NHL power rankings: The Ducks are fun…and possibly really good

We’re now a bit more than a month into the season, and while we’re not quite at the infamous American Thanksgiving benchmark in terms of sample sizes, we’re already starting to get a better feel for where some teams are at. The Penguins and Ducks are looking more and more like playoff teams, the Wild and Blues may be in trouble, and… well… we still don’t know what to make of the Oilers and Maple Leafs.

Hunter Crowther and I navigate through the season with another year of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.

1. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 9-1-5, +21
Last Week: 1st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st 
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Scott: As if the Avalanche weren’t already looking like the top team in the league this season, they went into Edmonton and lit up the Oilers 9-1 on Saturday. I think the scariest thing about this team was how much they were trying when it was 9-1. They were working their asses off in an attempt to get double digits. It just feels like they’re in a video game completing side missions right now, and it’s only November. As long as they don’t burn themselves out, they’ll be a serious Cup threat in the playoffs.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 11-4-0, +17
Last Week: 3rd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd 
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Scott: The Hurricanes have won five of their last six games, and it’s clear they are in a class of their own in the Eastern Conference right now. It’s not just the fact that they are overwhelming teams with their possession; their puck movement in the offensive zone is leaving opposing teams spinning in circles. They’ve had to make some defensive sacrifices with Jaccob Slavin out of the lineup, but the fact they look this dominant without their top defenseman says a lot about this team.

Hunter: Every time I’m skeptical about this group, or think to myself, “Yeah, but…” they remove any doubt with a week like the one they just had. Also, more doubt to remove is any that Canadian hockey fans may have about Seth Jarvis being on the Olympic roster in Italy. The guy who was healthy scratched against Finland during the 4 Nations Face-Off no longer exists, as present-day Jarvis has been on a tear, scoring in three of four games last week and looking like the most dangerous player on the ice at any given time. 

3. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 7-3-4, +4
Last Week: 6th (+3) 
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd 
Scott’s Rank: 4th 

Hunter: It hasn’t been a great homestand for the Golden Knights, dropping two of three last week and having to scramble late against the Ducks to earn a point. In our previous edition of the power rankings, we pointed to the goaltending woes having an impact on this team, and that hasn’t changed. I don’t know why, but living in Toronto while Mitch Marner potted a goal and two assists in a 6-3 loss to the Lightning made me laugh. Maybe I need help.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 8-5-2, +5
Last Week: 11th (+7) 
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 6th 

Hunter: It’s odd seeing a team get outplayed for big chunks of a game, but at no point are you watching and thinking “they might lose.” That’s what this year’s Lightning squad feels like, where they can get hammered in the defensive zone and, with one small error, go the other way and burn you. Their big dogs in Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel produced last week, and don’t look now, but they’ve won seven of their last eight. Fun fact to tell your coworkers tomorrow at the water cooler, if those still exist: Since giving up four and five goals, respectively, in his first two starts, Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn’t allowed more than three in a game all season. I keep telling you people: don’t wake up the beast!

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 9-5-3, +9
Last Week: 5th (0) 
Hunter’s Rank: 10th 
Scott’s Rank: 3rd 

Scott: The multiple blown 3-0 leads last week certainly show that the Penguins still have plenty of defensive concerns, but that’s what happens when your team is made up of younger players still getting accustomed to the NHL game and older players whose defensive games have passed them by (yes, even Sidney Crosby). But their chance generation is strong, and both special teams units have been very good to start the season. I’m liking this Penguins team more and more as the weeks go on.

6. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 10-3-1, +14
Last Week: 14th (+8)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th 
Scott’s Rank: 5th 

Scott: As someone who got lit up in fantasy hockey last week by Daily Faceoff colleague Kyle Morton courtesy of Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson, I’m well aware that this Ducks team continues to light up the league. They’ve now won seven games in a row and nine of their last 10 and are the only team averaging more than four goals a game. The fact that this is being driven by their younger players like Carlsson, Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke and Mason McTavish is a fantastic sign for the future of this team, even if the defense is still lacking.

7. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 10-3-2, +10
Last Week: 4th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th 
Scott’s Rank: 8th 

Hunter: It must be nice living in Montreal, not having to be depressed about the heartbreaking loss your baseball team suffered and being forced to pivot to a middling hockey team that’s playing well below its potential. I’m sorry, I’m still mad about the Blue Jays. Two freaking outs, man…

The Canadiens earned points in losses to the Flyers and Devils before giving Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka a proper shelling on Hockey Night in Canada (I haven’t heard a soul call them “the Mammoth” and don’t bother lying by saying you or someone you know has). Cole Caufield’s two goals on Saturday had him temporarily tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead in goals. Hear that? Bill Guerin’s phone is ringing.

Scott: Oh I have definitely called Utah “the Mammoth” at this point (read two blurbs below to verify). What else would I call them? Some terrible name like “Utah Hockey Club”? That would be embarrassing to trot your team out with that name even for one season.

Hunter: Why must you turn the Daily Faceoff NHL Power Rankings into a house of lies? 

Matt Larkin: Ed note…I was with the Mammoth last week, working on a story, and I called the Mammoth, uh, the Mammoth, to their faces, multiple times. And it rolled off my tongue naturally, Hunter, naturally!

8. New Jersey Devils

Record: 11-4-0, +8
Last Week: 9th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th 
Scott’s Rank: 12th 

Hunter: It was nice of the NHL to give the Devils a three-day break after their less-than-stellar California road trip, and they responded with two wins against the Canadiens and Penguins, both requiring extra time. It feels like most of the lineup is playing below what they’re capable of: Jesper Bratt has one goal in eight games, both Nico Hischier and Timo Meier have one in their last 11 and Jack Hughes has incredible hair, as well as one goal in his last five. Sheldon Keefe needs his top forwards to find their games as the weather gets colder. 

9. Utah Mammoth

Record: 9-7-0, +1
Last Week: 8th (-1) 
Hunter’s Rank: 11th 
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Scott: After an electric start, the Mammoth have now lost five of their last six games and are looking more like the team we all thought they would be: one that’s in the hunt for the playoffs, but still working out some warts in their game. That said, the underlying numbers are still fantastic, and they have very few glaring issues in their lineup. Even in the game of theirs I watched last week, the 5-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, there were many instances where they looked like the better team.

10. Dallas Stars

Record: 9-4-3, -2
Last Week: 15th (+5)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 11th 

Scott: After a bit of a slump, the Stars have bounced back with wins in three of their last four games, although that has come against weaker teams in the Predators and Kraken and a struggling Oilers squad. Dallas can thank their top line and Miro Heiskanen for that, though, as the lack of offensive generation outside of that unit showed how much their center depth had been hurting without Roope Hintz and Matt Duchene. Hintz has at least been back for the last three games and put up three points, but their depth is not what it used to be.

Hunter: It’s wild to see Jason Robertson only have three goals through 16 games, but still lead the team with nearly 10 expected goals (xG), as well as being far ahead in nearly all shot and shot-attempt categories. In fact, his 9.3 xG is tied for fifth in the league with the Avalanche’s MacKinnon, who himself is tied for the league lead in actual goals. Robertson won’t have a 4.8 shooting percentage for long. 

11. Florida Panthers

Record: 7-7-1, -6
Last Week: 2nd (-9) 
Hunter’s Rank: 6th 
Scott’s Rank: 14th 

Scott: The Panthers certainly don’t need to panic right now, but you know who they’re starting to remind me of? The 2016-17 Lightning. That team had injury problems all season, particularly being without Steven Stamkos for 65 games, and despite clearly being a good squad, they missed out on the playoffs by just one point. Who knows if that’s the outcome for the Panthers, but with an Eastern Conference that looks to have plenty of competitive teams, their playoff hopes may go down to the last minute this season.

Hunter: I like this thought process and I’m running with it through the season: Either the Panthers miss the playoffs or they’ll win their third straight Stanley Cup. There’s no middle ground, there just isn’t! 

12. Ottawa Senators

Record: 8-5-3, -1
Last Week: 18th (+6)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th 
Scott’s Rank: 9th 

Scott: The Senators have kept themselves in good standing with a five-game point streak, but considering that it’s only a 3-0-2 run, it still feels like there’s room for improvement here. Goaltending has certainly been an issue, but they are also struggling to generate chances at a consistent rate. Losing expected goal machine Brady Tkachuk is a big reason why, so Ottawa will have to hope his return will help them there.

13. New York Rangers

Record: 7-7-2, -5
Last Week: 7th (-6)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 13th 

Scott: I still really like the Rangers, but for the love of god, can you guys get some offense on home ice? Please? They’ve been shut out in five of their seven home games, only scored one in another, and the one game where they got five goals, they still lost! It’s a good thing they’re the best road team in the league, otherwise their season would already be lost. Artemi Panarin finally had a night more akin to Artemi Panarin in Friday’s 4-1 win over the Red Wings with three points, and with his center Vincent Trocheck returning soon, perhaps that will help spark the Russian winger – and in turn, their offense at home.

14. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 8-5-2, +4
Last Week: 23rd (+9)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Hunter: I was going to compliment the Flyers on winning two of three games last week, but much was made on social media over Flyers’ captain Sean Couturier’s comments on teammate Matvei Michkov following Saturday’s game against the Senators. 

“I think he’s a great goal scorer and has a lot of skill, you just gotta find a way to contribute to helping the team win in other ways when you’re struggling,” Couturier said. “You’re not always going to be scoring goals every game … I’ve seen improvement in the way he’s not cheating as much and (he’s) on the right side of the puck … I’m sure it’s a little different for him, but if he sticks to playing more of the right way, I think it’s gonna be better for the team overall.” 

Philly fans, if you’re reading this: Relax. Seriously, relax. Some of the takes I was reading were … good lord. Couturier, a 14-year veteran who at one point was one of hockey’s best two-way forwards, gave Michkov, a sophomore in the greatest league in the world, constructive criticism that any objective observer would agree with. Also, Couturier’s comments aren’t out of nowhere. Hockey players seldom let something out if it’s the first time it popped up in their head. Coaches don’t publicly call out players unless they’ve told them the same thing in private ad nauseum.

One more thing: I thought Philadelphia’s sports fans were tougher than this? A benign critique for a second-year player who gets caught on the wrong side of the puck more often than not? For God’s sake, this is the city who threw snowballs at Santa Claus and cheered when Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending injury that left him temporarily paralyzed on the field. Now they’ve won a couple Super Bowls and they whine through their thumbs on social media instead of screaming at a ref with a beer in hand. What a fall from grace. 

Scott: I’m not going to completely tear into the Flyers fanbase like Hunter has, but I will say I’m surprised to see how much vitriol there is in Philly considering a team that was expected to contend for the lottery is *checks notes* in a playoff spot.

15. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 9-5-0, +11
Last Week: 10th (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Scott: This might be the lowest I’ve seen Hunter rank the Jets in the one and a bit years we’ve done these rankings together, and I just have to say … welcome to the resistance, Mr. Crowther. They had a tough trip in California, losing all three games and scoring just two goals. Even Connor Hellebuyck was just okay instead of his usual self, and it gave us a true look at what this team is when they aren’t shooting the lights out and Hellebuyck isn’t stealing games: bad.

Hunter: ‘Tis a flesh wound, Scott! Although maybe I’m as delusional as that Black Knight in Monty Python. Beyond Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi, it’s a steep drop, Vlad Namestnikov’s six goals be damned. While Jonathan Toews has been better than I expected, this team needs way more from their lineup. We’re a long way from last year’s squad that had 12 skaters reach double digits in goals. 

16. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 9-7-0, -5
Last Week: 12th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th 
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Hunter: The Red Wings cooled off last week, losing all three games in regulation. You know head coach Todd McLellan would have loved a better effort Sunday afternoon against the Blackhawks as the team takes the next three days off before facing a high-flying Ducks squad next Thursday. I asked last week if their goaltending would be their downfall, and seeing Cam Talbot and John Gibson each give up four goals strengthened my hypothesis. Could Detroit look to Nashville and see if Predators’ starting goalie Juuse Saros is available? 

Scott: If Barry Trotz was smart, he’d ask Detroit for their price for Saros, and then immediately call Stan Bowman to tell him and see if the Oilers will add to it. But Trotz’s recent resume is a tad bit spotty, so he definitely won’t do that.

17. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 7-5-4, -6
Last Week: 20th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Hunter: It was nice seeing Anze Kopitar shake hands with Sidney Crosby following the Kings’ 3-2 win over the Penguins. Even after 20 seasons of posting nearly the same statline every season, hockey’s version of Tim Duncan still gets underappreciated. Hopefully the Canadian media ecosystems that are Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa give the Kings’ captain his roses as he makes this road trip one final time. 

18. Washington Capitals

Record: 7-7-1, +4
Last Week: 13th (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 15th 

Hunter: Well, he did it. We weren’t sure if he was going to, and we waited an entire offseason and the first month of the 2025-26 regular season for him to do it. But by golly, he finally did it: Devante Smith-Pelly is going to be an NHL Network studio analyst. The retired NHL forward, who won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, including three goals in the Stanley Cup Final, was one of the better interviews in the game while he was in the league. It’s always nice to see former players find their next role in life. 

Oh, and Alex Ovechkin scored his 900th career goal. The Capitals have lost six of their last seven.  

19. Seattle Kraken

Record: 7-4-4, -5
Last Week: 22nd (+3) 
Hunter’s Rank: 20th 
Scott’s Rank: 16th 

Hunter: I celebrated my birthday last week by … working late into the night on a few projects. Apparently, after you turn 30, birthdays are just days that end in “Y.” Weird. Also, apparently you share your birthday with 22 million other people? Who knew! Anyway, I had the Kraken’s game against the Sharks in the background, and oof. What’s frustrating if you’re a Seattle fan is they were generating high-quality shots on Yaroslav Askarov, but the lack of finish and a horrid performance by Joey Daccord sealed their fate. They’re not as good as they were to start, or as bad as they’ve been lately. Can’t put my finger on it. 

20. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 6-6-4, -10
Last Week: 16th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Hunter: Don’t sugarcoat it: it’s not good. Sure, they started 6-7-1 last season and in 2023-24 they started 5-12-1. But it’s how they’re losing at this point that’s worrisome. After a one-goal loss to the Blues, they blew a 3-1 lead to the Stars and lost in a shootout. It’s a good thing the Oilers had four days off, because they needed plenty of rest for the ass-kicking they took from the Avalanche. Seriously, Colorado pulled up, kicked in the door, grabbed the remote control and changed the channel on the Oilers’ TV.

It’s time to grow up in Edmonton. 

Scott: Yeah, they are slowly drifting away from “they always start this bad” and creeping towards “it’s never gone on this long,” and who knows if they can dig themselves out of this one? I’m not hitting the panic button until Zach Hyman returns, but if he’s your saving grace on a team with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard, that’s not a great sign.

21. New York Islanders

Record: 7-6-2, -1
Last Week: 24th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Scott: I know Hunter and I usually take this opportunity to wax poetic about Matthew Schaefer, but after a quiet week with “only” one assist in three games, I’ll focus my attention on another Islander worthy of praise: Bo Horvat. While we already have 16 players at 10 goals, Horvat’s kept himself in the Rocket Richard hunt with 11 goals in 15 games. This will likely cool down, but he showed shades of this kind of play three seasons ago when he had 31 goals in 49 games with the Canucks before he was dealt to Long Island (although he did fall off a cliff after that with seven in 30 with the Islanders).

22. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 8-8-0, -7
Last Week: 26th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th 
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Hunter: It’s hard to get mad at a Canucks team that just put up one helluva fight against the best team in the league, wiping out three Avalanche leads and getting a point Sunday night. It’s good to go into a new week with the knowledge that you can skate with the big dogs. But there’s no moral victories in the NHL***, and their best players — or at least their highest-paid players — need to start acting like it. But hey, at least Kiefer Sherwood finally has an assist! 

***Please disregard all previous mentions of “moral victories” in past columns. Sports fans have short memories, and so do sports writers. 

23. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 8-5-3, +12
Last Week: 25th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Hunter: The Blackhawks play at the United Center in Chicago, Ill,  and its address is 1901 W Madison St., Chicago, Ill., zip code 60612.

That’s where you can send Connor Bedard your apology letters, because one month into the 2025-26 NHL regular season, Bedard is tied for second in the NHL in points. So much was written last year about the perceived “lack of development” in Bedard’s game — especially after we saw Macklin Celebrini produce early and often — but maybe criticizing a player with back-to-back 60-point seasons before they turned 20 was wrong in hindsight? 

Scott: I’d been saying for most of last season that Bedard is following the Nathan MacKinnon trajectory, and technically I was wrong… he’s doing it sooner.

Hunter: I just looked it up, I forgot MacKinnon posted 21 goals and 16 goals in his third and fourth seasons, respectively. He even played 82 games in the 16-goal campaign! His 53 points led the 2016-17 Avalanche and were eight ahead of Matt Duchene’s second-place 41 points. I can’t believe they retained first-year head coach Jared Bednar, wonder what he’s up to now?

24. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 8-7-1, -1
Last Week: 19th (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Scott: I don’t know what to make of this Leafs team right now. I was in the building for their last three games, and all I can grasp from them is that they’re inconsistent. They’ll lay an egg for two periods against Pittsburgh before coming back and winning. They’ll look slow against Utah and then pull out a win. Boston will start off a game slow, but the Leafs will be slower. And then after looking like they may weather the storm against Carolina, they’ll drop the ball in the third period. The Leafs are a mess in their own end, and this season they don’t have the goaltending to mask it like they did last year, and even then, they weren’t *this* sloppy last year. I wouldn’t panic yet, but they’ve also only played six of their 16 games against teams in my top 16, which means the schedule is going to get more difficult. *gulps*

Hunter: The only positive I can take from the last week is that Auston Matthews is slowly finding his groove. He’s scored in four of the last five games and now has nine in 16 games, a 46-goal pace. Max Domi played 8:30 against the Hurricanes on Sunday; have to think he’d be in the press box if it weren’t for Scott Laughton’s injury, but even that might not save him from a healthy scratch Tuesday against Boston. 

25. Boston Bruins

Record: 10-7-0, +1
Last Week: 28th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Scott: I get that hot and cold streaks can happen to any team at any time, but how do the Bruins have six wins in a row? There aren’t really any redeemable qualities about this team, and it’s not like David Pastrnak or Jeremy Swayman have been playing out of their minds to get here. Charlie McAvoy was even out for their most recent win over the Leafs. I’d expect this to fade at some point, and the Bruins will be back to being a terrible team again, and not second in the division.

26. San Jose Sharks

Record: 7-6-3, -3
Last Week: 30th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Scott: Are the Sharks actually good? No, they definitely aren’t. But with points in six games, they’re certainly off to a better start than many would have anticipated and have clearly built off the vibes of last season. Macklin Celebrini is already looking like one of the best players in the league, and Will Smith and William Eklund are also leading the charge. All they need is a bit more consistency from Sam Dickinson and a steady role for Michael Misa when he returns from injury, and the future is already now.

27. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 7-7-0, -1
Last Week: 17th (-10)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Scott: In the grand scheme of things, three losses in a row isn’t a bad thing. But with how tight the Eastern Conference is at the moment, those three losses are detrimental, and make the Blue Jackets look far worse than they likely actually are. I originally had them in 19th, but the five-point rule knocked them down all the way to 27th (blame the Bruins). Still, there’s plenty of room to bounce back and keep up with the rest of the playoff race.

28. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 5-6-4, -8
Last Week: 21th (-8)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Scott: Oh Buffalo. With six losses in their last seven games, any good will built up after a decent end to October has already gone to waste, and hockey fans are back to doubting the Sabres… as they should. They continue to deal with injuries, including Jiri Kulich, Zach Benson and Jason Zucker, as well as Rasmus Dahlin being on a leave of absence, so that hasn’t helped them out at all. I’m curious to see what they look like when they’re mostly healthy, but it’s already getting late early yet again in Buffalo.

29. St. Louis Blues

Record: 5-8-3, -19
Last Week: 31th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Hunter: The Blues had points in three of their four games last week, but the Blues are playing lousy hockey. Jordan Binnington giving up four goals on 15 shots against the Capitals was almost impressive. What’s even more impressive is they let a plummeting Sabres group outshoot and outpossess them and still won. At some point, “it’s still early” no longer applies, and we’re reaching that point with Jim Montgomery and his group. 

Scott: It’s time Binnington stops worrying about stealing milestone pucks and focuses more on stealing a game or two for his team.

30. Minnesota Wild

Record: 7-7-3, -7
Last Week: 32nd (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Hunter: What’s funny about the Wild is that they have flashes where you flip between games and watch 10 minutes and think, “You know what? They’re not that bad.” Heck, they won three out of four games last week! Then you watch an entire period like I did Thursday when they played the Hurricanes and think, “Why am I watching this?” Anyway, I’m glad Marcus Johansson is showing flashes of Capitals-era Marcus Johansson. Sure, the shooting percentage will come back to Earth, but he’s playing well enough to be a trade asset at the deadline if Minnesota keeps losing. 

31. Nashville Predators

Record: 5-8-4, -15
Last Week: 27th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Hunter: It feels all but certain that Andrew Brunette doesn’t have much time left behind the bench in Nashville, but firing him feels like a copout. This Predators group just doesn’t have any juice, and hockey fans and writers are already picking at the still-breathing corpse of the team, seeing if there’s any meat on the bone that’s worth trading for. Ryan O’Reilly’s self-critique following their loss to the Flyers was one of the rare, candid moments you hear from a professional athlete. If the rest of the team was that honest with themselves, maybe they would have more than five wins. 

Scott: Maybe to take their mind off of things, the Predators should do some charity work.

once a predator always a predator pic.twitter.com/tEbSNJiw3O

— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) November 2, 2025

32. Calgary Flames

Record: 4-11-2, -19
Last Week: 29th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Hunter: There was a moment Sunday night after Kirill Kaprizov scored the empty-net goal, sealing the Wild’s 2-0 win over the Flames, where the Calgary bench was filled with thousand-yard stares. They had outshot Minnesota 36-19 and threw everything they could at Jesper Wallstedt, but it was another loss for a Flames team whose season already feels lost. It was nice seeing Nazem Kadri be celebrated earlier in the week for his 1,000th game. He’s going to look great in a Canadiens sweater. 

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