2025-26 season · through Week 23

NHL power rankings, week 24

All 32 teams, ranked by how good each is once the luck is adjusted for: the goals a game it would beat an average team by on neutral ice. The Avalanche are No. 1 at +1.03 goals, the Hurricanes No. 2 (+0.79), the Lightning No. 3 (+0.64).

Biggest climb since last week: the Blue Jackets, up 3 to No. 15. Biggest drop: the Panthers, down 5 to No. 14. The Islanders have 81 points with +16.2 of luck in them, so they rank below what the standings say. The Golden Knights have lost −6.2 points to luck and rank above their standing. The same ratings make our predictions.

#	Move	Team	Record	Pts	Rating	This season	Last season	Luck
1	–	Avalanche	44–12–9	97	+1.03	+0.98	+0.04	+3.3
2	–	Hurricanes	42–18–6	90	+0.79	+0.72	+0.06	+2.4
3	–	Lightning	40–21–4	84	+0.64	+0.59	+0.05	+0.5
4	–	Stars	42–14–10	94	+0.51	+0.48	+0.03	+8.4
5	–	Golden Knights	31–22–14	76	+0.45	+0.40	+0.05	−6.2
6	–	Senators	34–23–9	77	+0.36	+0.36	0.00	−2.0
7	–	Mammoth	34–27–6	74	+0.26	+0.26	+0.01	−3.5
8	–	Penguins	33–18–15	81	+0.18	+0.21	−0.03	+3.9
9	▲2	Wild	38–18–12	88	+0.14	+0.15	−0.01	+10.2
10	–	Kings	27–24–15	69	+0.14	+0.11	+0.03	−3.6
11	▲2	Oilers	33–26–9	75	+0.14	+0.09	+0.05	−0.3
12	▲2	Sabres	41–20–6	88	+0.12	+0.14	−0.02	+11.8
13	▼1	Capitals	33–27–8	74	+0.11	+0.09	+0.02	−1.8
14	▼5	Panthers	33–30–3	69	+0.10	+0.05	+0.06	−0.9
15	▲3	Blue Jackets	34–21–11	79	+0.07	+0.10	−0.03	+5.9
16	▼1	Red Wings	36–23–8	80	+0.06	+0.06	0.00	+9.1
17	–	Devils	33–31–2	68	+0.03	0.00	+0.02	0.0
18	▼2	Jets	28–28–10	66	−0.04	−0.08	+0.04	−4.5
19	▲1	Canadiens	36–20–10	82	−0.05	−0.02	−0.04	+13.4
20	▼1	Flyers	31–23–12	74	−0.09	−0.09	−0.01	+6.1
21	–	Ducks	37–27–3	77	−0.18	−0.12	−0.06	+11.2
22	▲1	Blues	27–30–10	64	−0.28	−0.29	+0.01	+0.7
23	▲3	Rangers	28–30–8	64	−0.29	−0.28	−0.01	+0.4
24	▲1	Bruins	37–23–6	80	−0.29	−0.28	−0.01	+15.3
25	▲2	Islanders	38–24–5	81	−0.33	−0.32	−0.01	+16.2
26	▼4	Maple Leafs	29–27–12	70	−0.33	−0.35	+0.02	+5.7
27	▼3	Predators	29–28–9	67	−0.34	−0.35	+0.01	+5.2
28	–	Kraken	31–26–9	71	−0.38	−0.35	−0.03	+7.1
29	–	Flames	26–33–7	59	−0.50	−0.46	−0.04	−1.1
30	–	Sharks	32–27–6	70	−0.50	−0.40	−0.10	+12.3
31	–	Blackhawks	25–30–11	61	−0.73	−0.64	−0.10	+4.2
32	–	Canucks	20–38–8	48	−0.77	−0.75	−0.01	−4.2

Rating: goals a game better than an average team on neutral ice. This season and last season add up to it: this season’s goal and expected-goal margins, rated against the opponents played, and the start from last season’s final rating. Luck: points above what the team’s play was worth, every game replayed 4,000 times. Goalie starts and injuries are left out.

Questions

Who is No. 1 in the NHL power rankings for week 24 of 2025-26?

The Colorado Avalanche, rated +1.03 goals a game better than an average team on neutral ice, from a 44–12–9 record. Next: the Hurricanes (+0.79) and the Lightning (+0.64).

How are these power rankings made?

From this season’s goal margins (capped at four goals) and expected-goal margins, each rated against the opponents played, and last season’s rating, which fades as games are played. Expected goals carry most of the weight because they say more about the games ahead than goals do. The rating is the goals a game a team would beat an average team by on neutral ice; the same ratings make our predictions.

Why is a team with more points ranked lower?

Because points carry luck: shooting and save percentages that won’t last, and overtimes and shootouts that are close to coin flips. A team is rated on how it played, like the Islanders: 81 points, +16.2 of them luck, ranked 25.

Other seasons: 2026-27 week 1

Predictions · Luck rankings 2025-26 · Standings adjusted for luck · How the replays work