With the NHL Draft and free agency periods now behind us, the league`s offseason has settled into its customary quiet phase. Over the past month, teams have actively worked to improve their rosters for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign, but the key question is: how successful were these efforts?
In this updated edition of the NHL Power Rankings, we take a look at where each team stands with the significant offseason events concluded. While numerous uncertainties still exist across the league, one fact remains unequivocally clear: the Florida Panthers currently represent the league`s top organization.
Florida managed to retain all three of its crucial unrestricted free agents, securing them at what appear to be favorable terms, particularly concerning their average annual values. The Panthers have effectively reloaded and seem well-prepared for their fourth consecutive deep playoff run. It should come as no surprise to find the reigning back-to-back champions positioned at the very top of these rankings.
Beyond the Panthers, significant shifts have occurred throughout the rankings. In the Western Conference, the Vegas Golden Knights made a major move by acquiring Mitch Marner, while the Los Angeles Kings seem to have taken a couple of steps backward. The Carolina Hurricanes have actively pursued ways to narrow the gap with Florida, and the Toronto Maple Leafs now face a considerable void in their lineup.
Now that most teams have completed their primary offseason objectives, here are the revised NHL Power Rankings as the free agency window winds down:
NHL Power Rankings After Draft and Free Agency
| Rank | Team | Analysis | Change | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panthers | General Manager Bill Zito continues to work his magic. Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad all remain with the Panthers. Perhaps it`s magic, or maybe it`s the combination of winning and year-round Florida sunshine. Regardless, the team is poised for the first three-peat since the Islanders` dynasty in the early 1980s. | +8 | 47-31-4 |
| 2 | Golden Knights | Is it really surprising that the Golden Knights ended up with the biggest prize available this offseason? Mitch Marner is now in a Vegas uniform and will form a terrifying duo alongside Jack Eichel. One more addition on the blue line could complete this juggernaut roster. | — | 50-22-10 |
| 3 | Avalanche | It hasn`t been the most eventful summer for the Avalanche, but they`ve handled their necessary business effectively. Colorado re-signed Brock Nelson and upgraded their defense cheaply with a one-year deal for Brent Burns. The Avalanche are once again among the top contenders for the Stanley Cup in 2025. | +3 | 49-29-4 |
| 4 | Stars | The Stars face some significant salary cap challenges, but as of now, they appear set to contend with the Avalanche for the top spot in the Central Division. Jason Robertson remains on the roster for now, and Dallas must do everything possible to avoid trading him, as that would represent a major loss for the organization. | +3 | 50-26-6 |
| 5 | Hurricanes | Consider me a fan of Carolina`s moves recently. The Canes signed Logan Stankoven to a very team-friendly contract, acquired K`Andre Miller from the Rangers, and added skilled winger Nikolaj Ehlers. Carolina is making strong efforts to close the gap with Florida in the Eastern Conference. | +6 | 47-30-5 |
| 6 | Oilers | Paying Trent Frederic nearly $4 million for bottom-six minutes was a curious decision, and they attempted to address their depth scoring issues again by signing Andrew Mangiapane. Goaltending remains the biggest question mark, so it remains to be seen if the Oilers can find answers at that position before October. | +6 | 48-29-5 |
| 7 | Lightning | The Bolts have been quiet so far this summer, but we`ll see how long that lasts. Even if Tampa maintains the status quo, they are still a very capable team. If the Lightning can find ways to improve (and get younger) on defense, they will look quite formidable on paper heading into 2025-26. | -2 | 47-27-8 |
| 8 | Maple Leafs | Even without Mitch Marner, the Leafs still possess a talented lineup. Three members of their `Core Four` remain, and Matthew Knies is poised for further significant development. Additionally, acquiring Matias Maccelli is one of my favorite underrated moves of the offseason. However, Toronto has undeniably lost a player who consistently produced 100 points, and the team is consequently weaker. | -7 | 52-26-4 |
| 9 | Senators | Ottawa hasn`t made any blockbuster moves yet, but the two subtler additions they`ve made are quite smart. I`m a big admirer of young defenseman Jordan Spence, who was underutilized in Los Angeles, and Lars Eller is an excellent fourth-line center. The Senators are positioning themselves to challenge the top teams in the Atlantic Division. | -1 | 45-30-7 |
| 10 | Mammoth (Utah) | Expect me to champion the Utah Mammoth until opening night. I like the talent on this roster, especially following the trade for JJ Peterka. He has the potential to score 40 goals in this league, and while losing Michael Kesselring stings, Utah`s offense has received a major boost. | +6 | 38-31-13 |
| 11 | Devils | As things stand currently, the Devils seem prepared to essentially run back their previous roster. This isn`t necessarily a negative. There`s plenty to appreciate about this team, particularly with Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt leading the way. The key question is whether New Jersey can get a full 82-game season out of Hughes. | +3 | 42-33-7 |
| 12 | Capitals | Not much has changed for the Capitals, and that`s acceptable – if it`s not broken, don`t fix it. Washington is set to bring back the majority of the team that achieved 51 wins and 111 points last season. I anticipate some regression, but Washington should still be firmly in contention within the Metro Division. | -2 | 51-22-9 |
| 13 | Jets | The Jets seemed unsure of Nikolaj Ehlers` value, and now he`s gone. Furthermore, Winnipeg significantly aged their roster by signing Jonathan Toews and Gus Nyquist, two players whose best years are behind them. At this moment, it appears the Jets might be heading for a considerable step backward after winning the Presidents` Trophy. | -10 | 56-22-4 |
| 14 | Wild | I still have concerns about the Wild`s offensive ability, and while the addition of Vladimir Tarasenko could help, he is a player who appears to be in decline. Minnesota is likely not finished making moves, especially with Marco Rossi potentially on the trade block. If the Wild can trade Rossi for a true No. 1 center, it would salvage their summer. Otherwise, the team might be destined for another early playoff exit. | +3 | 45-30-7 |
| 15 | Canadiens | The Canadiens are a fascinating team for 2025-26, having just made the playoffs despite a minus-20 goal differential. This suggests they were somewhat fortunate to reach that position. On the other hand, Montreal has an exciting young group. Lane Hutson is coming off a Calder Trophy win, and the team just completed a significant trade for Noah Dobson. | — | 40-31-11 |
| 16 | Kings | Missing out on Mitch Marner, trading Jordan Spence, and signing Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin to large contracts – it`s difficult to view the Kings as anything but one of the offseason`s biggest disappointments so far. Los Angeles is likely still a playoff team, but another consecutive loss to the Oilers seems probable. | -12 | 48-25-9 |
| 17 | Blues | St. Louis has improved its center depth with the additions of Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad, and there are still positive aspects elsewhere on the roster. However, the Blues seem to lack sufficient high-end scorers to compete consistently with the top teams in their own division. Perhaps Jim Montgomery`s defensive system can help this team return to the postseason. | -4 | 44-30-8 |
| 18 | Rangers | The Rangers effectively swapped K`Andre Miller for Vladislav Gavrikov. They moved on from a veteran player with a costly contract in Chris Kreider. Mike Sullivan is taking over as head coach. It`s been a mixed bag for New York, a team that appears destined to be on the playoff bubble next season. | +4 | 39-36-7 |
| 19 | Canucks | Pius Suter is gone, Evander Kane has arrived, and Brock Boeser has returned. All these moves feel surprising to varying degrees, making it challenging to evaluate the Canucks` likely performance. Will they resemble the 2023-24 team that nearly reached the conference finals, or will it be a repeat of last year when they missed the playoffs? The latter seems more likely. | +1 | 38-30-14 |
| 20 | Red Wings | The Red Wings acquired the top goaltender available on the trade market in John Gibson. They also added defensive forward Mason Appleton to their forward group. Is this enough to end Detroit`s long playoff drought? I remain quite skeptical, suggesting Steve Yzerman might need to pursue a significant trade in the coming months (perhaps for Jason Robertson). | +1 | 39-35-8 |
| 21 | Ducks | Despite adding some veterans like Mikael Granlund and Chris Kreider, any meaningful progress for the Ducks will need to come from internal development. Anaheim needs players such as Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Pavel Mintyukov to take substantial steps forward under new coach Joel Quenneville. | +4 | 35-37-10 |
| 22 | Sabres | I have conflicting views on the Buffalo Sabres. On one hand, they possess exciting players among their forwards, and their young defense corps is quite promising. That said, they are still the Sabres. Significant gaps remain further down the lineup that I don`t expect them to fill. This team struggles to avoid self-sabotage, so I won`t predict a playoff berth until I witness it myself. | +1 | 36-39-7 |
| 23 | Bruins | Placing the Bruins at No. 23 might even be a bit generous. Beyond David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy, how many players on the roster generate real excitement? Perhaps Hampus Lindholm or Jeremy Swayman. Boston could be facing a very challenging 2025-26 season. | +6 | 33-39-10 |
| 24 | Predators | The Predators have made some minor adjustments to their defense, but otherwise, the offseason has been uneventful. Positive regression alone should lead to some improvement next season, but even that would likely leave the team well outside of a playoff spot. The Predators` management might be better served focusing their sights on the 2026 offseason. | +7 | 30-44-8 |
| 25 | Blue Jackets | This ranking might seem low for a team that missed the playoffs by only two points last season, but the Blue Jackets significantly overperformed expectations. Many things went favorably for Columbus, and they still missed the postseason. The acquisition of Charlie Coyle was questionable, and the Ivan Provorov extension likely caused some fan frustration. | -6 | 40-33-9 |
| 26 | Flyers | The trade for Trevor Zegras was a clever move by the Flyers. It`s a bet on a highly talented young player whose value was at its lowest point. If Zegras succeeds in Philly, the team gains a star. If not, he`s in the final year of his contract, so there`s minimal long-term harm. Despite this, I still believe the Flyers require at least one more season before they are genuinely in the playoff picture. | — | 33-39-10 |
| 27 | Islanders | Changes are finally underway on Long Island. Lou Lamoriello is out, and the roster has seen a shake-up. Most notably, star defenseman Noah Dobson is now a Canadien, with theoretical replacement coming in the form of No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer. This new direction may mean a tough year for the Islanders, but the future already appears considerably brighter. | -3 | 35-35-12 |
| 28 | Flames | The Flames are another team that narrowly missed the playoffs last season, but they have fallen significantly in these post-offseason power rankings. Calgary benefited from some good fortune, and the roster remains quite underwhelming, especially if Rasmus Andersson is traded in the coming weeks as speculated. | -10 | 41-27-14 |
| 29 | Kraken | Seattle has made moves this summer, but how effective were they? Lane Lambert is now the coach, but his record with the Islanders was quite unimpressive. Mason Marchment is a decent player, but does he significantly move the needle? Ryan Lindgren struggled last year and is now expected to play a major role on the Kraken`s defense. | -2 | 35-41-6 |
| 30 | Penguins | One of the few teams clearly not aiming to improve for next season, the Penguins are fully focused on the long game. Pittsburgh hasn`t made many significant additions, and GM Kyle Dubas is undoubtedly exploring trades involving assets like Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. The Penguins will likely be quite bad, but this appears to be intentional. | -2 | 34-36-12 |
| 31 | Sharks | The Sharks are still going to be a poor team, but they might not be *quite* as bad as last season. They boast a trio of exciting young forwards and have added some veteran presence on the blue line. San Jose won`t be anywhere near playoff contention, but they should be capable of providing reasonably competitive hockey on most nights. | +1 | 20-50-12 |
| 32 | Blackhawks | Last year made it very evident that the Blackhawks` rebuild is still a very lengthy process. Even Connor Bedard faced challenges as Chicago finished at the bottom of the league. Expect more young prospects to take on larger roles in 2025-26, and it will be interesting to see how many of them rise to the occasion and secure a regular spot with the NHL club throughout the year. | -2 | 25-46-11 |
