And just like that, welcome back to THW’s weekly Power Rankings! After what can only be described as one of the busiest offseasons in recent memory, we are now multiple days into an exciting start to the 2024-25 NHL season. This is always the best time of the year, as every team feels like they have a real chance to raise the Stanley Cup above their heads in June, no matter how things went for them in the past.
The first Power Rankings of the season is always an odd one, however, as some teams have played four games by the time the first week of play concludes, while others have only played one due to extenuating circumstances. I can even say extreme weather delayed the start of this series by a week, as I was planning to kick things off prior to the first games last Tuesday, but had to push it back some due to Hurricane Helene and Milton changing my weekly plans.
With this in mind, I’m treating Week 1 this year as my season preview with a bit of consideration from the handful of games played so far. Heading into the season, I had a ranking already created, and I’m mostly keeping teams within that general ranking this week before making larger changes throughout Weeks 2 and 3.
So, with that preamble out of the way, I can’t wait to get started with the first NHL Power Rankings of the 2024-25 season!
32-27: Confronting Loss Across the NHL
32. San Jose Sharks
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
30. Anaheim Ducks
29. Chicago Blackhawks
28. Buffalo Sabres
27. Montreal Canadiens
It’s impossible to have a real conversation about the start of the NHL season and not discuss who the hockey world lost in August. With the sudden passing of Johny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau, the hockey world tragically lost not only a true star on the ice, but two men who brought so much love for the game off it. While it’s been weeks since their passing, it still doesn’t feel real to me, and I’m sure I’m not alone in these feelings.
With all of this in mind, time still keeps moving forward, and the Blue Jackets are expected to play games that count, even if they carry a heavy heart. Teams in this situation are impossible to project, as they could galvanize as a unit around this tragedy, or they could realistically struggle with the loss of one of their best players. To make things worse, they will also be without their Captain, Boone Jenner, for potentially six-plus months. I can’t be the only one hoping Columbus finds a way to persevere in all this adversity and make a miracle run to the playoffs.
For the remaining teams on this section of the Rankings, I don’t think anyone will be shocked by their placement. The Ducks, Blackhawks, Sharks, and Canadiens took strides this offseason by adding great talent to their rosters, but are still rebuilding. This means they will likely be very streaky, which is a lot of fun to watch, and maybe one of these teams can make a surprise run at the playoffs.
Finally, this leaves the Sabres, who had a miserable start to their season. First, they traveled to Europe only to be soundly beaten twice, then returned to North America and lost their next game before, finally, pulling out a win against a depleted Florida Panthers team. This franchise needed a strong start this year, but here we are, on the back foot again. There’s still plenty of time to turn things around, but patience is a virtue fans in Buffalo simply shouldn’t have anymore.
26-11: Return of the NHL’s Mediocre Middle
26. Seattle Kraken
25. Philadelphia Flyers
24. Minnesota Wild
23. Ottawa Senators
22. Washington Capitals
21. Detroit Red Wings
20. Pittsburgh Penguins
19. Calgary Flames
18. St. Louis Blues
17. New York Islanders
16. Vancouver Canucks
15. Tampa Bay Lightning
14. Los Angeles Kings
13. Utah Hockey Club
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
11. Vegas Golden Knights
Longtime readers of these Power Rankings know that I tend to (redundantly) refer to much of the NHL as the ‘Mediocre Middle.’ In a league driven by parity, you end up with many, many teams that are good. Not great, not even particularly memorable, but just good. This is how you end up with half the league in the middle of these Rankings.
Sure these teams have stars, and any of them should compete for the Stanley Cup, but they also could at any point go on a five-game slide and find themselves considering who to sell at the 2025 Trade Deadline for spare parts despite a massive payroll.
First and foremost, yes, I had the Canucks outside my top ten teams heading into the season. This isn’t me saying they are a bad team, by any means, but that I’m worried about their goaltending situation until Thatcher Demko is back in their net full-time. Losing one of the best goalies in the NHL will have an impact on any roster, no matter how good they are, and they are likely going to take a significant step back unless someone else steps up in a big way.
I also expect the Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Lightning, and Kings to make a move into the top part of the Rankings by next week if they keep playing with the same fervor as they have in their first games. Any doubts I had coming into the season have been quelled for these teams, and I look forward to seeing more from them next week. Also, if you’re in need of Fantasy Hockey advice, if Ivan Barbashev is somehow still available in your league, add him immediately.
You also can’t discuss the start of the season and not rave about the NHL’s newest franchise, the Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC), who are showing the world what the Arizona Coyotes could have looked been with stable ownership. Utah HC has started the season with a perfect record, pulling down a 3-0-0 record, including a big win in front of a raucous home crowd on opening night. It’s great seeing the franchise off to a strong start, and their cheap concession prices should keep the excited fan base fueled all season long.
10-1: Best Teams in the NHL Struggling to Start
10. Colorado Avalanche
9. Edmonton Oilers
8. Nashville Predators
7. Carolina Hurricanes
6. New Jersey Devils
5. Florida Panthers
4. Boston Bruins
3. New York Rangers
2. Winnipeg Jets
1. Dallas Stars
At this early stage in the season, it’s a bit tough to not use the previous season’s results when deciding the best teams. Heading into opening night, I had the Panthers, Oilers, Rangers, and Stars as my top-four, because they were the final four teams in the league last year. Next were the Avalanche and Hurricanes, who are two of my favorite teams in general with their roster of top-end talent, followed by the Jets, Devils, Predators, and Bruins.
After week one, however, I’m starting to question my original top ten. The Panthers and Oilers look like teams coming off long, brutal postseason runs, with injuries piling up already. With just one win in their first six games combined, these teams need to shake off their Stanley Cup hangover fast if they want to keep in the hunt.
The Predators look a bit shaky with their rebuilt offensive core, as Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei will take time to adjust to their new teams. I’m also a bit concerned about the Avalanche, who appear to be in the midst of a goalie controversy they were hoping to avoid this season.
Now, at the top of the standings, I think the Stars, Rangers, and Jets are all picking up where they left off last season, and I have reason to believe they will remain in the top ten for most of the season, barring injuries. These teams feature complete units, with great goaltending, defense, and forwards who can put up points and then lock down games as needed.
Predicting the 2025 Stanley Cup Champion
With the first THW Power Rankings finished, it’s now time for me to do the one thing I dread each year… predicting the Stanley Cup Champions! It’s pretty much impossible to get this right, as there are a million factors that can change a team’s trajectory throughout the season, but I will try to do so anyway.
Related: 2024-25 NHL Season Preview
This time, I’m going a bit down my rankings for my champion. I think for the second straight season, a franchise will claim their first Stanley Cup, when the Nashville Predators raise their first championship banner to the rafters in a tight series victory over the New York Rangers. I love what the Predators did this offseason, and I think once this unit reaches its full potential, they are going to be difficult to beat.
Now we can all just wait until June to see how wrong I got this prediction! No matter what, I’m excited to be back and I look forward to publishing this weekly Power Ranking each Monday, and I hope to keep many hockey fans entertained throughout the regular season.