The NHL’s compressed calendar at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the draft, and free agency means that most of July and August is… a little slower. But it’s also the perfect time to refresh our Power Rankings of the 32 teams heading into the 2025-26 season.
In addition to the last survey from 1 to 32, this edition includes the main story of each team during the summer break.How we rank: A panel of hockey commentators, analysts, reporters, and editors from Alofoke Deportes sends out a survey from 1 to 32 based on the strength of each team in the 2025-26 season, which generates our master list.Note: The above ranking for each team refers to the final 2024-25 edition.
1. Florida Panthers
Pre-playoff ranking: 11 Stanley Cup Odds: +600 The Panthers had another epic celebration with the Stanley Cup, then proceeded to re-sign their three big pending free agents: Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand. Is a three-peat possible?2. Edmonton OilersPre-playoff ranking: 10 Stanley Cup Odds: +850 A second consecutive loss in the Stanley Cup Final resulted in a great deal of self-reflection, all while the sword of Damocles hangs over the franchise in the potential free agency of Connor McDavid in 2026. A topic that remains unmarked? Finding a better solution in goal.3. Dallas StarsPre-playoffs ranking: 3 Stanley Cup Odds: +1000 Another trip to the Western Conference Finals wasn’t enough for Peter DeBoer to save his job, who was replaced by former Stars coach Glen Gulutzan in July. How will the first full season of the Mikko Rantanen Era be?4. Carolina HurricanesPre-playoff ranking: 7 Stanley Cup Odds: +800 Given all the re-signings this offseason, there weren’t a lot of high-impact free agents available. However, one of the best signed with the Hurricanes. How will Nikolaj Ehlers be deployed in Rod Brind’Amour’s system? And can he be the difference-maker in the upcoming postseason?5. Vegas Golden KnightsPre-playoffs ranking: 4 Stanley Cup Odds: +850 The same old Knights. The biggest fish in the free agency pond this offseason was Mitch Marner and, indeed, the Vegas front office found a way to sign him. This presents a salary cap situation for the club, although that’s nothing new either. Marner visits Toronto on January 23rd, for those marking the calendar.6. Winnipeg Jets
Pre-playoff ranking: 1 Stanley Cup Odds: +2500 The current Presidents’ Trophy winners as regular season champions lost a key player in Nikolaj Ehlers this offseason, but gained perhaps the biggest X-factor in the sport in Jonathan Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup winner who hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season due to health issues.7. Colorado Avalanche
Pre-playoff ranking: 5 Stanley Cup Odds: +750 A first-round playoff loss is a bit misleading, as it was against the Dallas Stars. The Avs believe they’ve solved their second-line center dilemma with a contract for the 2024-25 trade acquisition, Brock Nelson, but do they have enough depth to make another run for the Cup?8. Toronto Maple LeafsPre-playoffs ranking: 6 Stanley Cup Odds: +2000 The seemingly quixotic quest of Toronto to win another Stanley Cup continues. It has been an up-and-down offseason so far. The Leafs lost Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade deal with Vegas, but signed one of the best deals of the summer with the new pact for Matthew Knies. As always, there is a lot of drama in the “center of the hockey universe”.9. Washington Capitals
Pre-playoff ranking: 2 Stanley Cup Odds: +3000Alex Ovechkin begins the 2025-26 season as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, and three away from 900. But the Caps won’t just be feeding him pucks all season. This team will be hoping to go beyond the second round, perhaps giving Ovi another Cup for his Hall of Fame resume.
10. Tampa Bay LightningPre-playoff ranking: 9 Stanley Cup Odds: +1400 The Lightning continue to expertly massage their roster within the confines of the salary cap. That continued this offseason, as they extended Yanni Gourde and Gage Goncalves to get depth in scoring. Another long playoff run is possible, although they’ll likely have to defeat their southern Florida rivals at some point on that path.11. Los Angeles Kings
Pre-playoffs ranking: 8 Stanley Cup Odds: +2000 After signing a large amount of veteran depth to the roster in free agency, the Kings created the best NHL schedule release video. It’s already been an exciting summer!12. Minnesota Wild
Pre-playoffs ranking: 13 Stanley Cup Odds: +4000 At one point, it was thought that the Wild would sign Minnesota natives Brock Nelson or Brock Boeser (or both). Instead, each re-signed with their 2024-25 team. Bringing in Vladimir Tarasenko could be one of the most skillful moves of the offseason, if the veteran forward can find his old scoring touch that mostly eluded him last season.13. New Jersey DevilsPre-playoffs ranking: 15 Stanley Cup Odds: +1600 Apart from some depth adjustments, the Devils didn’t do much so far this offseason, although re-signing Jake Allen may prove to be one of the wisest roster moves. How will Luke Hughes’ next contract affect the rest of their decisions?14. St. Louis Blues
Pre-playoff ranking: 12 Stanley Cup Odds: +5000 After a playoff appearance last season, it’s been a relatively quiet offseason so far for St. Louis. And, as of now, the club doesn’t have the cap space to sign anyone with a bold offer.15. Ottawa Senators
Pre-playoff ranking: 14 Stanley Cup Odds: +3500 The Senators’ general manager, Steve Staios, has indicated that he likes what he has on the roster and expects growth from within. That was evident this offseason, as the club’s most notable move was re-signing veteran forward Claude Giroux to a one-year contract.16. Montreal CanadiensPre-playoff ranking: 17 Stanley Cup Odds: +6000 Fresh off a somewhat surprising appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Canadiens made one of the boldest moves of the offseason by trading two first-round picks for 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson, then signing him to an eight-year contract. Are the playoffs now an every-year thing for the Habs?17. New York Rangers
Pre-playoff ranking: 20 Stanley Cup Odds: +3000 The Rangers changed coaches, from Cup winner Peter Laviolette to Cup winner Mike Sullivan, and found a trade destination for K’Andre Miller after the decision was made not to re-sign the restricted free agent. In between, they got one of the best available free agents, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. Is it enough to get back into the postseason mix?18. Calgary Flames
Pre-playoffs ranking: 16 Stanley Cup Odds: +15000 Another general manager who apparently believes that growth will come from within, general manager Craig Conroy told reporters that the players his front office had targeted in free agency signed elsewhere, and he didn’t feel the great need to spend more than $15 million in salary cap space just to spend it. He might be onto something, as the team’s youth movement isn’t just Calder Trophy finalist Dustin Wolf, though having a great young goalie certainly doesn’t hurt.19. Utah Mammoth
Pre-playoffs ranking: 19 Stanley Cup Odds: +4000There was no playoff hockey in Utah last spring, but General Manager Bill Armstrong pulled a lot of different levers this offseason to put his team in the best position to bring it there in 2026. The team traded for a potential superstar in JJ Peterka, signed proven veteran depth in Nate Schmidt and Brandon Tanev, and selected Caleb Desnoyers with the number 4 pick, a 200-foot center who will play a key role for the team sooner rather than later.
20. Detroit Red Wings
Pre-playoff ranking: 21 Stanley Cup Odds: +10000 Little Caesars Arena has yet to host a playoff game. Will this be the season the drought ends? Detroit was knocking on the door last season, and General Manager Steve Yzerman addressed perhaps the organization’s biggest need by trading for veteran goaltender John Gibson this summer.21. Vancouver Canucks
Pre-playoff ranking: 18 Stanley Cup Odds: +6000 Based on how the Canucks finished the 2024-25 season, continuity didn’t seem like the best option this summer. But aside from making a coaching change (from Rick Tocchet to Adam Foote) and trading for Evander Kane, it’s mostly the same status. That said, re-signing Brock Boeser was probably an easier option than trying to replace a player who scored a combined 65 goals in the last two seasons.22. Columbus Blue Jackets
Pre-playoff ranking: 22 Stanley Cup Odds: +10000To the surprise of many, the Blue Jackets remained in the playoff race until the last week of the season, thanks in large part to a Norris Trophy finalist campaign by Zach Werenski. The club made some depth additions this offseason: Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood will be particularly useful if they make the 2026 playoffs. But are there some additional moves up general manager Don Waddell’s sleeve before October?
23. New York IslandersPre-playoff ranking: 23 Stanley Cup Odds: +10000 The new general manager, Mathieu Darche, wasn’t shy in his first few weeks on the job. Following the Noah Dobson trade, he and his associates selected an A+ class, according to Rachel Doerrie of Alofoke Deportes, and added an X-factor forward in Jonathan Drouin. This is a team on the rise.24. Anaheim DucksPre-playoff ranking: 24 Stanley Cup Odds: +10000 At some point, the Ducks’ rebuild will be over, and that day could be coming sooner than many suspect. General Manager Pat Verbeek was quite busy this summer, adding Chris Kreider in a trade and sending Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia in another trade. The Ducks also added Mikael Granlund in free agency; he will be fundamental to their playoff chances. And if all that weren’t enough, they got a top-five talent in the draft class with the number 10 pick of Roger McQueen, and then sent him to Disneyland to celebrate.25. Boston Bruins
Pre-playoff ranking: 29 Stanley Cup Odds: +10000 Boston’s offseason business has primarily involved adding depth around the edges, and selecting the franchise’s future center James Hagens, who will play another season at Boston College. Is a big trade in the cards?26. Buffalo SabresPre-playoff ranking: 25 Stanley Cup Odds: +20000 At some point, the longest playoff drought in the four major North American professional sports leagues will end. Will it be this season? The Sabres don’t look better on paper than they were at the end of 2024-25, and they might even be worse, given that JJ Peterka was traded to Utah.27. Philadelphia FlyersPre-playoff ranking: 28 Stanley Cup Odds: +7500 The Flyers began the offseason by hiring franchise legend Rick Tocchet to take over behind the bench. Then, they drafted a class of nine players who all play like him (or are built like he was in his playing days). In between, they traded for Trevor Zegras, who could end up being the biggest steal of the offseason.28. Seattle KrakenPre-playoff ranking: 27 Stanley Cup Odds: +30000 The Kraken have been patiently building a balanced roster with long-term success in mind. Can they finally turn a corner in 2025-26 after an offseason where the big additions were Mason Marchment and Ryan Lindgren?29. Nashville PredatorsPre-playoff ranking: 30 Stanley Cup Odds: +10000 The Predators were the undisputed winners of free agency in 2024, and then missed the playoffs by a mile in 2024-25. Conversely, the 2025 offseason included some discreet moves that should help them get back on track, including a trade for Nicolas Hague and the signings of Erik Haula and Nick Perbix.30. Pittsburgh Penguins
Pre-playoff ranking: 26 Stanley Cup Odds: +20000 It’s unclear how long the Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang trio will remain on the ice, and rumors have increased that one, two, or all three could end their NHL careers elsewhere. General Manager Kyle Dubas has been busy stocking the prospect cupboards, a process that will continue until opening night, with Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust frequently mentioned in trade rumors.31. San Jose Sharks
Pre-playoff ranking: 32 Stanley Cup Odds: +50000 The Sharks are probably still a year away from a serious run at a playoff spot, but general manager Mike Grier added a lot of talent to his roster this summer. Number 2 pick Michael Misa has the talent to hit the ice this season. The Sharks also signed veterans Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg to add some experience to a defense that lacked in that regard.32. Chicago Blackhawks
Pre-playoff ranking: 31 Stanley Cup Odds: +50000 Perhaps the most important move Chicago still needs to make this summer is a contract extension for franchise center Connor Bedard, who will be a restricted free agent next summer. Aside from that, general manager Kyle Davidson seemed mostly content to let his young roster develop, without making any major additions.
