NHL power rankings: Final look before 2025-26 season concludes

Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes IMAGN 041326

NHL power rankings: Final look before 2025-26 season concludes originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner, with most teams having only two or three games remaining in the regular season. As the schedule winds down, some playoff races are already decided, while others are going right down to the wire.

The Detroit Red Wings made headlines Saturday night after a loss to the New Jersey Devils officially eliminated them from playoff contention, extending their post-season drought to ten straight seasons. The New York Islanders will also miss the playoffs despite a late-season push fueled by the breakout performance of young star Matthew Schaefer, which ultimately fell short.

In the Western Conference, two playoff spots are still up for grabs with the third seed in the Pacific Division and the final wild card position. The Anaheim Ducks currently hold the third spot, while the Los Angeles Kings sit in the second wild-card position. However, both teams are under pressure from chasing contenders, including the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks.

• Biggest Movers Vegas Golden Knights +10 (20 → 10), Ottawa Senators +9 (15 → 6)
• Biggest Fallers: New York Islanders -10 (10 → 20), Columbus Blue Jackets -7 (11 → 18)

1. Colorado Avalanche (52-16-11, Previous Ranking: 1)

Although it was a mixed week for Colorado with two wins and two losses, the Avalanche clinched the President’s Trophy as the league’s best team during the regular season. They will look to rest up over their final three games before the playoffs.

MORE: NHL power rankings: Sharks, Flyers, Senators rocket up standings

2. Carolina Hurricanes (52-22-6, PR: 2)

Carolina’s deliberate benching of their players ahead of the post-season hasn’t fazed them one bit as they’ve still managed to beat the Bruins and the red-hot Mammoth this past week.

3. Dallas Stars (48-20-12, PR: 4)

The Stars, after a recent skid, are finding their way back to the top. Dallas was perfect this week, winning all three games, including a massive victory over their first-round opponent, the Wild.

4. Montreal Canadiens (48-23-10, PR: 3)

The Habs saw their stock take a slight hit this week, only because of the perfect play of the Stars. Montreal was also solid this past week, beating tough competition in the Lightning, as well as a hungry Islanders team.

MORE: Canadiens' Cole Caufield Will Prove His 50-Goal Season Is No Fluke

5. Buffalo Sabres (49-23-8, PR: 5)

After dropping five of six games, the Sabres rebounded, winning all three games this past week, including impressive victories over the Lightning and Blue Jackets.

6. Ottawa Senators (43-27-10, PR: 15)

One of the highest risers on our list is the Senators, as they secured a playoff spot for the second straight season with a scorching hot streak, winning five of their last seven games, including very impressive wins over teams above them in this list like the Sabres and Hurricanes, as well as joining the growing list of teams to down the ice cold Lightning.

7. Minnesota Wild (45-23-12, PR: 8)

It was a mixed week for the Wild as they beat a hungry playoff hopeful in the Red Wings and also took down the slumping Kraken, but ended the week with a pair of bad losses to the Stars and Predators.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning (49-25-6, PR: 6)

In a demanding week filled with challenging divisional matchups, the Bolts managed just one win in four such games, all on the road, and squeezed into a tight schedule that likely left them with lingering fatigue. Still, Tampa bounced back to close out the week with an impressive victory over the Bruins.

9. Boston Bruins (44-27-10, PR: 7)

Three losses on the week isn’t great, but Boston pushed a pair of tough opponents in the Hurricanes and the red-hot Flyers to overtime in narrow defeats and were downed by a Lightning team that was overdue for a win in their direction. They ended the week with a promising win over the Blue Jackets.

MORE: James Hagens sees NHL debut for Bruins

10. Vegas Golden Knights (37-26-17, PR: 20)

A new coach bump is a proven momentum changer for a team, and that remains true as the Golden Knights, who moved on from longtime coach Bruce Cassidy for the fiery John Tortorella, have been red hot, winning five of their last six games.

11. Anaheim Ducks (42-32-5, PR: 9)

A tough 5–0 loss to the Predators and an overtime defeat against the last-place Canucks caused the Ducks to slip slightly, dropping them out of the top ten. However, their final two games against the Wild and Predators should serve as a strong measuring stick for Anaheim heading into the post-season.

MORE: NHL standings 2026: Updated Stanley Cup playoff bracket, clinching scenarios through April 12

12. Philadelphia Flyers (41-27-12, PR: 16)

With a narrow lead over the Capitals and Blue Jackets for the last Metropolitan Division spot, the Flyers have had no choice but to get hot with five wins over their last six games.

13. Utah Mammoth (42-31-6, PR: 14)

Losing to a bottom-tier team like the Flames was a tough way for the Mammoth to end their week, but Utah has been surging heading into the playoffs, with five wins in their last seven contests.

14. Nashville Predators (38-32-10, PR: 17)

Another playoff contender that’s stayed red hot to remain in the playoff picture has been the Predators, who have won four of their last six games, including impressive triumphs over the Wild, Ducks, and Sharks.

15. Washington Capitals (42-30-9, PR: 19)

There’s plenty of support backing Alex Ovechkin to reach the post-season in what could be his final NHL campaign, and the Capitals are doing their part to make it happen. They’ve picked up seven wins in their last nine games, including victories over strong opponents like the Sabres, Golden Knights, and Mammoth, moving to within one point of the Flyers for the final playoff position in the East.

MORE: Capitals Fans Gave Alex Ovechkin A Wonderful Send Off, Even If It's Not His Final NHL Season

16. Pittsburgh Penguins (41-24-16, PR: 12)

The momentum of the potential final clash between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin took over Pittsburgh’s final two games of the week as they lost both games of a home-and-home versus Washington.

17. Edmonton Oilers (40-30-10, PR: 13)

Connor McDavid and company return to the playoffs as they look to make their third straight Stanley Cup Final, but losses to the Golden Knights, Mammoth and Kings this past week make Edmonton look as human as they have in several years.

18. Columbus Blue Jackets (40-29-12, PR: 11)

After getting hot and making a run for a playoff spot, the Blue Jackets are still just two points out, and with eight losses over their last ten games, it’ll be hard to catch the momentum needed to make the playoffs.

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19. Los Angeles Kings (34-26-19, PR: 24)

With points in six straight games and victories in six of their last eight games, the Kings are in the driver’s seat for the last wild card spot in the West and will need to stay hot to stave off the Predators, Jets and Sharks.

20. New York Islanders (43-33-5, PR: 10)

The Matthew Schaefer effect helped get New York into an unexpected playoff spot during the season, but when it came to adding crucial wins, the Islanders proved to be unprepared to make their return to the playoffs just yet.

MORE: How Islanders' Peter DeBoer Can Elevate Matthew Schaefer's Game Even Higher

21. Winnipeg Jets (35-32-12, PR: 23)

Doing what they can to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, the Jets have continued to win games, beating the Blue Jackets, Kraken, and Blues this past week before coming back to reality and being blown out 7-1 by the Flyers.

22. New Jersey Devils (41-36-3, PR: 18)

Although their playoff hopes were extinguished some time ago, the Devils have continued to impress as a gritty, hard-working group. They’ve taken down quality opponents like the Senators and Canadiens, and delivered a surprising 5–3 win over the Red Wings on Saturday that officially knocked Detroit out of playoff contention.

23. Detroit Red Wings (41-30-9, PR: 22)

Following their lopsided loss to New Jersey on Saturday night, Detroit’s playoff drought has now stretched to a full decade. Unable to get over the hump in their Centennial season, they also became the first team in 56 years to miss the post-season after collecting 69 points through their first 53 games.

MORE: Post-Mortem: Another Late-Season Collapse By The Red Wings Raises Questions For Management

24. San Jose Sharks (37-34-8, PR: 27)

Despite dropping their last three games this week, the Sharks still have a fighting chance to make the post-season after winning five of their last nine games.

25. Calgary Flames (32-38-9, PR: 21)

Calgary went from bad to scrappy back to looking bad once again, pulling off an upset win over the Mammoth on Sunday, but still losing five of their last seven games.

26. St. Louis Blues (34-33-12, PR: 25)

Another gritty squad that looked poised to make a late push for a playoff spot was the Blues, but after dropping crucial games to the Avalanche and Jets, they were ultimately eliminated from contention.

27. Seattle Kraken (34-34-11, PR: 26)

Their shootout win over the Golden Knights on Thursday was a welcome surprise, but the Kraken were brought back to real life with tough losses to the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild, reinforcing that they’re not quite playoff-ready yet.

28. Florida Panthers (38-38-4, PR: 29)

Still maintaining the upper hand over the Maple Leafs, the Panthers delivered a dominant 6–2 win on Saturday. The victory offered a brief reprieve from their recent struggles, as they had dropped seven of their previous ten contests.

29. New York Rangers (33-38-9, PR: 30)

The New York Rangers showed they still possess plenty of offensive firepower with statement wins, including a 4–1 victory over the Red Wings and an 8–1 rout of the Capitals. However, losses to the Stars and Sabres highlighted that they’re not quite there yet in terms of true playoff contention.

MORE: Look, Ma, No Playoff Teams! What Went Wrong In New York And Who Will Fix It?

30. Toronto Maple Leafs (32-34-14, PR: 28)

Five straight losses have seen the Buds continue to slide in the standings as they now sit with the fifth-worst record in the NHL, a spot they want to remain in if they hope to keep their first-round pick this year.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (28-38-14, PR: 31)

Tyler Bertuzzi’s stellar year has been one of the few bright spots for a Blackhawks team that has lost 23 of its last 30 games.

32. Vancouver Canucks (23-48-8, PR: 32)

The struggle for Vancouver fans is nearly over, as the Canucks have secured the best odds in the draft lottery, positioning themselves to potentially select either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg. This comes after a difficult stretch in which Vancouver managed just eight wins over their last 42 games.

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