Hockey fans, the time has finally come. The last edition of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings before the best postseason in all of sports. This time next week, the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be well underway to determine the champion of the league's 108th season. Over six months since the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils kicked off the 2024-25 campaign back on October 4 in Prague, it'll be the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames concluding the 1,312-game regular season this Thursday, April 17.
And mere days later, playoff hockey will be back for the first time since the Florida Panthers won their inaugural championship on June 24, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in a thrilling Game 7. It was undoubtedly one of the best Stanley Cup Finals in the history of the National Hockey League.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves — there are still a few things to be determined between now and Thursday. In the Western Conference, only six teams have clinched. The Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames continue to battle for two precious wildcard slots. That is going to be a photo finish that could come down to the final game of the season.
We've already got two heavyweight matchups confirmed with the Colorado Avalanche looking for revenge against the Dallas Stars, and the Edmonton Oilers playing the Kings for a fourth consecutive time in Round 1. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets — who are fresh off winning a first President's Trophy in franchise history — and Vegas Golden Knights patiently wait for the last two squads to clinch a playoff berth.
In the Eastern Conference, seven clubs have clinched. The Ottawa Senators are heading back to the dance after eight campaigns out, joining the Atlantic Division three-headed monster (Panthers, Maple Leafs, Lightning) along with the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils — the latter two will play in the first round.
While the Montreal Canadiens have the inside track to advance, a recent hot streak from the Columbus Blue Jackets has them just three points back — and both teams have two games left. The Habs can clinch as soon as Monday night at the Bell Centre against the Chicago Blackhawks, and they could have Russian phenom Ivan Demidov in the lineup for the tilt. That's electric.
We've finally reached the last four days of the regular season, and clearly, there is still a lot to determine. Although it's the last week of the 32-team NHL Power Rankings, ClutchPoints will be back next Monday with one final playoff edition once the final 16 clubs are confirmed. For the other half of the league, this will be goodbye — at least until 2025-26.
We've waited all year for this, and we're ready to lock in for the best tournament in sports once again. Time for things to really get interesting. As always, thanks for reading CP's PR's throughout another terrific season.
Previous 2024-25 NHL Power Rankings: Week 26 |Week 25 | Week 24|Week 23|Week 22|Week 21|Week 20|Week 19|Week 18|Week 17|Week 16|Week 15|Week 14|Week 13|Week 12|Week 11|Week 10|Week 9|Week 8|Week 7|Week 6|Week 5|Week 4|Week 3|Week 2|Week 1
1. Winnipeg Jets (no change)
The Jets have spent more time than any other team at the top of the NHL Power Rankings, and they aren't going anywhere in Week 27. Capturing a first President's Trophy is exciting for Winnipeg faithful, but what this fanbase really wants is a Stanley Cup. Everything changes in the playoffs, but if Connor Hellebuyck can continue his Hart Trophy level play into the postseason, this roster certainly has a chance. That's especially true considering they won't be playing the Stars or Avalanche in Round 1. If there was ever a time for the Jets to go deep — something they haven't done since reaching the West Final in 2018 — it's right now.
2. Vegas Golden Knights (+1)
The Golden Knights have just continued to surge up the NHL Power Rankings, and after picking up a point in each of their last five games — and winning four of them — they'll end the regular season in the No. 2 slot. Nobody wants to play Vegas in the playoffs, especially with Adin Hill back to top form and one of the league's most menacing blue lines in front of him. Jack Eichel going four games without a point and then getting injured is concerning, but he should be good to go for Game 1 of Round 1. The Knights captured the Stanley Cup after winning the Pacific in 2022-23, and they'll again head into the postseason as the top team in the division two years later.
3. Los Angeles Kings (+2)
What an incredible run it's been for the Kings. Nothing can slow this team down right now, and the way the Oilers have been playing, LA looks like they'll finally be the favorites in a ridiculous fourth consecutive Round 1 meeting between the two Pacific rivals. With a ridiculous 15 wins in their last 19 games, if this isn't the year they finally get past Connor McDavid and Edmonton, will it ever happen? A lot is riding on Darcy Kuemper, who has been lights out since early March and knows exactly what it takes to win a Stanley Cup.
4. Dallas Stars (-2)
The Stars picked an absolutely rotten time to lose five games in a row for the first time this season. It just makes no sense that Dallas was unable to beat three non-playoff teams in the Canucks, Penguins and Utah Hockey Club, and were also defeated by the Jets and Wild in that span. While they'll still have home-ice advantage against the Avalanche in Round 1, this skid is not providing a lot of confidence. Getting Tyler Seguin back for the playoffs will be huge, but the Stars really need to get back in the win column — either in Detroit on Monday or Nashville on Wednesday — before the postseason kicks off.
5. Washington Capitals (-1)
With Alex Ovechkin now the greatest goal scorer in the history of the National Hockey League, the focus turns squarely to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And the Capitals have just looked brutal over the last three weeks, losing seven of their last 10 since March 25. That includes a pair of abysmal defeats at the hands of the Blue Jackets — 7-0 in Columbus on Saturday and 4-1 in Washington on Sunday. It's been a terrific season for Spencer Carbery's club, but the Caps truly do look ripe for an upset, especially without Logan Thompson between the pipes. Capitals fans won't soon forget the last time they played the Canadiens in the playoffs, when Jaroslav Halak and the Habs shocked them in a seven-game stunner back in 2010.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs (+3)
The wins just keep on coming for the Maple Leafs, who look well-positioned to win the Atlantic Division with two games left. Toronto has come out on top in seven of eight and 11 of 14, and that hot streak should keep them away from a matchup against the Lightning or Panthers in Round 1. Instead, the Battle of Ontario looks to be on the docket for the first time since 2004. That should be an incredible series — especially for fans across the province — and it's the most favorable Round 1 matchup the Leafs have had in years. In what could be the last dance for the Core Four, it'll be interesting to see if Toronto can finally get over the hump and win a couple of rounds in 2025.
7. Colorado Avalanche (-1)
We have a Gabriel Landeskog sighting! The Avalanche's captain is finally back playing professional hockey after nearly three years. And he scored a goal for the AHL's Colorado Eagles, which must be huge for his confidence. All signs are pointing to Landeskog returning to the lineup for the postseason, and that is going to be huge for the Avs. In what could be the marquee matchup of the first round, Colorado will be looking to finally get past Dallas, who has beaten them twice in the last five years. With all 82 games now played — they're the only team with that luxury — the Avalanche are getting some much needed rest and relaxation ahead of a gruelling first round that begins in Texas.
8. Tampa Bay Lightning (+2)
Nikita Kucherov is just the fourth player in NHL history with three consecutive 80 assist seasons, but for some reason, he isn't getting any Hart Trophy love. This will be the second straight year he leads the league in points, and he might go down as the most underappreciated superstar in hockey history when all is said and done. The Lightning are going to go as far as he and Andrei Vasilevskiy take them in the postseason, and for the fourth time in five years, they'll have to get through the Panthers if they hope to win a third Stanley Cup in six years.
9. Florida Panthers (+2)
After a really tough stretch — with a ton of players rested — the Panthers got back on track with three straight wins in Week 26. Florida beat Toronto, Detroit and Buffalo, in that order, and although they won't win the division, they could still leapfrog Tampa Bay and get home-ice advantage in Round 1. Either way, that is going to be a marquee series; no team not from the State of Florida has come out of the Eastern Conference since 2019. It'll be intriguing to see which familiar foe comes out on top this time around — and whether they'll still have enough gas to keep that streak alive.
10. Carolina Hurricanes (-3)
The Hurricanes are locked in for a 2023 second round rematch with the Devils, and they'll be the favorites and have home-ice advantage. Still, Carolina has struggled mightily lately, and nearly fallen out of the top-10 in the NHL Power Rankings after losing five of six at maybe the most inopportune time. Getting Russian stud Alexander Nikishin from the KHL is a great add, and he brings an offensive presence to a very defensive-minded blue line. Whether it's Frederik Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov between the pipes for Game 1, both need to be better than they have been over the last week-and-a-half.
11. St. Louis Blues (-3)
Right when it looked like the Blues would never lose again, they followed up a franchise-record 12 consecutive victories by losing back-to-back-to-back games. That's not ideal, especially considering they haven't yet clinched a playoff spot. With only one game left — against Utah at home on Tuesday — St. Louis still controls its own destiny. But if they lose that game, and Calgary wins both of its last two, the Blues will fall out of a playoff spot in the last game of the regular season. They'll be highly motivated to get the W in game No. 82 instead of waiting around until Thursday to see if they get in.
12. Ottawa Senators (no change)
For the first time since marching all the way to Game 7 of the East Final in 2017, the Senators are back in the dance. Ottawa has looked great as of late, even without captain Brady Tkachuk, who likely will not play again until the postseason. The Sens have won eight of 12 games and should be a great challenge for the Maple Leafs in Round 1 — if the cards fall that way. Linus Ullmark will be the X-factor in Canada's capital; if he can steal a couple of contests, they'll have a chance. But just getting back to the postseason is a huge win for a franchise that is finally out of the rebuild.
13. Edmonton Oilers (no change)
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch provided a ton of key injury updates on Monday, but the most significant is that Mattias Ekholm will be out for the entire first round. Although Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will both be good to go, along with Stuart Skinner, that's a brutal blow. Ekholm is probably the most important player on the blue line, and the team looks completely different without him in the fold. With a ton of guys nursing injuries, Edmonton looks mortal as they try to rectify last year's heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Final. It might be on McDavid and Draisaitl to drag this group out of the first round against a potent Kings team.
14. Montreal Canadiens (+1)
The Canadiens looked like a lock to make the playoffs when last week's edition of the NHL Power Rankings was released. But fast forward two straight losses, along with four consecutive wins for the Blue Jackets, and the job isn't done just yet. But Montreal has an incredible chance to secure a first postseason berth since 2021, with Demidov in the lineup, on Monday night. The Bell Centre is going to be rocking against Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks, that is for certain. And no matter what happens, the Calder Trophy has Lane Hutson's name on it.
15. Minnesota Wild (+2)
TheWild realized just how badly they missed Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek on Wednesday night. The two star forwards combined for six goals and an assist in their respective returns, powering a crazy 8-7 victory over the Sharks that brought the team one step closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Minnesota has now won three times in four tries with one game left in their season. All the squad needs is a single point against the Ducks at home on Tuesday night and they'll be back in the dance after missing out in 2024. A Round 1 matchup against the Golden Knights or Jets will be an insane challenge, but at least they'll be healthy for it.
16. Calgary Flames (no change)
The odds are stacked against the Flames, but they continue to hang around. Calgary has won three of their last four games, including a massive regulation win over the Wild on Friday night. The problem is, they'll need to secure at least three out of a possible four points to get in — assuming the Blues lose their last game in regulation — and they'll be facing two of the top teams in the NHL Power Rankings in the Golden Knights on Tuesday and Kings on Thursday, respectively. If they can beat Vegas, it could set up a photo finish in the final game of the NHL regular season — beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
17. New Jersey Devils (-3)
The Devils are looking ripe for the picking ahead of a Round 1 date with the Hurricanes. Although Carolina has struggled mightily as of late, New Jersey has also been brutal — they're No. 17 in the NHL Power Rankings despite being one of the last 16 teams standing. Without Jack Hughes, and with Dougie Hamilton expected to be thrown right into the fire after almost two months off, it's hard to see this team completing the upset. But crazier things have happened, and this fanbase is fine being the underdog, just like they were in 2023 before beating the Rangers in a seven-game Round 1 thriller. That run ended in five games to the Canes in the next round, and the Devils will be looking for revenge.
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18. Utah Hockey Club (+1)
Although the Utah Hockey Club has already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they haven't gone quietly. Utah has won five of seven games since March 30, and looked better than a lot of playoff teams in that span. It's too little, too late, but this roster looks like it is oh-so-close to coming out of the rebuild. It's disappointing that Utah couldn't put together a 2018 Vegas-like campaign in Year 1 in Salt Lake City, but they should be right in the mix to make the playoffs in Year 2.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (+4)
We were just about to officially count the Blue Jackets out, but the cindrella season still has some juice in it yet. Columbus has won four straight, and although it probably won't be enough, it's hard not to be inspired by this roster. Battling tragedy and more injuries than almost any other team, the Jackets still haven't been eliminated with four days left. They need to win both of their last two games in regulation — in Philly on Tuesday and at home against the Islanders on Thursday — to have any chance. The Canadiens will also need to lose both of their last two in regulation. The chances are slim, but what an impressive year it's been in Ohio regardless.
20. Detroit Red Wings (no change)
For the ninth straight season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs won't feature one of the NHL's most storied franchises. Despite hanging around all year, the Red Wings were mathematically eliminated last week after losing twice in regulation. Another tough campaign for the ‘Yzerplan.' How many more years is the GM going to get to turn this ship around before a new voice is needed? Detroit did nothing at the trade deadline, and that could have been the difference. There are more questions than answers ahead of another long offseason in Motown.
21. New York Rangers (-3)
If you wanted to know just how bad it got for the Rangers this year, just look to head coach Peter Laviolette, who said he doesn't even go in the locker room after games anymore. New York was eliminated last week, and will be just the fourth team in NHL history to win the President's Trophy and then miss the playoffs completely the next season. He's likely to get fired, and you have to wonder whether GM Chris Drury will also be getting let go. Just a miserable campaign in the Big Apple, which all started when the front office traded its captain back in December.
22. Vancouver Canucks (-1)
If the Rangers were the biggest disappointment in the East this year, it's got to be the Canucks in the West. After coming within one victory of a trip to the conference final in 2024, things looked peachy in Vancouver. But the JT Miller-Elias Pettersson rift neutralized both players; one was traded and one forgot how to play hockey. And the way the front office treated Brock Boeser ahead of the trade deadline, it's not at all surprising that he doesn't expect to re-sign. Just a disaster all around in British Columbia, and losing head coach Rick Tocchet this summer would be the final nail in the coffin.
23. Buffalo Sabres (-1)
After a red hot stretch of eight wins in nine tries, the Sabres have come back down to earth after losing three straight. There hasn't been anything but pride to play for in Western New York for quite a while now, but the way the roster has performed down the stretch is certainly encouraging. Still, widespread changes are needed to get Buffalo back to relevance, and that still seems far away despite a playoff drought that is on the verge of hitting an unfathomable 14 seasons.
24. New York Islanders (+1)
The wheels completely fell off on Long Island after New York was mathematically eliminated. The Islanders lost 7-6 to the lowly Predators and followed it up by getting dismantled 9-2 by the Rangers two days later. After back-to-back trips to the dance in 2023 and 2024, the Isles are on the outside looking in in 2025. They just didn't do a good enough job of scoring goals or keeping them out of their net this year, and missing Mat Barzal for most of the season ended up being the catalyst.
25. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)
The Penguins are in for an interesting offseason after missing the playoffs three consecutive times for the first time since Sidney Crosby was playing junior hockey back in the early 2000s. Is it time to trade Erik Karlsson? Is Tristan Jarry the goaltender that can get Pittsburgh back to the dance? Is it time to fully blow up an aging and middling roster? Those are just a few of the multitude of questions facing Kyle Dubas and the front office this summer — and there aren't going to be any easy answers in Pennsylvania.
26. Anaheim Ducks (no change)
The Ducks are knocking on the door. Although they'll miss the playoffs for a seventh straight time in 2025, Anaheim has a talented young core that took the next step this season. Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson and Jackson LaCombe all proved that they can produce at the NHL level, and with Lukas Dostal taking over as the starting goaltender, along with a couple key veterans returning, the Ducks should be even better next season. It'll be interesting to see if they can be one of the last eight teams standing in the Western Conference in 2026.
27. Philadelphia Flyers (+1)
The Flyers have been excellent since firing John Tortorella, racking off five wins in seven tries since March 27. The big question for Philly this offseason is who will be the next head coach. Brad Shaw has done an admirable job, but he isn't the long-term answer. Matvei Michkov, on the other hand, is. He is going to be a superstar at the NHL level, and although he won't win the Calder Trophy, his 24 goals and 60 points in 78 games (and counting) is a fantastic start for the future franchise cornerstone.
28. Seattle Kraken (-1)
For the third time in four seasons of existence, the Kraken will finish under .500 and fail to advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While they've fluctuated in the NHL Power Rankings leaderboard this season, they'll end the campaign as a bottom-five team. And that's hugely disappointing after their magical run to the Game 7 of the Western Conference second round two seasons ago. It's never easy for an expansion team, but patience is wearing thin in the Emerald City, and this roster won't be any closer to the playoffs without a couple of tweaks this summer.
29. Boston Bruins (no change)
How surreal it is to see the Bruins in the bottom-four of the NHL Power Rankings — and in the exact same place in league standings. This just makes no sense after Boston has been one of the most dominant teams in the league for over a decade. With Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm healthy, and (ideally) Jeremy Swayman more effective between the pipes, the Bruins should be much better next year. But they waived the white flag in a huge way after trading away Brad Marchand, and returning to postseason form is not going to be easy for an organization that will probably need to rebuild at some point in the next few years.
30. Nashville Predators (no change)
Mercifully, the Predators only have two games left before they can try their best to completely forget that the 2024-25 season ever happened. Not even adding Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei in free agency could keep Nashville away from mediocrity, and calling this roster mediocre is a compliment the way things have gone. GM Barry Trotz is going to have his hands full this summer, and based on the current roster outlook, it could be time for a full-scale rebuild in Tennessee.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (no change)
In the two-horse race to stay out of the NHL Power Rankings basement, it's the Blackhawks who will prevail in the final week of the season. That's not surprising considering the Sharks haven't won a game since the end of March. But that doesn't change the fact that Chicago was, once again, absolutely terrible this year. GM Kyle Davidson has made it clear he's going to swing for the fences through trades and in free agency this summer, and that should really help. But they won't have Alec Martinez and Pat Maroon, who are both set to retire. A couple of incredible campaigns for two veterans who have a remarkable six Stanley Cups between them. The former won twice with the Kings in 2012 and 2014 and again with the Knights in 2023; the latter won three championships in three seasons between 2019-21.
32. San Jose Sharks (no change)
We wondered all season if the 2024-25 Sharks would be able to best last season's absolutely awful 19 wins. And the answer is yes — barely. San Jose has lost nine straight games and currently sits 20-49-11 with two games left. Truly abysmal for a team that was always destined to finish in both the league and NHL Power Rankings basement. But the Sharks will take it; they'll have the best chance to select No. 1 overall for the second straight year come June. And Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith are going to be stars. The big question is: will one of Chicago or San Jose finish last for a third straight time in 2026?
