This time next Wednesday, the 2025-26 regular season will be underway, but we're already in Week 2 of the NHL power rankings.
As training camp continues this week, a few things have already happened that will have a huge impact on the upcoming season. At the forefront is the knee injury to Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, which threatens him to miss the entire season.
Rosters will be finalized before puck drop on Oct. 7. In this week’s NHL power rankings, we look at some interesting storylines for each team heading into the season.
1. Florida Panthers (47-31-4, +29 goal differential. Previous Rank: 1)
Even with the loss of captain and back-to-back Selke Trophy winner Barkov for perhaps the entire season, we’re not ready to knock off the Panthers from the top spot. Admittedly, though, the race has become a little more open.
2. Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5, +23. PR: 2)
Once Zach Hyman returns, the Oilers will once again figure out how to configure their lineup. There are a lot of candidates for very few jobs and still holes in the lineup to fill.
3. Dallas Stars (50-26-6, +53. PR: 3)
It doesn’t matter where the Stars finish during the regular season. Only one thing matters: if Glen Gulutzan can take this team to the Stanley Cup final.
4. Vegas Golden Knights (50-22-10, +56. PR: 5)
The loss of Alex Pietrangelo will certainly hurt, and their goalie depth will certainly be tested. One season of Ilya Samsonov was apparently enough for the Knights to commit to Akira Schmid as their backup, who has 36 career starts and made just five appearances in the NHL last season.
5. Carolina Hurricanes (47-30-5, +33. PR: 4)
Forgive me while I snicker as Jesperi Kotkaniemi becomes a $4.82-million fourth-line center. Who didn’t see that coming? The search for a proper No. 2 pivot behind Sebastian Aho continues. This time, they’re hoping Logan Stankoven is the answer.
NHL Power Rankings: Setting The Stage For 2025-26The 2025-26 season is just two weeks away, which means the NHL power rankings are back every Wednesday. We are back, baby.
6. Winnipeg Jets (56-22-4, +86. PR: 6)
Do the Jets have enough depth beyond their top line? They’re counting on Jonathan Toews, who hasn’t played in two seasons due to long-COVID, and 36-year-old Gustav Nyquist, who scored 28 points last season, to form two-thirds of their second line.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (52-26-4, +37. PR: 7)
Can they still reach the same highs without Mitch Marner? Did you know the Leafs have never won consecutive division titles?
8. Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4, +43. PR: 8)
It’s looking like Mackenzie Blackwood will not be ready for the season opener. A season after overhauling their goaltending tandem, the Avs might be in trouble again in net, though it’s more just bad luck than incompetence this time.
9. Washington Capitals (51-22-9, +56. PR: 9)
The Caps are spreading out their talent across three lines to create a more balanced attack, but how long before we see Tom Wilson back on Alex Ovechkin’s line again? Everything went right for the Caps last season, and re-capturing that magic will be difficult.
10. Minnesota Wild (45-30-7, -11. PR: 12)
Kirill Kaprizov is a very, very rich man, but the Wild are even richer because they’ve locked up their franchise player in anticipation of many wins and many playoff successes… right?
Why Connor McDavid Shouldn't Consider An Oilers Discount After Kaprizov SigningNews that Minnesota Wild superstar left winger Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year contract extension Tuesday sent ripple effects throughout the NHL – most notably, in Edmonton, where Oilers dynamo Connor McDavid is in need of a contract extension.
11. Los Angeles Kings (48-25-9, +44. PR: 10)
Can the Kings’ defensive depth hold up? In Anze Kopitar’s swan song, the Kings are trying to avoid a fifth straight first-round playoff exit against the Oilers.
12. Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8, +75. PR: 11)
Andrei Vasilevskiy has returned to practice but has yet to play a minute in the pre-season. The Lightning aren’t the juggernaut they once were, and they rely heavily on their elite players, so any sign of a potential injury is a little worrisome.
13. St. Louis Blues (44-30-8, +21. PR: 13)
The key for the Blues is to continue where they finished off last season when they were a top-10 team under Jim Montgomery. Honestly, they have one of the most balanced lineups in the NHL.
14. New Jersey Devils (42-33-7, +20. PR: 14)
Hallelujah, Luke Hughes is finally signed. With defensemen Seamus Casey and Simon Nemec waiting for a prolonged shot in the NHL, the focus turns to Dougie Hamilton's future.
15. Ottawa Senators (45-30-7, +9. PR: 15)
Drake Batherson is questionable for the season opener, which puts a little damper after the Sens made the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. This may be Claude Giroux’s last chance to win a Cup.
16. Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11, -20. PR: 16)
Can Kirby Dach be their No. 2 center? Flanked by brilliant scorers in Patrik Laine and Ivan Demidov, the Habs cannot afford to lose him again to a long-term injury considering their lack of depth down the middle.
17. Utah Mammoth (38-31-13, -10. PR: 17)
Logan Cooley has apparently been dealing with an injury for a week, and they’ll need his playmaking prowess to help set up sharpshooter Dylan Guenther. The pair of young forwards set career highs last season, and with their name and identity finalized, the Mammoth must deliver amid big expectations.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets (40-33-9, +5. PR: 18)
Stay healthy and keep the momentum going. And also hope that between Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves, one of them emerges as a reliable starter for Columbus.
19. New York Rangers (39-36-7, +1. PR: 19)
The Rangers survived a small scare when newly minted captain J.T. Miller left the ice from a non-contact injury, but he appears to be fine. The impending free agency of Artemi Panarin looms large.
20. Vancouver Canucks (38-30-14, -17. PR: 20)
Elias Pettersson said he put on nearly 13 pounds of muscle, but you wonder if his shoulders got big enough to carry the weight of a fragile franchise. Quinn Hughes’ future with the Canucks hinges on how well they do this season, and his decision will have a lasting impact on this franchise.
21. Calgary Flames (41-27-14, -13. PR: 21)
Morgan Frost has had a strong pre-season with six points in four games, an encouraging sign for a young center who has yet to live up to his potential. If Frost’s line can provide consistent offense, it’s going to a lot of pressure off Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau and potentially convince Flames GM Craig Conroy to entrust the team to a younger core.
22. Detroit Red Wings (39-35-8, -21. PR: 22)
It’s time for the Red Wings’ prospects to make their mark. Marco Kasper and Simon Edvinsson are two players who need to play significant roles for the Yzerplan to move forward.
23. Anaheim Ducks (35-37-10, -42. PR: 24)
Hallelujah, Mason McTavish is finally signed. It’s onward and upward for the Ducks, and all eyes will be on Joel Quenneville’s return to the bench.
24. New York Islanders (35-35-12, -36. PR: 23)
Just… maybe? Matthew Schaefer and Maxim Shabanov look pretty good, and with a healthy Mathew Barzal, the Isles have some playoff potential. Hopefully, they can also improve their special teams.
25. Buffalo Sabres (36-39- 7, -20. PR: 25)
Can the Sabres ever just put it together? It’s possible that when opening night rolls around, their entire left-side defense with Bowen Byram, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson will be sitting out due to injury.
26. Seattle Kraken (35-41-6, -18. PR: 26)
Jared McCann and Brandon Montour are both nursing injuries, which is bad, but they’re expected to be ready for the season opener, which is good. With a new coach and patience running thin on a fan base that expected the team to be good right away, it strangely feels like time’s already running out for the five-year-old Kraken.
27. Philadelphia Flyers (33-39-10, -48. PR: 29)
We saw some magic between Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras, so even if the Flyers lose a lot of games, at least their top duo will be pretty good at putting pucks in net. Whether their duo in net can stop any pucks, though, is a different story.
28. Boston Bruins (33-39-10, -50. PR: 27)
Outside of David Pastrnak, can the Bruins score?
29. Pittsburgh Penguins (34-36-12, -50. PR: 28)
Don’t let Marc-Andre Fleury’s most recent pranks on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin distract you from the fact that this team might be in full sell mode by December.
Marc-Andre Fleury Signs Off On His Career With the Penguins In A 'Special' NightThe Pittsburgh Penguins and the entire hockey community said goodbye to goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury as he played his final NHL game. The team signed him to a PTO earlier in the month to allow him to call his career from where it all began.
30. Nashville Predators (30-44-8, -60. PR: 30)
Nic Hague is slated to miss the start of the season which puts the Preds behind the eight ball already. The Preds didn’t make any significant changes from the prior season, so either they think they’re in a good position to bounce back, or worse, don’t have a clue how to fix things.
31. San Jose Sharks (20-50-12, -105. PR: 31)
As if they needed even more scoring talent – who doesn’t, though – Michael Misa is on track to make this club. If there’s a team that isn’t afraid to throw young centers into the deep and see if they sink or swim, it’s definitely the Sharks. Their next best option is Alex Wennberg, so I guess I do see the point.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (25-46-11, -70. PR: 32)
I swear, sometimes we talk about Connor Bedard as if time has already passed him by. I hope he takes some of the criticism and turns it into jet fuel and drags the rest of his team to new highs… I mean, you can’t get any lower than 32, anyway.
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