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Welcome back to The Hockey News’ NHL power rankings. Every Wednesday, we’ll rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.
The pre-season rankings this week are based on last season’s order of finish with some consideration for the changes each team has undergone over the summer, and the blurbs will include at least one burning question or concern for every NHL team.
The 2024-25 NHL season kicks off Friday with the Devils and Sabres facing each other in Czechia.
1. Florida Panthers (Last season: 52-24-6, +68 goal differential)
By virtue of being the defending champion, Aleksander Barkov’s squad is ranked first by default. The Panthers were able to keep most their core intact, including the re-signing of Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell and Gustav Forsling, but their depth on defense looks awfully thin.
2. Edmonton Oilers (49-27-6, +57)
Connor McDavid put it succinctly in a teaser from Prime Video’s Faceoff: Inside the NHL during the Cup final: “That’s not good enough!” From here on out, it’s Cup or bust for McDavid, and the burning question is what secret ingredient the Oilers will need to claim their first title since 1990.
Related: Predicting The NHL’s Pacific Division Rankings In 2024-25
3. New York Rangers (55-23-4, +53)
Will Alexis Lafreniere become a superstar? Will Jacob Trouba guide the Rangers to their first Cup wearing the ‘C’ in what may be his final season with the team? The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners still have plenty to prove.
4. Dallas Stars (52-21-9, +64)
They’re deep and talented, but will the stars – literally – ever line up for them? The toughest part about being a good team in the Western Conference is that the path to the Cup inevitably goes through McDavid and the Oilers. The question will be if young stars Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque, Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley can push this team over the finish line.
5. Colorado Avalanche (50-25-7, +50)
The Avalanche will once again need Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar to do significant heavy lifting while they await the potential returns of Artturi Lehkonen, Mikko Rantanen and (hopefully) Gabriel Landeskog. Can they all play 23-plus minutes a night and still have enough in the tank for a long playoff run?
6. Vancouver Canucks (50-23-9, +56)
It all hinges on Thatcher Demko. The Canucks have a ton of offensive depth but need some stellar goaltending to be considered an elite contender, even with a blueline that features Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes.
7. Carolina Hurricanes (52-23-7, +63)
The Hurricanes lost key depth on the blueline with Brett Pesce (New Jersey) and Brady Skjei (Nashville), and Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay) didn’t re-sign either. There are some holes in their lineup, but given their GM has a doctorate in chemistry – he’d have a pretty good idea of what bonds they need to bring it all together.
8. Boston Bruins (47-20-15, +43)
When does Jeremy Swayman sign?!
Related: Opinion: So The Bruins And Jeremy Swayman Are Having A Spat Over His Contract. Big Whoop
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (46-26-10, +40)
Let’s see if Craig Berube can press the right buttons because it’s either that or more changes. Mitch Marner’s contract will be a big talking point for the entire season. There’s just no running away from it in Leafs land, and we shall see how Marner and the ‘Core Four’ respond as they continue to face immense pressure to deliver.
Related: The Maple Leafs’ ‘Four Ms’ Gave Craig Berube The Perfect Opportunity To Crack The Whip
10. Winnipeg Jets (52-24-6, +60)
How different will the Jets be under coach Scott Arniel? Wait… does this mean Nikolaj Ehlers will actually get to play more than 16 minutes per night?
11. Nashville Predators (47-30-5, +21)
The Predators have never had three players score more than 30 goals each in a single season. Right now, they have three players who scored at least 40 goals each last season. How will it all come together with so many mouths to feed?
12. Tampa Bay Lightning (45-29-8, +23)
They signed Jake Guentzel to form an uber scoring line, but they lost a chunk of their identity by letting Steven Stamkos walk and shipped out a key player in Mikhail Sergachev. This season may be coach Jon Cooper’s toughest challenge yet as the Lightning fight against the notion that their Cup window is getting much smaller.
13. Vegas Golden Knights (45-29-8, +22)
For the first time in a while, there seem to be more questions than answers. Can they replace original ‘Misfit’ Jonathan Marchessault and his 40 goals? Can Tomas Hertl bounce back, and will that Adin Hill-Ilya Samsonov tandem be reliable?
14. Los Angeles Kings (44-27-11, +41)
With Drew Doughty’s unfortunate injury, it’s time for the Kings’ young defensemen to step up. Chief among them will be Brandt Clarke, who has a lot of hype to live up to.
Related: How Will The Los Angeles Kings Replace Drew Doughty?
15. Washington Capitals (40-31-11, -37)
It’s a team sport, but Alex Ovechkin’s chase for the all-time goals record – he’s 41 away from tying ‘The Great One’ – is far more compelling than the Caps’ chase for a playoff spot. The burning question is when Ovechkin will do so.
16. New York Islanders (39-27-16, -17)
Coach Patrick Roy casually drops that Ilya Sorokin had back surgery over the summer during camp, which is not the news you want to hear with Sorokin’s big eight-year contract kicking in this season. He’s the No. 1 reason why the Isles even have a shot at winning.
17. New Jersey Devils (38-39-5, -19)
The Devils open the season with injuries to two key players in Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce. Along with the fear that Jack Hughes may get hurt (again) and new starter Jacob Markstrom’s own lengthy injury history, their inability to stay healthy is on everyone’s mind.
18. Detroit Red Wings (41-32-9, +4)
Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are both re-signed, so that’s a big sigh of relief. The Wings need to capitalize on last season’s momentum. I really don’t know if their goaltending will save them, as Alex Lyon did last season, or completely tank their season. It feels like there’s no in-between.
Related: Five Things The Detroit Red Wings Must Do To Avoid A Regression
19. St. Louis Blues (43-33-6, -11)
The key question is who the Blues will identify as part of their young core in addition to Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. I’m not quite sure what to think of this team – they’ll be competitive but not good enough to be a contender and not bad enough to fall into the lottery. Maybe that’s the better question: Where, exactly, is this team headed?
20. Minnesota Wild (39-34-9, -12)
The buyout penalties for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter drop from $14.7 million to about $1.7 million next season. Until then, the Wild need their young players, including Brock Faber, Marco Rossi, Marat Khusnutdinov and maybe even Jesper Wallstedt, to deliver outsized value.
21. Pittsburgh Penguins (38-32-12, +4)
Is Sidney Crosby’s supporting cast strong enough? That’s the question every season. He’s done his part signing a very team-friendly deal at $8.7 million per season. After trying to fit a round peg into a square hole last season with Erik Karlsson, it falls on Kyle Dubas again to try and figure out the right pieces for his puzzle.
22. Philadelphia Flyers (38-33-11, -26)
The question that will burn the brightest on social media will be the one John Tortorella refuses to answer. Jokes aside, the Flyers have a solid group of young players but lack an elite game-breaking talent. Is Matvei Michkov that guy this year?
2024-25 fantasy hockey season is right around the corner!
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23. Buffalo Sabres (39-37-6, +2)
They’re popular breakout candidates for what seems like the umpteenth time, but can they do it by going back to the well? Lindy Ruff takes over the bench (again) in a crucial season for its young core to show it can take the team to a higher level.
24. Utah Hockey Club (36-41-5, -18)
Utah has been piling up the wins over the summer, from the acquisitions of Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino, to the shockingly reasonable prices of food at the rink. They question now is if they can start winning games consistently in a tough conference.
25. Ottawa Senators (37-41-4, -26)
A new coach, plans for a new rink that’s not a Hobbit’s journey from downtown Ottawa before traffic, a shuffle on defense and a new Vezina-winning goalie – what’s not to like? This newfound optimism feels a little weird and fragile, to be honest, since it’s one season-ending shoulder injury away from going up in smoke again.
Related: Ottawa Senators One Step Closer To New Arena: ‘There’s A Spirit Of Co-operation’
26. Seattle Kraken (34-35-13, -19)
It’s a waiting game for the Kraken. Matty Beniers and Shane Wright should spearhead this team, but they’re clearly not ready yet.
27. Montreal Canadiens (30-36-16, -53)
You can see the pieces coming together, but Patrik Laine’s knee injury certainly puts a dent in their hopes of making a significant improvement.
28. Calgary Flames (38-39-5, -18)
What’s GM Craig Conroy’s master plan here? The continued exodus of veterans seems unavoidable, though we’ll probably find out for sure by the end of November.
29. Anaheim Ducks (27-50-5, -91)
Can their play match their awesome updated retro look? The Ducks have a lot of impressive young players, but that’s the rub – they’re still too young and inexperienced.
Related: ’90s Kids Rejoice: Grading the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings Rebrands
30. Chicago Blackhawks (23-53-6, -111)
What will Connor Bedard do for an encore? Connor McDavid scored 100 points in his sophomore season, so the bar’s pretty high, even with the Blackhawks bolstering their roster over the summer.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets (27-43-12, -63)
This will undoubtedly be a tough season for the Blue Jackets, which need to chart a new path under GM Don Waddell and new coach Dean Evason.
32. San Jose Sharks (19-54-9, -150)
The Sharks were one of the worst teams ever in the cap era. They’ll surely improve with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith in the lineup, but by how much?
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Related: Predicting the NHL’s Atlantic Division Rankings In 2024-25
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News Summary:
- NHL Power Rankings: Setting The Stage For 2024-25
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.