NHL power rankings: Panthers start season on top again despite Barkov, Tkachuk injuries

The regular season has finally begun, and that means that we can properly start the power rankings. Predictions are fun, but what everyone really cares about is reacting – mostly so that we can complain about how bad the reaction is! Even as teams only have a few games under their belts, somebody has to wade through all this disarray to tell everyone what’s truly good and bad (for now), and Hunter Crowther and I are definitely the two people to do that!

Hunter and I begin to navigate through the results so far this 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.

And be warned: the chaotic nature of the start of the season will result in some interesting rankings to start the season, particularly in the numbers on my end. While I’d like to think Hunter’s rankings, still based on expectations and mine, based on the scattered reality so far, clash in a way that best sums up the season, people definitely won’t be happy.

1. Florida Panthers

Record: 3-0-0, +6
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Hunter: Playing a combined 100 games in each of the last three seasons? No big deal. Not having your Selke Trophy-winning top center or your all-world 100-point winger for the foreseeable future? Big whoop. Everyone and their aunt picking your in-state rival to win it all (including yours truly)? OK bud. That’s just life for the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. The Blackhawks and Flyers gave them good fights, but you could see in glimpses of the Cats’ relentless puck retrievals and overwhelming pressure that they’re still the cream of the crop. 

Scott: I’m not going to dismiss their performance so far because they’ve been as good as expected even with the injuries, but I think we expected this from them. The big difference will be if they can overcome losing Aleksander Barkov in the playoffs.

Side note: if Sam Reinhart wants a Selke Trophy in his cabinet, this year is the year without his teammate overshadowing him. Come on, we need a Selke win for a winger!

Hunter: By God, that’s Mitch Marner’s music!!!! 

2. Dallas Stars

Record: 2-0-0, +2
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Scott: Who would’ve thought after how last season started for the Stars, how low I was on them all season AND entering this season, that I’d be high on them after one week? Don’t get me wrong, their defense is still living up to the (lack of) hype, and their penalty kill has been equally bad, but at the very least, the Stars will be fun to watch this season. Expect a lot of games like that 5-4 win over the Jets from them until they address their blueline depth.

3. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 1-0-1, +1
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Scott: Stuart Skinner couldn’t wait one whole game before making things interesting this season, huh? The Oilers netminder had a rollercoaster performance in the season opener, resulting in a blown 3-1 lead and a shootout loss to the Flames. Calvin Pickard got the start on Saturday, and the Oilers were less chaotic as a result with a 3-1 win. The Oilers net drama will continue to be an interesting saga, especially with Connor Ingram in the fold, and I can’t wait to see what becomes of it. Connor McDavid may have been extended for two seasons, but the Oilers still have to give him a goalie.

Hunter: Beyond the analysis and in-depth conversation and long-term planning after McDavid’s extension, it was gut-bustingly hilarious that it was bad goaltending that cost the Oilers their first game of the season. At this point, Edmonton should trade the next 10 first-round picks and promise 10,000 season ticket purchases for the Jets in exchange for Hellebuyck. 

4. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 2-0-0, +4
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Scott: I’ve been high on the Hurricanes this season ever since their offseason moves, and through two games, they’ve done nothing to make me think I shouldn’t be. Of course, they’re one of those teams for whom their regular season performance doesn’t matter, it’s how they perform in the playoffs, so I’ll put a pin on any true Cup contender hype until then.

5. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 2-0-1, +3
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Hunter: I feel the same way this year about the Avalanche that I did last year: they have two of the game’s best players in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar and a top-tier power play, but not enough depth to make a genuine run. I still don’t know why Brock Nelson was signed to a $7.5-million cap hit, because no matter what the salary cap is inflated to, he’s not producing like a $7.5-million player. I fully expect Martin Necas, who can see a $13-plus million AAV waiting for him next summer, to hit the 100-point mark and help MacKinnon finish as a Hart Trophy finalist again.

6. Washington Capitals

Record: 2-1-0, +1
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Scott: In case anyone thought Alex Ovechkin would already have 900 in the bag by the end of the weekend, think again, he’s going for assists now! I have to admit, the goal chase has lost its luster now that Ovi has surpassed Wayne Gretzky, but maybe the hype can return if he ever gets close to 1,000. Otherwise, the Caps have been as good as advertised. They aren’t setting the world on fire like last year, but they’re still a good team.

7. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 1-0-2, -1
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Hunter: Any Leaf fan who tells you they didn’t enjoy Mitch Marner not scoring in the shootout in the Vegas Golden Knights’ loss to the Los Angeles Kings is a liar. And if you’re reading this as a non-Leaf fan and rolling your eyes, just remember they don’t have many things to celebrate. Still, this Vegas team is very, very good, so don’t let a lackluster opening week fool you. As my Power Rankings partner mentioned last week: expect a Golden Knight Stanley Cup and Marner Conn Smythe at the end of the year. 

Scott: Also, Pavel Dorofeyev may have one of the best jobs in the league, and he’s already reaping the reward for it. On a power play where defenders will be focused on Marner and Jack Eichel (and Tomas Hertl and Mark Stone to a lesser extent), Dorofeyev just gets to chill in the right faceoff circle and bury whatever excellent pass comes his way. It’s already got him five goals, with four on the power play, so while this pace will settle down, he’s going to be feasting with that group.

8. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 2-1-0, +2
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Scott: I’ll admit, I was bearish on the Canadiens to start the season, but so far, I’ve been content with their performance. Sure, their only wins came against teams they should have beat, but it was the loss to the Leafs that impressed me the most. They were skating circles around the Leafs at times, and if not for Anthony Stolarz, they probably would have won that game. Their underlying metrics don’t indicate that they’re a sleeping giant just yet, but at the very least, they aren’t as bad as last year. If they keep playing like this, I will gladly concede and say this is a team I feel more certain about making the playoffs.

9. New York Rangers

Record: 2-2-0, +5
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Scott: The Rangers have been solid so far through four games, with nothing that’s jumped out to me as either promising or concerning, at least on the ice. Off the ice, losing Vincent Trocheck is going to sting. Not only is he the best defensive forward in that top six, his absence means that Mika Zibanejad goes back to center after finally getting adjusted (and possibly thriving) on the wing. He’s week-to-week for now, but hopefully it’s only a couple weeks instead of several.

Hunter: J.T. Miller’s addition and him being given the captaincy is either going to be a Mark Messier-in-Vancouver level of trainwreck, or it’s going to be a Mark Messier-winning-in-’94 level of success. There’s no in between. 

10. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 1-1-0, -1
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Scott: The Ducks ranked really well for me largely due to the insane number of chances they’ve created through two games. Their 5v5 expected goals for per 60 minutes is a 4.01. The next closest? Carolina with 3.3. It’s been two games and they’ve only played Seattle and San Jose, so Anaheim obviously won’t sustain this level of play all season. But if they can be one of the better chance generating teams in the league while maintaining solid defensive play (which with a 2.15 5v5 expected goals against per 60 that ranks 10th, they are), this could be a solid team. Or at the very least, they’ll be fun, as Saturday’s 7-6 OT win proved.

11. New Jersey Devils

Record: 1-1-0, -1
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Hunter: With a win and a loss to start the season, there’s enough about the Devils that gives me reason to think they’ll take a step forward in 2025-26 … most of that being Jack Hughes staying healthy. Those last 20 games last season, the inevitability of them being eliminated in the first round by the Hurricanes, New Jersey felt like a dead team walking into the postseason. While they could still use a few more reliable goal scorers in their bottom-six (who couldn’t?), I’m still confident they’ll compete for a chance at winning the division.

12. Ottawa Senators

Record: 1-1-0, -3
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Hunter: The Senators were one of the feel-good stories of the 2024-25 season, and a respectable first-round effort against the Maple Leafs – the Battle of Ontario is back, baby! – gave them a taste of the playoffs. Shane Pinto started the year with two-goal efforts ($6-7 million AAV extension incoming) and you can be sure Brady Tkachuk will try to get his production back to where it was before last season’s 55-point effort. It feels like Ottawa is one big trade away from taking that next step. But whom do you send the other way?      

13. Boston Bruins

Record: 3-0-0, +5
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Scott: I’ll be honest here, the Bruins’ high ranking is largely driven by how good their special teams have been under the hood. Their 5v5 play has been meh, and their two of their three wins have been largely due to strong performances from Jeremy Swayman (it’s good to see him back in form though). As our colleague Jeff Marek so eloquently described Boston’s offense on The Sheet on Friday, “there isn’t enough in the grocery cart to bring home to the family,” but they certainly have the tools to pull off runs like this throughout the season.

Hunter: These SOBs are going to make the playoffs, aren’t they? We couldn’t even have a legitimate rebuild that saw the Bruins struggle for a few seasons — no, it’s going to be a miss-once-and-get-back type of situation. Any success they have will be because of David Pastrnak, who already has a goal and three assists in three games. Do you know how good Pastrnak is for Boston? In the last three seasons, he’s recorded 138 more combined points than the second-highest scorer on the Bruins. For nearly a decade, he’s been one of the best players in the league, and it still feels like he’s underrated. 

14. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 0-2-0, -3
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Hunter: I think something people forget about the Lightning is that, despite losing in five to the Panthers in the first round last spring, they were probably the next best option to be the Eastern Conference representative in the Stanley Cup Final. That’s where I see them ending up next spring, as their depth up front rivals nearly anyone’s in the league, and they still have future Hall of Famers in Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy on the blue line and the crease. Don’t let the 0-2 start fool you: there’s more than one monster in the Sunshine State. 

Scott: As someone who was all in on the Lightning this season as a top contender (and thought the same as thing last season), I’m going to bring a bit of pessimism to the table. There was one factor I forgot about with this team, and it’s why they both lost to the Panthers so easily and are 0-2 right now: their blueline is incredibly slow. Don’t get me wrong, the defenders themselves are excellent players, but the second the opposing team speeds up the game, it’s game over. It bit them hard against Ottawa and New Jersey, and may be something they need to address this season on an otherwise excellent team.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 1-1-0, +2
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: I’d say the Blue Jackets have pretty much picked up where they left off last season. They’re creating chances, struggling to prevent them, getting great goaltending from Jet Greaves and even Elvis Merzlikins was solid (at even strength). That sounds about right for a team that didn’t exactly make any drastic changes from their team last season. As long as they get better goaltending and improve on their defense, they’ll be in a good spot to sneak into the playoffs.

16. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 1-1-0, 0
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Hunter: If you go through the Power Rankings from October 2024 to April 2025, you won’t see a bigger cheerleader for the Jets than yours truly. But as the season winded down, it felt more and more like any success Winnipeg would have would depend on Connor Hellebuyck in the playoffs. Lo and behold, despite winning another Vezina Trophy and becoming just the third goalie of the 21st century to win the Hart Trophy, his struggles left Winnipeg with another second-round elimination. But hey, at least they beat the Kings on Saturday!

Scott: That bottom pair of Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn has been horrendous so far with an 18.48% 5v5 expected goal share, and they both feel way out of their depth with their foot speed. The Neal Pionk and Haydn Fleury pair has been just as bad at 13.61%. This blueline needs Dylan Samberg back ASAP.

17. Minnesota Wild

Record: 1-1-0, +2
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Scott: Even amidst the chaos of the first few weeks of the regular season, the Wild cannot escape perpetuity in the murky middle. Let me list off their league ranking in the six stats I use for these rankings: 13th, 18th, 15th, 16th, 12th, 32nd (their penalty expected goals against per 60). That is almost impressive consistency at being middling, so a rank of 17th fits perfectly for them. At least Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy are already locked in with six points apiece in two games. The Wild still need those two healthy and in form if they want to make noise in a tough Central Division.

Hunter: We’re two games in and you’re talking about stats?! Still, if the Wild are going to make the playoffs again, Kaprizov and Boldy will need to be at their best. The one I’m hoping to see take a step forward in 2025-26 is Brock Faber, whose production last season took a dip after his strong rookie campaign. Now 23 and entering the first season of an eight-year contract with an $8.5-million AAV, Faber will need to leave no doubt that he’s an elite defender. 

Scott: To draw an easy comparison between Team USA teammates, Brock Faber was what everyone thought Adam Fox was last season.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 1-1-0, 0
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Scott: I begin this by once again tapping the “it’s early” sign, but I have to say that my concerns about the Leafs going into the season have not gone away so far. This team looked slower and struggled to break the puck out throughout last season, and they have once again looked that way against Montreal and Detroit, two teams they should be beating. If not for a stellar Anthony Stolarz performance on Wednesday, they might be 0-2 to start the year. We’ll see how they continue to adjust to life without Mitch Marner, but this start really screams “transition year” for me.

Hunter: Marner this, Marner that, it feels like his departure will be a main topic through this year and beyond, especially when the team struggles to score or the forwards struggle in their own end. Credit to Max Domi for getting his first goal in October and not December or January like years past, and Nicolas Roy is already making contributions. Still, the lack of Joseph Woll — or the lack of knowing what’s keeping him away from the rink — leaves fans on eggshells, as they’re one Stolarz pulled groin away from total disaster. 

Scott: Another positive note: Calle Jarnkrok has looked as solid as he usually is, despite the fact that every Leafs fan will tell you he’s bad. It feels like with his contract, he’s been the Alex Kerfoot of this team for the past few seasons.

19. Nashville Predators

Record: 1-0-1, 0
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Hunter: I don’t really know what the Predators are, but I’m confident they won’t be as bad as they were last season. However, it feels like they’re a four- or five-game losing streak away from throwing up a “For Sale” sign and offering any one of Ryan O’Reilly or Michael Bunting or *dun dun dunnnnn* Steven Stamkos. As for this week, I really liked their possession game against the Mammoth, as it felt like they were getting shots towards the net, but Utah was playing a cover-four defense. 

20. St. Louis Blues

Record: 1-1-0, -3
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Hunter: The Blues were one of the more fun teams to watch in the second half of the season and were a Cole Perfetti-goal-with-three-seconds-left-in-Game-7 away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Then they started the 2025-26 season with a 5-0 loss at home to the Wild, followed by a win over the Flames that the Blues were outplayed in for large chunks of the game. What’s most important is that their new sweaters are elite, so take your wins where you can find them.   

21. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 2-1-0, -1
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Hunter: It’s a treat seeing Evgeni Malkin drink from the fountain of youth, and despite the non-stop trade rumours regarding Sidney Crosby, there is something special about seeing them, along with Kris Letang, win games. They came back to Earth with Saturday’s 6-1 loss at home to the Rangers, but I’m OK with seeing three of the best players in franchise history put up a few more points before their eventual depatures via trade or free agency.

22. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 1-1-0, -1
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Hunter: I can’t quite put my finger on the Red Wings. They haven’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in nine seasons (read in Mr. Rooney’s voice from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), and there wasn’t anything from the offseason to make you think it will be any different. Cam Talbot and John Gibson aren’t going to steal you wins at this stage of their careers, nor will the underwhelming defensive corps that’s currently employed. General manager Steve Yzerman said before the season he wasn’t prepared to trade high picks for what some may call “rental players.” If you’re not in a position now to try and get better players … when will you be?  

Scott: I will say, I don’t hate how they’ve played so far this season, at least when Travis Hamonic isn’t on the ice (seriously Stevie, you’ve already proven to us you can’t evaluate defensemen, you don’t have to dig the hole any deeper). But I need to see more before I’m sold.

23. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 1-2-0, -3
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Scott: The Kings may be the biggest disparity between the eye test and the numbers that I’ve ever seen. They look like a team that struggles to defend and move the puck but generates a ton of offense, and instead they’re 26th in 5v5 expected goals for and eighth in expected goals against. At the very least, that Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin pair has lived up (or lived down in this instance) to expectations with a brutal 20.68% 5v5 expected goal share. It’s a tragedy how that blueline was decimated.

24. Utah Mammoth

Record: 1-1-0, 0
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Scott: It’s hard to make a statement that you’re turning things around in two games, so I’m not all that concerned that the Mammoth are merely fine. The usual suspects offensively are doing well, and Karel Vejmelka has been solid in two games. Nothing to complain about, nothing to praise just yet. I will certainly not be pulling the brakes on the Mammoth hype train just yet.

25. Seattle Kraken

Record: 2-0-0, +3
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Hunter: What’s frustrating about the Kraken is that they have a lot of players that I really like: Shane Wright feels like he’s due for an All-Star-level breakout, Jared McCann feels like he’d be ”that guy” during a Stanley Cup run and, in this house, we respect Vince Dunn. But right now, there is no clear direction which way this franchise is going. Ron Francis’ tenure as general manager was forgettable at best, and not only was he retained and promoted to president of hockey operations, but they promoted Jason Botterill to GM, someone whose time as the lead executive with the Sabres was also forgettable at best. What a waste of beautiful, beautiful sweaters.

Scott: Okay, this is all very true, but it’s also really funny that you’re digging into the Kraken this much after they *checks notes* started their season 2-0-0 for the first time in franchise history.

Hunter: Hey now, I didn’t get the chance to rip them last week, so I’m spilling all the digital ink now. 

26. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 1-1-0, +2
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Scott: Thatcher Demko is back. Funny enough, I was more impressed with his performance in the loss to the Oilers than I was in his win over the Flames, as the chances he faced in the former game were significantly tougher, and it kept Vancouver in that game when they should have lost badly. But I can’t say there’s anything else about the Canucks that has got my attention so far. I especially need to see more from Elias Pettersson; he needs a big game soon to start showing us that he is also back.

27. Calgary Flames

Record: 1-2-0, -5
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Hunter: Credit to the Flames for coming back from a 3-0 deficit and beating the Oilers in the opener, because they completely let the Canucks manhandle them the following night. I wasn’t sure if Calgary would make the playoffs this year, but I had them in the fight until at least late March. Not having Jonathan Huberdeau to start the year puts a real dent in the production they need to be competitive, massive contract be damned. While they still need more depth to even be considered a contender, Dustin Wolf makes things much more interesting. 

28. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 0-1-1, -2
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Hunter: The Flyers won’t make the playoffs this season. OK, now that we’ve covered that, I’m surprised to see fan blogs and online discourse point criticism towards new head coach Rick Tocchet after two regular-season games. Before Saturday’s game, Tocchet said Matvei Michkov has some elements he needs to work on his game. People took that as if he said he wants to turn him into a fourth-line grinder. But did Tocchet do that to the stars in Vancouver? Does his reputation as a tough player make him a meat head? Folks, we’re one week into the regular season. Frankie says relax.

Scott: If there’s one thing I can compliment the Flyers on thus far, it’s that they’ve played decently well against two of the best teams in the East in Florida and Carolina. I’m still not expecting much from them this season, but that’s certainly something to hang their hats on.

29. San Jose Sharks

Record: 0-0-2, -2
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Hunter: It feels like the 2025-26 edition of the Sharks will prove one theory right: You can be both bad and entertaining at the same time. With nine goals in their first two games – both losses – there’s no lack of offense in San Jose. Hell, even Ryan Reaves is getting in on the action. If Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic can provide even close to league-average goaltending, maybe the Sharks won’t finish in the bottom three … they could finish in the bottom five!  

Scott: I thought the 2024-25 Sharks already proved that a team can be bad and entertaining?

Hunter: Science can always evolve, Scott! 

Scott: Oh now you’re a believer in science!

30. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 0-2-0, -6
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Scott: Haven’t the people of Buffalo suffered enough?! One goal in two games?! Their defense has been about as good as I expected it to be, even without Michael Kesselring, but the offense and penalty kill need to figure things out fast before it’s already too late for the Sabres. I will say though, I’m not as worried about Josh Norris’s absence as others are. As solid of a goal scorer as he is, his defense is so bad that it cancels it out, and he may be the one player in the league I recommend be deployed specifically as a power play specialist. The offense will be missed, but I think Buffalo’s forward depth is good enough this year that they can replace him more adequately than most people realize.

31. New York Islanders

Record: 0-2-0, -3
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Scott: While one of the biggest running gags of these power rankings has been that, well, this is the Islanders, who cares? But Matthew Schaefer may already be putting an end to that bit. He’s already got two points, including a goal, and he’s already earned the trust of Patrick Roy with a 26:04 ice time in the second game, so his transition to the NHL has been as smooth as it can get for an 18-year-old defenseman who only played 26 games last season. There isn’t a lot else to get excited about with this team, and they are very deserving of going winless, but Schaefer will certainly make their games more interesting.

32. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 0-2-1, -3
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Hunter: I’m keeping my expectations for the Blackhawks relatively low, even though the hockey fan in me wants to see them stay competitive beyond U.S. Thanksgiving. Connor Bedard looks like he’s found an extra gear, and Frank Nazar already looks like a veteran top-six forward. Everything’s coming up Milhouse! 

Scott: In my keeper fantasy league, I was super excited to finally have an open spot in my lineup for streamers because I used my last pick on Barkov. Of course, my first streamer was Nazar, and now I’m in the exact same pickle because he already feels too good to drop! His contract may have had some sticker shock, but he’s showing glimpses of his worth already.

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