2025-26 season · through Week 26

NHL power rankings, week 27

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 +0.96 goals, the Hurricanes No. 2 (+0.81), the Lightning No. 3 (+0.71).

Biggest climb since last week: the Wild, up 3 to No. 10. Biggest drop: the Kings, down 4 to No. 12. The Canadiens have 100 points with +17.8 of luck in them, so they rank below what the standings say. The Golden Knights have lost −8.8 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	50–16–10	110	+0.96	+0.93	+0.04	+3.1
2	–	Hurricanes	49–22–6	104	+0.81	+0.75	+0.05	+2.4
3	–	Lightning	48–22–6	102	+0.71	+0.67	+0.04	+1.5
4	▲1	Golden Knights	35–26–16	86	+0.47	+0.43	+0.04	−8.8
5	▼1	Stars	45–20–12	102	+0.40	+0.37	+0.03	+6.6
6	–	Senators	40–27–10	90	+0.38	+0.38	0.00	−1.5
7	–	Mammoth	40–30–6	86	+0.26	+0.26	+0.01	−2.1
8	▲2	Penguins	40–22–16	96	+0.19	+0.21	−0.02	+5.8
9	–	Oilers	39–29–9	87	+0.16	+0.11	+0.04	+0.6
10	▲3	Wild	44–21–12	100	+0.14	+0.15	−0.01	+12.2
11	–	Sabres	46–23–8	100	+0.14	+0.16	−0.02	+11.8
12	▼4	Kings	31–26–19	81	+0.14	+0.12	+0.02	−3.3
13	▲1	Devils	40–34–3	83	+0.10	+0.08	+0.02	+1.2
14	▲3	Flyers	39–26–12	90	+0.10	+0.10	−0.01	+6.5
15	▼3	Capitals	39–30–9	87	+0.08	+0.06	+0.02	+1.4
16	▼1	Blue Jackets	38–27–12	88	+0.05	+0.08	−0.03	+3.2
17	▲1	Jets	33–31–12	78	+0.03	−0.01	+0.04	−4.3
18	▲1	Canadiens	45–22–10	100	+0.03	+0.06	−0.03	+17.8
19	▲1	Panthers	37–37–3	77	+0.01	−0.04	+0.05	−2.4
20	▼4	Red Wings	40–29–8	88	+0.01	+0.01	0.00	+7.2
21	▲1	Blues	33–31–12	78	−0.17	−0.18	+0.01	+2.1
22	▼1	Ducks	41–31–5	87	−0.21	−0.15	−0.06	+11.0
23	▲1	Bruins	43–26–9	95	−0.25	−0.24	−0.01	+17.5
24	▲1	Rangers	33–36–9	75	−0.28	−0.27	−0.01	−1.2
25	▲2	Predators	36–31–9	81	−0.35	−0.35	0.00	+9.1
26	▼3	Islanders	42–31–5	89	−0.36	−0.36	−0.01	+15.2
27	▼1	Maple Leafs	32–31–14	78	−0.41	−0.42	+0.02	+8.0
28	–	Kraken	32–32–11	75	−0.46	−0.43	−0.03	+5.5
29	▲1	Sharks	36–32–7	79	−0.50	−0.41	−0.09	+11.6
30	▼1	Flames	32–36–8	72	−0.51	−0.48	−0.03	+3.2
31	–	Blackhawks	28–35–14	70	−0.82	−0.74	−0.08	+5.4
32	–	Canucks	22–46–8	52	−0.84	−0.83	−0.01	−5.8

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 27 of 2025-26?

The Colorado Avalanche, rated +0.96 goals a game better than an average team on neutral ice, from a 50–16–10 record. Next: the Hurricanes (+0.81) and the Lightning (+0.71).

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 Canadiens: 100 points, +17.8 of them luck, ranked 18.

Other seasons: 2026-27 week 1

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