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NHL Power Rankings Ahead of the 2025 Thanksgiving Break
It's a holiday week in 25 of the NHL's 32 cities.
But some teams have more to be thankful for these days than others.
Consider the Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning primary among them as it relates to B/R's Power Rankings, in which the Wild and the Lightning were the biggest movers—leaping 12 and nine spots, respectively, after this week's voting.
Minnesota leapt into the top 10 at No. 9 after a leap from No. 21, while Tampa Bay occupies the final spot in the top five after a nine-position leap from No. 14.
There's a flip side, too, of course, and it's the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets that are relegated to the kids' table after precipitous drops of 14 and 13.
The Blackhawks tumbled to No. 21 from No. 7, and the Jets are down to No. 19 after occupying No. 6 last week.
B/R's hockey staff awarded 32 points for a first-place vote all the way down to a single point for a No. 32 selection based on statistics and results in games through Monday, Nov. 24.
Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought of your own in the app comments.
32. Nashville Predators
1 of 32
Previous Ranking: 31
Overall Record: 6-12-4
The Predators are on the brink of another lost season after a five-goal home loss to Florida on Monday, during which they allowed four goals in the opening 20 minutes, two days after being shut out by Colorado.
"It's just a horrible game," captain Roman Josi said. "Right from the first period, we just played poorly. ... I wish I knew why, but it's not acceptable. We can't play like that and think we can win."
31. Calgary Flames
2 of 32
Previous Ranking: 32
Overall Record: 6-13-3
It's been a while, but good things may finally be starting to happen for the Flames, who went back-to-back to defeat Dallas and Vancouver to push a win streak to three games for the first time this season.
"You can go down the line, but guys dug in, and we took over the (Vancouver) game," forward Blake Coleman said, "and I think we're really starting to find our rhythm."
30. Vancouver Canucks
3 of 32
Previous Ranking: 28
Overall Record: 9-12-2
Quinn Hughes has continued his routine superstar-level play, but it's not translating to the group for the Canucks, who've dropped three straight and have won just once in their last seven (1-4-2).
Hughes scored in Sunday's loss to visiting Calgary and has a goal and 11 points in his last five games. His 21 points through Sunday's games were tied for third among defensemen.
29. St. Louis Blues
4 of 32
Previous Ranking: 30
Overall Record: 7-10-6
The underperforming Blues returned to a frustrating 2025-26 season with a 3-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, following OT losses at Toronto and Philadelphia and a win against the Islanders.
"I didn't think we played with the requisite of intensity and connectedness and puck support that we've been playing with the three previous games," coach Jim Montgomery said.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs
5 of 32
Previous Ranking: 27
Overall Record: 9-10-3
A three-day stretch to work on execution might be coming at exactly the right time for the foundering Maple Leafs, whose loss at Montreal dropped them to 1-5-2 in their last eight and into 15th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference.
"We've been playing some good hockey lately, getting some points out of games," defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said, "but we're still shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit."
27. Buffalo Sabres
6 of 32
Previous Ranking: 29
Overall Record: 9-9-4
The Sabres have won four of five games and gotten a sudden uptick in performance from goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who's picked up two straight wins after appearing just once in the team's previous six games.
"When your name gets called, you have to be ready for it," he said. "I think the team has been playing well in front of me, so it feels good to kind of help the team win, too."
26. New York Rangers
7 of 32
Previous Ranking: 25
Overall Record: 11-11-2
No, it wasn't a mirage. The Rangers not only won a game but won a home game on Monday night against St. Louis, ending a four-game skid and earning just their second win in 10 games at Madison Square Garden this season.
New York had lost at home to Detroit before going 0-for-3 on a trip to Vegas, Colorado, and Utah. The win at MSG joined a 6-3 decision over Nashville on Nov. 10, while the other eight home games, in which they're 0-7-1, have yielded just seven goals.
25. Edmonton Oilers
8 of 32
Previous Ranking: 26
Overall Record: 10-10-5
It might be time to start sounding the alarm in Western Alberta.
The Oilers returned home and were shellacked by the Stars on Tuesday night and fell to NHL .500.
Stuart Skinner was pulled after a terrible first period, surrendering four goals on eight shots.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets
9 of 32
Previous Ranking: 22
Overall Record: 11-9-3
A four-goal loss in Washington dropped the Blue Jackets to 1-2-1 in their last four games and didn't please coach Dean Evason, who didn't hold back in the aftermath of previous losses at Detroit (4-3 in OT) and Winnipeg (5-2).
"We played poorly," Evason said. "We tried in spurts, and certainly early in the game, but our overall game, we cannot be happy with."
23. San Jose Sharks
10 of 32
Previous Ranking: 23
Overall Record: 11-9-3
The core of young offensive talent has been built over the last several seasons, and the Sharks are adding another level of success thanks to the goaltending of Yaroslav Askarov, who stopped 34 shots in a defeat of Boston to complete a 3-1-0 homestand.
"It's way more fun. We started winning more games," said Askarov, who's 12-11-3 with San Jose in a trade shortly before the 2024-25 season. "You're going to bed, you're smiling. You wake up, you're still smiling. It's a great feeling."
22. Boston Bruins
11 of 32
Previous Ranking: 16
Overall Record: 13-11-0
There's one game to go on a four-game trip for the Bruins, who 1-2-0 on the West Coast against Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose, and will wrap things up in New York against the Islanders on Wednesday.
Boston allowed just eight regulation goals in the three games out west, including starts against the Kings and Sharks by Jeremy Swayman, who stopped 59 of 62 shots to raise his season-long save percentage to .909.
21. Chicago Blackhawks
12 of 32
Previous Ranking: 7
Overall Record: 10-8-4
A six-goal loss to Buffalo was followed by a one-goal loss to league-leading Colorado, stretching Chicago's losing streak to three games but giving coach Jeff Blashill some cause for optimism going forward.
"I think if we repeat that performance, we're winning lots of games," Blashill said after the Avalanche game. "The other team is going to push back, that's just the reality of life."
20. Washington Capitals
13 of 32
Previous Ranking: 24
Overall Record: 12-9-2
Four wins in five games have given the Capitals some breathing room from "NHL .500," with the latest success coming in a 5-1 defeat of visiting Columbus on Monday.
Washington has won four of its last five, and goalie Logan Thompson bounced back from a rare subpar outing against the Blue Jackets with 22 saves. Two days earlier, he'd allowed four goals on six shots against Tampa Bay, and his goals-against average had tumbled to 2.16, which was still fourth in the league through Monday.
19. Winnipeg Jets
14 of 32
Previous Ranking: 6
Overall Record: 12-9-2
The Jets have been coming out strong, but faltering after the first 20 minutes throughout a recent streak in which they've lost six of nine games.
"We've just got to find ways to sustain that energy that we had," forward Jonathan Toews said. "You've got to stay with it in those situations. It's easy to get frustrated, and I think sometimes you've just got to use that energy and that emotion to channel it the right way."
18. Florida Panthers
15 of 32
Previous Ranking: 20
Overall Record: 12-9-1
This just in: The Panthers, even when missing key players due to injury, are pretty good. Florida showed that again in an 8-3 win at Nashville, in which 12 players recorded at least a point.
"I think we're finding a different way to do it," coach Paul Maurice said. "We've had to. ... I think that these guys, they're all-in. They work at it every day."
17. Detroit Red Wings
16 of 32
Previous Ranking: 10
Overall Record: 13-9-1
The play of winger Alex DeBrincat has been among the reasons for Detroit's strong start to the season, and he kept it going in a loss at New Jersey on Monday, scoring his 11th goal of the season.
The 27-year-old Michigan native has scored in two straight games and five of his last seven, a run in which he's compiled seven goals and three assists. His 25 points have him on an early pace for a career-high 89.
16. Montreal Canadiens
17 of 32
Previous Ranking: 15
Overall Record: 11-7-3
There's nothing like a visit from the Maple Leafs to rev the engines in Montreal, particularly when the Canadiens had won just once in their previous eight before a Hockey Night in Canada victory at the Bell Centre.
The winners scored the game's first four goals before adding a late empty-netter that yielded an assist for 21-year-old forward Florian Xhekaj in his NHL debut.
15. Ottawa Senators
18 of 32
Previous Ranking: 18
Overall Record: 11-7-4
The realities of a prolonged road trip caught up with the Senators on a Monday night in Los Angeles, where they had an advantage in shots on goal but lost 2-1 thanks to a late power-play goal.
Ottawa had won the first two games in Anaheim and San Jose and will continue in Vegas, St. Louis, Dallas, and Montreal before returning home on Dec. 4.
14. Philadelphia Flyers
19 of 32
Previous Ranking: 17
Overall Record: 11-7-3
There are better ways to start a four-game road trip than with a shutout loss, but that's what the Flyers were handed when their 20 shots were denied in a 3-0 defeat at Tampa Bay.
Philadelphia had scored nine goals in its previous two games, both wins, and will continue the trip with a visit to Florida before returning to the northeast for road dates against the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils.
13. Utah Mammoth
20 of 32
Previous Ranking: 19
Overall Record: 12-8-3
There has not been a lot of runway to work with compared to other franchises, but that won't stop Logan Cooley from savoring the fact that he became the first Mammoth player to score four times in a game in a 5-1 rout of visiting Vegas on Monday.
Cooley added an assist to go with his four-bagger for the Mammoth, who've earned points in six of their last seven games (3-1-3). He's the fourth player in league history to record multiple natural hat tricks in a season while 21 or younger, joining Wayne Gretzky, Patrik Laine, and Filip Forsberg.
12. Pittsburgh Penguins
21 of 32
Previous Ranking: 8
Overall Record: 10-6-5
Times have gotten tough lately for the Penguins, to the tune of just one win in six games (1-2-3), but the milestones keep coming for Sidney Crosby.
The 38-year-old became the sixth player in league history with 500 multipoint games after a goal and an assist in an OT loss to Seattle. He joined Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne, Mark Messier, and Gordie Howe, and is the third-fastest to get there behind Gretzky and Dionne.
11. Los Angeles Kings
22 of 32
Previous Ranking: 13
Overall Record: 11-6-6
The Kings began addressing a few negatives with a 2-1 defeat of visiting Ottawa on Monday, scoring a game-winning power-play goal and finding success at Crypto.com Arena.
Los Angeles has scored just twice on its last 22 power-play opportunities, and its 15.1 percent success rate is 28th-best in the league through Monday's games. Also, the win was just its second at home in regulation this season (2-4-3) compared to a 9-2-3 record on the road.
10. Seattle Kraken
23 of 32
Previous Ranking: 12
Overall Record: 11-5-6
It's back home to Seattle after a four-game eastern swing that yielded a 2-1-1 record, during which the Kraken earned points in the final three games while allowing just four regulation goals.
Joey Daccord dueled with New York's David Rittich in a double regulation shutout on Sunday. He's allowed two or fewer goals in seven of 14 starts while going 6-0-1 in those games.
9. Minnesota Wild
24 of 32
Previous Ranking: 21
Overall Record: 12-7-4
Former first-round draft pick Jesper Wallstedt has been paying off the franchise's confidence in him amid a four-start streak in which he's posted each of a league-best three shutouts.
The Wild are 7-0-1 in their last eight games, and Wallstedt hasn't lost a regulation game this season, going 6-0-2 in his eight starts. His 1.94 goals-against average is second-best in the league among goalies with at least seven appearances.
8. Vegas Golden Knights
25 of 32
Previous Ranking: 9
Overall Record: 10-5-7
Having a six-game point streak end is one thing, but having it end with a 5-1 loss is another, which is what Vegas experienced while dropping a decision at Utah to end a 3-0-3 run. It was particularly frustrating given the Golden Knights had opportunities, with 34 shots at Karel Vejmelka.
"It's tough to lose that way," forward Ivan Barbashev said, "but we've just got to regroup and move forward."
7. New York Islanders
26 of 32
Previous Ranking: 11
Overall Record: 13-8-2
It all starts with goaltending for the Islanders, who got 19 saves from David Rittich in what wound up as a double-shutout against Seattle before a shootout victory over the Kraken.
New York is 7-2-0 in its last nine games, which've held opponents to two goals or fewer seven times in that stretch. Its 1.67 goals-against average since Nov. 8 is third-best in the league behind only Minnesota (1.63) and Colorado (1.00).
6. New Jersey Devils
27 of 32
Previous Ranking: 4
Overall Record: 14-7-1
Good teams make it particularly difficult to play in their building, and that's been the case so far in 2025-26 for the Devils, whose 4-3 defeat of visiting Detroit made it nine games (8-0-1) without a regulation loss to start the season.
New Jersey and Colorado have yet to lose a home game in 60 minutes, and the run is the second-longest in franchise history for the Devils, who were 8-0-2 to begin the 2016-17 season. The team won 19 home games and 23 on the road last season.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning
28 of 32
Previous Ranking: 14
Overall Record: 13-7-2
Four-game win streaks for the Lightning usually have something to do with the play of goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and it's no different this time after the veteran recorded his first shutout of the season on Monday against Philadelphia.
Vasilevskiy has started three times in Tampa Bay's recent run and has allowed just two goals on 77 shots, a .974 save percentage. The shutout was the 41st of his career and gave him at least one in 12 consecutive NHL seasons.
4. Anaheim Ducks
29 of 32
Previous Ranking: 3
Overall Record: 14-7-1
The more games the Ducks play, the more they look like they belong right where they're at—atop the Pacific Division a quarter of the way through the season.
"Our last 10 games or so, every game has been on the line from start to finish, so I think that's going to help us out in the process," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We can value the importance of every shift."
3. Carolina Hurricanes
30 of 32
Previous Ranking: 2
Overall Record: 14-6-2
A stomach bug working its way through the locker room was at least partially responsible for the end to Carolina's five-game point streak (3-0-2), which came in a 4-1 loss at Buffalo.
"No excuses, part of that schedule, long road trip, fighting the flu bug a little here," coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "The energy was just so dead, and we played like it."
2. Dallas Stars
31 of 32
Previous Ranking: 5
Overall Record: 14-5-4
Jason Robertson is a man on a mission.
The Stars' winger has scored in seven straight games, including Dallas' obliteration of Edmonton on Tuesday night, and continues to make a strong case to be included on Team USA's Olympic roster.
1. Colorado Avalanche
32 of 32
Previous Ranking: 1
Overall Record: 16-1-5
The good times keep rolling for the star-laden Avalanche, who got a 22-save shutout from unheralded No. 2 goalie Scott Wedgewood, his first of the season and third with the team, in a 1-0 win at Chicago.
A day earlier, Colorado was a 3-0 winner at Nashville behind 35 saves from Mackenzie Blackwood. The team's 2.15 goals-against average is the best in the league since Oct. 26, which started its current 13-game point streak (11-0-2).
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