avalanche v. #1 Dallas Stars
Miles Wood (28) and the Avalanche struggled to score against Dallas’ Jake Oettinger (29) in the regular season.
This is the best matchup in the conference. Colorado surprised viewers with their scoring barrage against the best defense in the league last round. Dallas played one of the best series in the round one, knocking off the defending champs in a full seven games.
One of the best changes Avalanche coach Jared Bednar made in round one was having the offense play a north-south game against Winnipeg’s defense. Surrounding and boxing in the Jets defense led to a barrage of goals, half of which Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck couldn’t see. The defense around Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger can play with better spacing, but that technique won’t work on a defense that faced a more deeper, physical offense last round. Colorado needs more depth scoring from Zach Parise, Casey Mittelstadt, Ross Colton and former Star Andrew Cogliano to get past a more veteran Dallas defense.
Depth scoring could show which team wins this series. The above names are solid players, but the Stars had eight 20+ goal scorers for many reasons. This is the most balanced team on both sides of the puck remaining in the west and unlike Winnipeg, Dallas will make quicker changes to stay ahead of Colorado.
Prediction: Stars win series 4-2
NHL western conference first round playoff predictions: 2-2
JD's Sportscorner 