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January 2026 NHL Power Rankings: Can the Scorching Hot Red Wings Keep This Up?

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John Gibson might be the NHL’s best goaltender since December 2025

When former team captain Steve Yzerman was hired to be Detroit’s general manager back in 2019, Red Wings fans were ecstatic. It had been three years since Detroit made the Stanley Cup playoffs. The roster wasn’t good and the minor league systems had no pro-level talent. Yzerman went from building up a roster in what many consider the best team of the 21st century in Tampa Bay, to figuring out how the Red Wings could become relevant again. As many expected, it has been rough.

Unlike many viewers, this website and those affiliated don’t see Steve Yzerman as the problem holding back Detroit. Many fans and pundits firmly believed the former captain would have instant success after the COVID-19 pandemic was lifted. After all, current captain Dylan Larkin finally had some help on the first and second lines. Goaltending was fine, but nowhere close to being the best in the NHL. Defensemen pairings were a problem, and depth scoring was non-existent. That meant more changes in both free agency and the draft. Yzerman stayed the course.

Three years after the pandemic lifted, the Red Wings came within a few games of clinching their first postseason spot of the 2020s. Injuries, lack of defensive depth and average goaltending were reasons Detroit missed out. Add in division losses, especially a sweep by Ottawa in their regular season series, and that made a lot more viewers frustrated. Questions ranged from what was the front office and ownership doing, to hometown fans wanting more people out the door because the amount of offensive production was being wasted on plug-in acquisitions.

After a disappointing 2024-25 season where the Red Wings plunged in the standings after Larkin missed a month with an illness, upper and lower body injuries, the noise reached a tipping point against the front office. It’s important to highlight that when Steve Yzerman first came back as general manager, Detroit had almost no workable talent in both their minor and major league levels. Former general manager Ken Holland traded those players away in order to keep the Red Wings playoff streak alive and maybe get close to the conference finals. That meant whoever came in had to build everything back up. Former number one overall pick and the former Lightning general manager Brian Laughton (hilariously, he was their GM before Yzerman took his job) once said in an NHL Network off-season segment that if a team commits to a full re-build, the process takes about a decade to complete. This is year six of Steve Yzerman’s tenure.

That brings us to this year. Like four other U.S. original six teams, it is Detroit’s centennial season. Unlike Boston and Chicago, there were expectations for the Red Wings. It might not be the Stanley Cup finals expectations the Rangers had, but a playoff berth was objective. Detroit traded for Anaheim’s prized goaltender John Gibson and kept backup Cam Talbot. They signed Travis Hamonic in the offseason and brought up Emmitt Finnie from the minor leagues. Due to how the talent Yzerman drafted and acquired in trades needed time for development, the Red Wings added more veterans the last few off-seasons. Centers and forwards Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher, Patrick Kane, Mason Appleton, and James Van Riemsdyk were great for scoring depth, the power-play and five-on-five offense. Detroit’s defense got boosts with Hamonic and Ben Chiarot playing a lot of minutes and helping the younger players develop and ease into starting roles. The defense is easily the biggest issue Yzerman still must to work on long-term. Though, with one of the league’s best offenses and special teams consistently scoring, that won’t matter for a while.

If you wonder how well the Red Wings development minor league affiliates are doing, here’s an update on their American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. The Griffins have six losses in 37 games. Steve Yzerman’s first phase of the Detroit’s re-build is almost complete since the farm system is brimming with up and coming talent. The biggest name to watch for will be Grand Rapids starting goaltender Sebastian Cossa. A behemoth at 6’7, Cossa has lost one game this season and is bound to make a start at some point this NHL season after he became the first Griffins goalie to make consecutive AHL All-Star selections. Forwards Dominik Shine and John Leonard are going to the All-Star game with Cossa and are considered two of the AHL’s best players. Even coach Dan Watson has made an impression. Watson is the second coach in Grand Rapids history to attend multiple All-Star games (the other being Vegas’ Bruce Cassidy).

Even the most ardent optimist didn’t have Detroit as one of the NHL’s best teams this year. Coach Todd McLellan has the Red Wings tied for first with Carolina and Tampa Bay in the eastern conference with 66 points. Detroit is a top five team with a lot of young players, a captain who’s been through a whole rebuild, and veteran players wanting the franchise moving toward a postseason return. Part of their success has to do with Florida’s injuries, Boston’s and Ottawa’s fall and Toronto’s inconsistent play. Even if all those teams get hot at some point the second half of the season, it will be hard to keep Detroit out of the playoffs. Audiences of all walks of life have waited hungrily for almost a decade to see America’s hockey team return to relevance. There’s no louder statement the Red Wings are back than in their 100th year of existence.

Defenseman Simon Edvinsson (77) tries to make a play on the puck in Detroit’s 4-3 OT home win versus Carolina. Edvinsson is one of the European standout players general manager Steve Yzerman drafted almost five years ago.

Time for the first power rankings of 2026. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to December. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off how they’d perform on a neutral site.

#32 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 26)

Vancouver had an eleven game losing streak and they’re main concern was about <checks notes> trading for Jesperi Kotkaniemi? Former captain Quinn Hughes got out at the best time. Management and ownership seemingly have no concept of priorities.

#31 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 25)

Only one player has 30+ points after 50 games: Robert Thomas. It’s hard to win games when the roster can’t score. The defense has issues too but the Blues offense might be one of the worst this decade. General manager Doug Armstrong has to do something.

#30 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 31)

Forward Blake Coleman was placed on long-term injured reserve January 13th after he was injured in Boston on the eighth. There are rumors general manager Craig Conroy could trade Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson by next month. If the Flames didn’t have bad luck, they’d have no luck at all.

#29 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 28)

Without face of the franchise Connor Bedard, Chicago is a solid team without anything special. While that does show how valuable Bedard is to the franchise, it also shows how the Blackhawks are a big work in progress. They are where Detroit was five years ago.

#28 New York Rangers (last ranking: 21)

The only team to have fewer home wins than New York this season is Vancouver. As I said in the article above, there were championship expectations for the Rangers this year when Mike Sullivan was hired. Last week, general manager Chris Drury told star forward Artemi Panarin he won’t play for New York after this year. Everyone except goaltender Igor Shesterkin and maybe defenseman Adam Fox are on the trade block. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Sullivan is fired after the season. This is not why Igor Shesterkin signed that massive extension.

#27 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 24)

Firing Dean Evason and assistant Steve McCarthy is one of the weirdest moves this season. Evason’s not only a good coach, but he did a great job almost getting Columbus into the playoffs last year despite all the chaos that happened. The Blue Jackets are one of the more dysfunctional franchises since coach John Tortorella left.

#26 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 32)

Much better month for Nashville. We’re starting to slowly see how good this Predators team is when everyone is on the same page and not injured. They might be 5-5 to begin 2026, but there’s a lot more hope Nashville can make a playoff run two months from now.

#25 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 23)

It has been a wild week for Ottawa’s goaltenders. Linus Ullmark’s mental health concerns after what he saw as an abrupt trade to Canada are valid. Then defenseman teammate Jake Sanderson torched backup Leevi Merilainen for blowing a two goal lead with under four minutes left against Montreal last Saturday. Although Sanderson is not wrong and had to apologize, the Senators defensive struggles are straining most of the roster and NHL analysts’ patience. General manager Steve Staios’ biggest test right now is how he can fix and improve the defense by next season.

#24 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 18)

Do you see why the ten spot max up or down in the rankings works well? Anaheim wasn’t a top ten team by the time December’s power rankings were published, and they definitely aren’t a top 20 this month. Like Peter DeBoer, Joel Quenneville is seen by many as goaltender killer and wants all offense, all the time. A nine game losing streak followed by a five game winning streak also screams inconsistent.

#23 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 13)

This about sums up New Jersey’s season

The cherry on top is the Devils crushing Minnesota 5-2 on the 13th and instead of good energies, news outlets broke out that the organization is looking to move veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton. What a nightmare season!

#22 Utah Mammoth (last ranking: 22)

Utah is a year or two away from a breakout, dominant season. Before that happens, they might need to get a new coach. I like Andre Tourigny, but he’s not getting most out of the young talent put together. Yes, injuries are a part of why things have slowed down. Yet Tourigny is one of the most tenured coaches in the NHL. He should have more solutions for the Mammoth than what they have shown almost every week.

#21 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 29)

Defense is all the rave in Seattle these days. The Seahawks are the crowned jewel in the NFL and the Kraken are a true playoff threat. Having former Vezina finalist Philipp Grubauer return to top form should give Seattle a massive edge when the playoff race heats up.

#20 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 10)

If someone were told in January of 2025 that a year later Winnipeg would be tied as the second worst team in the NHL despite a healthy Connor Hellebuyck in net, they might suggest you see a therapist. Perhaps it’s bad luck to cancel out last year’s phenomenal season. Still, it would be a disappointment if the Jets implosion led to a lot more permanent moves.

#19 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 27)

NHL media and pundits have the Hart Trophy (MVP) race winner either as Nathan MacKinnon or Connor McDavid. Both names are worthy of the award. Real NHL analysts should look closely and consider picking San Jose sophomore Macklin Celebrini instead. He is third in the league with 72 points at the time of this publishing. The player with the second most points on the Sharks? Alexander Wennberg with THIRTY FOUR. If San Jose somehow clinches one of the two lower seeds, Celebrini may have the best case to win the Hart Trophy.

#18 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 30)

Someone in Buffalo must have read December’s rankings because the Sabres were on a mission to win every game possible after. A bad loss in Columbus could have brought Buffalo back down to earth. Instead they won three straight and lost a close game to the two time defending champion Panthers. The Sabres are 17-4 since December ninth. They earned this jump.

#17 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 9)

There are discussions on which coach could be next to get fired. Jim Hiller has to be at or near the top of the list. Los Angeles has underperformed in Anze Kopitar’s final season and we should best believe ownership and the front office will make moves to make sure he doesn’t miss the playoffs. That starts with fixing an almost unwatchable offense that can’t fall back on Darcy Kuemper in net for a few games.

#16 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 17)

If there was a Comeback Player of the Year award in the NHL, it would easily go to Philadelphia forward Trevor Zegras. After Anaheim did their best to destroy any shot at a stellar career, they traded him to the Flyers. Philadelphia easily won that trade. Zegras leads the team in points (44), goals, (19), and assists (25). He’s the Flyers offensive engine.

#15 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 16)

It had been a while since former Norris trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson was placed on injured reserve. His absence after Pittsburgh is now in the thick of a muddled eastern conference could have serious effects on every team involved in the playoff race. Odd to think no one would have batted an eye about that five years ago.

#14 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 14)

Forward Morgan Geekie scored 50 goals in the 83 games he played in 2025. Every NHL viewer who tuned into a Bruins game knew that if Boston had any chance of making the playoffs, they needed more scoring from players not named David Pastrnak. Geekie could be a long-term option or a valuable trade piece.

#13 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 15)

Toronto is another example of why teams need a ten spot limit on these rankings. The Maple Leafs beat a number of playoff and Stanley Cup championship contenders this month and held their own most of December. Toronto is trying to stay well positioned for the playoffs like other veteran teams, and that means the type of hockey they play every week won’t be pretty. This is why the Fire Craig Berube takes were stupid.

#12 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 8)

TNT play-by-play broadcaster Kenny Albert gave a great stat in the third period of the Winter Classic January second: Sergei Bobrovsky had the most wins AND shutouts in the 2025 calendar year. Think of how great Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Darcy Kuemper were all of last year. None of them came close to Bobrovsky’s stellar play. He is easily the best goaltender in the NHL with Marc-Andre Fleury retired and a major reason Florida has a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.

#11 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 12)

It took the third full week of January to have a goaltender not named Stuart Skinner be number one in both goals against average and save percentage. Skinner was traded over a month ago to Pittsburgh. Hilariously, he’s keeping the Penguins close in as tight a playoff race as possible in the east. The Oilers however wonder how long Tristan Jarry will stay hot with no Leon Draisaitl in the lineup.

#10 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 20)

At one point this month, Detroit had the second highest point percentage at .762 (second only to Colorado’s .800). General manager Steve Yzerman has assembled a temporary juggernaut on offense that will get better once the minor league talent gets to play in the NHL.

#9 New York Islanders (last ranking: 19)

The NHL Muse twitter account raised an interesting point two weeks ago. What could have happened if San Jose won the draft lottery instead of New York? A Macklin Celebrini-Matthew Schaefer tandem would have the Sharks on a terror spree throughout the western conference, with the possibility of only the top three teams in the central division shutting the duo down. Thankfully, greed like that only exists in the Bible. The Islanders have to be relieved that the last three years of struggle gifted them a generational player.

#8 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 3)

Remember how valuable I said Tom Wilson was in the last rankings? The last four weeks have shown how important Wilson is to both this Washington roster and coach Spencer Carberry. Without Tom Wilson in the lineup, the Capitals are easier to defend against and opposing offenses chip away at Washington’s defense. Wilson’s return comes at the most critical point in the season as the Capitals have a slate of playoff favorites the next few weeks.

#7 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 5)

It’s wild how getting Carter Hart did little for Vegas except land Hart on injured reserve. Goaltending was a serious issue until Adin Hill came back. Hill might have been the NHL’s most missed player after the Golden Knights became a sieve in net.

#6 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 11)

Montreal could be the most underrated team this season. They’re a good team in the east that hasn’t stood out too much because of Detroit’s success, Tampa Bay’s resurgence and Carolina’s consistency. At the moment, they don’t look like a team that will do much damage in the playoffs. That’s why general manager Kent Hughes re-signed most of the young talent to long-term deals. They will be fearsome to see every regular and postseason within the next decade.

#5 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 3)

Dallas has cooled off after a red-hot two first months. The weird thing is how the roster is also getting healthier. Whether it’s a slump or everyone finally playing together under coach Glen Gulutzan, the Stars have to snap out of it if they don’t want Minnesota to surpass them.

#4 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 6)

Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov missing the rest of the season makes the Brandon Bussi story more special, and it was already a fun one. It will also make Carolina question what to do with 36 year old veteran Frederik Andersen once the season ends. Kochetkov was expected to be the future starter in net, but if Bussi steals that from him, the Hurricanes will need to decide who to trade.

#3 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 7)

No one laughed harder than I did after Minnesota stole Canucks captain Quinn Hughes in a lopsided trade. Hours after I wrote, edited and published that the Wild would be taken more seriously by everyone if they added or traded for a veteran scoring threat, that’s what Minnesota did. Hughes wasted no time and scored in his third game with the Wild in a 6-2 beatdown of Boston. Minnesota has some things to clean up this month, but they deserved this ranking.

#2 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 4)

The NHL on TNT dropped some interesting numbers on Tampa Bay on Tuesday night’s double-header. Since December 20th, the Lightning have the NHL’s best record (13-0-1), the most goals per game (4.36), goals allowed (2.14) and the sixth best power play at 29.6%. What makes this fascinating is how most of this has been when captain Victor Hedman was placed on IR. Tampa Bay’s dominance has returned with little resistance in the eastern conference, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy looks almost unbeatable.

#1 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 1)

The Wild, Lighting, Stars, Golden Knights or Hurricanes will probably switch each rankings between which team is the NHL’s second best. No matter. Right now, Colorado is the de facto one. The Avalanche have 77 points and five regulation losses this season. Beating Colorado without them getting a point is starting to feel like a Stanley Cup winning moment. They had their first home loss of the season without overtime last week. I don’t know how Jared Bednar doesn’t win coach of the year.

Hurricanes forward Shayne Gostisbehere flails in vain before MVP favorite Nathan MacKinnon (29) shoots the puck into an empty net in a January third 5-3 Avalanche win.

December 2025 NHL Power Rankings: The Avalanche Show Yet Again Why Expansion is a Good Thing

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Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon would be the NHL’s MVP if the season ended today.

On November 29th, the Colorado Avalanche hosted a home game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens have been in a defensive slump and the Avalanche made it worse. The 7-2 thrashing Colorado put on Montreal was talked about the rest of the weekend. However, unlike previous matchups between both teams, one thing stood out: the Avalanche wore their throwback uniforms.

For those who don’t know, the then-Nordiques moved from Quebec City, Quebec to Denver, Colorado in 1995. The Nordiques were one of four teams that joined the NHL after the World Hockey Association (WHA) folded in 1979, and did well holding onto and developing talented players. Unfortunately, Quebec City wasn’t able to keep its team in the mid-90s because of financial issues and the smaller market not being enough to sustain the team compared to other larger cities in the U.S. The cherry on top of a painful move was the Avalanche winning their first Stanley Cup championship after relocating to Denver.

You may ask what’s the relevance to this story compared to where Colorado is today and what’s going on in the league? Well, articles in The Athletic and New York Times went viral discussing how drastically different things have been for the now-Utah Mammoth compared to when they were the Arizona Coyotes. There were a lot of crazy things mentioned in these articles, but when a current general manager says how one T.V. in the locker room is worth more than an entire facility back in Tempe, AZ, that doesn’t go away. Not to mention last offseason was filled with so many rumors and conversations of where the next expansion teams would be that commissioner Gary Bettman went on record saying there won’t be any discussion on that with the owners anytime soon.

Which is why we turn our focus to the present day Avalanche. Like Colorado, several teams have changed destinations throughout the decades. Atlanta (which for some reason is being considered by serious hockey analysts for yet another professional team) was home to both the Flames and Jets. The return of the Winnipeg Jets has brought all kinds of fortune and success. Not only has the city returned to relevance, multiple players still love and call the team their favorite. The Flames move to Calgary is regarded as one of the best because of the golden age of hockey played in the 1980s. The Battle of Alberta brought the best (and worst) out of everyone. Many still despise the Whalers moving to Carolina and becoming the Hurricanes. However, the NHL is well regarded and talked well about in the south and beloved in North Carolina. The Stars success in Dallas brought both another team to Minnesota and serious discussions of adding a team to Houston.

Some teams will never have to move or relocate because of the money, location and large fanbases they attract. But some should either consider or do it because a fresh start is necessary. Expansion is another great option because many people in North America love ice hockey and want to watch a team closer to home. Some large cities have been crying for a better team or championship for so long, a second team must be considered. It’s why both the league and owners should seriously discuss adding four more teams within the next decade. Quebec City finally has both the money and infrastructure to maintain a professional team. Houston and Kansas City are great cities to expand the game to geographically different areas. Two teams in Texas or Missouri would add a quick, fierce rivalry to immediately grab viewers’ attention and make history in each matchup. Toronto or Vancouver having a second team would make both older franchises more desperate to win a title and stop acting like the world revolves around them. Inner city rivalry games are also a big draw, especially opening night and on holidays.

There is irony in New Jersey, Las Vegas and Colorado being long-term hockey attractions but not Phoenix, Oakland or Atlanta. Last year the Winnipeg Jets were the best team start to finish in the regular season. The talented core put together may have never happened if they were still the Thrashers. The Avalanche are on pace to have as many points if not surpass Boston’s record three seasons ago. It’s doubtful Colorado would have both this team, coaching staff, success and run if they stayed in Quebec. There are dozens of cities lobbying and planning for success like the Golden Knights and Predators have had. It’s time the NHL gives them a chance.

Colorado players celebrate one of their seven goals in a dominant home win against Montreal. Audiences love the alternate Nordiques uniforms so much, the Avalanche could wear them again on January 29th when the Canadiens wear red.

Time for the first power rankings of the season. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to the rankings from last season. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off of how they’d perform on a neutral site.

#32 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 29)

While many viewers wonder if Barry Trotz can be a competent, long-term general manager, it has flown under the radar how much goaltender Juuse Saros has regressed in not even a full calendar year. Remember, Trotz floated the idea of trading Saros near last season’s trade deadline because of how much he liked Justus Annunen. Something is wrong in Nashville and that could be more than the general manager.

#31 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 21)

This season’s Flames team is what many expected to see last year. The only surprise is how sophomore starting goaltender Dustin Wolf is giving up one goal more per game compared to last year. On the plus side, all Calgary needs is more top end talent to compliment the roster assembled.

#30 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 30)

If there was ever a game that’s defined where the Sabres are, it was last December third’s 5-2 loss in Philadelphia. When captain Rasmus Dahlin cross checked Trevor Zegras into the glass, he did so out of impulse without thinking of the consequences. That’s a dumb decision for any player, let alone a captain. Coach Lindy Ruff is one of the NHL’s all-time best, but even he can’t help Buffalo from sinking. If there was ever a team in prime position to move and start over in a new city or country, it would be the Sabres.

#29 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 28)

During Seattle’s four game losing streak, the Kraken were shut out twice and scored four goals once in a 9-4 loss to Edmonton. Seattle’s dreadful on offense and it is hard to see how they stay in the playoff race as more teams in the western conference start to pull away.

#28 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 31)

A lot of what makes the first rankings of the year difficult to make is how teams that start well won’t be placed higher because of how they performed the previous season. Same applies with teams that were championship contenders and have fallen by the way side for any number of reasons. I understand people won’t like this placement for Chicago. The roster is better, Connor Bedard is playing as the elite center many believed he would, and Jeff Blashill’s having a great year behind the bench.

That said, the amount of inexperience the Blackhawks have will show the later the regular season progresses. Edmonton, St. Louis and Winnipeg will be better than what we’ve seen, and it is one of the biggest lessons Chicago must learn.

#27 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 32)

Wow! Was Macklin Celebrini a slam-dunk pick (even though he went first overall). The 19 year old was the second player to get 40 points into the season. A teenager is on pace for 121 points and trails only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. San Jose will be fun to watch the next few years.

#26 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 16)

It was clear once Rick Tocchet left, things would go south in Vancouver. Things are so bad the Canucks went from worshipping the ice captain Quinn Hughes skates on to trade discussions with New Jersey. Vancouver is a hot mess because they let a great coach go and dealt the leader of the locker room in the span of months earlier in 2025. Those two decisions will haunt the franchise for years to come.

#25 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 15)

At first it was strange to see St. Louis start the season slower than expected, but stats help. The Blues have one of the worst offenses and that shouldn’t be a surprise. General manager Doug Armstrong needs to add a center or forward that makes opposing defenses worry about breakaway chances and two-on-one scoring opportunities. That would also take a lot of pressure off the defense to create shot attempts on offense.

#24 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 19)

Columbus is fortunate they have several games at hand against some of their divisional opponents, so there’s nowhere to go but up. To everyone’s surprise, Jet Greaves looks like a franchise starting goaltender who could take the Blue Jackets far should they invest in more defense. Don’t be surprised if Columbus moves a spiraling Elvis Merzlikins at the trade deadline.

#23 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 14)

Many expected Ottawa to have some struggles to start the season after a breakout year, a fun return to the playoffs, and a tough first round exit. But this defense? Absolutely atrocious. Prime Martin Brodeur could be in net and struggle almost every night with how bad it’s been this season. The Senators gave up 20+ goals four games into October. Every team has injuries at some point but the sloppy play is on the coaching staff.

#22 Utah Mammoth (last ranking: 20)

At first I was expecting more people would be upset with this ranking. However, center Logan Cooley being out indefinitely gives this spot more merit. Add in a streaky first two months of play and Karel Vejmelka playing close to 90% of Utah’s games, the Mammoth earned this placement.

#21 New York Rangers (last ranking: 18)

It’s been a blooper-filled start to the season for the Rangers. I still believe New York will miss the playoffs and start trading talent next calendar year, but the Rangers remain competitive after a wonky first month in which they kept getting shut out at home, but looked like a playoff team on the road.

#20 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 22)

There are no easy wins in the NHL and it’s harder to have a shutout. That’s why goaltender John Gibson getting his first shutout win as a Red Wing against Vancouver Monday night is big. It’s his best game of the season. If Gibson and the defense in front of him build off that shutout win, Detroit will be hard to beat almost every week.

#19 New York Islanders (last ranking: 24)

Despite a flood of injuries the last two months, New York has hung in there because of coach Patrick Roy, center Bo Horvat and rookie phenom defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Schaefer has single handedly won some games for the Islanders and has made sure they stay relevant in the division race.

#18 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 25)

This was another ranking many would see as controversial given how well Anaheim’s played this season. However the recent losses of goaltenders Lucas Dostal and Petr Mrazek to IR are big concerns and the biggest test for the Ducks. If Anaheim is a top three team in the Pacific by next month’s rankings, we’ll know for sure if they’re the real deal.

#17 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 27)

Rick Tocchet was a perfect coaching hire. He is a rare coach who keeps a lot of the John Tortorella discipline and hardline stances while getting the team to evolve, play smarter and clamp down on defense. Most importantly, Tocchet gets along well with top-tier talent. I’m not sure the goaltending situation stays solid the whole season, but the Flyers are a fringe playoff threat the rest of the year.

#16 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 26)

This is the biggest team surprise of the year so far. Sidney Crosby has matched Wayne Gretzky’s goal total from his age 38 season in 56 less games. Crosby may be a dark-horse MVP candidate should Pittsburgh grab a high playoff seed. A new coach helps but with Sidney Crosby playing similar to when he first came into the league, many teams will see the Penguins as a hard out.

#15 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 8)

I’m still willing to give Toronto more breaks with their slump given who their coach is and the deep scoring talent. However, the losses of both goaltenders Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are huge blows and present several problems for general manager Brad Treliving. An ugly start to the season could get worse if Dennis Hildeby isn’t the answer in net.

#14 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 23)

If someone told you at the beginning of the season that one of the top three goal scorers in the NHL would be a Boston Bruin, they would assume it would be David Pastrnak. Turns out it’s Morgan Geekie. What should be a re-build or re-tool season for Boston has been a year many see them in the playoffs. It would be comedic if after last season’s results, the Bruins somehow make the playoffs but the Maple Leafs or Panthers do not.

#13 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 13)

Think of the Mammoth but with more hype and located on the east coast. That’s New Jersey. A bit shocking the Devils are inconsistent after general manager Tom Fitzgerald added more defensive depth in the offseason. New Jersey sports media is pressuring Fitzgerald to make another big trade but that could make things worse. Here’s hoping coach Sheldon Keefe can fix the issues.

#12 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 10)

Many analysts, friends and commenters told me in the last two Stanley Cup playoffs that I was much too harsh on Edmonton’s defense and goaltenders. Anyone who has seriously watched the Oilers play not even two months into the season knows that the goaltending is so bad, even the broadcasting crews make jokes at their expense. Trading Stuart Skinner for Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, who’s buried on the depth chart because of poor play, is unlikely to solve anything. From Elliotte Friedman to Paul Bissonette, analysts can tell this start to the season has a much different feel in Edmonton than the last few. This might be the last dance for the Oilers core talent.

#11 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 17)

Something many sports fans forget is how one decision can impact a lot of lives. The most drastic example is the NBA’s Luka Doncic getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Countless lives were changed overnight. A much smaller example is goaltender Samuel Montembeault. Some analysts had him going to Seattle in the expansion draft back in 2022. Given how Montembeault’s game has been uneven at times while the Kraken have one of the better goaltending duos in the league, one wonders what would’ve happened if he never went to the Canadiens. It’s a small thought many will dismiss, but it might have made Montreal take a more serious look at their goaltending situation and not just sign players they see as temporary solutions.

#10 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 1)

Much like Calgary, Winnipeg is playing like many expected last season. The difference is injuries and a continual slump in offensive production could un-do a lot of progress the Jets made in Scott Arniel’s first year. It makes Eric Comrie’s time as starter in net more important given where Winnipeg could be by March’s trade deadline.

#9 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 12)

Los Angeles has a fantastic defense. The offense and power-play? Absolute garbage. Coach Jim Hiller has to find some answers by the New Year. It’s baffling that a veteran team this talented struggles to score when they have the puck.

#8 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 3)

Let’s not be too critical of this placement. We know when fully healthy, Florida is a top five NHL team. We also know that no Matthew Tkachuk or Aleksander Barkov for most of the season changes everything. Other injuries such as a five month loss of defenseman Dmitry Kulikov doesn’t help. The Panthers have earned enough grace to take a slower tumble in these standings than most other teams.

#7 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 11)

I’d love to have Minnesota up higher if they can fix their offensive struggles. A bottom ten offense holds them back from a top five ranking. Regardless, the Wild are amazing audiences during every game goaltender Jesper Wallstedt plays. Wallstedt was shockingly 8-0-2 in his first ten starts, and half of those wins were shutouts. Not only is the sophomore net-minder leading the league in every important goaltending category, but he also had sports pages in and outside of Minnesota wonder if he’d have more season shutouts than Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have touchdown passes by May. It’s super early to call Jesper Wallstedt the next Martin Brodeur but wow, talk about potential.

#6 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 6)

The next three teams are all in the same position: a top tier championship contender with some serious glares that could de-rail their title dreams. Most of Carolina’s inconsistencies come from goaltending and defensive injuries. While Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt has been getting most of the attention, Hurricanes third string goaltender Brandon Bussi has been a lifeline. His 1-0 OT shutout win November 30th against Calgary was a season highlight.

#5 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 4)

If someone said before the regular season that Mitch Marner would excel in Vegas, many would’ve agreed because Toronto is notorious for bungling star players and their talents. Yet if someone added that Marner could have been the glue that held the Leafs locker room together, that would’ve stunned almost everyone. Mitch Marner’s growth and presence almost cancels out the goaltending and defensive issues the Golden Knights have dealt with the last two months.

#4 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 9)

Without captain Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay got back to what made them successful and now the Lightning are one of the best teams in the NHL. The defense led by net-minder Andrei Vasilevskiy is top five, the penalty kill is the league’s second best and the offense is top ten with Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel. Now if center Brayden Point can get out of his slump, this could be the best team in the eastern conference.

#3 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 2)

Not only does this Washington team look nearly identical to the teams coached by Barry Trotz, the most stand-out player is Tom Wilson. Wilson is more focused and critical to coach Spencer Carberry’s offense. He leads the the Capitals in points (32), goals (17), and hits (83). He’s progressed to a team leader opposing defenses have to prepare for (and not just for the cheap shots and fighting).

#2 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 5)

If Colorado were not a factor, Dallas would be the easy pick for best team. Not only are the Stars playing some of their best hockey, they’ve played well despite several players entering and returning from IR. While the loss of assistant captain and former champion Tyler Seguin for the rest of the regular season is damaging, it might not matter with how Dallas is playing now until late in the season.

#1 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 7)

Even if Colorado’s season was in the mainstream news 24/7, it wouldn’t be enough to highlight how impressive the first two months have been for the former-Nordiques. Two regular season losses in almost two months of play. At one point all the starters had a positive plus/minus differential in the double digits (only ONE player has a negative differential. That is almost unheard of). Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood are playing the best goaltending they have in their careers. I don’t know how any team in the west could take this juggernaut out in a seven game series unless injuries plague the whole roster. Ils sont magnifiques!

The NHL’s best player Nathan MacKinnon (29) scored two goals in a 3-2 overtime win in New York December 6th.

2025-26 NHL Eastern Conference Playoff Picks

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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.

2025-26 NHL Western Conference Playoff Picks

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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.

2025 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

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The NHL finals are set. For the first time since 2009, the championship round is a rematch from the previous final series. 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. Whichever team wins the finals deserves the accolades and label of champion. It’s time to break down which franchise has the best chance of winning the finals and taking home both the Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup.

#5 Florida Panthers v. 6 Edmonton Oilers

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been better this postseason than he was last year. That’s bad news for Edmonton.

A lot has changed since game seven of last year’s Stanley Cup finals. Both Florida and Edmonton are more physical and smarter with improved rosters to better counter each other. The Panthers can now play the middle of the ice just as well as the Oilers and still play the sides with the same excellence they did last season. Edmonton’s improved forecheck and physical play made them the best team in the western conference.

Series deciding factor: Aaron Ekblad and the Panthers defense v. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers forwards.

While Oilers centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will lead the offense against a deeper Florida defense, Edmonton’s forwards will feel the true test of this series rematch. With no Zach Hyman for the rest of the playoffs, it’s up to forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Corey Perry, Kasperi Kapanen, Evander Kane, Jeff Skinner, Victor Arvidsson and Trent Frederic to play the best series of their lives. Panthers defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Niko Mikkola, Seth Jones, Nate Schmidt and Dmitry Kulikov play well together and have shut down three of the best forward cores in the NHL (Tampa Bay, Toronto and Carolina).

Florida has some of the best two-way forwards and centers in the NHL. Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Tomas Nosek and Matthew Tkachuk throw their bodies into shooting lanes and block shots on penalty-kills. Their physical play will cause a lot of problems for whoever starts in net for Edmonton. The Panthers playing a more complete physical game on both interior bluelines and by the boards will give the Oilers more problems this year.

Verdict: The loss of Zach Hyman is massive for a team that found their groove games three and four in the first round. Hyman had 104 hits this entire postseason (almost as many as he had in the regular season) before he broke his right wrist at home against the Dallas Stars in game four. Without their best forward, that means someone else has to step up not named McDavid or Draisaitl. Florida’s smothering defense will lead to a lot of transition offense and make the Oilers defense more uncomfortable each game. Coach Kris Knoblauch did a great job stretching last year’s championship series a full seven games, but don’t expect replicated magic with Hyman’s loss and polar goaltender performances.

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov (16) will overwhelm Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) on every side of the puck.

Prediction: Florida Panthers defeat the Oilers 4-1 and win back-to-back championships and their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Conn Smythe Winner: Sam Bennett

2025 NHL Western Conference Second Round Playoff Predictions

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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

2025 NHL Eastern Conference Second Round Playoff Predictions

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The first round of the NHL playoffs intrigued and entertained many viewers. The Capitals were the first team to advance to the second round after eliminating Montreal. Toronto won a gritty series in the Battle of Ontario. Florida easily won the Battle of Florida. Carolina proved they can take care of business with depth scoring regardless of who starts in net. Four fantastic teams will show audiences why they made it this far, but only two will go to the conference championship. It’s time to predict which two have the best chance of advancing to round three.

#5 Florida Panthers v. #2 Toronto Maple Leafs

Florida looks forward to testing the health of Toronto’s captain and star scorer Auston Matthews.

Florida and Toronto impressed viewers with their first round wins. While the Maple Leafs finally played like a championship caliber team unfazed by challenges, the Panthers snapped into playoff mode and made fast work of their Sunshine State rival. This could be the most fun series of the second round as many expect the winner to represent the eastern conference in the Stanley Cup finals.

While the Maple Leafs took mature steps to beat the best teams in their conference, there’s no doubt which one is favored in this series. The Panthers have everyone back healthy and from suspension. That means Toronto has to find answers for defenseman Aaron Ekblad, newcomers Seth Jones and hated rival Brad Marchand, and Florida’s relentless (brother of Ottawa’s captain) Matthew Tkachuk. The Maple Leafs will be a championship threat, just not this year.

Prediction: Panthers win series 4-1

#4 Carolina Hurricanes v. #1 Washington Capitals

Whichever team gets the best goaltending will advance to the eastern conference finals.

This is the hardest series to predict because of prior injuries to both starting goaltenders last round. Washington has the most injuries while Carolina has to make sure backup goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is better prepared to play at some point in the series.

As noted in prior discussions, a big development will be how Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry adjusts and plays his lines since this is his first time leading a team in the postseason. Rod Brind’Amour is no stranger to leading the Hurricanes in the playoffs whether he was team captain or as a coach. Unless Frederik Andersen and injuries take a toll for Carolina, it will be hard to see how Washington can win four games against Brind’Amour’s deeper roster. The Capitals struggled with Montreal more than expected last round. Expect the Hurricanes to implement similar tactics but with more hungry veterans wanting to return to the conference finals.

Prediction: Hurricanes win series 4-2

Eastern conference first round playoffs record: 2-2

2025 NHL Eastern Conference First Round Playoff Predictions

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This could not be a more polarizing first round in the eastern conference. There are thrilling state and provincial rivalries, and then there are two simpler matchups. Despite the Washington Capitals being the best team in the east, their brilliant coach has never led a franchise into the postseason. The Carolina Hurricanes again have pressure to make it past the first round faster than their future opponents. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators look to upend everyone’s predictions while Florida and Tampa Bay make another push to return to the championship round. Most teams have their hands full against deep rosters wanting a conference finals appearance. It’s time to break down which four teams have the best chance of advancing to the second round.

#7 New Jersey Devils v. #4 Carolina Hurricanes

Injuries to star players put more pressure on the rest of the roster (like forward Jesper Bratt) to do more against the tough Hurricanes.

This is the most lopsided NHL first round series. New Jersey won’t have center Jack Hughes, defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, and forward Timo Meier due to injuries. Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic has been benched due to conflicts with coach Sheldon Keefe. Carolina has the conference’s best home record, and their offense yearns to run the score up against a top five defense. This will be a fast series and an ugly end to the season for the Devils.

Prediction: Hurricanes win series 4-1

#8 Montreal Canadiens v. #1 Washington Capitals

Despite the one seed v. eight seed matchup, Washington v. Montreal will be violent and full of fights. Special teams will determine how fast the series ends.

Montreal remarkably went from the NHL’s second worst team to start 2025, to clinching the last playoff seed in either conference earlier this week. The Canadiens have a passionate, young and talented core coached by former Hall of Fame champion Martin St. Louis. They’re smart and constantly adapt to whatever situations are thrown their way.

Unfortunately, that won’t be enough against the top seeded Capitals. Washington had a top three offense and a top ten defense. Coach Spencer Carberry may the weakest link since he has not seen the playoffs as a coach before, but veteran team leaders Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome and Charlie Lindgren easily out-match Montreal’s young and inexperienced core.

Prediction: Washington wins series 4-2

#6 Ottawa Senators v. #2 Toronto Maple Leafs

The Battle of Ontario returns to the postseason for the first time in 21 years.

The Battle of Ontario could be the most important first round series in either conference. The winner not only plays the winner of the Battle of Florida series, but could wind up going to the conference finals depending on next round’s opponent.

Ottawa’s return to the postseason since their 2017 eastern conference finals appearance brings renewed vigor to the nation’s capital and the franchise’s fandom and ownership. Toronto has improved on defense and has the offensive firepower to outscore almost anyone, but the Senators are on another level when it comes to their provincial rivals. Usually, one wouldn’t pick the regular season series winner to replicate their success in the playoffs. However, the temptation to pick Ottawa wins out because they swept the regular season five game series against the Maple Leafs. Toronto tried to beat the Senators in different ways, but none were successful. If they had played each other three times, the Maple Leafs would be favored. Five straight losses to rising Ottawa shows how this series will turn out.

Eastern conference upset prediction of the first round: Senators win series 4-1

#5 Florida Panthers v. #3 Tampa Bay Lightning

Despite injuries and revamped rosters, the new round of the Battle of Florida will be fun to watch. Viewers want a nasty, seven game series.

If it’s not the Battle of Ontario winner, the Battle of Florida winner will determine who advances to the Stanley Cup finals in the eastern conference. The Sunshine State has represented the conference in the last five championship appearances. There’s a great chance the streak continues.

Florida and Tampa Bay look even to the average fan. To be fair, this is a 50/50 pick. For those who enjoy watching film, there are variables that decide who advances. The Panthers were battered with injuries to start 2025. Losing big name players like defenseman Gustav Forsling and forward Matthew Tkachuk were recent blows to Florida’s chances of winning the Atlantic division. Both are expected to play at some point, and the return of defenseman Aaron Ekblad (was suspended due to illegal substance use) are pluses. While this sounds good, it puts the Panthers at an early disadvantage against the determined and red-hot Lightning.

Tampa Bay is top three in total offense and defense. They know how to find every team’s weaknesses and play their best against championship contenders. The Lightning’s roster is fully healthy, focused and better coached this time. They also have the home ice advantage. Additional pressure on the Panthers to repeat last year’s championship run tilts this in Tampa Bay’s favor.

Prediction: Lightning win series 4-2

Regular season eastern conference playoffs prediction record: 6-2

2025 NHL Western Conference First Round Playoff Predictions

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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

March 2025 NHL Power Rankings: Boston Has Officially Hit the Bear Market

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Mitch Marner’s OT winner in Boston February 25th sealed a three-goal comeback win by Toronto and pushed the Bruins closer to elimination from postseason contention.

Sports viewers have certain absolutes until they officially end. Some in the U.S. include Gregg Popovich coaching the San Antonio Spurs. Buffalo is forever cursed in the sports world. The unluckiest score in Atlanta, GA is 28-3. The best American college football rivalry is Ohio State and the University of Michigan.

One could say the NHL’s Boston Bruins making the playoffs every year due to veteran leadership and consistent play was a guarantee. It certainly seemed so, until this year. Boston has had a mediocre season since game one back in mid-October. The Bruins were so average, they fired coveted coach Jim Montgomery less than a month into the regular season.

There was a small winning streak after Montgomery’s firing, but there’s been no positive impact. If forward David Pasternak doesn’t score or get a point in a game, Boston probably loses. The Bruins are bottom ten in total offense and defense at five-on-five. The power-play is bottom five because of the anemic talent level. Every team penalty-killing against Boston knows who will get the on-goal shots and who’s the biggest scoring threat: Pasternak. The lack of offensive creativity was a problem before Halloween. Now discipline is a factor since Boston is tied for most penalty minutes.

But wait, it gets worse for Bruins fans. Two of their top scorers were dealt at the trade deadline. Former captain Brad Marchand had the second most points with 47. He had 21 goals and 26 assists before general manager Don Sweeney dealt him to last year’s Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Marchand was upset about this in his opening press conference. He’s right to be emotional. No NHL viewer can picture Marchand without him wearing the black, white and yellow wheeled B jersey. He was there for 16 years and helped the franchise win their first title of the 21st century. Marchand was a key player when Boston returned to the finals twice after winning a championship. The Bruins and Brad Marchand were a perfect pairing that equaled success. Sweeney traded him for a 2027 second round pick.

Marchand wasn’t the only trade piece Don Sweeney unloaded the last calendar year. At the deadline, Sweeney traded once coveted center Charlie Coyle to Colorado. The Avalanche struggled with roster depth until early March when general manager Joe Sakic made this move. Colorado is now in position to make a run at the one seed in the western conference. Don’t forget last offseason’s drama regarding which goaltender Boston would trade away. Former starter Linus Ullmark was dealt to Ottawa for their starting goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and forward Mark Kastelic. Many expected Ullmark would be moved but trading him to a rising playoff contender and division rival wasn’t a good idea. Right now the Senators are the seventh seed and Linus Ullmark has solidified their defense. On the other side, Korpisalo hasn’t played much this season and Kastelic’s still buried on a thin depth chart.

There were criticisms against Boston’s front office, general manager and owner back in (at least) the 2010s. Serious hockey analysts compared Don Sweeney to former Detroit Red Wings general manager and executive vice president Ken Holland. While Holland lasted longer and won more titles, the all-out trades to win a championship paired with no future roster depth developed in minor league programs mirror each other. Holland was lauded for his moves in Detroit as they almost set a record in playoff appearances. Almost. Tell me how that has worked out for them the last nine years.

It’s easy to say Sweeney and owner Jeremy Jacobs are the problems. The latter has always been an easy media target for his economic views. Sweeney has overstayed and done everything possible to keep his power. There’s no doubt the Bruins must begin a long, agonizing rebuild once the season ends. David Pasternak, Jeremy Swayman, Charlie McAvoy, Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm are trade pieces Boston can use to get a haul of draft picks, aging talent and role players to help cushion the incoming fall. For the rebuild to succeed, Don Sweeney cannot return and meddle in the assessment of talent. He’s done enough damage.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made aggressive trades to keep Boston a top team in the NHL for a decade. Now the Bruins will be aggressive in a re-build after those trades failed to result in a championship.

Here’s the final 2024-25 NHL regular season power rankings.

#32 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 32)

The rookie of the year race is filled with four impressive names and San Jose’s first overall pick center Macklin Celebrini is one of them. Celebrini’s tied on the Sharks for most points and became the ninth player in NHL history to score 20 goals before the age of 19 on March 7th. While his optimism isn’t enough to drag San Jose out of last place, the team has improved. The Sharks have played harder compared to March 2024. Even if Celebrini doesn’t win rookie of the year, San Jose has a lot to look forward to the next few seasons.

#31 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 31)

It would’ve been interesting to see how better the Sharks were had they kept center Ryan Donato. Donato leads Chicago in goals scored and is third in team points and assists. Letting go of Ryan Donato cost San Jose a chance of getting further ahead in their rebuild.

#30 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 30)

From defenseman Rasmus Dahlin being asked by reporters if he wants a trade, to The Athletic ranking Terry Pegula the worst owner in the NHL, it has been a forgetful year for Buffalo. It wouldn’t be a surprise if both Dahlin and veteran star forward Tage Thompson push to leave this offseason. If former center Dylan Cozens was relieved get out after he felt he lost the love for the game (he’s not the first to say this within the last decade), that says a lot about how awful the organization is on and off-ice.

#29 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 29)

General manager Barry Trotz took the safe option and didn’t deal the franchise stars or top scorers. That appers to be a good decision since the first line of Luke Evangelista-Ryan O’Reilly-Steven Stamkos are finally playing well. It’s too little, too late for the Predators to make a playoff run, but this bodes well for next season if Trotz doesn’t make drastic changes.

#28 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 28)

Sometimes we should take the inept roster building from the general manager Ron Francis conversation aside and think about what else burdens Seattle. There is good roster depth, but no star player or top end talent who can propel the Kraken into a serious playoff run. If your top goal scorer is Eeli Tolvanen, that’s a serious problem. Francis believed former first round pick Matty Beniers was supposed to be that star. Beniers is average at best and shouldn’t be a first line center.

#27 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 25)

It’s not often you say an in-season trade winds up a quick failure but Philadelphia found a way. Many believed trading veterans Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost for Andrei Kuzmenko was redundant. A veteran forward and center for a struggling forward was an odd swap, but then trading Kuzmenko for a 2027 third rounder looks dumb. The Flyers either have no idea what they’re doing, or they are committed to a longer rebuild. It could be both.

#26 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 26)

Rest in peace to the hopes that Marc-Andre Fleury would reunite with Pittsburgh to finish his career. Even if Fleury were traded back to the Penguins at the March eighth deadline, the scoring defense is still the league’s second worst. The second all-time winningest goalie in NHL history deserves a better finish. Now if those takes were about the Vegas Golden Knights, that would’ve been more acceptable.

#25 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 27)

I don’t know what’s more amazing; the fact Anaheim was somehow in the playoff race this long despite having the second worst offense in the league, or John Gibson with the save of the year. We’re going to look back at both the Ducks season and Gibson’s career and wonder how both lasted this long together.

#24 New York Islanders (last ranking: 21)

The next few weeks will be interesting for backup goaltender Marcus Hogberg. The 30 year old net minder’s had a brief, average career. With Semyon Varlamov out the rest of the year, Hogberg has to play more since New York has a lot of upcoming games. If he can steal some wins before the start of April, general manager Lou Lamoriello could trade him to a team needing goaltender depth this offseason.

#23 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 19)

It’s unfair to pin a lot of the Bruins issues on interim coach Joe Sacco. At the same time, Sacco has done nothing to show he is the coach Boston needs moving forward or a coach who can turn around an NHL team. Don’t be surprised if he’s an assistant somewhere else next season.

#22 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 16)

As former coach Rick Bowness said last Sunday on TNT, Detroit has to go 11-3 or 12-2 in their next 14 games in order to make the playoffs. It’s likely they miss the postseason a ninth straight season after self-inflicted losses the last few weeks. The Red Wings also have the hardest remaining schedule in the NHL. It leaves a bitter taste as Detroit heads into their third straight offseason knowing red hot starts fizzled out the last two months of the regular season despite a high caliber offense leading the way.

#21 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 18)

Calgary has to stop taking penalties if they want to make the playoffs. They’re bottom five in penalty minutes and the penalty kill. That helps explain why the Flames have a -24 goal differential.

#20 Utah Hockey Club (last ranking: 22)

One of the reasons Utah’s in the playoff race is their top 15 power-play. There are no news stories of relocation, no pressure to close out the season wondering where they’ll play next year, and Andre Tourigny keeps proving why he’s a great coach in the league. It’s fair to pick the Hockey Club to upset both Vancouver and Calgary, and clinch the eighth seed. However, they aren’t the favorite due to another central division foe surging at the same time.

#19 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 17)

NHL Network’s Steve Konroyd said on Monday night most of Columbus’ regular season success came from playing carefree and not worrying about the playoff race. Now that the postseason is close, the Blue Jackets are starting to show some panic, fatigue and inexperience. It would be a shame if Columbus missed out on the playoffs because they got in their own way.

#18 New York Rangers (last ranking: 20)

The saddest part of New York’s drama-filled season is long-time t.v. play-by-play broadcaster Sam Rosen retiring after the Rangers are eliminated. Don’t expect New York to make the playoffs with their difficult schedule. After all the work Rosen poured in with the franchise, his reward is one of the worst PR disasters of a season from almost everyone in the organization. What an awful parting gift.

#17 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 24)

Former 2019 third overall pick Kirby Dach was placed on injured reserve March second because he needed season ending right knee surgery. Dach’s played 60+ games twice in his six year career and missed all but two games last season. What a painful career going from Chicago almost in a full re-build to season ending injuries in Montreal.

#16 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 14)

Captain Quinn Hughes is back to full health and center Elias Pettersson has played better this month. While Vancouver still struggles to score, the most important player right now is goaltender Kevin Lankinen. Starter Thatcher Demko got injured again and that means someone has to play their best in net every night if the Canucks have any hope of clinching a playoff spot.

#15 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 23)

This is a new team since play resumed. St. Louis is 10-2-2 in their last 14 games, averaging four goals a game, 2.7 goals against, and have a 30% power-play. It would be a shock if St. Louis doesn’t make the playoffs with these numbers.

#14 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 15)

So yes, I was critical of general manager Steve Staios trading forward Josh Norris to Buffalo for forward Dylan Cozens. Norris is a dangerous scoring threat when healthy and also plays center well. After Ottawa’s dramatic 2-1 home win against Detroit March 10th on Amazon Prime, it was easier to see why Staios made the trade. Cozens leads the team in scoring chances and slot shots and is second best in offensive zone puck recoveries and puck battles won (via SportsNet). The Senators have the most goals since December 13th and could upset the playoff picture with a deep run.

#13 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 10)

The losses of franchise star forward Jack Hughes to a shoulder injury and defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler are big blows to New Jersey’s playoff hopes. The Devils go from potentially taking any eastern playoff contender to a full seven game series to hoping they don’t miss the postseason. Montreal and Ottawa won’t fall out of the race anytime soon, and that easily makes New Jersey the weakest of the top eight eastern teams. Let’s see if they can hang on to any of the lower three spots.

#12 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 13)

Andrei Kuzmenko getting to play on a first line with Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar will be interesting to watch the next month. Los Angeles needed another game changing forward who’s confidence will grow among two of the team’s best players. It would be a shock if Kuzmenko doesn’t play better before mid-April on any of the Kings four lines.

#11 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 8)

NHL Network has kept track of Minnesota’s record their last 38 games and it’s eye-opening. The Wild started the season at 20-6-4, and gave the league best Winnipeg Jets some trouble. Their last 38 games? 18-19-1. Injuries to star players are mostly to blame for the downturn but it’s bizarre how far Minnesota has fallen.

#10 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 7)

It’s also eye-opening how average Edmonton has played once the Four Nations tournament ended. Outside of MVP favorite Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers are mediocre and won’t threaten serious playoff contenders. If Edmonton drew Vegas or Colorado in round one today, they’d be eliminated in five games. No one thought this a month and a half ago.

#9 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking; 11)

Tampa Bay was bound to be in the top ten at some point since they’ve been 12-3-2 since the start of February (that’s an NHL best .82 points percentage during that span). Between an eight game winning streak, captain Victor Hedman playing some of his most complete hockey the last few months, former team champion forward Yanni Gourde coming back and getting an additional forward with Oliver Bjorkstrand at the trade deadline, almost every team in the eastern conference will struggle with the Lightning once playoffs begin.

#8 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 9)

I don’t know how many other people caught this but Toronto’s February 25th 5-4 comeback overtime win in Boston was poetic given the Maple Leafs past struggles against the Bruins in the playoffs. The urge to say it was a regular season win was valid until Boston traded captain Brad Marchand and made it clear there’s an incoming rebuild. How fitting Toronto got karma for their 2013 game seven blunder to end the Bruins reign of playoff consistency in almost the exact same way.

#7 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 12)

It’s almost unbelievable this is the second time Colorado’s been in the top ten for this seasons power rankings. General manager Joe Sakic turned a stale roster into a dangerous team few contenders want to face in the playoffs. How much longer can Sakic get away with this?

#6 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 5)

A lot of regular season stats are eye-roll worthy, but some stick throughout the season. A team’s record at home versus on the road is one of them. Carolina has the NHL’s best home record at 27-7-1. Outside Raleigh they’re 14-15-3. The Hurricanes can’t afford to lose home ice advantage especially to a team like Tampa Bay.

#5 Dallas Stars (last ranking; 4)

Trading forward Logan Stankoven to Carolina for forward Mikko Rantanen screams all-in for winning a championship this year. There are four teams in the western conference that could both go to the finals and win the championship. Only Dallas has all the pressure to win or see the season as a failure.

#4 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 6)

For everything said about Boston this season, one imagines somewhere in a dark corner of Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy’s mind, he’s sitting back and laughing with his 2023 championship ring. While the Bruins flounder in mediocrity, the Golden Knights lost their first home game to a division rival this month and had three shutout wins the last two weeks. Vegas has a case they’re the best team in the western conference, the NHL, and are the biggest postseason threat.

#3 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 2)

Had Florida not lost to Montreal and the Islanders back-to-back, they would’ve had the number one spot on these rankings. Despite getting former Bruins captain Brad Marchand and goaltender Vitek Vanecek at the trade deadline, this is where the loss of star defenseman Aaron Ekblad hurts most. Fortunately, Ekblad will miss only two postseason games. If the Panthers dip in the standings, it leaves the Atlantic division race open for Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto to steal one of the top seeds.

#2 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 3)

Last ranking I lauded Washington’s top line for leading the team to first place in goal scoring. This month it’s the Capitals second line stepping up. Since play resumed, the line of Connor McMichael, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson has scored 13 goals, and scoring chances v. chances allowed is 3-1 in their favor. Washington’s rising at the best time and they will be one of the hardest teams to eliminate in the playoffs.

#1 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 1)

Originally I swapped Florida and Winnipeg because of consistency until last weekend. The Jets dominated the win-now Stars and shook off a trap game in Seattle two days later. If their only lull of were losses to Philadelphia and New York, that says how great Winnipeg’s been this season.

Josh Morrissey (44) and Kyle Connor hug after a dominant home win against Dallas last Friday. Connor’s two goals and an assist helped make Winnipeg’s win look easy.