Hockey is back. The NHL is in full swing and then some. With October in the rearview, the NHL has already played a full month of games.
It would be a mistake to draw major conclusions about any team right now. A single team’s trajectory can stop on a dime and change directions at any moment. Still, it’s worth looking at the league more broadly and seeing how teams stack up through the first chapter.
The Bottom Feeders
At this point in the season, it’s difficult to crown true bottom feeders. Right now, the NHL features a whopping 24 teams at .500 or better, but that will change as the season progresses. Only a few teams have stood out as groups that seemingly lack the goods. These four teams may have a long 2026-27 ahead.
32. Vancouver Canucks
Everyone knew the Canucks’ goal for this season. Get the young guys moving, build trade value on the veterans, and look ahead to the 2027 draft. Elias Pettersson is back in peak form, with great production to start the year. Jonathan Lekkerimäki has also been a pleasant surprise as a young winger. Ideally, by the end of the season, Zeev Buium will establish himself as a legit top-4 defenseman, representing the future of this franchise.
31. Chicago Blackhawks
What can be said about the Blackhawks that hasn’t already been said? The Kyle Davidson rebuild is now in year five. Both he and coach Jeff Blashill have earned the criticism they have received. It’s hard to find many positives for a team expected to turn the corner, but that has seemingly stood still. Even after improving the roster this offseason, the team has performed far below a competitive pace. Major change, via staff, roster, and front office, is imminent.
30. Calgary Flames
Back to another rebuilding team, the Flames are doing about what fans expected. Not a lot seems to be going right, even after using draft capital to land Simon Nemec, who has looked average at best. Zayne Parekh and Matt Coronato were the youngsters to watch, and they have been solid. Especially Coronato, who has handled top-6 minutes very well and produces at a respectable rate.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets
After a dramatic offseason, the Blue Jackets traded top contributor Kirill Marchenko while retaining Zach Werenski. The roster has plenty of talent, and there’s no reason to write them off. It isn’t the deepest group, and they’ll have to rely on Adam Fantilli to live up to his new contract. So far, he hasn’t. Maybe Fantilli, the Blue Jackets, and hockey fans all everywhere are seeing the effects of holding out through training camp and missing opportunities to grow with the team and hit the ground running.
Less-Than-Intriguing Starts
These teams probably envisioned something bigger for the start of their season. Rebuilding or not, sitting considerably outside the playoff line is not exactly encouraging. Do these teams’ starts indicate the rest of their season?
28. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are in limbo, which is concerning since they’re aging and coming off a playoff berth. Compared to where they should be in the standings, their start has been unacceptable for this seriously experienced roster. The youth they do have in the lineup hasn’t impressed so far, so a shot at the No. 1 overall pick might not be the worst thing to happen to them. Regardless, it’s a poised lineup that at least has the benefit of experience as the season gets grueling.
27. Philadelphia Flyers
After an exciting playoff berth last season, the Flyers have struggled to get their feet off the ground. Serious discussions have begun about Rick Tocchet‘s future as the bench boss. It’s too soon to decide, considering his work last season helped fuel their playoff run. Porter Martone has already fallen out of Calder discussions, which is fairly premature given his clear skill. On the bright side, Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov have been flying.
26. Winnipeg Jets
After a tumultuous offseason and finally being past the Connor Hellebuyck saga, the Jets have struggled through October. Stuart Skinner has been a great replacement in net, and the defense has done a decent job supporting him. Their main issue last season, which seems to persist, is their wing play. Kyle Connor has been elite, and Alex Iaffalo has at least been adequate. The Jets also have multiple defensemen outscoring their next-most-productive winger. Getting help along the boards is paramount for the Jets to turn it around.
25. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have held onto the Sidney Crosby core for as long as possible, and it worked for a long time. They’ve been fairly competitive in the East for many years, but now, ten seasons after their last Cup, that success seems to be dwindling. That’s not the core’s fault, as both Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin have been awesome to start. Crosby has been slow, but there’s no doubt he will increase his production. The depth has been lackluster, and the goaltending situation is still far from figured out.
24. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks were also busy this offseason, and to start with the good, Leo Carlsson has delivered on the monster offer sheet he signed. Cutter Gauthier, another extension recipient, has been less impressive, but there’s still plenty of time for him to get hot. They’ve been pretty mediocre on both ends, producing goals at a slightly lower rate than they allow. Regardless, the Ducks were a force last season. They know what it takes to win, and their start likely won’t reflect the rest of their season.
23. Nashville Predators
A lot of what Nashville needed to happen is clear in their play to start this season. Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, and Roman Josi all turned back the clock. Filip Forsberg is as elite as ever, and Adam Wilsby seems to be panning out very well on the blueline. Unfortunately for the Preds, there hasn’t been much to love beyond those guys. The depth has been brutal, and offseason additions like Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Mavrik Bourque, and Ilya Lyubushkin have been silent. If those players, along with Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei, can get moving, the Predators have potential.
Outside Looking In
This section of the power ranking is similar to the previous one. There’s more hope for a closer look at the Wild Card race. For some of these teams, this is a solid improvement from last year, while others in this group are hoping for more.
22. St. Louis Blues
A lot is going right for the Blues right now. The young guns are leading the team. Mason McTavish, Dylan Holloway, and Jimmy Snuggerud all lead the team in points. Joel Hofer has been rock-solid in net and is clearly the starter over Jordan Binnington, for now. Their biggest crutch right now is division matchups. They are currently 2-4-0 against the Central Division, and as the season progresses, those losses will hurt them more and more in their pursuit of the playoffs.
21. Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres aren’t exactly where they want to be through the first chapter of the season. One thing every fan should be excited for is Owen Power. The 2021 first-overall pick took his time to develop, but he’s starting the season looking like a premier offensive defenseman. With Hellebuyck off the board, the trade market for a goaltender is even thinner than it was, but the Sabres should vet every option. A new netminder could make all of the difference for Buffalo’s core.
20. Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have had an unfortunate offseason, and it could get even worse. The Dylan Larkin fiasco headlined the offseason, alongside the end of the Yzerplan. Larkin has been suspended without pay, making his exit from the organization only a matter of time. On the bright side, Alex DeBrincat has been lighting it up since signing his extension. Viktor Arvidsson and Lucas Raymond are on a point-per-game pace to start the season. If they can keep it up and if more forwards can get going, the Wings’ outlook isn’t bad. For now, it’s not as pretty.
19. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have started their season as advertised. Macklin Celebrini remains a premier talent, and the supporting cast has been solid overall. Despite prioritizing defense in the offseason, they still look shaky. With how lethal the Sharks have been at generating offense, one can only wonder what it will look like when their defensemen improve their ability to stiffle the opposition and transition up ice. Sharks fans should be very excited about their future.
18. New York Rangers
After Igor Shesterkin was ruled out for the season, the world seemed to cave in for the Rangers. That injury crushed a hot start out of Madison Square Garden, and they haven’t recovered. The defense has been inconsistent, despite a blazing start from Adam Fox, who’s back in Norris Trophy conversations. Pavel Dorofeyev has been a slight disappointment after being brought in via trade, and getting him going would be huge for the Rangers. They can still get over the hump.
17. Toronto Maple Leafs
After a down year, the Toronto Maple Leafs seem to be back, at least to some extent. Auston Matthews is lighting the lamp at a high rate and is making an early case for the Hart Trophy. Newcomer Kirill Marchenko has also been worth the trade and new contract with a point-per-game pace, but with his injury, the Leafs will have to replace his offense. Like in past seasons, their main crutch is defending the goalie. Toronto sits among the league leaders in both goals for and goals against. Once they slow the opposition down, expect the Leafs to challenge the Atlantic’s best for the Division title.
The Sweet 16
Obviously, the playoffs aren’t a perfect 16-team split down the middle of the league standings. Three top teams from each division and two wild cards from each conference shape the picture. Still, the league’s top 16 is a decent indicator of who makes it to mid-April.
16. Colorado Avalanche
Although the Avs aren’t on the same ballistic trajectory as last season, Denver still has plenty to like. The biggest hits the team has taken are in net and in defensive depth. Although the roster is mostly the same, they haven’t done as good a job keeping pucks away and out of the net. The offense is still lethal, and rookie T.J. Hughes has been a great addition to the bottom six. Expect the Avs to rise as the season progresses.
15. Dallas Stars
Like the Avalanche, the Stars will likely want more out of their position in the standings. Their record isn’t bad by any means, but there’s a clear gap between them and the league’s upper echelon. The Stars’ main crutch is scoring, and they currently sit in the bottom half of the league in goals for. Their defense has been stifling, and Jake Oettinger is seemingly back to Vezina-quality netminding. They just need more from their offensive big guns.
14. New Jersey Devils
The Devils made a big splash to address their most important need. Hellebuyck in New Jersey should help backstop an already solid defense. The top-six is absolutely rocking with Jack Hughes leading the charge. Luke Hughes‘ development and Dougie Hamilton‘s return to form have been crucial in supporting the offense from the blueline. Arseny Gritsyuk also seems to be building off of a solid rookie season. Watch the Devils as their goaltending situation solidifies and the team builds chemistry.
13. Washington Capitals
It’s Alex Ovechkin‘s final season, and the Caps are setting themselves up for major success. Cole Hutson and Alex Tuch are polar opposites in how they were acquired and where they are in their careers, but both have been excellent. Ryan Leonard continues to come into his own, and the depth overall has been great in D.C. With more scoring from their top-6, the Capitals could be a force in the Metro.
12. Florida Panthers
The Panthers were eagerly awaiting Aleksander Barkov‘s return. Unfortunately, he is injured yet again until late November. After a poor 2025-26 season, it was important to get healthy and do everything possible to return to the playoffs. After some strong offseason acquisitions, the team still looks solid, and in Cup Champ form. If they can hold onto their spot in the standings until Barkov’s return, it’s full steam ahead to April and potentially another deep playoff run in Sunrise, Florida.
11. New York Islanders
The Islanders will almost certainly look to add via trade. They have a lot of impactful pieces, but the supporting cast just needs some work. Bo Horvat, Matthew Schaefer, and Ilya Sorokin are all legit at their positions. Their wing play has been underwhelming, so targeting a productive winger should be a priority. Even one addition could make a world of difference on Long Island and push them into serious contender conversations.
10. Ottawa Senators
After trading away their star player in Brady Tkachuk, no one expected the Senators to start the way they have. The Sens aren’t flashy, but they’re finding a way to win. Their group down the middle of Tim Stützle, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, and Stephen Halliday has been the backbone of a very tough team. In arguably the most competitive division in hockey, the Senators may struggle to sustain their success. Right now, Ottawa looks very promising.
9. Seattle Kraken
The Kraken have exceeded expectations and sit comfortably in a playoff spot. Though teams are breathing down their neck, they have little issue putting the puck in the net, which has driven almost all of their success so far. Defensively, they still have a lot to work on, but they also have upside given how solid Philipp Grubauer has been in net. Kaapo Kakko also seems to be coming into his own, which is huge for Seattle now and in the years to come.
The Elite Eight
These teams seem to have a solid grasp of their identity and place in the league. Some might argue that some of these squads are unsustainable. At the very least, they’ve established a solid start to build on for the rest of the season.
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Bolts are still trying to get their most out of their aging core that led them to back-to-back Stanley Cups at the beginning of the decade. Some players like Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman are still playing at a premier level. Andrei Vasilevskiy, on the other hand, is clearly past his prime and arguably a liability in net. Brandon Hagel, who joined the team just after Tampa’s second ring, is also on a career-high pace this season. The roster has plenty of moxie and experience to make waves in the East.
7. Utah Mammoth
The Mammoth are proving themselves as a young, scrappy, and very competitive team in an already impressive central division. Their power play is red hot, second in the league behind the Edmonton Oilers. They still have a lot of work to do defensively, but Utah has a clear winning culture that is pushing them to success. Is it sustainable for 84 games? Only time will tell, but things look excellent for the Mammoth.
6. Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are building on an electric ascent and continuing it as one of the league’s best teams. Interestingly, their lethal offense from last season hasn’t fully carried over. Ivan Demidov‘s return from injury should help soon. Jacob Fowler‘s outstanding start in goal has backstopped the Habs to success. His numbers are fairly unsustainable, but even so, Montreal has a hell of a starting goaltender they can rely on.
5. Boston Bruins
The Bruins have the league’s most productive goalie pairing right now. Jeremy Swayman is having his best season to date, and Michael DiPietro has been lights-out as a backup. They’re top-seven in both Goals For and Goals Against, so it is clear the Bruins are firing on all cylinders. Will Borgen has been an excellent addition as a penalty-killing blueliner, and David Pastrnak remains a premier NHL talent.
4. Vegas Golden Knights
After falling just short of the Stanley Cup last season, Vegas has clear motivation to get back and win it all. As they continue to duke it out with the Oilers for the division title, they need their bottom-six to step up and improve before the season ends. Still, the top end of the roster is a powerhouse, and the first defensive pairing, Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb, has been excellent. Another exciting season ahead for a team in just its 10th season in the league.
Teams to Beat
The pinnacle. The best of the best. The teams with a big red circle around their name on every opponent’s calendar. The teams ahead are the NHL’s finest and have proven some competency in one month of games. Can they keep it up for 84 games?
3. Minnesota Wild
If the Stanley Cup window is open for the Wild, it’s as open as it has ever been. Kirill Kaprizov is leading the charge, on pace for a career high in points, and leads the league in goals. Quinn Hughes remains a superstar blueliner, and Jesper Wallstedt is holding down the fort behind a league-best defense. If the center depth can hold up, an area of weakness last season, the State of Hockey will be better positioned than ever to win its first Stanley Cup.
2. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are duking it out again with the Vegas Golden Knights for the Pacific Division title. Connor McDavid is somehow exceeding his already sky-high expectations, putting up a historic points pace. While he leads the league in points, his partner in crime Leon Draisaitl sits behind him in second, and Evan Bouchard is tied for fifth while leading all defensemen. The Oilers are once again an offensive powerhouse, and their start shows they aren’t being a contender in the West.
1. Carolina Hurricanes
The reigning champs deserve the spot as the NHL’s best team as long as they keep playing the way they have been. The Canes stand alone, especially with the poise and swagger that come with your name on the Stanley Cup. The offense is rocking, Pyotr Kochetkov has been excellent in net, and Rod Brind’Amour has them playing the same relentless brand of hockey that brought them to glory last season. Carolina is here to stay.
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