Photo: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
With the quarter mark of the 2024-25 NHL season here and the league taking Thursday off for the Thanksgiving Holiday across the United States, it usually serves as a point to assess where teams stand. NoVa Caps does their first power rankings of the regular season (⬆️Up, ⬇️Down, ➡️No Change represent spaces moved since offseason power rankings):
LOTTERY CONTENDERS
32. San Jose Sharks
San Jose has improved but is still the only team that has yet to hit five regulation wins and ranks worst with a .380 points percentage. Macklin Celebrini (7-4-11 in 13 games), William Eklund (4-16-20 in 24), and Jake Walman (2-13-15 in 20) have stood out. ➡️
31. Nashville Predators
After adding Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos, and Brady Skjei on July 1, Nashville has struggled out of the gate with a 7-12-4 record (.391) and an NHL-worst 2.35 goals-per-game. Marchessault (4-8-12 in 23), Stamkos (7-4-11), Filip Forsberg (9-8-17), and Gustav Nyquist (6-4-10) have all disappointed after turning in career years a season ago. ⬇️21
30. Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago has improved defensively (2.95 goals-against per game: 13th) but Connor Bedard (4-12-16 in 22), Tyler Bertuzzi (5-4-9), Teuvo Teravainen (6-5-11), and Taylor Hall (5-4-9) have all seen their production take hits. ⬇️5
29. Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh has the worst defense in the NHL (3.96 goals-against per game) and fifth-worst goaltending (.891 five-on-five save percentage). Sidney Crosby (8-15-23 in 24) and Evgeni Malkin (5-16-21) are still producing but Michael Bunting, Kevin Hayes, and Kris Letang are all slumping. The team recently proclaimed they would consider trade offers for any one except Crosby as they enter a rebuild and already sent Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals. ⬇️5
28. Montreal Canadiens
Montreal (8-11-3) has the worst five-on-five save percentage (.880) and the second-worst defense (3.73 goals-against per game). Nick Suzuki (8-12-20 in 22) and Cole Caufield (13-5-18) have both had strong first quarters of the season. ➡️
27. New York Islanders
The Islanders rank 30th in goals-per-game (2.48), 31st in power-play efficiency (.125), and 31st in penalty-killing efficiency (.702). Neither Ilya Sorokin nor Semyon Varlamov has a .910 save percentage but Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri each have 10 goals. ⬇️8
26. Utah Hockey Club
Only five of Utah’s nine wins have come in regulation but Dylan Guenther (10-10-20 in 22), Clayton Keller (6-14-20), Mikhail Sergachev (6-9-15), and Karel Vejmelka (3-6-0, .922 save percentage, 2.25 goals-against average) have shined in their new home. ➡️
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN BUT NOT GOD AWFUL
25. Ottawa Senators
Brady Tkachuk (11-14-25 in 22), Drake Batherson (9-14-23), and Tim Stutzle (9-19-28) have all been productive but Linus Ullmark (5-7-1, .886 save percentage, 3.09 goals-against average) has fallen down to earth in his first season in Canada’s capital. Ottawa ranks fourth with a .286 power play efficiency but 25th with a 3.23 goals-against per game average. ⬇️2
24. St. Louis Blues
St. Louis has won both of their games since replacing head coach Drew Bannister with Jim Montgomery and No. 1 center Robert Thomas recently returned to the lineup. Pavel Buchnevich (6-9-15 in 24) and Brayden Schenn (4-7-11) have disappointed but Dylan Holloway (6-6-12) and Philipp Broberg (2-7-9 in 12) have fit in St. Louis, who ranks 27th with a 2.50 goals-per-game average and 29th with a .148 power-play rate, very well. ⬆️6
23. Columbus Blue Jackets
Zach Werenski (7-15-22 in 21), Sean Monahan (7-13-20), Kirill Marchenko (8-12-20), and Kent Johnson (4-6-10 in seven) have all thrived for Columbus, who sit at .500 (9-9-3) despite neither one of their goaltenders having a save percentage above .890. After losing Johnny Gaudreau, who died after getting hit by a drunk driver on August 29, the Blue Jackets are surprisingly seventh in the NHL with an average of 3.43 goals-per-game. ⬆️8
22. Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim’s goaltending tandem of Lukas Dostal and John Gibson have gotten their act together as the two have combined for a .929 save percentage (sixth) to keep the team hovering around .500 (9-9-3) despite Trevor Zegras (4-6-10 in 21), Alex Killorn (4-6-10), Ryan Strome (4-5-9), Troy Terry (6-9-15), Mason McTavish (2-7-9 in 15), and Frank Vatrano (4-5-9 in 20) not delivering offensively. Anaheim ranks 25th with an average of 2.62 goals-per-game. ⬆️5
21. Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia sits at .500 (10-10-3) at Thanksgiving despite averaging 2.78 goals-per-game (20th) and 3.39 goals-against per game (27th). Travis Konecny is clicking at better than a point-per-game pace (11-16-27 in 23) while rookie Matvei Michkov (8-9-17 in 21) has lived up the hype. Joel Farabee (3-5-8), Owen Tippet (4-7-11), Tyson Foerster (4-2-6), Morgan Frost (3-6-9 in 19), and Jamie Drysdale (1-2-3 in 15) have all not been as productive as they were last season. ⬆️1
BUBBLE TEAMS
20. Detroit Red Wings
Lucas Raymond (6-16-22 in 22), Alex DeBrincat (9-10-19), Dylan Larkin (12-6-18), and Cam Talbot (6-4-2, .923 save percentage, 2.47 goals-against average in 13) have all come out strong but the same cannot be said for Vladimir Tarasenko (2-6-8 in 21), Patrick Kane (3-7-10 in 20), nor Erik Gustafsson (0-3-3 in 16). Detroit, who sits at .500 (10-10-2), ranks 31st with 28 five-on-five goals, 27th with an average of just 2.50 goals per game, and 32nd with a .689 penalty-killing rate. ⬇️5
19. Seattle Kraken
Chandler Stephenson (1-12-13 in 23), Matty Beniers (4-6-10), Oliver Bjorkstrand (5-6-11), Yanni Gourde (2-7-9), Shane Wright (2-3-5 in 20), and Andre Burakovsky (1-8-9) have all yet to get going despite Seattle, who ranks 30th with a .139 power-play conversion rate but ninth with an average of 2.78 goals-against per game, staying afloat at 11-11-1. Joey Daccord (10-5-1, .916 save percentage, 2.46 goals-against average) and Brandon Montour (7-8-15) have both enjoyed strong seasons. ⬆️1
18. Boston Bruins
Lots of Bruins, including Jeremy Swayman (6-8-2, .888 save percentage, 3.16 goals-against average in 16), David Pastrnak (8-14-22 in 24), Brad Marchand (8-9-17), Elias Lindholm (3-10-13), Pavel Zacha (5-5-10), and Charlie McAvoy (3-5-8), have suffered through slow starts. They are one game above .500 at 11-10-3 nine days after replacing Montgomery with interim head coach Joe Sacco. Boston ranks 31st with a 2.38 goals-per-game and last with a .124 power-play efficiency. ⬇️13
17. Buffalo Sabres
Despite starting 1-4-1, Buffalo is currently a game above .500 at 11-10-1 with Tage Thompson (11-7-18 in 17) and Alex Tuch (7-14-21 in 22) nearly averaging a point-per-game. Dylan Cozens (4-4-8) and Jack Quinn (1-4-5 in 21) have slumped. ⬆️1
16. Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton has overcome an 0-3-0 start and is one point out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference at 11-9-2 (.545). Leon Draisaitl’s 16 goals are one back of the league-lead but Zach Hyman (3-5-8 in 20), Jeff Skinner (4-3-7 in 22), and Viktor Arvidsson (2-3-5 in 16) have all not produced as they have advertised in the past. Edmonton, who ranks 24th with a .9025 five-on-five save percentage, needs an upgrade in goal. ⬇️13
15. Colorado Avalanche
Similar to Edmonton, Colorado climbed out of an 0-4-0 start but moved three above .500 at 13-10-0 after going 7-3-0 in their last 10. Neither of their goaltenders has a save percentage of at least .880 but Nathan MacKinnon’s 35 points are two back of the league lead while his 28 assists lead it. Mikko Rantanen (14-18-32 in 23) and Cale Makar (8-22-30) have led the way but the Avalanche need to improve on defense (3.65 goals-against per game: 30th, .724 penalty-killing rate: 29th). ⬇️7
14. Tampa Bay Lightning
Nikita Kucherov (12-21-33 in 21), Brandon Hagel (9-17-26), Anthony Cirelli (9-13-22), Jake Guentzel (9-12-21), Brayden Point (15-5-20), and Victor Hedman (4-15-19) have all had sensational starts while Andrei Vasilevskiy (10-7-1, .910 save percentage, and 2.40 goals-against average) has regained his form. Tampa Bay ranks fourth with a 3.81 goals-per-game average. ⬆️3
13. Los Angeles Kings
Despite neither Darcy Kuemper nor David Rittich eclipsing a .904 save percentage and Drew Doughty having not played this season, Los Angeles ranks ninth with a 2.78 goals-against per game average. Anze Kopitar (7-20-27 in 23), Alex Laferriere (9-8-17), Adrian Kempe (11-12-23), and Brandt Clarke (3-12-15) have led Los Angeles to a 12-8-3 start (.587 points percentage). ⬆️3
LOOKING GOOD
12. Florida Panthers
Sam Reinhart (17-15-32 in 23) has picked up where he left off last season and Aleksander Barkov (5-16-21 in 15), Sam Bennett (10-11-21 in 22), and Gustav Forsling (3-8-11) have enjoyed strong starts. However, Sergei Bobrovsky (.889 save percentage, 3.05 goals-against average in 16) has fallen off. Florida (13-9-1: .587) lost six of their previous seven before a big 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. ⬇️5
11. Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver (11-7-3, .595) won eight straight on the road before a 5-4 loss in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Kevin Lankinen (10-3-2, .909 save percentage, 2.56 goals-against average in 15) has seized the opportunity to be the Canucks’ starter while neither the offense (3.19 goals-per-game: 13th) nor defense (3.14 goals-against per game: 22nd) have been particularly great. Quinn Hughes has 18 assists and 23 points in 21 games. ⬇️7
10. New York Rangers
Vincent Trocheck (4-6-10 in 21), Chris Kreider (9-0-9 in 19), Mika Zibanejad (4-11-15), and Igor Shesterkin (8-7-1, .911 save percentage, 2.98 goals-against average) have all seen a steep decline in their production from last season. New York (12-8-1, .595), who ranks second with a .87 penalty-killing efficiency, lost four straight before Thanksgiving and Kreider and Jacob Trouba’s names are swirling in trade rumors. ⬇️8
9. Calgary Flames
Calgary’s 2.57 goals-per-game is good for just 26th with none of their forwards having scored more than 12 points in 23 games. However, two of their defensemen in Rasmus Andersson (5-8-13) and MacKenzie Weegar (3-10-13) lead the way. The Flames (12-7-4, .609) rank seventh in 2.70 goals-against per game. Dustin Wolf (8-3-1, .921 save percentage, 2.47 goals-against average in 12) is putting himself in the Calder Trophy discussion with a solid rookie campaign. ⬆️20
8. Dallas Stars
Several of Dallas’ top players (Roope Hintz: 8-5-13 in 20, Wyatt Johnston: 3-9-12 in 21, Jason Robertson: 5-8-13, Miro Heiskanen: 4-6-10, Thomas Harley: 2-8-10) have yet to get going but Tyler Seguin (8-10-18 in 17), Mason Marchment (7-13-20), and Matt Duchene (12-14-26) have stepped up. The Stars (13-8-0, .619) rank eighth in goals-per-game (3.38) and sixth in goals-against per game (2.67) but 24th on the power play (.167). ⬇️7
CONTENDERS
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
With Auston Matthews out of the lineup due to injury, Toronto (13-7-2: .636) has gone 7-1-0 in his absence to vault to the Atlantic Division lead. Anthony Stolarz (7-4-2, .921 save percentage, 2.33 goals-against average) has grabbed the starter’s net in Toronto while Mitch Marner (9-20-29), William Nylander (14-10-24), and John Tavares (9-11-20) have been getting it done. Toronto ranks third with a 2.59 goals-against per game. ⬇️1
6. New Jersey Devils
New Jersey (15-8-2, .640) has three double-digit goal-scorers (Nico Hischier: 13, Jesper Bratt: 10, Stefan Noesen: 10) and three 20-point scorers (Bratt: 28, Hischier: 24, Jack Hughes: 25). They rank top-five in goals-against per game (2.60), power play (.303), and penalty kill (.843) in addition to ninth with an average of 3.36 goals-per-game. The Devils are also finally getting solid goaltending with a .9115 five-on-five save percentage. ⬆️3
THE CREAM OF THE CROP
5. Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas has points in four straight (3-0-1) and lead the Pacific Division with a 14-6-3 record (.674 points percentage). Jack Eichel (8-26-34 in 23) leads the team in scoring. Ivan Barbashev (10-15-25), Mark Stone (6-15-21), Tomas Hertl (8-10-18), and Pavel Dorofeyev (12-3-15) have helped the Golden Knights average 3.74 goals-per-game (fifth) and score at a .304 rate on the power play (second). Alex Pietrangelo (2-13-15 in 20), Noah Hanifin (3-9-12), and Shea Theodore (1-16-17 in 22) have brought the offense from the backend. Though, neither goaltender between Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov has a save percentage of at least .905. ⬆️7
4. Minnesota Wild
Kirill Kaprizov ranks fifth league-wide with 14 goals and is two points behind the lead with 35. Filip Gustavsson’s .929 save percentage and 2.06 goals-against average in 17 both rank second. Minnesota (14-4-4, .727) allows the fewest goals-against (2.36 per game) despite tallying just a .745 penalty-killing rate (26th). The Wild also rank 18th with a .197 power-play efficiency. ⬆️17
3. Washington Capitals
Washington’s 4.09 goals-per-game leads the league while their 2.73 goals-against per game places eighth and .847 penalty-killing rate is good for fourth. Logan Thompson (9-1-1, .917 save percentage, 2.44 goals-against average) has been rock solid while Alex Ovechkin, who is out 3-5 more weeks with a fractured fibula, led the NHL with 15 goals in 18 games before getting hurt. Dylan Strome (7-24-31 in 22), Aliaksei Protas (8-12-20), Connor McMichael (13-7-20), and Tom Wilson (7-10-17) have all stepped up this season. The additions of Jakob Chychrun (6-6-12 in 17) and Matt Roy (1-4-5) on the blueline are also paying dividends for the Capitals. ⬆️10
2. Carolina Hurricanes
Martin Necas has broken out this season with 25 assists and a league-leading 37 points while Sebastian Aho (7-17-24 in 22), Seth Jarvis (6-9-15 in 15), and Jack Roslovic (12-2-14) have also enjoyed solid seasons. The Hurricanes’ 4.00 goals-per-game is the second-best while 2.59 goals-against per game ranks third. Their .278 power play efficiency ranks seventh, and .842 penalty-killing rate places sixth. Shayne Gostisbehere (5-12-17) and Dmitry Orlov (3-11-14) have thrived on the backend. Will Carolina be able to sustain their success with both Pytor Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen out? ⬆️12
1. Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is off to a league-best 18-5-0 start led by Connor Hellebuyck, who leads the NHL with a .928 save percentage, 2.11 goals-against average, and three shutouts in 18 games. The Jets rank first on the power play (.338), second in goals-against per game (2.43), and third in goals-per-game (3.91). Three Jets average more than a point-per-game (Kyle Connor: 13-15-28 in 23, Mark Schiefele: 12-14-26, and Nikolaj Ehlers: 9-15-24). ⬆️10
Previous 2024-25 Power Rankings
By Harrison Brown
