As Thanksgiving approaches in the United States (happy belated Thanksgiving to all our American readers), we hit an unofficial checkpoint in the 2025-26 NHL season. Traditionally, about 75% of playoff teams make the playoffs at this point in the season, which is a good point of reflection. Of course, this also means that 25% of teams will fall out of their position, and given the current gap in the standings, more teams than usual may fall off this season.
So, let’s make some predictions about what the rest of the season will look like from now on!
First, I think the Edmonton Oilers (usually the midseason comeback kings) will wait too long to address their goaltending and/or defensive deficiencies, and they will miss the 2026 playoffs and waste a year of Connor McDavid’s sweetheart contract.
For other teams that I don’t expect to make the playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers really didn’t make the playoffs this season despite having talented rosters, and I find it hard to imagine either team ever making a reappearance in the playoffs.
For a team on an upward trend, don’t be surprised if the St. Louis Blues bounce back into a wild-card spot before the end of the year. The same goes for the Florida Panthers, who are still within striking distance despite dealing with significant injuries throughout the season, so I expect them to be at least the first wild card when the 2026 NHL playoffs begin. Now, despite both teams’ poor starts to the season, I’ve included them in my playoff lineup.
With some predictions to whet our appetites, it’s time to get to the meat of the rankings (turkeys?). So, without further ado, let’s get ready for Week 8 of the THW 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings!
32-20: Cold NHL Central Division
32. Nashville Predators (previously: 32)
31. Vancouver Canucks (previously: 31)
30. Calgary Flames (previously: 28)
29. St. Louis Blues (previously: 30)
28. Chicago Blackhawks (previously: 18)
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (previously: 21)
26. Buffalo Sabers (previously: 26)
25. Utah Mammoth (previously: 22)
24. Florida Panthers (previously: 25)
23. Winnipeg Jets (previously: 16)
twenty two. Edmonton Oilers (previously: 24)
21. Toronto Maple Leafs (previously: 29)
20. New York Rangers (previously: 27)
While we have a lot of criticism of the Pacific and Atlantic Divisions, I feel like the Central Division deserves to be in the conversation for the worst conference in the NHL. Sure, they have three really good teams, but the remaining five are cold right now. Between the Predators, Blues, Blackhawks, Mammoths, and Jets, no team has a record above .500 over the past 10 games, and all five of those teams have been among the most inconsistent teams we’ve seen this season.
If it weren’t for Chicago and Utah’s hot starts, the outlook for the Central Division would be much bleaker. For now, though, things look mediocre at best when looking at the overall standings, especially since they’ve been at the bottom of the table for the past two weeks. So much for the group of death that many were looking forward to seeing this season.
Elsewhere, the Oilers were deeply embarrassed against the Dallas Stars in prime time on Tuesday night, with their goaltending and defensive situation looking untenable. I know it feels worse because it’s the only game on Tuesday night (the NHL schedule is a little wonky), but it feels like something has to be done. I can’t imagine them firing their head coach, though, so it might have to be a locker room change.
Still, Edmonton leadership may not believe change is needed, so we’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out. That’s a lot of drama for a team that’s been to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, right?
19-9: Capital righting the ship
19. Detroit Red Wings (previously: 12)
18. Pittsburgh Penguins (previously: 19)
17. San Jose Sharks (previously: 17)
16. Seattle Kraken (previously: 8)
15. Montreal Canadiens (previously: 20)
14. Ottawa Senators (previously: 14)
13. New York Islanders (previously: 9)
12. Vegas Golden Knights (previously: 13)
11. Philadelphia Flyers (previously: 15)
10. Washington Capitals (previously: 23)
9. Los Angeles Kings (previously: 11)
Everything went right for the Capitals last season, which led to one of their best regular seasons in recent years. By comparison, everything feels smooth for Washington heading into the 2025-26 NHL season. They were always a step behind, injuries reshaped their roster, and despite playing well at times, a lack of timely scoring plagued them.
Now things appear to have turned around, with the Capitals back in the postseason with a 7-2-1 record over their last 10 games and superstar performances from Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson and Jakob Chychrun. Overall, I think despite their recent performance, the Metropolitan Division is still up for grabs and this team has more to offer.
Another Met Division team that deserves praise this week is the Flyers, who exceeded all expectations by playing tough defense and coming away with a win. While I think they’re a good team overall, I don’t have them making the playoffs, let alone contending for the division title. Currently, they are just a few points away from first place, and with another week of consistency, they could be in contention. Trevor Zegras also shined with his new team, so the change of scenery trade paid dividends for Philadelphia.
Now, due to the confusion, one team I want to highlight is Kraken, whose position I have been unable to place this season. Whenever I watch their games, I see a team that is average at best, but always close to the top of the standings due to points conceded in overtime. I started buying them last week for no reason and I ranked them at number eight. That’s a mistake because this team is in the middle of the road, especially after a rough week on the ice.
Overall, I find myself asking the question…why are all the middle-ranked teams so bad this week? I feel like most of these teams don’t have a lot to be excited about, and that’s reflected in the fact that most teams have a below-average record over the last 10 games. A lot of situations would be terrible without the loser spot, but this is what keeps the team afloat despite mediocre performances.
8-1: Lightning recover from slow start
8. Boston Bruins (previously: 7)
7. New Jersey Devils (previously: 6)
6. Carolina Hurricanes (previously: 3)
5. Minnesota Wild (previously: 5)
4. Tampa Bay Lightning (previously: 10)
3. Anaheim Ducks (previously: 4)
2. Dallas Stars (Previously: 2)
1. Colorado Avalanche (Previously: 1)
In what feels like classic fashion, news of the Chargers’ demise may have been greatly exaggerated. Despite a dismal start to the 2025-26 NHL season and mounting injuries to star players, Tampa Bay has remained stable and united around a new core of players like defenseman Darren Raddyish, who has been leading the scoring along with veterans like Nikita Kucherov.
However, Andrei Vasilyevski’s return to peak form again cannot be underestimated. He has won six straight, while the Chargers have won their past seven games. It’s a scary thought for the Atlantic Division to think this team should be better when healthy.
Elsewhere, the Avalanche still have just one loss in 25 regular games in the 2025-26 NHL season. Their record is getting more and more ridiculous, even though they lost in overtime this week to the Wild, who are also playing great hockey.
I’m also starting to worry about the Devils and Hurricanes, as those teams have been pretty mediocre of late after a dominant start to the season. Of course, injuries could be the culprit for both teams, but I’d still like to see them both have a few better weeks to get things back on track while fending off a rising Capitals team.
Waiting for NHL trade market
I’m still waiting for the NHL trade market to start this season. I think with the tight schedule, teams will be more willing than usual to make adjustments earlier than usual. However, with the standings so close right now, general managers are evaluating various scenarios before giving up on the season.
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While a trade looks like it should happen soon, at this rate, teams may not be willing to make roster changes until the New Year. After all, playoff prospects are wide open in most divisions, so patience may be necessary to avoid making long-term mistakes. Of course, if a deal is made, we’ll report on it next week in THW’s 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings!
