The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer is hotter than anyone else in the league right now, and the Capitals have soared back to the top of their division. We’ll talk about that and a lot more in The Hoosier Network’s Week 9 NHL Power Rankings. Let’s jump right into it.
1. Colorado Avalanche
Record: 19-2-6
Last Week’s Ranking: 1
The Avalanche suffered their second regulation loss of the season Thursday night on Long Island. That ended a 17-game streak in which Colorado registered a point in each game. An uncharacteristically bad power play has been overshadowed by Nathan Mackinnon and the best goaltending duo in hockey, as both Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood have a .920 save percentage.
2. Dallas Stars
Record: 18-5-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 2
Right behind the Avalanche in the Central Division are the Stars, who have won 11 of their last 14 games. Jason Robertson has entered the Hart Trophy race, as the left-winger has 22 points in his last 12 games. Similar to Colorado, Dallas has a terrific netkeeper duo, as both Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith have been brick walls for opposing offenses.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
Record: 16-8-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 6
Despite a recent cold stretch, largely due to the absence of goalie Pyotr Kochetkov, the Hurricanes remain near the top of the Metropolitan Division. Brandon Bussi should have the reins in net until Kochetkov comes back, as Frederik Andersen has tremendously struggled all season long.
4. Tampa Bay Lighting
Record: 16-9-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 3
Nikita Kucherov, possibly the most underrated superstar in the league, is as good as anybody right now. That has propelled Tampa Bay’s recent surge to the top of the Atlantic Division. When you combine that with the best penalty killing in the league and the strong play of Andrei Vasilevskiy, the result is a team capable of winning it all.
5. Washington Capitals
Record: 17-9-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 16
No team is hotter in the entire league than the Capitals are. Alex Ovechkin, who is now 40 years old, has shown no signs of slowing down, and he is now 89 goals away from 1,000 for his hall of fame career. While the special teams play has been atrocious, they are having a historically good season at even strength. Not one single skater who has seen the ice for Washington has a negative plus minus, and nine skaters have at least a +10 on the season.
6. Montreal Canadiens
Record: 14-9-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 8
The Canadiens have struggled to find consistency this season, as most young teams usually do. That being said, they are still sitting in a playoff spot, largely due to their fourth ranked power play. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are doing the heavy lifting scoring wise for Montreal. The regression of Jakub Dobes has made things more challenging for the Habs, and there is now a massive question mark at goaltender.
7. Anaheim Ducks
Record: 16-10-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
Lukas Dostal is now on IR, and that is bad news for an Anaheim team that has already used four goaltenders this season. The absence of Dostal is already showing, as the Ducks gave up seven goals against Utah Wednesday night in a shutout. They’re going to need their high-flying offense, specifically Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, to do the heavy lifting until Dostal comes back.
8. Minnesota Wild
Record: 15-8-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 9
The Wild saw their nearly month-long point streak end Thursday night in Calgary. The offense has gone cold, specifically their power play, which has now fallen out of the top ten in the league. Fortunately for Minnesota, they have a rock solid goaltending duo, which has made up for the lack of offensive production. Jesper Wallstedt, who had five career starts before this season, leads the league with a .944 save percentage.
9. Vegas Golden Knights
Record: 12-6-8
Last Week’s Ranking: 12
The return of captain Mark Stone has been a welcome sight for this Vegas offense, as the Golden Knights have picked up points in three of their last four. Their power play, which ranks eighth in the league, has overshadowed even strength inconsistencies. Carter Hart made his first appearance in nearly two years, and it’s possible he could get more starts in net with Vegas seemingly having no answer at that position right now.
10. New Jersey Devils
Record: 16-10-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
The Devils are really starting to miss Jack Hughes, as the offense just doesn’t have the same dynamic without their young star. Hughes is one of a few select players in the league who can change the entire dynamic of an offense, and New Jersey’s regression without him is no surprise at all. Fortunately for the Devils, they have been able to rely on Jake Allen to keep them in games. However, if this team wants to contend for a Stanley Cup, Hughes needs to stay healthy.
11. Ottawa Senators
Record: 13-10-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 7
The Senators have one of the most talented rosters in the Eastern Conference, but unfortunately terrible goaltending may hold them back from competing this year. I’m genuinely not sure how much longer Ottawa can justify putting Linus Ullmark and Leevi Meralainen out there before changes are made. It seems that a lot of goaltenders will be available at the trade deadline, and if the Senators are serious about competing this year, they need to come away with at least one new netkeeper.
12. Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 15-8-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 21
Rick Tocchet deserves a lot of credit, as he has the Flyers playing their best hockey in years. Philadelphia’s style is still very reminiscent of the “Broad Street Bullies” teams of the 1970s, and that physical style can play anywhere. Trevor Zegras has taken the offense from bad to mediocre, and that is an extremely impressive accomplishment for a team who has been towards the bottom in goals scored over the last few years.
13. Pittsburgh Penguins
Record: 14-7-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 14
Likewise to Rick Tocchet, Dan Muse deserves a lot of credit for how well he has his team playing in his first year behind the bench. The special teams units have been unstoppable, as the top ranked power play and the fourth best penalty killing unit have Pittsburgh right in the Metropolitan Division race. The regression of Arturs Silovs in net is certainly a cause for concern in the Steel City, as Tristan Jarry hasn’t proven to be a consistent number one goaltender in his career.
14. Boston Bruins
Record: 16-13-0
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
David Pastrnak is currently out with an undisclosed injury, and his return is unknown at this point. For an offense that relies so much on “Pasta”, they need him back as soon as possible. This puts even more pressure on netkeeper Jeremy Swayman, who has been one of the finest at his position this season.
15. New York Islanders
Record: 15-10-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
The Islanders unexpectedly have a top ten penalty killing unit in the league, and that has fostered a surprisingly strong start to their season. With how open the East is right now, if their penalty killing can keep this up, and if Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich continue to have the seasons they’re having in net, the Stanley Cup playoffs could be returning to Long Island sooner than we originally thought.
16. Los Angeles Kings
Record: 12-8-7
Last Week’s Ranking: 18
The Kings have still not gotten their offense going, and they are extremely cold right now with two or fewer goals in seven of their last nine games. Darcy Kuemper can only do much with an offense that refuses to put the puck in the back of the net. If Los Angeles can’t break this offensive slump, they are in danger of missing the playoffs in captain Anze Kopitar’s final season.
17. Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 13-11-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 23
The Maple Leafs were hit with some brutal news Thursday night, as starting goaltender Joseph Woll left the game against Carolina early with a lower-body injury. For as inconsistent as Toronto’s goaltending has been, losing Woll is the last thing they can afford right now. Dennis Hildeby appears to be the next man up if Woll misses a significant amount of time.
18. Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 12-9-6
Last Week’s Ranking: 22
Connor Bedard is firmly in the Hart conversation, and that has Chicago currently sitting in a playoff spot two months into the season. The Blackhawks have also gotten everything they could’ve asked for and more out of Spencer Knight, and the 24-year old looks like the goalie of the future in the Windy City.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 13-9-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 25
This ranking might be somewhat controversial, but I still see the Blue Jackets as a playoff team this season. Zach Werenski is having another Norris caliber season on the blue lines, and Jet Greaves has been a fantastic goaltender for Dean Evason’s squad. If Columbus can improve on their penalty killing, they are a threat to the rest of the Metro.
20. New York Rangers
Record: 15-12-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 26
Amazingly, despite losing Adam Fox with an upper-body injury, the Rangers have won their last two games, both of which coming against bonafide playoff contenders. Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad continue to produce into their thirties, and the power play looks closer to the 2024 version than the 2025 version.
21. Detroit Red Wings
Record: 14-11-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 19
The offensive trio of Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Alex DeBrincat, along with one of the most dangerous power plays in hockey, have done the heavy lifting for Detroit this season. Simply put, the Red Wings can’t keep the puck out of their net, as neither Cam Talbot nor John Gibson have proven themselves. It doesn't help when your penalty killing also ranks near the bottom of the league.
22. Winnipeg Jets
Record: 13-12-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 15
Connor Hellebuyck’s absence is affecting the Jets significantly, so much so that they now sit near the bottom of the division they won with ease last season. A significant regression from the offense hasn’t helped either, as it seems Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor are the only two players who can consistently be relied on. Winnipeg needs their three-time Vezina award winning goaltender back in the worst way possible.
23. Edmonton Oilers
Record: 12-11-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
Different week, same story in the capital of Alberta: an all-star offense being held back by possibly the worst goaltending in the league. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the five best players in the world, are having their Hart caliber seasons wasted on a team who can’t keep the puck out of the net to save their lives. Obviously, there is still plenty of time for Edmonton to turn it around, but it’s hard to see them doing that without finding a new goaltender before long.
24. Florida Panthers
Record: 12-12-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 13
It seemed like the Panthers were finally turning a corner, however, a winless 11 day stretch has Florida sitting towards the bottom of their division. This team just doesn’t have the same juice without their captain, Aleksander Barkov, and their hard-hitting power forward, Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers will need more out of guys like Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart if they don’t want the championship drought to extend the length of the season.
25. Utah Mammoth
Record: 13-12-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 20
Utah finally got the offensive breakout they desperately needed with a 7-0 win over Anaheim Wednesday night. Let’s see if that can finally reignite an offense that started the year red hot, so much so that guys like Nick Schmaltz were in the Hart Trophy conversation. Karel Vejmelka recording a shutout against of the league’s most high-flying offenses is also an encouraging sign for a Mammoth team looking to get back on track.
26. Seattle Kraken
Record: 11-8-6
Last Week’s Ranking: 17
Seattle’s lack of scoring has finally caught up to them, as they have now lost four in a row and have slipped towards the bottom of the Pacific Division. Combine the lack of offense with the worst penalty killing in the league, and the Kraken’s outlook for the remainder of the season doesn’t look promising at all.
27. San Jose Sharks
Record: 13-12-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 27
Macklin Celebrini has been the Sharks’ saving grace, and has kept an otherwise lackluster offense afloat for the entirety of the season. Credit also goes to Yaroslav Askarov, who has been one of the most surprising netkeepers with a .905 save percentage in 18 starts. Celebrini can win a game for San Jose on any given night, and it’s a matter of when and not if he will be taking home the Hart Trophy.
28. Buffalo Sabres
Record: 11-12-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 30
The penalty killing has been the only bright sport for a Sabres team who will likely see their long playoff drought continue. The offense doesn’t score enough to win, and Tage Thompson is the only skater with double digit goals. It doesn’t help being stuck in a loaded Atlantic Division, and a last place finish feels inevitable in Western New York.
29. Calgary Flames
Record: 10-15-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 31
The Flames are on a nice little run right now, having won five of their last eight. They have their tremendous goaltending duo to thank for that, and Dustin Wolf’s improvement has been huge in making Calgary a more competitive team at the very least. This offense doesn’t have nearly enough for this team to make a second half run, but this netkeeper duo will keep them in games consistently.
30. St. Louis Blues
Record: 9-12-7
Last Week’s Ranking: 28
Every time the Blues seem to take a step forward, they take an even bigger step back. There has been no consistency for this team, and this offense is in the toilet right now. It doesn’t help that Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer have been one of the worst goaltending duos in hockey. In a loaded Central Division, it will be extremely hard for St. Louis to make a playoff push.
31. Nashville Predators
Record: 10-13-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 32
With back to back wins, Nashville escapes the bottom of the power rankings for at least a week. With several bonafide cup contenders in the Central, it is far too late for Nashville to make a playoff push, and the firesale at the trade deadline remains a major likelihood. This team simply needs to get younger, cheaper, and faster.
32. Vancouver Canucks
Record: 10-14-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 29
The Canucks have had a massive fall from grace. Just two years removed from being the top team in the West, they sit at the bottom of it. Other than Quinn Hughes, there are no positives. Combine a nonexistent offense with awful penalty killing and goaltending, and last place is likely the result. Hughes is a name to watch for at the trade deadline, and every team contending for a Stanley Cup should have Vancouver on speed dial.
