Photo: Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the 2024-25 NHL season set to resume after a two-week break for the 4 Nations tournament and the trade deadline two weeks away from Friday, it serves as a point to assess where teams stand. NoVa Caps does their third power rankings of the regular season: (⬆️Up, ⬇️Down, ➡️No Change represent spaces moved since power rankings from the holiday break):
LOTTERY CONTENDERS
32. San Jose Sharks
San Jose lost their final four (0-3-1) and 10 of their last 11 (1-9-1). The Sharks give up the most goals (3.72 per game) and score the second-fewest (2.60). Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, and Jan Rutta could be on the move in the next couple weeks. ⬇️2
31. Nashville Predators
Nashville ended their six-game losing streak with a 6-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on February 8. The Predators rank 29th with a 2.65 goals-per-game average and 26th with a 3.31 goals-against per game average. Filip Forsberg has at least 16 more points than any other Predator. ⬆️1
30. Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago, whose 2.69 goals-per-game ranks 28th and 3.44 goals-against per game is the third-worst, lost four of their last five (1-3-1). Ryan Donato has made himself a good trade chip for the Blackhawks as he has set career-highs in goals (19) and points (37) in 53 games. Connor Bedard leds Chicago with 33 helpers and 49 points in 55. ⬆️1
29. Seattle Kraken
Seattle’s 3.16 goals-against per game is 23rd, .181 power-play efficiency ranks 25th, and .763 penalty-killing rate is 22nd. They ended their three-game losing streak in a 3-2 overtime win over the Calgary Flames on February 8 despite being down 0-2 more than halfway through the third period. Jarred McCann, whom teams have reportedly been calling about, leads the Kraken with 28 assists and 42 points. The team assigned Philipp Grubauer to the AHL a few weeks ago. ⬇️3
28. Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh’s four-game point-streak (3-0-1) ended in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on February 8. Sidney Crosby leads the team with 41 assists and 58 points in 55 games but Evgeni Malkin (9-25-34 in 47) has had the worst year of his 19-season NHL career. Pittsburgh’s 3.44 goals-against per game is the second-highest. ⬇️9
27. Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia, who has the second-worst five-on-five save percentage (.8918), ended a five-game skid (0-4-1) before the break. The Flyers rank 28th with a .158 power-play efficiency and 27th with a 3.32 goals-against per game average. Travis Konecny leads the orange and black with 39 assists and 61 points in 57 outings. ⬇️6
26. Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo’s four-game winning-streak ended in Nashville. The Sabres score 3.13 goals-per-game (11th) but allow 3.41 (28th), get a .9027 five-on-five save percentage (25th) from their goalies, and convert on just .167 of their power plays (27th). Tage Thompson leads Buffalo with 26 goals and 48 points in 48 games. ⬆️3
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN BUT NOT GOD AWFUL
25. St. Louis Blues
Since back-to-back wins over the Calgary Flames on home ice in mid-January, St. Louis has gone 3-6-1 and ranks 27th with a 2.70 goals-per-game average and 30th with a .713 penalty-killing rate. Pavel Buchnevich (11-23-34 in 54) has seen his production dip this season and Jordan Kyrou (23) is the only Blue to hit 20 goals. ⬇️5
24. Montreal Canadiens
Montreal, who has given up 3.43 goals-per-game (29th), entered the break 1-7-1 in their last nine to drop out of the wild-card race and below .500. Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 37 assists and 52 points in 56 while Cole Caufield has a team-high 26 goals. ➡️
23. Utah Hockey Club
After losing five straight (0-3-2) to fall out of the wild-card race, Utah won three of their final four heading into the break. Utah ranks ninth with an .812 penalty-killing rate while Clayton Keller leads the team with 40 assists and 60 points in 55 games. His 20 goals are tied with Dylan Guenther for the Utah lead. ⬇️5
22. Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim entered the break winners of three straight and six of their final seven after a 2-1 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings on February 8. Troy Terry leads the Ducks, who average a league-worst 2.48 goals-per-game and rank 31st with a .121 power-play efficiency, with 16 goals and 39 points in 49 games. John Gibson, who could be on the move before March 7, has rebounded this season with a .915 save percentage and 2.69 goals-against average in 23 outings. ⬆️5
21. Calgary Flames
Calgary lost four of their last five and six of their final eight before the break, including their last one in horrific fashion to fall out of a wild-card spot in the West. Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Flames, who rank 30th with an average of 2.64 goals-per-game and 28th with a .72 penalty-killing rate, with 21 goals and 41 points. ⬇️4
BUBBLE TEAMS
20. New York Islanders
New York won eight of nine before dropping both games of their road trip up north to get within four points of the final wild card in the East. The Islanders are dead last on the power play (.115) and 31st on the penalty kill (.707). Anders Lee (23-18-41 in 55) and Bo Horvat (19-21-40 in 54) are the lone Islanders to eclipse 40 points. ⬆️5
19. Boston Bruins
Boston lost four of their last six, including their final two, and rank 25th in goals-per-game (2.75), 24th in goals-against per game (3.18), 30th on the power play (.145), and 25th on the penalty kill (.754). Elias Lindholm has not been great in Boston and Jeremy Swayman has had a tough season but David Pastrnak, who has 28 goals and 68 points in 57 outings, has heated up. ⬇️5
18. Columbus Blue Jackets
Injuries started to catch up to Columbus, who dropped four in a row after going an NHL-best 14-4-2 (.750) from December 18 to February 1. The break gave Kirill Marchenko (who has enjoyed a breakout season with 34 assists and 55 points in 53), Sean Monahan (14-27-41 in 41), and Yegor Chinakov some much needed time to heal up for the stretch run. ⬆️4
17. New York Rangers
New York won three of their final four before the break but missed a huge opportunity in a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh, who were without Crosby and Malkin, on home ice on February 7. Artemi Panarin leads New York, who re-acquired J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks on January 31, with 23 goals and 57 points in 53 games. Mika Zibanejad finally found his groove with six assists and eight points in five before the break but Igor Shesterkin’s save percentage is way down at .906. ⬆️6
16. Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver won three straight and recorded points in seven of their final eight (6-1-1) to build a three-point lead over Calgary for the final wild-card spot in the West without Quinn Hughes, who has 24 more points than any other Canuck. Vancouver acquired Drew O’Connor, Filip Chytil, and Marcus Pettersson in late January. ⬇️3
15. Ottawa Senators
Ottawa dropped their final three games, including two huge ones against the Tampa Bay Lightning, before going on break, which followed a five-game winning streak. Tim Stützle leads the Senators with 39 points and 56 points in 56 contests while Linus Ullmark has solidified the crease in Ottawa with a .915 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average in 25 games. ⬆️1
14. Detroit Red Wings
The surging Red Wings won seven straight before a 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay on home ice on February 8 to put themselves in a wild-card spot after they were eight points out coming out of the Christmas break, when they replaced head coach Derek Lalonde with Todd McLellan. Lucas Raymond leads Detroit, who has the third-best power play (.28 efficient) but worst penalty kill (.697), with 38 helpers and 59 points in 55 contests. ⬆️14
LOOKING GOOD
13. Colorado Avalanche
Colorado, who ranks ninth with a 3.25 goals-per-game average, won four of their last five before the break. Martin Necas has fit in seemlessly, recording four goals and nine points in his first eight games with the club after getting acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 66 assists and 87 points in 57. ⬆️2
12. New Jersey Devils
New Jersey’s 7-9-3 record (.447) since December 28 is tied with St. Louis for 27th. The Devils’ 2.47 goals-against per game is second, .275 power-play efficiency ranks fourth, and .842 penalty-killing rate is third. Jack Hughes’ 24 goals co-lead New Jersey with Nico Hischier while his 65 points in 57 is the best. Jesper Bratt is just one behind him for the Devils’ scoring lead. ⬇️8
11. Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay went into the break riding a four-game winning-streak. Nikita Kucherov ranks third league-wide with 82 points and second with 57 assists. Brayden Point’s 31 goals are tied for third. The Lightning’s 3.56 goals-per-game rank second, 2.76 goals-against per game place ninth, and .269 power-play efficiency is fifth. Andrei Vasilevskiy has had a bounce back season as his .919 save percentage in 43 appearances is tied with Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings for third and 2.32 goals-against average is fifth. ⬇️1
10. Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles, who is currently fifth with a 2.53 goals-against per game and fourth with a .83 penalty-killing rate, recorded points in four straight (3-0-1) before heading on break. Adrian Kempe leads the Kings, who are 17-3-2 at Crypto.com Arena (.818 points percentage) and have 19 home games left, with 25 goals and 46 points in 53 games. ⬇️2
9. Minnesota Wild
Minnesota won their final two games before the break and is fighting with the Dallas Stars and Colorado for postseason positioning in the Central Division. The Wild’s .716 penalty-killing rate is 29th while their 2.88 goals-per-game average is the NHL average. Kirill Kaprizov has tallied 29 assists and 52 points in 37 contests. ➡️
8. Florida Panthers
Florida, who scores 3.30 goals-per-game (fifth), headed into the break with back-to-back wins. Sam Reinhart’s 31 goals, including a league-leading five while shorthanded, are tied for third. Matthew Tkachuk is right behind Reinhart (62 points) with 57 in 52 games. ⬇️2
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto had their three-game winning-streak snapped in Vancouver on February 8 and sit just three points behind Florida for the Atlantic Division lead with two games in hand. Mitch Marner’s 55 helpers rank third and 71 points are tied for fourth. ⬇️2
6. Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas’ 5-8-3 record (.406) since January 8 bests only San Jose (.179) and the team entered the break in a tie with the Edmonton Oilers, who have a game in hand, for tops in the Pacific. Jack Eichel’s 50 assists are currently fourth. The Golden Knights, who rank sixth with a 3.29 goals-per-game, seventh with a 2.73 goals-against per game, and second with a .28 power-play efficiency, won their final two games of their four-game Northeastern road trip. ⬇️5
THE CREAM OF THE CROP
5. Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina, who ranks sixth in both goals-per-game (3.29) and goals-against per game (2.71) in addition to second with an .848 penalty-killing rate, snapped a three-game skid with a 7-3 victory over Utah in their final game before the break. Mikko Rantanen has just a goal and an assist in his first six games as a Hurricane. ⬆️6
4. Edmonton Oilers
Since winning eight of their previous nine, Edmonton, whose 3.31 goals-per-game and .25 power-play efficiency are both sixth and 2.75 goals-against per game is eighth, has fallen to earth with a 5-4-1 record in their last 10. The Oilers come out East for a five-game road trip coming out of the break. Leon Draisaitl became the first player this season to hit the 40-goal mark while him (83, second) and Connor McDavid (71, tied for fourth) are both among the most prolific point getters. ⬆️3
3. Dallas Stars
Dallas, whose 2.51 goals-against per game ranks fourth and .85 penalty-killing rate leads the NHL, went 5-1-1 in their last seven. There is still more to be desired from an offense that ranks eighth with a 3.27 goals-per-game and 22nd with a .196 power-play efficiency. Wyatt Johnston (16-31-47 in 55), Jason Robertson (20-31-51), and Roope Hintz (22-14-36) have more production in them. The Stars acquired Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci from San Jose on February 1. ⬆️9
2. Washington Capitals
Washington has points in 21 of their last 24 (15-3-6, .750: second) since dropping back-to-back games in regulation in Dallas and Chicago a week before Christmas. Alex Ovechkin’s four-game goal-streak ended in the team’s final game prior to the break and the 39-year-old has 27 more games to score the 16 he needs to pass Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. The Capitals, who hold a 10-point lead for first in the Metropolitan Division and a nine-point cushion for first in the Eastern Conference, rank second in goals-per-game (3.56), third in goals-against per game (2.49), and fifth on the penalty kill (.826). Logan Thompson, who signed a five-year contract extension on January 27, ranks second with a .921 save percentage and fourth with a 2.23 goals-against average in 31 contests. ⬆️1
- Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg rode an eight-game winning-streak, which included a 5-4 overtime win in Washington on February 1, into the break and lead both the Central and West by nine points. The Jets’ 39 wins lead the NHL while Connor Hellebuyck is first in wins (34), save percentage (.925), goals-against average (2.06), and shutouts (six). Mark Schiefele’s 31 goals are tied for third. Winnipeg, who could be big buyers ahead of the March 7 deadline after going 2-8 in the postseason over the previous two seasons, has the best goals-per-game (3.61), goals-against per game (2.39), and power play (.333). ⬆️1
Previous 2024-25 Power Rankings
Offseason
Quarter Mark
Holiday Break
By Harrison Brown