NHL Power Rankings: What Lies Ahead For All 32 Teams

As the season winds down, this is the last NHL power rankings of the season before the 2026 playoffs begin.

In the East, the matchups are set. It'll be Carolina versus Ottawa, Buffalo versus Boston, Tampa Bay versus Montreal and Pittsburgh versus Philadelphia.

In the West, the only matchup that's set is Dallas versus Minnesota, with the Pacific Division race coming down to the wire to determine the division champion and remaining matchups. The division winner will face Utah, while Colorado will face the second wild-card squad.

What's next?

For some teams, especially the Cup contenders such as the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes, what lies ahead is simple: win or bust.

For others, even if winning the Cup seems highly improbable, such as the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks, their first taste of playoff hockey for their young core will serve as valuable experience years down the road.

For other teams, what's next isn't so simple.

Will the Vancouver Canucks commit to a rebuild, or will they try again and again to hunt for bargain deals and reclamation projects, hoping for a faster path to competitiveness? How will the Chicago Blackhawks take the next step? Is the Rangers' competitive window still open? That's not mentioning the plethora of GM and coaching vacancies that are expected to be filled in the summer.

Here's a look at what lies ahead for each team. Thanks for following along with the NHL power rankings this season.

It's Cup or bust for the presumptive favorites. Somewhere, the stuffed animal Nathan MacKinnon got at the Olympics is fearing for its life should he lose again.

The goal is obvious, but they need to make the Stanley Cup final first. Winning a game in the conference final for the first time in three appearances is a start, but they need to build on that. Will their goaltending be good enough?

The last time the Habs were in the Stanley Cup final, Cole Caufield had just turned pro, and Nick Suzuki was only in his second year in the NHL. They're now in the prime with a very strong and talented supporting cast that's coming into its own, and it's easy to see them being competitive for the next decade.

The Stars have had three tough draws in the first round for three straight seasons, but each time they've managed to at least make it to the conference final. Much of their core is locked up long-term, but should they fall just short again, does pending RFA Jason Robertson stick around?

No matter what happens in the playoffs, the Sabres can be proud of a fantastic regular season with their first division title since 2009-10 and real optimism for next season.

Their core players are mostly in their 30s, and captain Victor Hedman's uneven and injury-shortened season is certainly a cause for concern going forward. This season, however, the Lightning are clearly back in contender status.

The first order of business is to get out of the first round. Second, GM Bill Guerin made some big gambles that have paid off, and there certainly will be more to come. The Wild have a very good team, but still lack an elite top-six center to be in the highest echelon of contenders.

Their Cup window seems to be just opening, but some uncertainty lingers with their current core. Will they be able to keep everyone around? A good playoff run might quiet those thoughts. Drake Batherson has one more year on his contract, and Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot each have two more. This may be Claude Giroux's last chance at a Cup.

Somehow, the Bruins always surprise when everyone writes them off. They're back in the playoffs after a one-season layoff, though they're still not considered serious contenders despite a core that's in their prime. That could change, though, with younger players who can make a significant impact right away, including James Hagens and Fraser Minten.

It was huge just to make the playoffs, and it'll serve as a valuable experience for a team still trying to find its identity. A first-round matchup against a hated rival is a huge bonus because it'll put their young players in the pressure cooker.

The Pens have extended the window of opportunity in the Sidney Crosby Era, and it's all about giving their aging championship-winning core one more chance. For one thing, Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson are playing like their best days have not passed.

It was such an uneven season, it's hard to tell if the Knights are still legit contenders or in major need of a refresh, though they certainly got a wake-up call with a late-season coaching change. They have an unbelievably talented core, but you start to wonder if they need a little injection of youth after trading away so many prospects and picks for the sake of winning now.

It's a shame the Mammoth are stuck in a division with three legitimate contenders in the Avs, Stars and Wild. They're not close to being on their level yet, and you wonder what'll happen first: the Mammoth become an elite team or have to wait until the Avs, Stars and Wild grow old and tired.

As the Kopitar Era comes to a close, the Kings have to ask themselves if they should try to keep their window open, even if their chances of winning are slim, or really get younger and faster and hand the reins to Quinton Byfield. Artemi Panarin is an elite player who instantly made them better, but it still feels like the Kings are closer to purgatory – not good enough to win, not bad enough to lose – than anything else.

Does a first-round exit spur the Oilers to make drastic changes? It feels like they're moving further away from winning, barring some drastic changes, and the pressure will be immense when Connor McDavid's two-year extension kicks in next season. By mid-season, if the Oilers still don't look like a dominant, Cup-contending force, what happens next?

The good news is the Caps have some young players they can potentially build around. The bad news is they might have to get worse for a little bit before they get better. In the immediate future, all eyes will be on Alex Ovechkin as he decides his next career move.

There are some obvious names the Blues should move, including Jordan Binnington and perhaps Jordan Kyrou, but certainly not Robert Thomas. Despite a very inconsistent season, the Blues seem to be on the right track with a promising core.

The Ducks pulled up lame with a late-season losing streak that seems to kill whatever momentum they had coming out of March. They're incredibly talented but also extremely streaky, and the only way they can win a playoff series or two is if they get hot at the right time.

Whoever the Devils bring in as their next GM may have a very different idea of how to run the team. From coach Sheldon Keefe to captain Nico Hischier to trade-rumor staple Dougie Hamilton to their aging goalies, nothing is clear in the marsh right now.

First step: re-sign Macklin Celebrini. Second step: profit.

In the best-case scenario, the Preds' new GM makes some astute moves, and the vets drag this team into the playoffs, just like the Pens did this season. But the ceiling just isn't very high, and the clock keeps ticking. A growing concern is Juuse Saros' play, who is under contract for seven more seasons.

Once you get past the initial shock, you'll remember two things: Peter DeBoer has a track record of taking his teams deep into the playoffs early in his stints, and you have Matthew Schaefer on your roster.

Do you believe in the Yzerplan or not? How much more patient can everyone afford to be? Their methodical approach has produced some really great players through the draft, but perhaps they should take notes from the Knights and be a lot more aggressive in acquiring the players they need. Can they pull the trigger?

Another late-season collapse as yet another chapter for the league's losingest franchise. They need to take advantage of Zach Werenski's prime, but it's tough to do when you're saddled with some questionable contracts (Conor Garland, Ivan Provorov), aging veterans (who might be re-signed!), and in Rick Bowness' words, players who don't hate losing. "Three hits, 23 giveaways!" is an all-time quote.

Unless the Jets' young prospects take a big step – they'll need the requisite ice time though – it's hard to see the Jets being competitive barring another superhuman season from Connor Hellebuyck. They're still relying on one line far too often.

It's about time the Kraken take a big swing. They've been patient, and Ron Francis had his chance. With speculation that the NBA is coming back to town, the Kraken need to really reinvigorate their fan base with something to cheer about. The problem: is there a big move they can make to really make their team better right away?

The Panthers will be Cup contenders next season with a healthy lineup. And don't forget they still might win the lottery.

The Rangers brought in J.T. Miller thinking he could provide an edge and push them higher, but instead, it's resulted in them missing the playoffs for the second straight season. It's a little tough to see how the Rangers move upward from here, and GM Chris Drury does not have a vote of confidence right now.

The Leafs will be one of the most fascinating teams going forward as they deal with Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly's uncertain future. The first piece of their Core Four was traded without the Leafs getting much value in return. What lessons will they have learned?

With a strong home record, some promising young players coming up the ranks, a few more veterans for Craig Conroy to flex in trades and a new rink coming soon, things don't actually feel that dire in Calgary. Despite a bottom finish, there's a lot to look forward to.

It's a bad look when The Athletic's recent anonymous poll with player agents named the Canucks as the league's worst-run team. They have a franchise center who is paid like one but isn't playing like one, numerous questions surrounding the competence of their front office and coaching staff, and an inability to articulate a clear plan. What is next for them, really?

It feels like a lost season for the Hawks with Connor Bedard's injury and a roster that wasn't bolstered much over the summer. But perhaps the big leap is taken next year with Bedard, Frank Nazar and Anton Frondell forming the backbone of their offense for the next 15 years. They've got good young players at every position and will be adding another at this year's draft.

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