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The last time NHL players competed against each other internationally, it was back in 2016 during the outstanding, best-on-best World Cup of Hockey. Canada came out on top in a thrilling final eight years ago in Toronto, and after nearly a decade of waiting, they'll continue vying for hockey supremacy against Finland, Sweden and the USA in just over two months.
The 4 Nations Face-Off rosters were all finalized last week and unveiled publicly on Wednesday. As each general manager had a couple of impossible decisions to make (some more than others), there were naturally no shortage of snubs. Both Cole Caufield and Tage Thompson were left off the United States, which is head scratching to say the least. Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund was omitted from Sweden, while Jesperi Kotkaniemi didn't hear his name called for Finland.
Team Canada had so many elite players to pick from, they could have realistically iced a competitive ‘A' and ‘B' team. The list of exclusions is long and the amount of talent left on the table is astounding: Mark Scheifele, Connor Bedard, Steven Stamkos and Zach Hyman all didn't make it, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. It just goes to show how much hockey talent there is in North America.
Although there was a ton of disappointment last Wednesday, the anticipation for the event just continues to grow. That's especially true with no NHL participation in the Olympics since 2014. The puck won't drop on Canada-Sweden for another two months, but it's safe to say the highly-anticipated tournament is now just around the corner. It begins on February 12 at the Bell Centre in Montreal; the one-game final is set for February 20 at TD Garden in Boston.
But there's a lot of time between now and then, and no shortage of storylines in another busy slate heading into Week 10. A trade that seemed inevitable for months finally happened, and Jacob Trouba, you're an Anaheim Duck. Not to be outdone, the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche made a blockbuster of their own on Monday, with Mackenzie Blackwood and Alex Georgiev switching places. Lot going on in the NHL right now.
The holiday season is well underway, and it goes without saying that the movement in ClutchPoints' latest NHL Power Rankings is significant after a packed seven days. There may not be a new No. 1 or No. 32 in Week 10, but there's a ton of change in between. Let's dissect.
Previous 2024-25 NHL Power Rankings: Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Minnesota Wild (no change)
Although the Wild are technically no longer in first place — they're tied with the Capitals in points but have one less win — they remain at the NHL Power Rankings peak for at least one more week. A five-game heater was snapped by the red hot Kings on Saturday night, but Minnesota is now 18-5-4 and first place everywhere except in the President's Trophy race. And that's without Mats Zuccarello and now Joel Eriksson Ek, who joined his teammate on the injured reserve last week. The Wild are thriving despite the odds and the ailments, and it continues to be the Kirill Kaprizov and Filip Gustavsson show night in, night out. But seeing Jared Spurgeon healthy and productive must be an absolute treat for fans of this franchise — he's been a heart and soul player for over a decade. The good times keep rolling, and for the second straight week, the Wild are at the top of the mountain.
2. Washington Capitals (+2)
It was difficult not to put the Capitals in the No. 1 spot in the NHL Power Rankings after they leapfrogged the Wild to take over first place in the President's Trophy race. But despite the snub, Washington just continues to win games in 2024-25. Even without Alex Ovechkin. Make it six wins in seven games for the only NHL team that is averaging more than four goals per game this year. The Caps took care of a couple of Canadian opponents on the road in Week 9, defeating the Leafs (3-1) and Canadiens (4-2) on back-to-back nights to improve to 19-6-2. And Ovechkin is already back skating, just weeks after fracturing his fibula. He's built different, and Washington looks to be in the same mold this season. The summer acquisitions have excelled, the goaltending is fantastic, and no one in the league is scoring more goals. This has to be a Stanley Cup contender next spring.
3. Winnipeg Jets (-1)
We all wondered how long the historic Jets would be able to continue their torrid pace, and we have our answer: until the end of November. Winnipeg lost five of seven games between November 27 – December 8, dropping to 20-9-0 and conceding the top spot in the Central Division to the Wild. The early-season magic hasn't necessarily worn off, but it's certainly beginning to wane as the skid continues. In their last five losses, the Jets have scored just seven goals and not managed to get past regulation once. It's a disappointing spell for fans in Manitoba, although it's probably just a bump in the road for a squad that won 15 of its first 16 games in 2024-25. Still, the No. 1 spot in the NHL Power Rankings is looking far away for this roster right now. Winnipeg will look to right the ship against the surging Bruins at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night.
4. New Jersey Devils (-1)
The Devils continue to be excellent this season, and they've consistently been banking valuable points after a four-game skid at the end of October. Since the calendar flipped from the season's first month, New Jersey has basically won two games for every one loss, which has the club neck-and-neck with the Capitals at the top of the Eastern Conference. It certainly helps that the powerplay is clicking at 32.6 percent, good for tops in the league. But all six of the team's losses since November 1 have come in regulation, and a disappointing 4-0 shutout loss to the Avalanche on Sunday will cost the Devils a spot in the NHL Power Rankings. This is still looking like a contender to win the Metropolitan Division, and that's especially true the way the Rangers and Hurricanes have been playing lately.
5. Florida Panthers (no change)
Steady as she goes for the Panthers, who quickly rectified a four-game losing streak by triumphing in five of six contests. It won't quite be enough to get back into the top-four, but it's clear the delayed Stanley Cup hangover was short-lived. The top talent on Florida's roster is just outstanding; Sam Reinhart, Sasha Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe continue to produce prolifically for this team. But it's been the Matthew Tkachuk show lately; a strong contender to be Team USA's captain has managed a ridiculous 14 points in his last five games, and it's not at all surprising that the Cats picked up points in all five of those games. Now 17-9-2, Florida is back to first place in the Atlantic Division ahead of a long five-game road trip that has stops in Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Minnesota over the next 10 days.
6. Vegas Golden Knights (+3)
Adin Hill has completely turned his season around, and a contender to start for Team Canada at the 4 Nations has helped the Golden Knights rack off three consecutive wins. Hill has allowed just eight goals over his last five starts — and four of them have been wins. With that, Vegas is up to 18-7-3 and back to a once familiar spot at first place in the Pacific Division. The Knights took care of the Oilers, Ducks and Stars in Week 9, all in regulation, and are well deserving of a little bump up the NHL Power Rankings. They'll play three more games over the next seven days, all on the road; in Winnipeg on Thursday, Edmonton on Saturday and Minnesota on Sunday.
7. Los Angeles Kings (+3)
The hottest team in the National Hockey League is the Kings, who welcomed starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper back to the lineup on Saturday night against the first-place Wild. And LA halted Minnesota's five-game winning streak, with Kuemper turning aside 22 of 23 shots in the 4-1 victory. Make that five consecutive triumphs for Jim Hiller's club, who have roared into the top-10 of the NHL Power Rankings and are eyeing a debut in the top-five. Without a loss in December, the squad will be tested over the next two weeks, embarking on a season-long seven-game road trip. In Week 10, they'll visit Long Island, New Jersey and New York. A couple victories there could have one of the year's most impressive teams even higher on this list.
8. Dallas Stars (-2)
The Stars caught lightning in a bottle with their second line this season; the trio of Tyler Seguin, Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment has been just excellent. But Dallas received the devastating news that Seguin will miss 4-6 months; the Stanley Cup champion will again undergo major reconstructive hip surgery. He is likely done for the season, which is hugely disappointing; the former star is third on the team in scoring with 20 points in 19 games. The Stars are playing .500 hockey since near the end of November, and combined with the loss of Seguin, they're headed in the wrong direction down the NHL Power Rankings in Week 10. Still 17-10 and just six points back of the Central Division lead, Dallas is back in action against the lowly Predators at home on Thursday.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (-2)
Two consecutive losses for the Maple Leafs, two spots down the NHL Power Rankings. Toronto probably deserves better, but the continued outstanding play of the Golden Knights and Kings have left the hands tied. It was a .500 Week 9 showing; the Leafs beat the Blackhawks and Predators — the league's two worst teams — before losing to the Capitals and Penguins on back-to-back nights over the weekend. A 16-9-2 record is still fantastic, especially as Washington and Pittsburgh are both playing very good hockey right now. The Leafs head to New Jersey for a date with the Devils on Tuesday before heading home to Scotiabank Arena to welcome the Ducks two nights later.
10. Colorado Avalanche (+1)
Welcome to Colorado, Mackenzie Blackwood. The netminder was acquired from the Sharks in exchange for Alex Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko and two picks on Monday, and the Avs are hoping he will help them return to Stanley Cup form in 2024-25. He'll join a tandem with Scott Wedgewood, who was also traded to Denver last week. Make that three wins in four tries for the Avalanche, who are getting healthy and beginning to gain some momentum in the Western Conference. The returns of Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin have been massive, while Ross Colton is also back from a long IR stint. There's still a long way to go to the top of the Central, but eight points back of the division lead is very manageable, and this roster is starting to really round into form. It's a Nathan MacKinnon-Sidney Crosby showdown in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night — and it could be Blackwood's Avalanche debut.
11. Carolina Hurricanes (-3)
The Hurricanes were struggling mightily when Spencer Martin was being relied on as the starter. But as those struggles have continued with Pyotr Kochetkov back between the pipes, concern is starting to set in in Raleigh. The Canes have lost four of their last five games, being outscored 23 to 13 in the process. And Rod Brind'Amour is shuffling up the lines, with leading scorer Marty Necas joining Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis on the top line at Monday's practice. The latter two of those players will represent their country at the 4 Nations; the hope in Carolina is that the trio can help to spark the offense imminently. This club looked unstoppable a month ago, but the NHL is a tough league — and the Power Rankings aren't sentimental.
12. Edmonton Oilers (+2)
It was only a matter of time for the Oilers, and that time has come. Just like last season, Edmonton has turned it on after a slow start, winning five of six games and nine of 13 dating back to November 9. The offense is humming, which we all expected from this roster but were waiting to see take shape. It's up to 15-10-2 for Connor McDavid and co. which is impressive considering the Oil were once 6-7-1 in 2024-25. The recent heater has the club at the top of the Western Conference wild card race, still trailing the Golden Knights, Kings and Canucks in the Pacific Division. But just seven points separate Vegas and Edmonton, and there's still a long, long way to go. The Oilers have a tough five days, with tilts against the Lightning, Wild and those same Golden Knights on tap in Week 10.
13. Vancouver Canucks (no change)
As the Stars lost Seguin last week, so the Canucks lost a key contributor of their own. Filip Hronek, who has found a home in Vancouver — and on the top pair with Quinn Hughes — will miss roughly two months of action after undergoing lower-body surgery. That's extremely disappointing for the club, as Hronek has emerged into a cornerstone player. Despite the ailment, the Canucks are still playing well, having won five of eight and picked up points in six of those. And Thatcher Demko is finally healthy; he's backed up Kevin Lankinen for the last two games, but could be an option to make his season debut as soon as Tuesday night against the visiting Blues. After that, it's a date with the defending champions on Thursday before a 2011 Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Bruins on Saturday — both at Rogers Arena.
14. Tampa Bay Lightning (+1)
The Lightning beat the Canucks on a late Jake Guentzel goal on Sunday afternoon, but it wasn't quite enough to vault them over their outer-conference foes in the NHL Power Rankings. But close. Tampa has won three of four games, including an 8-1 shellacking of the Sharks on Thursday night. This offense has a ton of weapons, and Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel are putting together career-best campaigns. Both will play for Team Canada along with Brayden Point, who is on a heater of his own. Add Nikita Kucherov back to the mix — he registered three points in his return on Sunday — and this roster can go a long way up the rankings in 2024-25. Now 14-9-2, a Western road trip that began in Vancouver continues in Edmonton, Calgary and Seattle in Week 10.
15. Boston Bruins (+2)
Sometimes, all you need is a change. The Bruins have won seven of nine games since Joe Sacco took over for Jim Montgomery as head coach, improving to 15-11-3 and quickly rebounding from the mid-October to mid-November woes. The goaltending has been excellent from both Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo as of late, while the top guns have finally started to produce offensively. Boston is back in the conversation to win the Atlantic Division, currently sitting just three points back of the Panthers. They'll look to keep the positive momentum going during a five-game road trip that begins on Tuesday in Winnipeg.
16. New York Rangers (-4)
It's been a busy couple of weeks in the Big Apple. First, the rumors that Chris Kreider and even Mika Zibanejad could be on the trade block. Then, the Jacob Trouba saga finally concluding with the controversial defenseman being traded to the Anaheim Ducks. Finally, not even two days after, Igor Shesterkin becoming the highest paid goalie in NHL history after signing a monster eight-year, $92 million contract extension to stay in New York. But amid all of the noise, the Rangers are still performing poorly, having lost seven of nine games dating back to November 21. And they continue to tumble in the NHL Power Rankings after a phenomenal start. What is wrong with this roster? At 14-11-1, something is going to need to be done — and a trade makes a lot of sense now that Trouba's $8 million is off the books.
17. Pittsburgh Penguins (+8)
Although the Penguins have been brutal for most of the season, we can't forget that Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are still leading the way. And they've led Pittsburgh to five wins in six games, helping the Pens make the biggest jump of any team up the NHL Power Rankings in Week 10. Granted, there are a plethora of middling teams in the league right now, making it a lot easier to justify the significant bump. All of a sudden, the Penguins are just under .500 at 12-13-4 and a single point back of a wild card berth in the Eastern Conference. With Tristan Jarry back and playing well, could this club be a playoff dark horse? We'll have to wait and see, but there's hope again in Pennsylvania.
18. Utah Hockey Club (+3)
The Utah Hockey Club went through two brutal stretches, one in October and one in November. But the NHL's newest franchise city is righting the ship early in December, having won three of four games. Two of those wins can be contributed to rookie Jaxson Stauber, who picked up his first shutout in an electrifying 6-0 win over the Golden Knights last Saturday. Utah is back above .500 at 12-11-4, and fresh off back-to-back wins over the Sabres (5-2) on Saturday and Flyers (4-2) on Sunday. Now just four points out of a postseason spot, a huge challenge beckons when the first-place Wild visit Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
19. Calgary Flames (-3)
The Flames were looking fantastic at the end of November; a 12-6-3 record had the club near the top of the Western Conference. But the last couple of weeks have not been kind in Calgary, as the team has lost six of seven to fall completely out of a playoff spot. They are still just one point out, but the Flames have lost six of seven games, and basically all the momentum they had gained from a terrific start. A 13-10-5 record is still encouraging, but this team needs to right the ship quickly — and they'll have a great chance against the Predators on Tuesday, who have lost seven straight.
20. St. Louis Blues (+2)
The Bruins might be thriving without Montgomery behind the bench, but the Blues are doing the same with the 55-year-old involved. St. Louis has won four of six games and picked up a point in five of them, improving to 13-13-2 and beginning to get back to relevance in the Western Conference. It's very likely this will be a bubble team next spring, and every point is absolutely crucial. Jordan Binnington will play for Canada at the 4 Nations, and he's been playing like an above-average starter in 2024-25. The Blues are right at the end of a Western road trip; after beating the Jets and Flames before losing to the Oilers, they'll play the Canucks in Vancouver before heading home.
21. Columbus Blue Jackets (-2)
After a hugely encouraging stretch at the end of November, the Blue Jackets have cooled off. A stretch of five wins in six games was followed up by a difficult Western Canadian road trip; Columbus suffered three consecutive regulation losses in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver last week. But they stemmed the bleeding with a nice 4-1 victory over the Jets, getting back to .500 at 12-12-3. Despite a tough week, it's still been a consistent stretch of improved play for the Jackets, who are just two points out of a playoff spot. With the road trip finally over, the Jackets are headed home to welcome the Flyers, Capitals and Ducks to Nationwide Arena in Week 10.
22. Seattle Kraken (+1)
The Kraken continue to play .500 hockey in 2024-25, but it was an unusually great week in the Emerald City. Seattle won three of four games, all on the road — and all against Eastern Conference opponents. The Kraken dispatched the Hurricanes, Islanders and Rangers, losing a tight 3-2 final to the Devils in between. Overall, a solid showing for Dan Bylsma's club, who have been getting a lot more goals as of late. Only three points separates this team from the Avalanche for the second wild card berth in the West ahead of a four-game homestand that begins against the defending Stanley Cup champions on Tuesday.
23. Philadelphia Flyers (-3)
The Flyers have slowly been creeping up the Eastern Conference table, but they didn't do themselves any favors in Week 9, dropping three consecutive contests. Philly gave up 15 goals in that span, managing to secure just one total point in losses to the Panthers (7-5), Bruins (4-3 in OT) and Utah Hockey Club (4-2). Three losses, three spots down the NHL Power Rankings for John Tortorella's team, who are still .500 at 12-12-4. The Capitals, Devils and Hurricanes are starting to pull away in the Metro, but the Flyers continue to hang around through over a quarter of the season. Philly is in Columbus to try to halt the three-game skid on Tuesday night.
24. Buffalo Sabres (-6)
Things have just completely fallen off the rails for one of the most frustrating teams in all of North American professional sports. The Sabres are again out of sorts, having lost six in a row — five of those at home. The squad has been booed more than once over that stretch, but most audibly in a brutal 5-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday afternoon. It's back down to 11-13-2 for Lindy Ruff's club, and things are going horribly in his return to Western New York. Something needs to change quickly in a campaign that is going down the drain in real time. The Sabres absolutely need a win against the also lowly Red Wings on Monday — and expect even more boos if they don't.
25. Ottawa Senators (+3)
The Senators certainly haven't been great as of late, but they haven't been too bad either — and that's good enough for a bump up the NHL Power Rankings the way a few other clubs have played. Ottawa has won four of seven, picked up a point in five of those, and nearly returned to .500 at 12-13-2. They're equal distance away from the Eastern Conference basement as they are to securing a playoff spot, and the way the campaign has went, it's likely to continue being an up-and-down season in Canada's capital. Following a tough 4-2 loss to the Islanders at home, the Sens are off for a few days before welcoming the Ducks to the Canadian Tire Centre for the only time this year.
26. New York Islanders (+3)
Like the Senators, the Islanders probably don't deserve such a significant move up the NHL Power Rankings — but teams like the Red Wings and Predators are helping. Still, New York has won two in a row, an encouraging back-to-back set of victories vs. Carolina and Ottawa, respectively. It's back to .500 for Patrick Roy's club at 11-11-7, and Mathew Barzal has begun skating on his own. His return can't come soon enough, and the same can be said for Anthony Duclair and Adam Pelech. At full strength, this should be much closer to a playoff bubble team than one just battling to stay out of the Metropolitan Division basement.
27. Anaheim Ducks (-1)
Welcome to California, Jacob Trouba. Reportedly, the former Rangers captain was told by the front office he would be waived if he didn't agree to a trade. He said no to Columbus, but gave the green light to a move that sent him to the Ducks for a player and a pick. The 30-year-old will suit up for Anaheim on Monday night against the Canadiens at the Bell Centre — a great place to make his debut with the team. It was a whirlwind week for Trouba, but he'll be back to focusing on hockey with a young Ducks team that is hanging around to the tune of a 10-12-3 record in 2024-25. After losing five of seven — and giving up 22 goals in that span — head coach Greg Cronin will be eager to get the newest member of the team into the lineup.
28. San Jose Sharks (+2)
Just minutes before the NHL Power Rankings was published, the Sharks pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Avalanche. Blackwood is headed to Denver, while San Jose is getting two picks (including a second), Kovalenko and Georgiev. It's a great trade for the Sharks, especially as Blackwood was a pending UFA — as is Georgiev. GM Mike Grier took on the struggling netminder, and got two picks and a solid prospect in Kovalenko for his trouble. It'll be interesting to see how much the Russian plays, but he should step into the lineup right away. After three straight wins, the Sharks have lost two in a row, but they still get a rare jump up the ranks ahead of Week 10. There are a lot of offensive weapons, but Georgiev is going to have a tough time behind his new blue line.
29. Detroit Red Wings (-2)
Patrick Kane made his return to Detroit's lineup after a five-game absence on Thursday against the Senators, but not even the three-time Stanley Cup champion was able to stem the bleeding for one of the NHL's most disappointing teams. The Red Wings are a disaster, having lost five games in a row and nine of 12 overall. It doesn't help that both Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon are on the shelf with injuries, leaving Ville Husso to man starting duties. After a couple of coaching changes around the league, it's truly shocking that Derek Lalonde still has a job behind the bench. We're nine years into the rebuild, and this is not where any Detroit fan thought the franchise would be a decade ago. Now 10-13-4, the Wings are closer to the Eastern Conference basement than a playoff spot — and if the team directly below them in the NHL Power Rankings has a good week, they could really be last place before Week 11. Can anything but a coaching change turn this organization around in 2024-25?
30. Montreal Canadiens (+1)
Welcome back, Patrik Laine. The Finnish sniper proved that he can still put the puck in the back of the net, recording two powerplay goals in his first two games as a member of the Canadiens. The former was a 2-1 overtime win over the Islanders; the latter, a 3-0 victory over the spiralling Predators two nights later. Although the week ended in a 4-2 loss to the Eastern Conference's best team in the Capitals, it was still an encouraging stretch in Montreal. Laine's return is a huge boost to a club that was middling in the Atlantic Division, and there's some hope that this team can string a couple of wins together with him back on the ice. It helps that Samuel Montembeault has been playing great hockey between the pipes lately, earning him a coveted spot on Team Canada. Now 10-14-3, all eyes will remain on Laine as he tries to help the Habs get back above .500 in 2024-25.
31. Nashville Predators (-7)
The NHL Power Rankings has finally seen enough when it comes to the Predators. Too much, in fact. Nashville is just terrible, and the time has come to stop acting like a tweak or two will get this roster back to playoff contention. The Preds have astoundingly lost seven straight games and 11 of 13 dating back to November 11, and they're just two points up on the lowly Blackhawks and last place. GM Barry Trotz has said he's not afraid to rebuild this roster after the ghastly start, and what's he waiting for? This squad has a ton of problems, and clearly, they're way too big for Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei to fix. Ryan O'Reilly going down long-term doesn't help things one bit, either. After ‘winning' free agent frenzy, the Predators are turning into a joke in 2024-25. If this horrible play keeps up, the dominoes are going to start falling in the Music City.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (no change)
The nightmare continues for the Blackhawks, who are looking like the Sharks from the 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings — a team that will never come out of the basement. It's a long campaign, but this is looking like the worst roster in the National, and it isn't close. Chicago has lost five games in a row and nine of 11 overall; they remain without a point in December after every one of those five defeats came in regulation. It seemed like only a matter of time before a change needed to be made, and that happened in Week 9. Luke Richardson was fired from his first head coaching gig in his third season at the helm. It goes without saying that the 55-year-old can't be faulted too much for the abysmal 8-17-2 record; it's probably going to take years for this franchise to turn things around. And right now, they might as well already be mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.
