NHL 2026-27 Power Rankings: Week 1

NHL hockey has finally returned. The 2026-27 season began on Sept. 29—about a week earlier than we’re used to seeing, thanks to the expanded 84-game schedule. This is the first time the league is shifting from the 82-game slate since 1993-94, excluding lockouts and the COVID-19-shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns.

With the season being as long as it is, this Week 1 edition of power rankings won’t mirror the standings entirely. Some teams surprised, no doubt, but two or three games isn’t enough to totally override preconceptions.

Without further ado, let’s hop into the rankings, listed by tiers. Who are the contenders, almost-contenders, playoff contenders, almost-playoff contenders, and the bottom-feeders?

32-31: Looking Ahead to the Draft

32. Chicago Blackhawks

31. Calgary Flames

It’s early, but it’d be a shock if these two teams made the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Chicago Blackhawks, despite going out of their way to be more competitive this season, they looked as bad as ever in Week 1. Perhaps their tough schedule is to blame, but they are an early favorite for the top pick in the NHL Entry Draft after going 0-3-0. It’s hard to imagine Connor Bedard fixing this mess once he returns.

Then, there’s the Calgary Flames. They were gifted a soft schedule to open the new campaign, but they’ve yet to capture their first win. The Flames and Blackhawks are the two worst teams in the NHL right now.

30-23: Could Compete for a Playoff Spot

30. Detroit Red Wings

29. Vancouver Canucks

28. Philadelphia Flyers

27. Nashville Predators

26. Seattle Kraken

25. New York Islanders

24. Columbus Blue Jackets

23. Toronto Maple Leafs

It wouldn’t be inconceivable for these teams to make the playoffs, but they wouldn’t be my choices right now. There have been flashes with some of these clubs.

The Vancouver Canucks are interesting. They were absolutely dreadful last season—unwatchable most nights. It’s been a struggle to keep the puck out of their net, with a league-leading 18 goals against, but at least they’re playing competitive hockey. Head coach Manny Malhotra appears to be a massive improvement over Adam Foote. Elias Pettersson seems to have found his mojo, too.

An early surprise this season has been the Philadelphia Flyers, who went from winning a playoff series to a 0-1-2 start—they join the Blackhawks and Flames as the only other teams to drop their first three contests. Things will probably turn around, but you never know.

Another team worth highlighting is the New York Islanders. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been sensational as usual, ranking first in goals saved above expected. I don’t have a ton of confidence in the Islanders’ skaters, but with one of the best goalies in the sport guarding the crease, they have playoff upside.

I also want to hone in on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kirill Marchenko has had a strong start to his career in the blue and white, which is much-needed for this team. Matthew Knies scored twice in his debut for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Toronto has a star. There should be concerns, however, that this team’s other core players aren’t what they used to be.

22-13: Wildcard Contenders

22. Los Angeles Kings

21. St. Louis Blues

20. Winnipeg Jets

19. Boston Bruins

18. New Jersey Devils

17. San Jose Sharks

16. Ottawa Senators

15. Pittsburgh Penguins

14. New York Rangers

13. Anaheim Ducks

These teams are wildcard contenders with varying levels of success in the early going. A reasonable takeaway from Week 1 is that the Western Conference could be a lot deeper in 2026-27. Last season, the final wildcard spot went to a slumping Los Angeles Kings club, but the non-contenders seem to have deeper lineups now.

The Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, and Winnipeg Jets all showed flashes in Week 1, and even the Kings could be a sneaky team to beat in the West if they can find their groove. San Jose is deeper than it was at this time last season, St. Louis’ Joel Hofer picked up where he left off, and Anaheim, despite major offseason departures, scored four straight on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights and beat the Florida Panthers. Plus, the Jets have controlled the pace of play without goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

The East looks like it could be a bloodbath, too. The New York Rangers had a busy offseason, and so far, they’ve been rewarded. The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, clubs that made the playoffs last season, should be in the Eastern Conference playoff mix in 2026-27. The New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators, meanwhile, could easily move up a tier.

12-4: Borderline Contenders

12. Dallas Stars

11. Florida Panthers

10. Buffalo Sabres

9. Edmonton Oilers

8. Utah Mammoth

7. Montreal Canadiens

6. Washington Capitals

5. Minnesota Wild

4. Vegas Golden Knights

These teams are borderline contenders. You wouldn’t know it if you watched the Dallas Stars’ first two games, though, as they dropped both of them. I had concerns with this team entering the new campaign, but even I assume they will turn things around to some extent.

The Panthers have sky-high expectations this season after acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Senators and with Aleksander Barkov returning from injury, but he’s back on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). They haven’t looked like a contender with or without him, so 11^th place might even be generous at this stage.

The Buffalo Sabres’ defense has been pretty sloppy to start, so while I was bullish on them to open the season, I’ve tempered my expectations. To their credit, they were able to rally for a comeback against the Blackhawks after facing multiple deficits.

The Edmonton Oilers have a goalie controversy once again, which is particularly notable since they’ve played only bottom-feeders in the Canucks and Seattle Kraken. They have a higher ceiling than what they’ve shown.

Now, for the positive side of things. The Utah Mammoth beat up on the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets, so take their start with a grain of salt, but they appear to have taken a huge step forward. Dylan Guenther was getting some Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy hype entering the season, and he’s had a blazing start. This is a young, scary group. They lost a close one to the Rangers, but they’ve played well.

The Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Golden Knights, Washington Capitals, as well as the Mammoth, were considered for the next tier. They showed good things in Week 1, and they’re right on the cusp, but they need to dominate further to enter that “best of the best” tier.

3-1: The Best of the Best

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

2. Carolina Hurricanes

1. Colorado Avalanche

This is the best of the best. The Tampa Bay Lightning were embarrassed by the Rangers in their season opener, sacrificing a goalie goal in a 5-1 defeat, but they bounced back nicely against Washington. This should be the favorite to win the Atlantic Division as it stands.

The Carolina Hurricanes have shown some rust, but they’re still the top team in the East until proven otherwise. Seth Jarvis’ injury and Alexander Nikishin being unsigned mean Carolina isn’t at the top of its powers, so a 1-1-1 record on the week is forgivable.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche lead the way. Their depth isn’t as strong as it was a season ago, but Nathan MacKinnon is still the same dominant player he was—arguably the best in the league (controversial, I know). Winning another Presidents’ Trophy is historically unlikely, but this Avalanche team has the talent to do it.

Don’t Put Too Much Stock Into the Early Slate

If your team was dominant or struggled to start the season, that may be a sign of things to come. But it also may not be. Even advanced metrics aren’t reliable at this point of the season, so if your team was bad, that may mean nothing. Every team has bad stretches.