Connor Hellebuyck (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4e36a3c9-9ee9-42f3-bf00-b75fc8de9d95.jpeg] Connor Hellebuyck (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images) Welcome to the last edition of the NHL power rankings for the 2024-25 season. Thanks for following along in what has been another unpredictable and exciting season. The Winnipeg Jets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets] and Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals] have ranked first and second for much of the season, even though neither was considered a top-tier contender. Yet, here we are, one day away from the last day of the regular season with the Jets winning their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/winnipeg-jets-accomplish-a-canadian-club-rarity-by-capturing-nhls-presidents-trophy] and the Capitals clinching the Eastern Conference title. Jason Chen introduces the final NHL power rankings of the regular season. What’s left? Aside from wondering when the Canadiens will clinch the final spot [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/canadiens-and-blue-jackets-have-divergent-expectations-with-playoff-spot-on-the-line] in the East – or how the Blue Jackets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets] will steal it from right under their noses – the last thing to do is to name the MVP for each team this season. 1. Winnipeg Jets (55-22-4, +85. Previous: 1) The Jets have allowed the fewest goals this season. With already the fourth-highest single-season wins total in the cap era, Connor Hellebuyck is not only a shoo-in for the Vezina, but he also could be the first goalie since Carey Price since 2014-15 to win the Hart as NHL MVP. 2. Washington Capitals (51-21-9, +59. Previous: 2) The sentimental pick would be Alex Ovechkin, and truly, he’s solidified himself as the greatest after breaking the all-time goals record. But every triggerman also needs a good set-up man. Dylan Strome is one of five Caps forwards slated to play all 82 games and will finish the season as the Capitals’ top scorer with career highs across the board. 3. Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-10, +53. Previous: 4) Jack Eichel has blossomed into an elite, top-tier, two-way superstar for the Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights]. He’s scored nearly 30 points more than the next highest scorer, Mark Stone, and has also played the most games since his breakout 2018-19 season with the Sabres. 4. Los Angeles Kings (48-24-9, +48. Previous: 5) It’s difficult to pinpoint a singular player on such a balanced team. The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings]’ two stalwarts have been captain Anze Kopitar, who’s on the shortlist for another Selke Trophy, and Darcy Kuemper, who’s quietly had a terrific season. The last time Kuemper won 30 games and finished with a save percentage above .920 was his Cup win in 2022 with the Avs. Foreshadowing?! 5. Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4, +43. Previous: 3) Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon are nearly inseparable as a unit and deservedly share the recognition for how they’ve carried the Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche]. Even when the Avs made the shocking decision to trade Mikko Rantanen, they barely missed a beat thanks to their two play-driving superstars. 6. Toronto Maple Leafs (51-26-4, +36. Previous: 7) Mitch Marner reached the century mark, and he’s been the Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs]’ most consistent and reliable player all season. It’s very conceivable he finishes top-three in Selke voting for the second time in three seasons. 7. Tampa Bay Lightning (47-26-8, +79. Previous: 9) How crazy is it that Nikita Kucherov can win consecutive Art Ross Trophies and not win any other major award? Kucherov’s 1.56 point-per-game average over the past five seasons trails only Connor McDavid. He has the highest career point-per-game average among all Russian-born NHL players and will soon become just the sixth to score 1,000 points. 8. Florida Panthers (47-31-4, +29. Previous: 11) Sam Reinhart just quietly does his thing, notching his fourth straight 30-goal season even with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk missing significant time. He ranks first among Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers] forwards in ice time per game and plays an important role on their penalty kill and power play. 9. Carolina Hurricanes (47-28-5, +37. Previous: 8) It feels like it’s Sebastian Aho every year, and rightfully so. He’s led the Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes] in scoring in all but two (!) seasons since joining the team in 2016-17. NHL Playoffs: Six Teams That Can't Afford An Early Exit [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/1b551fb3-c515-450a-90e0-514f2e37643b.jpeg] NHL Playoffs: Six Teams That Can't Afford An Early Exit The stakes are too high for some of the NHL’s top playoff teams to go home early. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-playoffs-six-teams-that-cant-afford-an-early-exit] 10. Dallas Stars (50-25-6, +57. Previous: 6) With so much star power up front, we’re going slightly off the board here with Thomas Harley, who leads all Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars] defensemen in nearly every single statistical category. Since Miro Heiskanen’s game on Jan. 28, Harley has scored 27 points, including 12 on the power play, in 29 games while averaging 25 minutes per game. The Stars' defense would be in shambles without him picking up the slack. 11. Edmonton Oilers (47-29-5, +20. Previous: 10) Leon Draisaitl is the top challenger to Connor Hellebuyck for the Hart Trophy. With Connor McDavid having a subpar season – for his standards – Draisaitl has picked up the slack with his third 50-goal campaign in four seasons and become just the third player not named Ovechkin, Crosby, Stamkos or Matthews to win the Rocket Richard in the past 15 seasons. 12. St. Louis Blues (44-30-8, +21. Previous: 12) It’s easily Robert Thomas, one of the league’s top playmakers and premier No. 1 pivot that nobody really talks about. He’s just one of five forwards (Kucherov, MacKinnon, McDavid, Pastrnak) to score at least 20 goals and 60 assists in each of the past two seasons. 13. Ottawa Senators (44-30-7, +7. Previous: 13) Tim Stutzle has faded a little down the stretch with just five goals in 22 games, but he will finish as their top scorer for the second time in three seasons. He is the team leader in even-strength points (45), power-play points (31) and average ice time among forwards (19:50). 14. New Jersey Devils (42-32-7, +23. Previous: 15) There is a very, very strong case for Nico Hischier to win the Selke. Along with his 35 goals, he plays tough matchups with lots of defensive-zone starts, has excellent underlying possession numbers, gets a lot of ice time on the league’s second-ranked PK, and ranks first in faceoffs taken and second in faceoffs won. 15. Minnesota Wild (45-30-7, -11. Previous: 16) It’s easily Kirill Kaprizov had he not missed half the season, but Filip Gustavsson’s big bounce-back season is arguably the biggest reason why the Wild [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild] are where they are right now. Gustavsson solidified himself as the team’s No. 1 and ranks tied-sixth in wins (31), third in saves (1,547) and sixth in minutes played (3423:35). Did I mention he’s also scored a goal? 16. Columbus Blue Jackets (39-33-9, even. Previous: 19) If Zach Werenski doesn’t finish at least second in Norris Trophy voting, we’re not watching the same game. If the Jackets clinch the last playoff spot – and given the way things are trending, it’s very, very possible – does that tip the scales in Werenski’s favor to win the Norris? P.S. It’s a small source of pride that the power rankings has quite accurately reflected the 16 playoff teams before the end of the regular season in the past couple of seasons – don’t disappoint me, Columbus. 17. Montreal Canadiens (39-31-11, -22. Previous: 14) The Habs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] have been streaky and they’re taking forever to clinch a playoff spot, but the one constant this season has been Nick Suzuki. We could argue that Lane Hutson’s contributions have completely changed the Canadiens’ dynamic on offense, but they’re not in this spot without the steady guidance and clutch scoring from their captain. Canadiens And Blue Jackets Have Divergent Expectations With Playoff Spot On The Line [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8a69d873-10b8-4b6d-9cf9-95564c922c08.jpeg] Canadiens And Blue Jackets Have Divergent Expectations With Playoff Spot On The Line Anyone who suggested prior to the season that the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets would be battling for the final playoff spot in the final days of the 2024-25 campaign might have been laughed out of the room. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/canadiens-and-blue-jackets-have-divergent-expectations-with-playoff-spot-on-the-line] 18. Calgary Flames (40-27-14, -17. Previous: 18) Dustin Wolf’s incredible rookie season – in any other season, he’d be a lock for the Calder – is just another feather in his cap for an undersized goalie nobody (except maybe himself) expected to be this good. There are shades of Miikka Kiprusoff here, another undersized goalie picked late in his draft year who dominated in other leagues before dominating the NHL. 19. Utah Hockey Club (38-31-13, -10. Previous: 17) You can tell Clayton Keller was doing his darndest to carry this team into the playoffs in its inaugural season in Utah [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah]. He set career highs in assists and points and also finished nearly 30 points ahead of their next top scorers, Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz, who also wouldn’t have put up the numbers they did without playing with Keller. 20. Vancouver Canucks (38-29-14, -14. Previous: 20) It’s a crying shame the Canucks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks] wasted another brilliant season from Quinn Hughes, who could still finish as high as third in Norris voting despite missing 14 games. He ranks third in even-strength points (47), second in power-play points (29), and second ice time per game (25:44) among defensemen. He’s their biggest play driver and the Canucks rate out as a mediocre club without him on the ice. 21. Detroit Red Wings (38-35-7, -23. Previous: 23) Someone other than Dylan Larkin has to really step up because this supposed brilliant Yzerplan is really getting long in the tooth. Lucas Raymond will finish as the team’s scoring leader but his impact still doesn’t quite rival Larkin’s, who plays more minutes and often in tougher situations. 22. Buffalo Sabres (35-39-7, -21. Previous: 21) Rasmus Dahlin is getting so little attention he’s really entering underrated territory even though he’s a top-10 defenseman. He will likely finish top-five in scoring among defensemen in the league and currently leads all Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres] defenseman with a plus-11 rating on a team that has a minus-21 goal differential. 23. Philadelphia Flyers (33-38-10, -47. Previous: 27) It’s Travis Konecny almost by default in a season where the Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] really took a step back. He was one of their few constants all season and ranks 11th in ice time among all forwards. Over the past three seasons, Konecny is the only Flyer to have scored more than 200 points, and only one other active Flyer, Owen Tippett, has more than 100. 24. New York Rangers (38-36-7, -3. Previous: 24) The Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers] would be a lottery team without Igor Shesterkin, who’s saddled with a team that needs significant changes in just about every area except the crease. Per naturalstattrick.com [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?stdoi=g], Shesterkin has the second-highest expected goals against and the most high-danger shots faced at 5-on-5, and yet the Rangers are just slightly below average ranking 21st in goals against per game. 25. Anaheim Ducks (35-37-9, -41. Previous: 22) For the first time in four seasons, no Duck [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] will score 60 points, which means Lukas Dostal is the MVP almost by default. His play trailed off after a brilliant start to the season (.945 SP in October) but, for the most part, he was a big reason why the Ducks were able to stay competitive in most games. Dostal was able to overcome the fifth-worst power play in the cap era to maintain a .500 record. Incredible stuff. 26. Seattle Kraken (35-41-6, -18. Previous: 26) Joey Daccord set career highs in starts, wins and saves. He trails only Hellebuyck and Anthony Stolarz in total goals saved above average at 5-on-5 over the past two seasons, according to naturalstattrick.com. 27. Boston Bruins (33-39-10, -50. Previous: 30) This team is basically David Pastrnak and Pastrnak’s 17 kids. NHL Rumor Roundup: More Speculation About The Rangers And Bruins' Off-Season Plans [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/df9172b2-e5f9-4c48-b4e3-19fae8a009bc.jpeg] NHL Rumor Roundup: More Speculation About The Rangers And Bruins' Off-Season Plans After winning the Presidents' Trophy last season, the New York Rangers missing the playoffs is generating growing conjecture about their off-season plans. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-more-speculation-about-the-rangers-and-bruins-off-season-plans] 28. Pittsburgh Penguins (33-36-12, -53. Previous: 25) We need to get Sidney Crosby out of Pittsburgh [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins] stat, but the problem is Crosby won’t ever leave Pittsburgh. He is still one of the NHL’s most complete players and his 20 seasons of averaging a point-per-game or better doesn’t get enough respect for just how tough it is to accomplish. 29. Nashville Predators (29-44-8, -64. Previous: 28) Filip Forsberg is absolved from the blame in the Preds’ disastrous season, scoring at least 30 goals for the third time in four seasons. The Preds’ supposed high-octane offense produced just one 30-goal scorer, and what’s interesting is that Forsberg’s decline in shot volume wasn’t picked up by Steven Stamkos or Jonathan Marchessault. The Preds [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] offense, in general, took a huge leap backwards in terms of generating chances. 30. New York Islanders (35-34-12, -31. Previous: 29) Bo Horvat stood out from the rest for being their most consistent and reliable player. He scored goals, took a ton of faceoffs and won a ton of them, played on the power play and penalty kill and was the only Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders] forward to average over 20 minutes per game while playing more than half the season. 31. Chicago Blackhawks (25-46-11, -70. Previous: 31) Connor Bedard’s sophomore season was met with fresh challenges, including a mid-season coaching change, but one thing that stayed consistent was the Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks] funnelling their offense through their franchise player. 32. San Jose Sharks (20-49-12, -102. Previous: 32) Despite a bevy of losses, the Sharks were able to enjoy themselves once in a while. That’s not hard to do with Macklin Celebrini coming off an excellent rookie season. The Sharks have featured a different scoring leader in each of the past five seasons, but it certainly seems like Celebrini will be topping their leaderboard for many, many seasons to come. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. 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