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After 16 NHL seasons, two Stanley Cup championships and 555 goals in a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey, Steven Stamkos will make his highly-anticipated return to Amalie Arena on Monday night. The franchise legend was supposed to spend his entire Hall of Fame career with the Bolts, but the hockey gods had different plans this summer. Instead, Stamkos took his talents to Smashville, signing a four-year, $32 million pact with the Predators on July 1.
Stamkos' return will be as emotional as any National Hockey League homecoming in recent memory. He was the heartbeat of the Lightning for over a decade and a half, and the contributions the former captain made to the organization can hardly be defined. It'll be intriguing to see if the 34-year-old can find the back of the net in the most important game of his regular-season. Regardless, Preds-Bolts on Monday should be appointment viewing for hockey fans.
Heading into Week 4 of the 2024-25 campaign, there's still one undefeated team left — leaving no wonder as to who vaults into the top spot in ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings. The Winnipeg Jets earned that distinction after going a perfect 8-0 to begin their campaign. Dating back to the end of 2023-24, the Jets have now impressively won 16 consecutive regular-season games. Although the squad is desperate to have this kind of success in the playoffs, it's a phenomenal start nonetheless.
Meanwhile, the NHL Global Series continues this weekend as the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars fly to Finland for the next iteration of the festivities. The two powerhouses will do battle in a back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday at Nokia Arena in Tampere — the league's 45th and 46th regular-season games outside of North America dating back to 1997.
With all teams now having played at least seven games — and some as many as 12 — the new season is fast approaching the 1/8 mark. And after a telling seven days of hockey, there has again been quite a bit of movement in the latest NHL Power Rankings. Let's see how it shakes out ahead of an eventful week.
Previous 2024-25 NHL Power Rankings: Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Winnipeg Jets (+1)
For the third time in four weeks, there's a new team leading the NHL Power Rankings. The Jets are looking like a well-oiled machine, with eight players scoring at a point-per-game pace or better. That includes Kyle Connor, who has one in every game this year, and former first-rounder Cole Perfetti, who looks like he's finally ready to break out in 2024-25. Winnipeg is getting contributions from all over the lineup, with guys like Mason Appleton, Nino Niederreiter and Neal Pionk all playing well above their respective pay grades. Add outstanding play from Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes — he's given up just 10 goals over six starts — and you can see why the Jets have been unbeatable through eight games. This roster has shown no signs of slowing down, and they'll look to make it a perfect nine-in-nine against the visiting Leafs on Monday night.
2. Dallas Stars (-1)
The Stars enjoyed a two-week reign at the top of the NHL Power Rankings, but all good things must come to an end. Still, Dallas remains second in league standings at 7-2 after winning two of their last three games. The Central Division is starting to look like a problem, and the Stars and Jets should be battling for the crown all year long. On tap for the squad this week is a long flight to Finland ahead of the franchise's first ever games outside of North America. That'll be a treat for Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell, who will be thrilled to play NHL hockey in their home country. The games are set for 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday afternoon and 11:00 a.m. ET on Saturday morning; the league will be thrilled to have two of the sport's premier teams participating.
3. New York Rangers (no change)
The reigning President's Trophy winners are looking like a behemoth yet again; the Rangers now sport a sparkling 6-1-1 record on the campaign. That's just behind the Devils for tops in the Eastern Conference, although the Blueshirts do have four games in hand. They also have Alexis Lafreniere locked up — the former No. 1 overall pick signed a massive seven-year deal that kicks in next season. He should be a great player for this franchise for a long time, although it'll be interesting to see how he performs if he loses access to Artemi Panarin at some point. New York is expected to be a regular-season powerhouse again in 2024-25, and so far, it's business as usual for the East's best team.
4. Florida Panthers (+1)
The Panthers will be joining the Stars in Tampere later this week, although there's pressing business to attend to before that. Florida is in Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Monday night before flying overseas, which does seem like it could have been scheduled better. Still, the Cats have been great without captain Aleksander Barkov, winning five of seven to lead the Atlantic Division at 6-3-1. The squad won't be without the reigning Selke Trophy winner any longer, as Barkov is set to make his triumphant return to the lineup on Monday. That'll be a huge boost for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who are proving that their depth is one of their best weapons. Look for Barkov to make a huge impact in his hometown over the weekend.
5. Vegas Golden Knights (+1)
The Golden Knights have been one of the league's streakiest teams in the early going, winning three, losing three, then winning three again. Vegas will take that — a 6-2-1 record — which is good enough for first place in the Pacific Division. Putting Jack Eichel and Mark Stone on the same line was a genius move by head coach Bruce Cassidy, as the duo are tearing it up so far. That might even be underplaying it; Stone is leading the league with 17 points in just nine contests, while Eichel has 15 of his own. Ilya Samsonov also looks like he could be the answer between the pipes, as he's far outplaying Stanley Cup champion Adin Hill right now. The Knights are looking great, and they'll be looking to break the pattern and win their fourth consecutive game against the visiting Flames on Monday.
6. New Jersey Devils (-2)
The first Hughes Bowl of the year takes place on Wednesday night, as Jack and Luke's Devils are headed West to play Quinn and the Canucks. It's the first time the trio will all take the ice together since last December, and the first since they were named EA Sports NHL 25 cover athletes. All three of them hit the scoresheet the last time New Jersey and Vancouver faced off, a 6-5 shooting gallery at Rogers Arena. Reeling after losing four of their last five games — and taking a slide down the NHL Power Rankings — the Devils are looking to get back on track. They've played more games than any other team, but have fallen to 6-4-2 ahead of a three-game road trip that also has stops in Calgary and Edmonton this week.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (no change)
Monday night will be one of the more emotional nights in the history of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos returning in a Predators jersey just won't feel right — he was probably meant to retire in a Bolts jersey after amassing 1,137 points and two Stanley Cups with the franchise. But that's the business, and Tampa is off to a much better start than Nashville in 2024-25. Sitting at 5-3 after winning two of three, Monday's tilt will be followed by a four-game road trip with stops in Colorado, Minnesota, Winnipeg and St. Louis. Expect a well-deserved, deafening ovation for the Lightning's all-time leading scorer and longest-serving campaign at Amalie Arena.
8. Vancouver Canucks (+3)
After a shaky start to the campaign, the Canucks are surging — and proving why they won the Pacific Division last year. Make that four victories in a row for Vancouver, with Kevin Lankinen between the pipes for all of them. The veteran has looked excellent in Thatcher Demko's absence, and head coach Rick Tocchet will likely continue riding the hot hand until the star American is ready to return. Elias Pettersson finally has a 5-on-5 goal, and maybe it'll help spark a turnaround for the struggling forward. Still, the roster looks like it's rounding into form, with only three points separating the Canucks from the Golden Knights for top spot in the division — and two games in hand. The Hughes Bowl is on tap on Wednesday night, but first, the Hurricanes visit Rogers Arena on Monday.
9. Minnesota Wild (+4)
The hot start continues for the Wild in 2024-25 — Minnesota has been defeated just once in regulation in eight games. It did happen to be a brutal 7-5 loss to the Flyers on Saturday afternoon, although that came after four straight wins. Besides the blip, Filip Gustavsson has been excellent in the crease, while Kirill Kaprizov is putting together a legitimate Hart Trophy case. The superstar winger is up to 15 points in just eight games, good for third in league scoring. The Wild are looking much better than last year, and that's without captain Jared Spurgeon for much of their early-season schedule. They're into the top-10 in the NHL Power Rankings; how high can this team go? We'll continue finding out on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. That will be another emotional homecoming, as it's Marc-Andre Fleury's last game in the city where he won three Stanley Cups.
10. Colorado Avalanche (+5)
We all knew it was only a matter of time before the Avalanche figured things out — and that's exactly what they've done. Despite the forward core looking like a shell of what it can be when fully healthy, Colorado has won five games in a row and vaulted into the NHL Power Rankings top-10 — a place they are quite familiar with. With Alexandar Georgiev floundering, coach Jared Bednar has given Justus Annunen a look as the No. 1, and he's been excellent. The Finn has won four straight games, allowing just eight goals in that span. And Cale Makar continues proving why he's one of the greatest defensemen of all time; he's added a ridiculous 16 points in nine games. It looks like the Avalanche are just starting to round into form, and they're only going to get better once Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin are injected into the lineup.
11. Calgary Flames (-2)
It's been a tough stretch for the Flames, who followed up four straight wins to start the year with losses in three of four. A 5-2-1 record is still extremely encouraging, but the squad needs to turn it around and not let things get out of hand. After playing in Vegas on Monday night, Calgary will head to Utah to play their first tilt in Salt Lake City — and it'll also be No. 1000 for Mikael Backlund. Backlund has been a staple on the Flames' roster for over a decade, and he'll be just the second player to play 1,000 contests with the franchise, joining legend Jarome Iginla. Backlund has quietly put together a phenomenal career, having finished top-10 in Selke Trophy voting three times. He'll hope to be part of the solution during a busy four-game slate in Week 4.
12. Utah Hockey Club (-4)
After a couple of exciting weeks, things have started to fall apart for the Utah Hockey Club. Sean Durzi and John Marino, who are both key pieces of the blue line in Salt Lake City, are going to be out of the lineup for a matter of months. And Connor Ingram has been unable to find last year's form; he's struggled mightily over his last few starts. And with that, it's three straight losses and four in the last five. That has Utah freefalling, both in the NHL Power Rankings and Western Conference standings. The team has also scored just five goals in the last four, so there's cause for concern at all three positions. It'll be interesting to see if GM Bill Armstrong goes out and gets a defenseman to help shore up the blue line. Right now, the red hot start has been all but forgotten in hockey's newest state.
13. Toronto Maple Leafs (-3)
The Leafs looked fantastic in a 5-2 shellacking of the Lightning last Monday, but the success was short-lived. Toronto limped through the rest of the week, losing three straight games — the finale in overtime against Brad Marchand and the rival Bruins. The Leafs are back to .500 at 4-4-1, and were on the wrong end of a couple of beatdowns in Week 3. Who saw this club losing 6-2 to the Blue Jackets and 5-1 to the Blues? Not this spectator, at least. With Joseph Woll healthy, he and Anthony Stolarz will compete for the starting role, but the goaltending needs to be better than it's been over the last seven days. The Leafs will look to finally hand the Jets a loss at Canada Life Centre on Monday night.
14. Edmonton Oilers (no change)
The Oilers have won two straight games to return to .500, the first time they've broken even since the 2024-25 campaign kicked off. Edmonton is going to be just fine — we saw this song and dance last season — and all eyes this week will be on the captain. Connor McDavid is just eight points away from 1,000, and his Oilers play three games this week. Expecting eight in three is lofty, but if anyone can do it, it's No. 97. Regardless, McDavid will likely be the fourth-fastest player to reach 1,000; he's played just 654 career regular-season games. He should inch even closer on a road trip that takes Edmonton through Columbus, Nashville and Calgary this week.
15. Carolina Hurricanes (+3)
That's more like it for the Hurricanes, who are ready to simultaneously surge up the NHL Power Rankings and league standings. Carolina has won three straight and five of six after a home-opening loss to the Lightning. The top line of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov is starting to heat up, while Shayne Gostisbehere is looking rejuvenated on the back end. Of course, Frederik Andersen continues to be lights out between the pipes; he's one of the more underrated goaltenders of the last decade. This is the Canes team we all expected to see in 2024-25, and the hot streak is even more impressive considering six of their first seven have been on the road. That lengthy road trip concludes on Monday in Vancouver as Carolina looks to make it four consecutive triumphs.
16. Los Angeles Kings (+1)
The Kings are on a hot streak of their own, having won four of their last five games. That's extremely encouraging considering starter Darcy Kuemper was on the shelf for four of them; David Rittich has filled in splendidly for LA. Now 5-2-2, the Kings are back to being a stingy defensive team, another encouraging sign without the services of Drew Doughty. This roster certainly has the talent to battle for the Pacific Division crown next April. Next up is a visit to San Jose to play the winless Sharks on Tuesday before the Golden Knights and Blackhawks visit Crypto.com Arena later this week.
17. Boston Bruins (-5)
Jim Montgomery laying into Brad Marchand on the Bruins bench spun out of control last week, with the interaction going viral and leading to both player and coach commenting on it to reporters. On the ice, it's been a disaster for Boston; the team has lost four of six games and fallen to second-last place in the Atlantic Division. A .500 record is not what anyone in Beantown anticipated, and it's cost the Bruins valuable ground in the NHL Power Rankings. Jeremy Swayman looks to still be shaking off the rust after allowing 12 goals in his last three starts. Overall, not good times at all in New England. The Bruins will look to build on a Hockey Night in Canada victory over the Leafs against the lowly Flyers on Tuesday night at TD Garden.
18. Washington Capitals (+1)
After a five-game heater, the Capitals were shut out by a familiar face in Andrei Vasilevskiy and his Lightning on Saturday night. Despite that, Washington is off to a fantastic start, sitting 5-2 and hanging around the top of the Metropolitan Division despite playing five less games than the Devils. Both Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson have been great between the pipes, and the pair will likely continue splitting the net the way things are going. Alex Ovechkin is up to two goals and five points in seven games, while Dylan Strome is leading the team with nine points in the same span. The Caps are headed back to the nation's capital for a three-game homestand against the Rangers, Canadiens and Blue Jackets this week.
19. St. Louis Blues (-3)
After winning four of their first six, the Blues have dropped two of three and fallen to just above .500. It's not a terrible place to be, but has St. Louis on the outside looking in for a wildcard berth. To make matters worse, star forward Robert Thomas fractured his ankle, an injury that could cost him two months or more. That's devastating for the roster, especially considering Torey Krug is already likely to be out for the entire year. The Blues will be treading water without their best forward, and it'll be interesting to see who steps up in Missouri. A four-game road trip that began last week has final stops in Ottawa and Philadelphia before STL heads home for five straight at Enterprise Center.
20. Nashville Predators (+3)
Stamkos' tenure with the Predators got off to a brutal start, but things are starting to turn around for the sniper's new club. Nashville went from 0-5 to 3-5 last week, defeating the Bruins, Blackhawks and Blue Jackets — the finale on a beautiful Jonathan Marchessault OT winner. All eyes now turn to Tampa Bay as Stamkos makes his first return on Monday night. There shouldn't be a dry eye in the house at Amalie Arena when the two-time champion is honored by his former team. For hockey fans, it's going to be plain weird watching Stamkos play a hockey game against the Lightning. You know No. 91 would love to score against his old squad, and expect the best game of the veteran's year so far.
21. Ottawa Senators (-1)
The next four teams in the NHL Power Rankings all have a few things in common. Besides all being in the Atlantic Division, all four of them are exactly .500 through three weeks. Each of the Senators, Sabres, Canadiens and Red Wings are looking to break long playoff droughts, but none have been able to separate themselves from the pack in the early going. For Ottawa, it's back to .500 after consecutive ugly losses to the Golden Knights and Avalanche in Week 3. Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg each got a start; the former allowed six to Vegas on Friday, while the latter let in five against Colorado two nights later. The Sens will look to get back on track when the Blues visit the Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday.
22. Buffalo Sabres (+3)
Just when it looked like the Sabres' abysmal showing in the NHL Global Series was going to snowball, Buffalo stopped the bleeding by winning three games in a row in Week 3. After victories over Chicago, Dallas and Detroit, the Sabres are back to .500 at 4-4-1. That's not bad at all considering the record was 1-4-1 not too long ago. A catalyst is Tage Thompson returning to form; he's up to seven goals and 11 points in nine games. Buffalo will look to continue surging against Barkov and the Panthers at KeyBank Center on Monday — they're already sitting No. 3 in the Atlantic Division despite the slow start.
23. Montreal Canadiens (+1)
Like the Sabres just above them, the Habs are sitting 4-4-1 and hanging around the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The loss of Juraj Slafkovsky is disappointing, but Montreal was able to beat St. Louis (5-2) and Philadelphia (4-3) without the former first overall pick. That's encouraging, as has been the play of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The star duo has a combined for 20 points in 18 games, and this team will continue going as far as those two takes them. With Slafkovsky likely to return in Week 4, the Canadiens will look to continue stringing together some wins to keep pace in a tight division.
24. Detroit Red Wings (-2)
The final .500 team in the Atlantic Division is the Red Wings, who have struggled to build any kind of meaningful momentum through three weeks. Now 4-4-1 after back-to-back defeats, the early season has not been going to plan. Head coach Derek Lalonde reportedly remains on the hot seat, and the team's play as of late is not doing him any favors. It's been a long playoff drought in Motown, and Detroit is desperate to break through and make the playoffs next spring. That quest is going to be quite challenging with how many decent teams there are in the East. The grind continues against the Jets and Sabres — both at Little Caesars Arena — this week.
25. Seattle Kraken (-4)
After a strong start to the campaign, the Kraken have come crashing down with three consecutive defeats. To Seattle's defense, playing Colorado, Winnipeg and Carolina back-to-back-to-back is the opposite of ideal, but the team is down to 4-4-1 nonetheless. It feels like there are a ton of teams with that exact record. Things don't get any easier; the Kraken are embarking on a brutal five-game road trip that will take the club through Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston and Colorado over the next nine days. Although it's early, that trip will be massive for Seattle's playoff hopes down the line. Jared McCann has been far and away this team's best player, with 12 points in nine games. Besides Jordan Eberle, no one else on the roster has more than five.
26. New York Islanders (no change)
Another average week for the Islanders, who can't find a way to make up some ground in the NHL Power Rankings. The most concerning things about New York's start is the fact that the team has been shut out three times over eight games. That's not at all encouraging, and it'll be interesting to see if Lou Lamoriello goes out and gets another forward after Anthony Duclair's disappointing injury. Another .500 team at 3-3-2, the Isles are as mundane as it gets in the early going. It's time for Mat Barzal to return to his point-per-game ways if this squad hopes to make it three consecutive playoff appearances.
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (+4)
Even without Boone Jenner, Dmitri Voronkov and now Kent Johnson, the Blue Jackets are faring surprisingly well through three weeks. Believe it or not, Columbus is also .500, playing to a 3-3-1 record. Although some teams will be disappointed to be there, the Jackets should be pretty content, especially considering they've played less games than almost every other team. Daniil Tarasov has staked his claim on the starting job, and the Russian has been solid between the pipes in Ohio. And it's another Russian leading the offense, with Kirill Marchenko up to four goals and nine points in seven games. It's great to see Columbus doing well this early, although the long-term outlook in 2024-25 remains poor. Still, they get a nice jump up the NHL Power Rankings in Week 4.
28. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)
The Penguins are lucky they aren't falling further in the NHL Power Rankings after failing to secure a single win since October 16. The Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin milestone game was absolutely electric, with Sid hitting 1,600 points and Geno scoring his 500th in a come-from-behind OT victory. But it's been a nightmare since; Pittsburgh has lost five straight, managing to grab just a single point in that span. The Penguins would love, like many other teams, to be .500. Instead, they're 3-6-1, and not looking like anything close to a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. If Crosby, Malkin and Erik Karlsson can't turn the ship around, it's going to be another disappointing campaign in Pennsylvania. Tuesday night is a big one, with Penguins legend MAF in town for the last time.
29. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
Although there was some hope that Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks would take a step forward in 2024-25, it's been another brutal start in the Windy City. The Hawks have lost four straight to fall to 2-6-1, and they've managed just nine goals in that span. The rebuild is going to take a couple more years in Chicago, but the hope was that the team would be at least a little bit better this time around. That's especially true after the additions of Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen and Ilya Mikheyev over the summer. It'll be interesting to see if this squad can turn things around, or if the only thing making the roster worth watching will be No. 98 before long.
30. Anaheim Ducks (no change)
After starting the campaign encouragingly, it's back to mediocrity for the 2024-25 Ducks. Anaheim has lost four of five games to fall to 3-4-1 and second-last in the Pacific Division. On the bright side, Lukas Dostal looks like the goaltender of the future, and he's been exceptional between the pipes. The 24-year-old has given his team a chance to win every time he's guarding the cage, but the Ducks have managed just 18 goals in eight games. That's not a recipe for any kind of success, and it's discouraging considering the plethora of young talent on Anaheim's roster. Like Chicago, it looks like it's going to take a couple more years before this team is good, and the bottom of the NHL Power Rankings could become a familiar place for this club. A four-game road trip continues against the Islanders and Penguins in Week 4.
31. Philadelphia Flyers (-2)
The Flyers lost nine of their last 11 games to shockingly miss the postseason in 2023-24 — and early on this year, Philly looks equally as futile. After six losses in eight tries in 2024-25, the Flyers are dead last in the Eastern Conference with a dismal 2-6-1 record. A 7-5 victory over the Wild was, well, wild, and Sean Couturier turned back the clock by scoring a hat trick against the cross-conference opponents. That's encouraging, but there isn't much else to be excited about in the City of Brotherly Love. The tandem of Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov is just not getting it done, and there are already reports that John Tortorella could be on the hot seat in Philadelphia. That's probably a bit premature, but the Flyers weren't anywhere near the No. 31 spot in the NHL Power Rankings over the last calendar year. Philly is at TD Garden to play the Bruins on Tuesday night.
32. San Jose Sharks (no change)
We're just three weeks into the 2024-25 NHL season, and it looks like we have a permanent basement dweller in the NHL Power Rankings. It took the 2023-24 Sharks 11 games to win their first, and through nine tries this time around, it's 0-7-2 for San Jose. Just absolutely brutal scenes for a team that cannot buy a victory over the last two years. Macklin Celebrini hasn't played since his electric debut, and if he doesn't return soon, this roster might never win. That's not serious, but the Sharks failing to improve on last year's paltry 19 wins could be a real thing. And that would be worst-case scenario for a front office that made a few tweaks over the summer. Hopefully at this time next week, all 32 teams will have at least one victory. But the way things are going, we aren't holding our breath.
