December 14, 2024 by Bob Schmidt

With each NHL team having played at least 20 games this season, I have assembled my first power rankings of the 2024-25 campaign. These ranking are based on each team’s overall record through 20 games, their strength of each team’s schedule during that span and how they fared against the stronger, middling, and weaker teams.

1. Winnipeg Jets

• 20-game record: 17-3-0, 34 points
• Games 11-20: 8-2-0, 16 points
• Previous ranking: 2

Winnipeg started this segment in the middle of a seven-game winning streak, which was also part of a stretch where they only lost one of their first 16 games. Head coach Scott Arniel has had his team prepared and focused to start the season, and the results are proof of that. One of the keys to their success has been their ability to win their so-called “should win” games against teams ranked 21st or lower in the overall standings at the time they played them, winning all seven. Even more impressive, the Jets are also undefeated against teams who were 11th and lower, meaning they won all 11 games versus teams that were outside of the top-10 through their first 20 games.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

• 20-game record: 14-5-1, 29 points
• Games 11-20: 6-3-1, 19 points
• Previous ranking: 1

After going .500 in their first four games, the Hurricanes finished off the segment on a six-game winning streak. Martin Necas averaged nearly two points per game (1.80) and the goaltending tandem of Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen have combined for the second-best goals against average in the league at 2.30. Shayne Gostisbehere, who signed with the Hurricanes in the off-season, has been a welcomed addition early on this season. The 11-year veteran has four goals and nine points already to lead all Carolina defenders.

3. Washington Capitals

• 20-game record: 13-6-1, 27 points
• Games 11-20: 5-4-1, 11 points
• Previous ranking: 4

The Capitals strung together winning streaks of five and three in this first 10-game segment. Dylan Strome has picked up right where he left off last season and is on pace to shatter his career-high of 67 points in 2024-25 after racking up 17 points in the first 10 games. Alex Ovechkin, who is now in his 20th NHL season, appears to have turned back on the clock a decade, as he’s netted seven goals in the first 10 games, including his 31st career NHL hat trick. Ovechkin is now just 34 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894.

4. Minnesota Wild

• 20-game record: 13-3-4, 30 points
• Games 11-20: 6-2-2, 14 points
• Previous ranking: 5

Minnesota is having a bounce back season so far after a disappointing 2023-24, which saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in five years. John Hynes, in his first full season as the head coach of the club, has put an emphasis on team defense as their key ingredient for success. The improved play of the goaltending tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury has also been pivotal in the resurgence of the Wild. Last season, the Wild finished 23rd in save percentage and 20th in goals against average as a team. Currently, they are leading the NHL in both categories, with Gustavsson on top of the individual leaderboard in each as well. Combining that with the over a point per game from Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy has the Wild looking like a legitimate contender this season.

5. Dallas Stars

• 20-game record: 13-7-0, 26 points
• Games 11-20: 6-4-0, 12 points
• Previous ranking: 6

Matt Duchene has led the way offensively for Dallas to start the season. His current 1.24 point per game average has the 16-year veteran on pace for a career-best 102 points season. Head coach Peter DeBoer has his team focusing on both ends of the ice equally, as the Stars sit in the top-10 in the NHL in both goals for per game and goals against per game. The Stars are looking to build off their 2023-24 season, which saw them reach the Western Conference Final for the second straight year.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs

• 20-game record: 12-6-2, 26 points
• Games 11-20: 7-2-1, 15 points
• Previous ranking: 13

Toronto took the biggest leap forward among all of the teams in my top-10, jumping seven spots from 13th to sixth. Even more impressively, they did most of this without their star sniper and team captain, Auston Matthews. In fact, the Leafs played the last seven games of this segment without the reigning “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner, who had been out with an upper body injury since November 4th, and lost only one of them. William Nylander, who is coming off back-to-back 40-goal seasons, has done his part to soften the blow of losing Matthews, and is currently scoring at a 51-goal pace. The goaltending tandem of career back up Anthony Stolarz, and a still relatively unproven Joseph Woll, have also been a pleasant surprise so far.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning

• 20-game record: 11-7-2, 24 points
• Games 11-20: 4-4-2, 10 points
• Previous ranking: 3

A four-game losing streak to start this segment was the key to the Lightning falling four spots in the rankings. However, they did snap out of it in an impressive manner by beating the top ranked team, the Jets, 4-1 on November 14, thanks largely to a two-goal performance by their key off-season addition, Jake Guentzel. Nikita Kucherov is still doing Nikita Kucherov things as the defending Art Ross Trophy winner is in contention for it again. Brayden Point, who has put up 51 and 46 goals in the past two campaigns, was scoring at a 72-goal season pace before an injury sidelined him for four games.

8. Florida Panthers

• 20-game record: 12-7-1, 25 points
• Games 11-20: 6-4-0, 12 points
• Previous ranking: 9

The Panthers started off this segment with five consecutive wins, which were a part of a season-high seven-game winning streak. The defending Stanley Cup Champions keep finding ways to win and look determined to defend their championship. There are many that believed that Sam Reinhart’s 56-goal campaign in 2023-24 was the anomaly and he would return to his previous 30-goals season form, but the former second-overall draft pick is showing that last season was not a one off. Reinhart is currently scoring at a 60-goal season pace and shows no signs of slowing down.

9. New Jersey Devils

• 20-game record: 11-7-2, 24 points
• Games 11-20: 7-2-1, 15 points
• Previous ranking: 15

Following a four-game losing skid, the Devils rebounded by winning five of their next six games, helping propel them into my top-10 list. After an impressive 2022-23 season that saw New Jersey finish with 112 points and win a playoff series, the expectations were high for 2023-24. A long-term injury to their 2019 first-overall pick, Jack Hughes that caused him to miss 20 games and abysmal goaltending contributed to a disastrous season for the Devils, and ultimately cost former bench boss Lindy Ruff his job. The off-season saw the hiring of a new Head Coach Sheldon Keefe to right the ship, and the addition of 2022 Vezina Trophy nominee Jacob Markstrom in hopes of solidifying the goaltending. A healthy Jack Hughes and the early red-hot scoring touch of captain Nico Hischier have also contributed to what looks like a promising season in New Jersey.

10. Calgary Flames

• 20-game record: 11-6-3, 25 points
• Games 11-20: 6-2-2, 14 points
• Previous ranking: 11

The Flames scratched and clawed their way through this 10-game segment as four of their games went into extra time in which they collected six of a possible eight points. How did Calgary make it in the top 10? Well, it sure isn’t because of their offence. The Flames are 26th in the league in goals for per game at 2.57. Calgary’s success so far has been their ability to collect points in tight games. 48% of Flames games so far have been decided by one goal and 78% were decided by two or fewer goals. The Flames are looking to get back into the post-season for the first time since 2022 when they were eliminated by the rival Edmonton Oilers in five games.