NHL Power Rankings: January 2025

NHL Power Rankings: January 2025

Happy 2025, everyone. There’s always excitement when a new year kicks off, but an added layer of pressure comes with it in the NHL world. Teams are halfway (or about to be) through their seasons. And with most of February filled by the Four Nations Faceoff, that adds to the importance of January in the league landscape. There are a lot of interesting trends to track before best-on-best international competition returns, though. Below are some of them plus the thoughts of Trey Daubert and me in another addition of NHL power rankings.

32. San Jose Sharks (13-23-6, December: T-29)

Andrew: 32; Trey: 32

Remember when the San Jose Sharks were having fun? Going eight straight games without a win will snap that pretty quickly. That combined with acquiring arguably the worst goaltender in the NHL (Alexandar Georgiev) is a one-way ticket to the basement, not that the Sharks mind that, though.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (13-25-2, December: T-29)

Andrew: 31; Trey: 31

The concern around Connor Bedard seems to have faded as the franchise face is back to near point-per-game production. They did win three straight at one point in December but had two longer losing streaks within the month as well. Their performance at the Winter Classic should take them out of outdoor consideration for, I don’t know, six months with how frequently they find themselves in those.

30. Buffalo Sabres (14-21-5, December: T-17)

Andrew: 30; Trey: 29

They may not be last in the rankings, but no team had a more disastrous month of December than the Buffalo Sabres. The losses on the ice were bad but the trainwreck of a press conference from Kevyn Adams is even worse. Their 5-on-5 play is poor and yo-yo-ing Devon Levi between the NHL and the American Hockey League helps no one.

29. Anaheim Ducks (17-18-1, December: 32)

Andrew: 28; Trey: 30

The Anaheim Ducks are still fourth in the NHL in save percentage, but that number has dropped from 91.32% to 90.43%. In truth, Lukáš Dostal has been human since October ended, posting a .945 save percentage in that month but failing to clear .900 in November or December. The Ducks are a bad combination: decent at generating offense but not finishing, terrible defensively but with goaltending to mask some of the concerns. Extending Frank Vatrano, one of their few great goal-scorers, is even more logical given those finishing woes, although it won’t mask the emotional blow of trading long-time blue-liner Cam Fowler.

Blues Acquire Cam Fowler Via Trade With Ducks

T-27. Nashville Predators (13-20-7, December: T-22)

Andrew: 29; Trey: 24

I’m officially out on the Nashville Predators, at least for this season. Unless they magically turn into the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues (no, that happening doesn’t make it any more likely the Predators will match them), they are simply out of runway. It will be interesting to see if Nashville’s nightmare influences how other teams approach free agency, although a rising salary cap might offset that hesitancy.

T-27. New York Islanders (15-18-7, December: T-22)

Andrew: 25; Trey: 28

Man, things are not going well on the ice in New York. The New York Islanders are basically at the floor of the plausible outcomes for their season thanks to a lack of finishing and poor special teams. Lou Lamoriello hasn’t made many big moves in the last few years; in the previous three seasons, it’s been the Bo Horvat trade and not much else. This Islanders team needs a shake-up, but whether that’s to supplement or shift toward a rebuild is anyone’s guess.

26. Detroit Red Wings (17-18-4, December: 25)

Andrew: 27; Trey: 23

Well, at least Steve Yzerman did something. Firing Derek Lalonde feels like making him a scapegoat, but Todd McLellan has been good at getting young teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings on the right side of the playoff bubble in the last decade. He’s struggled to take the next step, but Detroit Red Wings fans aren’t worried about that now.

Red Wings Fire Derek Lalonde, Hire Todd McLellan

25. Columbus Blue Jackets (17-17-6, December: T-26)

Andrew: 21; Trey: 27

The Columbus Blue Jackets certainly have an identity this season. Kirill Marchenko looks like a rising star and Sean Monahan is producing at a level unseen since the peak of his time in Calgary. Columbus is hovering around the top 10 in goals, shots, and expected goals. But I’d still look to trade Ivan Provorov if I were Don Waddell because the current mix on defense isn’t working, although their goaltending isn’t doing them any favors.

T-23. Seattle Kraken (17-20-3, December: T-26)

Andrew: 26; Trey: 21

The good news is that Joey Daccord‘s injured reserve stint is a short one as he was activated today. But even still, Seattle’s lack of quality center play combined with Philipp Grubauer‘s struggles are two issues this team can’t afford. Speaking of things they can’t afford: the Chandler Stephenson contract.

first 2024-25 card reveal https://t.co/MnzP2QSDEw pic.twitter.com/4WmySmtwuX

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 26, 2024

Chandler Stephenson Has Totally Sucked Since Signing With The Kraken

T-23. Philadelphia Flyers (17-18-5, December: 20)

Andrew: 22; Trey: 25

There are even more goaltending issues here. Samuel Ersson can’t stay healthy, Aleksei Kolosov isn’t NHL-ready at 23 years old, and Ivan Fedotov wasn’t trusted to play more than one period in December. It’s a shame because the Philadelphia Flyers have only lost the 5-on-5 expected goals battle in two games since Nov. 23. They could be in a significantly better position with competent goaltending, or a slightly better position if they didn’t demote Emil Andrae.

22. New York Rangers (18-20-1, December: 15)

Andrew: 24; Trey: 22

One New York team falling apart was predictable. Two was surprising but plausible. Three is jaw-dropping. Somehow, the New York Rangers have fallen near the bottom of the Eastern Conference thanks to brutal defensive play (bottom five in shots and expected goals against). Igor Shesterkin going on IR removes their safety net, too. There’s too much talent and the East is too muddled to write them off, but bigger heads than Jacob Trouba and Kappo Kakko seem close to rolling.

Jacob Trouba Criticizes Rangers Following Trade To Ducks

21. Pittsburgh Penguins (17-17-7, December: 28)

Andrew: 17; Trey: 26

I slightly dance on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ grave in the December rankings and suddenly they’re showing a pulse again. Bad goaltending has been a consistent problem in the Metropolitan Division but at least Tristan Jarry has been competent (though his .885 SV% in December shows he’s got a long way to go). I’m unsure if there’s enough offensive depth and Evgeni Malkin has slightly cooled from a hot start. But the Penguins deserve credit for getting off the mat.

20. Montréal Canadiens (18-18-3, December: T-29)

Andrew: 23; Trey: 19

There’s probably no path for the Montréal Canadiens to threaten for a playoff spot this season. But given how other rebuilding teams are progressing (not very well in many cases), it’s good to see the Montréal Canadiens heading in the right direction. Nine combined goals between Juraj Slafkovský and Kirby Dach isn’t ideal, but Patrik Laine returning from injury in peak Winnipeg scoring form is.

19. Calgary Flames (18-14-7, December: 21)

Andrew: 20; Trey: 20

The Calgary Flames’ record may make the least sense to me out of any team. Dustin Wolf has played well this season, but his .905 SV% in December is closer to decent than dazzling. Only three players have double-digit goals in a high-volume, low-quality attack that isn’t producing great results. At least Jonathan Huberdeau seems to be pulling himself out of the gutter.

18. Utah Hockey Club (17-15-7, December: 19)

Andrew: 19; Trey: 18

Shoutout to the Utah Hockey Club for not giving us whiplash like other teams in these rankings. We’ve ranked them 18th, 19th, and 18th in their first three months of existence. However, that could change if Jaxson Stauber jumps Connor Ingram for the No. 2 goalie job and builds off his strong start (.925 SV% in four games). He and Karel Vejmelka would give Utah a good chance to win every night if they keep it up.

17. St. Louis Blues (19-17-2, December: T-17)

Andrew: 18; Trey: 16

Jim Montgomery has given the St. Louis Blues the bump they hoped for. Their expected goal share has gone up about five percent, putting their heads above water, and their actual goal share is up almost 20 percent. There is a 10 percent gap between actual and expected goals under Monty, so maybe there’s regression coming. I’m not sure even in the best-case scenario the Blues are much more than a wild-card caliber team, but the 99-point pace they’re playing at under Montgomery deserves credit.

16. Ottawa Senators (19-17-2, December: 24)

Andrew: 15; Trey: 17

One of the young up-and-coming Atlantic Division teams is climbing into the playoff race, I thought I’d never see the day. The Ottawa Senators weren’t playing nearly as poorly as their record indicated at the end of November. Things are starting to correct themselves, with Linus Ullmark leading the charge. Drake Batherson also deserves credit for going from the player I thought would be Ottawa’s token sacrifice to shuffle up the core to a near-point-per-game player.

15. Vancouver Canucks (18-12-8, December: T-9)

Andrew: 16; Trey: 15

This is the second straight month we’ve had a talented team that dominated the 2023-24 regular season but has culture issues popping up in the No. 15 spot. Here’s hoping things age better for the Vancouver Canucks than they have for the Rangers. Trading J.T. Miller doesn’t seem like a good idea for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations but trading Elias Pettersson feels even worse. You rarely win trades where you deal with the best player and trading Miller or (especially) Pettersson would almost certainly be that type of move.

Could Elias Pettersson Actually Reunite With Former Teammate?

14. Boston Bruins (20-17-5, December: 16)

Andrew: 14; Trey: 14

So far, the near-simultaneous coaching changes for the Blues and Boston Bruins seem to be working out for both sides. Boston’s 5-on-5 play has improved under Joe Sacco, but their -20 goal differential is the worst of any current playoff team by points percentage. The Bruins are punching below their weight class with Elias Lindholm not looking like a first-line center and Jeremy Swayman struggling to find top form.

13. Minnesota Wild (25-11-4, December: 13)

Andrew: 12; Trey: 11

I’m more bullish on the Minnesota Wild than my ranking indicates. While the Wild would love to have a deep playoff run this year, it may be even more important to set themselves up well for next season when they clear over $13 million in cap space on the structure of the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts. The Wild are stout defensively already, so we’ll see if Bill Guerin can find the right forward or two at the trade deadline to expedite their emergence.

12. Los Angeles Kings (23-10-5, December: 14)

Andrew: 10; Trey: 12

The Los Angeles Kings may be the best-kept secret in the NHL this season. If the Wild are stout defensively, the Kings are impenetrable. Number one in goals against, shots against, and expected goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. Their penalty kill is strong, too. And they’re still doing all of this without Drew Doughty!

T-10. Tampa Bay Lightning (20-15-2, December: T-9)

Andrew: 11; Trey: 9

Sleep on the Tampa Bay Lightning at your peril. Four Bolts are point-per-game players and Anthony Cirelli is right on the doorstep. Losing J.J. Moser for a while hurts, but no team keeps stronger when injuries strike than the Lightning.

T-10. Winnipeg Jets (27-12-2, December: 11)

Andrew: 7; Trey: 13

They started the season 15-1-0 so you can do the math to see how they’ve played since (hint: it’s a mediocre record). Even worse, their 5-on-5 underlying numbers aren’t great and even their league-best power-play isn’t generating chances at the rate you’d expect. Granted, they’re still No. 1 in the league standings and they showed their ceiling is high, so maybe we’re being too harsh on them.

9. Colorado Avalanche (24-15-1, December: 12)

Andrew: 13; Trey: 6

I don’t know if the Colorado Avalanche has fixed their goaltending issues, but they think they have based on the Mackenzie Blackwood extension. Rushing into a big contract for a historically middling goalie less than a month into his tenure with your team doesn’t seem wise.

Avalanche Sign MacKenzie Blackwood To Extension

T-7. Toronto Maple Leafs (26-13-2, December: 7)

Andrew: 9; Trey: 7

Despite injuries to Auston Matthews and Anthony Stolarz, the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to roll. Granted, their 5-on-5 numbers are middle of the pack offensively and defensively. But everyone seems to feel like the Leafs have a different vibe than in previous years, which counts for… something. We’ll find out how much in April.

T-7. Washington Capitals (26-10-3, December: 8)

Andrew: 6; Trey: 10

The Washington Capitals deserve lots of credit for thriving while Alex Ovechkin was injured, but now that he’s back, they’re back at the league’s forefront. That’s especially true since Ovechkin has scored four goals in his first five games back. He needs twenty-two goals to tie Wayne Gretzky with 43 games left this season. Buckle up, folks.

6. Carolina Hurricanes (24-12-2, December: T-2)

Andrew: 2; Trey: 8

Record-wise, the Carolina Hurricanes weren’t quite up to their usual standard in December. I’ll blame that mostly on goaltending, although it’s fair to wonder about Frederik Andersen‘s long-term status and Pyotr Kochetkov‘s ability to handle the playoffs (he has a .863 SV% in six games, two of which were starts).

5. Dallas Stars (24-13-1, December: 1)

Andrew: 8; Trey: 1

The Dallas Stars fell in my rankings, but I still believe in the team long-term. The only area they’re struggling in is the man advantage, and that’s just a finishing problem as they’re an elite team in expected goal generation there. Losing Tyler Seguin hurts them right now, but the Stars may be better in the long run if they can play the Nikita Kucherov/Mark Stone LTIR trick to perfection.

4. Edmonton Oilers (24-12-3, December: 5)

Andrew: 3; Trey: 5

They’re still trying to catch up record-wise from their poor October, but the Edmonton Oilers are a wagon once again. This is despite most of their offseason additions struggling to provide value. Their depth is more of a concern this year than last season, though, so Stan Bowman needs to be ready to add a forward or two in the coming months.

3. Florida Panthers (24-12-2, December: 4)

Andrew: 5; Trey: 3

Sergei Bobrovsky started to right the ship in December with a .911 SV%, which may be the only thing the Florida Panthers have to worry about. I’m not a huge plus-minus guy, but it is weird to see Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett a combined -35 (last season, they were +34, and only two regular Panthers finished the regular season worse than -5). But this feels more like a statistical oddity than a legitimate concern for the still-elite Panthers.

2. Vegas Golden Knights (27-9-3, December: 6)

Andrew: 4; Trey: 2

Trey has been all over his Vegas Golden Knights this season and I’ve fully come around too. Even with some significant injuries the Golden Knights have gotten better as the season has progressed and are difficult to contain on a nightly basis. Nine different players have at least eight goals for them, including Victor Olofsson (18 games) and just excluding William Karlsson (seven in 30 games). Oh, and Kelly McCrimmon signed another extension, keeping Keegan Kolesar around for three more seasons after this one.

Can The Golden Knights Extend Victor Olofsson?

1. New Jersey Devils (24-15-3, December: T-2)

Andrew: 1; Trey: 4

We can officially call last season a fluke for the New Jersey Devils. Even with Nico Hischier‘s goal-pace slowing down, the Devils are as complete of a team as you’ll find. From 5-on-5 play to special teams to goaltending, New Jersey is at or near the top of the league in many important statistics. Most of this group tasted the playoffs in 2023 and will look for a deeper run in 2025.

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