Photo: @Capitals
With the 2024-25 NHL season paused for three days for the holidays, it usually serves as a point to assess where teams stand. NoVa Caps does their second power rankings of the regular season: (⬆️Up, ⬇️Down, ➡️No Change represent spaces moved since power rankings from the quarter mark):
LOTTERY CONTENDERS
32. Nashville Predators
Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos have caught fire since slow starts in their new home but Filip Forsberg (nine goals), Roman Josi (24 points), and Gustav Nyquist (6-7-13 in 34 games) have all seen their production fall off a cliff. As a result, Nashville ranks last with an average of 2.40 goals-per-game. They beat the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes before the break but remain 11 points out of a wild-card spot. ⬇️1
31. Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Bedard has suffered through a sophomore slump but still has at least seven more points than any other Blackhawk. Chicago lost their final two games before the break after winning three in a row and four of their previous six. ⬇️1
30. San Jose Sharks
San Jose went winless in their last five games (0-4-1) and has won just once in their last nine since a three-game winning-streak ended. Macklin Celebrini (11-14-25 in 25), Jake Walman (5-20-25 in 31), and Tyler Toffoli (13-10-23 in 37) have all thrived during their first season with the Sharks, who sent MacKenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche for Alexandar Georgiev earlier in December. ⬆️2
29. Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo snapped their 13-game losing streak (0-10-3) with a 7-1 win at the New York Islanders on Monday. Tage Thompson has at least seven more goals than any other Sabre. The team ranks 29th with a .147 power-play efficiency. ⬇️12
28. Detroit Red Wings
Detroit, who replaced head coach Derek Lalonde with Todd McLellan on Thursday, lost their last three and is 3-7-2 since Thanksgiving to drop to 15th in the Eastern Conference. They rank 29th with an average of 2.56 goals-per-game and 31st with a .688 penalty-killing rate. Lucas Raymond has at least seven more points than any other Red Wing and Patrick Kane has just five goals and 14 points in 29 games. ⬇️8
27. Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim is 5-8-2 (.400) over their last 15 since winning three in a row in mid-November and ranks 31st with a 2.42 goals-per-game average, 30th with a .139 power-play efficiency, and 28th with a .74 penalty-killing rate. The Ducks, who shipped out long-time defenseman Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues and acquired former New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba this month, currently do not have a 10-goal scorer. ⬇️5
26. Seattle Kraken
Seattle lost five in a row before Christmas and sits eight points out of a postseason spot. Chandler Stephenson has just three goals in 35 games after signing a seven-year contract with the Kraken on July 1. Matty Beniers has only four in 36 and no one on their roster has hit the 30-point mark. The Kraken acquired Kaapo Kakko from New York before the break. ⬇️7
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN BUT NOT GOD AWFUL
25. New York Islanders
New York’s blowout loss to Buffalo was their third in their last four entering the break. They have the NHL’s worst power play (.12) and penalty kill (.644) and neither one of their goaltenders has a save percentage above .899. ⬆️2
24. Montreal Canadiens
Montreal had a three-game winning-streak end in a 5-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Patrik Laine has eight goals and nine points in 10 games with his new team and Lane Hutson has 13 assists and 15 points in his last 14. The Canadiens rank 29th with a 3.59 goals-against per game average. ⬆️4
23. New York Rangers
New York’s 5-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday, when Chris Kreider was a healthy scratch, was their second straight defeat and 13th in their past 17 games to fall under .500 (16-17-1) and five points out of a postseason spot. After trading Trouba and Kakko, Kreider could be on deck. Igor Shesterkin (11-13-1) has a record below .500, Kreider has 12 points in 30 games, Mika Zibanejad has six goals and 21 points in 34, and Adam Fox has only one goal. ⬇️13
22. Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus has five players with at least 10 goals and Kirill Marchenko is just five points away from his career-high of 42 set in 42 more games last season. The Blue Jackets, who have points in three straight (2-0-1) rank ninth with a 3.31 goals-per-game average but 30th with a 3.63 goals-against per game. ⬆️2
21. Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia has lost four of their last five, gives up the most goals in the NHL (3.66 per game), and has a league-worst .8824 five-on-five save percentage. Their .156 power-play efficiency ranks 27th. Right-wing Travis Konecny has at least five more goals (16) and 14 more points (41) than any other Flyer. ⬆️1
BUBBLE TEAMS
20. St. Louis Blues
St. Louis lost five of their previous six before a 4-0 win at Detroit entering the holiday break. The Blues rank 30th with a 2.50 goals-per-game average and 28th with a .152 power play efficiency. Dylan Holloway has been a great addition with 13 goals and 22 points in 36 games. ⬆️5
19. Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh is 9-3-1 since dropping three straight on home ice in late November but still ranks 31st with a 3.64 goals-against per game average. Sidney Crosby has at least 10 more points than any other Penguin. ⬆️11
18. Utah Hockey Club
Utah had an eight-game point-streak (6-0-2) snapped in a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday. Clayton Keller (13-23-36 in 34) and Dylan Guenther (16-16-32) are both shining in Salt Lake City. ⬆️9
17. Calgary Flames
Calgary, who is currently a point out of the final wild-card spot out west, has points in four straight (2-0-2) and five of six (3-1-2). Jonathan Huberdeau has had a renaissance season as he leads the Flames, who rank 25th in goals-per-game (2.71) and 29th on the penalty kill (.725), with 13 goals and 25 points in 34 outings. ⬇️7
16. Ottawa Senators
Ottawa won eight of their previous nine before a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday to grab the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference at the break. Linus Ullmark has found his groove while Drake Batherson, Brady Tkachuk, and Tim Stutzle are all hovering around point-per-game paces. ⬆️10
15. Colorado Avalanche
Colorado entered the break riding a three-game winning-streak and stretch where they won seven of their last nine. The Avalanche overhauled their goaltending this month with Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood in and Georgiev and Justus Annunen out. The team still gives up a lot of goals (3.33 per game: 26th) but Nathan MacKinnon (43 assists, 57 points) leads the NHL in both categories with Mikko Rantanen (33, eighth; 52, tied for second) not far behind. ⬆️1
14. Boston Bruins
Boston is 11-4-1 since replacing Jim Montgomery with Joe Sacco and giving up just 2.50 goals-per-game under their new bench boss. David Pastrnak (12 goals, 35 points), who has had a disappointing season, and Brad Marchand (15, 30) are the only Bruins to hit 20 points. ⬆️5
LOOKING GOOD
13. Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver snapped a three-game winless streak (0-1-2) with a 4-3 win vs. San Jose on Monday but has lost six of their last nine (3-3-3). Thatcher Demko has an .889 save percentage in five games since returning from injury and the Canucks are giving up an average of 3.12 goals-per-game (22nd). Quinn Hughes has at least 14 more points than any other Canuck. Elias Pettersson (10-18-28 in 34) is in the midst of a down year. ⬇️1
12. Dallas Stars
Dallas entered the break with just a one-point cushion for the final wild-card spot in the West after losing five of their last nine. Jason Robertson (7-16-23 in 33), Roope Hintz (15-6-21), and Miro Heiskanen (4-11-15) have all seen their production decline this season but the Stars rank fourth in goals-against per game (2.58) and fifth on the penalty kill (.849). ⬇️3
11. Carolina Hurricanes
Martin Necas still leads Carolina in goals (14), assists (30), and points (44) in 34 games and has at least eight more points than any other Hurricane. Sebastian Aho (36) is the only other one with at least 28 points. Carolina, who has dropped seven of their past 12, ranks fifth in both goals-per-game (3.47) and power play (.262), second on the penalty kill (.855), and eighth in goals-against per game (2.79) entering their home-and-home with New Jersey on back-to-back days coming out of the holiday. ⬇️8
10. Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay has won seven of their last nine after a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers on Monday. Brayden Point (22), Jake Guentzel (19), Brandon Hagel (16), Nikita Kucherov (15), and Anthony Cirelli (13) all have double-digit goal totals for the NHL’s best offense, which is scoring 3.94 goals-per-game. The Lightning’s .271 power-play efficiency ranks third. ⬆️5
9. Minnesota Wild
Minnesota lost five out of their previous six (including a 7-1 loss to Edmonton Oilers, 3-2 loss to Vegas Golden Knights, 4-1 loss to Los Angeles Kings, 6-1 loss to Florida Panthers, 5-0 loss to Winnipeg Jets) before a 4-3 win over Chicago at home. Kirill Kaprizov’s 23 goals are one behind the NHL lead and 50 points are tied for fourth with Kucherov. The Wild’s .694 penalty-killing rate is the third-lowest league wide. ⬇️5
8. Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles lost four on their seven-game road trip before Christmas (3-2-2) and Anze Kopitar has at least five more points than any other King. Los Angeles, who has beaten Minnesota twice by a combined score of 9-2 this season, ranks third with a 2.56 goals-against per game. ⬆️6
7. Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton has won eight of their last nine and Leon Drasaitl leads the league with 24 goals while he is five behind MacKinnon for the NHL lead. Connor McDavid’s 34 assists rank fifth and 49 points are good for sixth. ⬆️10
6. Florida Panthers
Florida won seven of their previous nine before their four-game winning-streak was snapped in a shutout loss to their cross-state rivals. Sam Reinhart has not slowed down this season as he is currently two goals behind the league lead and is tied for ninth with 45 points. The Panthers rank fourth with a .263 power-play efficiency and sixth with a .263 power-play efficiency but neither Sergei Bobrovsky (.895) nor Spencer Knight (.891) has a save percentage above .900. ⬆️7
THE CREAM OF THE CROP
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto lost both of their final two games before the break by three goals but won five of their previous six. William Nylander is one goal behind Draisaitl for the NHL lead and Mitch Marner’s 36 assists are tied with Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel for second. Anthony Stolarz also co-leads the league with Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets in save percentage (.927) and ranks third with a 2.15 goals-against average in 17 contests. ⬆️3
4. New Jersey Devils
New Jersey, who ranks first in goals-against per game (2.46), second on the power play (.312), and seventh in both goals-per-game (3.35) and penalty-killing efficiency (.825), won five of their last six going into the break. Jack Hughes (15-30-45 in 37) and Jesper Bratt (14-31-45) are both tied for ninth in scoring. ⬆️3
3. Washington Capitals
Washington has the best record in the East (23-9-2: .706 points percentage) and ranks third in goals-per-game (3.68), fifth in goals-against per game (2.62), and sixth on the penalty kill (.83). Dylan Strome (11-27-38 in 34) is averaging over a point-per-game and the team is 10-5-1 (.656: tied for sixth) without Alex Ovechkin, who could return from a fractured fibula any day now. ⬆️1
2. Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 5-1-1 in their last seven after a 5-2 win in Toronto on Monday and became the first team to hit 25 wins this season. They rank second in both goals-per-game (3.69) and goals-against per game (2.47) while their .321 power-play efficiency is the best. Kyle Connor, who ranks seventh with 47 points, and Mark Schiefele are tied for sixth with 21 goals. Meanwhile, Hellebuyck leads the league in save percentage, goals-against average (2.07), wins (22), and shutouts (four). ⬇️1
1. Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas, who has won four in a row and beaten Winnipeg twice, sits atop of the NHL with a 23-8-3 record (.721) and currently ranks fourth with an average of 3.50 goals-per-game, sixth with a .259 power-play efficiency, and eighth with a 2.79 penalty-killing rate. Eichel’s 45 points are tied for ninth. ⬆️4
Previous 2024-25 Power Rankings
By Harrison Brown
