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For the second straight season, the defending Stanley Cup champions are in the midst of a delayed title hangover. In 2023-24, the Vegas Golden Knights won 11 of their first 12 games before losing eight of 11 and being usurped from the top spot in ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings. This time around, the Florida Panthers are in a similar boat; Paul Maurice's club roared out to an 11-3-1 start before dropping five of six to fall out of first place in the Atlantic Division.
The Cats are going to be fine — just like the Knights ended up being last season — but it's been a disappointing stretch for the franchise nonetheless. Although it's taken over a month to materialize in each of the last two campaigns, it looks like the dreaded championship hangover is still alive and well.
Headlining Week 8 of the National Hockey League slate is American Thanksgiving; the league will step aside and let the NFL rule the day, with no games scheduled for Thursday this week. It's a generally packed slate otherwise, with 15 tilts set for Wednesday, 14 for Friday and 12 for Saturday. That includes a day of staggered action on Friday; the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers kick things off at 1:00 p.m. ET, with games continuing throughout the day. That should be a terrific 12 hours of hockey.
Besides Thanksgiving, there are storylines aplenty this week. The St. Louis Blues have a new coach after firing Drew Bannister and scooping up Jim Montgomery just days after he was let go by the Boston Bruins. Alex Ovechkin is facing the longest injury absence of his career after fracturing his fibula last week, a brutal blow considering how well the Russian had been playing. And Sidney Crosby is the 21st player to score 600 goals — it's unfortunate that it happened while his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are on the verge of a fire sale.
With the 2024-25 season nearly two full months in, the movement in the latest edition of the NHL Power Rankings is significant as a busy month of November reaches its climax. Let's dive into it.
Previous 2024-25 NHL Power Rankings: Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Winnipeg Jets (no change)
The Jets lost two games in a row for the first time in 2024-25 back in Week 6, and dropped just their fourth of the season to the Predators on Saturday night. It's not going to be enough for Winnipeg to be usurped in the NHL Power Rankings — not nearly enough — but it at least proved that this roster is mortal after a historic start. A 17-4 record is still an absolute dream for fans of this franchise, although three losses in five games is probably enough to have a couple players holding the stick a little tighter. The Jets are on a six-game road trip that has already passed through Pittsburgh and Nashville, and continues in Minnesota, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Dallas in Week 8. Monday night's game against the Wild pits the two top teams in the NHL Power Rankings against each other, and the Connor Hellebuyck-Filip Gustavsson duel should be salivating for hockey fans.
2. Minnesota Wild (+2)
Although Kirill Kaprizov missed a 4-3 shootout loss to the Flames on Saturday, the Hart Trophy favorite avoided a serious injury and should be back in the lineup at some point this week. The Wild can't afford one of the best players in the league to miss any time, especially if they hope to keep up this ridiculous pace. Minnesota is 13-3-4, now second place in league standings and just four points back of the Jets with a game in hand. They can get even closer in what should be a terrific Central Division clash between Winnipeg and Minnesota on Monday night. It's a well deserved No. 2 spot in the NHL Power Rankings for an inspired team. Could a Wild victory set things in motion for a potential No. 1 debut next week?
3. Carolina Hurricanes (no change)
Despite two consecutive losses, the Hurricanes remain in a top three spot in the NHL Power Rankings after picking up a point in five of seven games. Carolina is 14-5-1 and battling the Devils for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. Although New Jersey has a one-point advantage, Carolina has three games in hand. The Canes received brutal news on Frederik Andersen last week; the veteran will be out 8-12 weeks after undergoing knee surgery. The Swede has been phenomenal throughout his tenure in Raleigh, but he's spending less and less time between the pipes as injuries continue to pile up. As it is, Pyotr Kochetkov is doing a terrific job in the crease, and he'll continue leading the way until at least the New Year. The Hurricanes have the league's hardest schedule in Week 8, playing the Stars, Rangers and Panthers twice.
4. New Jersey Devils (+2)
The Devils have been one of the NHL's best teams in the month of November, putting together a sparkling 7-3 record in that stretch. It's even more impressive considering their last four wins came against the Panthers (x2), Hurricanes and Capitals, three of the league's top 10 clubs. New Jersey was getting above average play from Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes, but now the two are well above point-per-game and carrying the offense. Dougie Hamilton looks no worse for wear after missing most of last season, and Jacob Markstrom has settled well into the starting role. The Devils finished third in the league in 2022-23, and two years later, they look poised for another top finish.
5. Florida Panthers (-3)
Just as the Golden Knights suffered through it last fall, the Panthers are officially in the midst of the Stanley Cup hangover. It really didn't look like it was going to hit after Florida won 11 of 15 games to start the 2024-25 season. But, just like last year, it was a bit delayed. There's no reason to panic with a roster as potent as this, but Sergei Bobrovsky has certainly not been good through this stretch. In fact, he's been downright poor, and Spencer Knight will start for the second time in three games against the Capitals at home on Monday night. The Cats will figure things out, but it turns out they aren't immortal after all — and the NHL Power Rankings doesn't play favorites.
6. Dallas Stars (+1)
The Stars have fully erased the memory of a difficult NHL Global Series in Finland last month, and the club is back to the form hockey fans are used to seeing from this roster. Dallas has prevailed in two straight and six of eight, improving to 13-6 and sitting eight points back of the Jets in the Central Division — with two games in hand. Although Matt Duchene continues to lead the way from the second line and second powerplay unit, Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston have started to figure it out. All three need to be much better, but considering the strength of the offensive depth and the way Jake Oettinger is playing between the pipes, the Stars look like a wagon regardless.
7. Vegas Golden Knights (+1)
The Golden Knights have played out a wacky pattern through their first 10 games of November: two wins, two losses, two wins, two losses, two wins. With that, Vegas is 13-6-2 and just holding off the Flames for the Pacific Division crown. With Mark Stone out of the lineup, a couple of familiar faces have been stepping up, with William Karlsson and Ivan Barbashev playing inspired hockey along with Jack Eichel. Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov have both been up-and-down between the pipes, but when they're on, this is still one of the better teams in the National. The Knights are in the midst of a five-game road trip, with final stops in Philadelphia and Colorado this week before a huge tilt against the Jets at T-Mobile Arena on Friday.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs (+2)
For some reason, the Maple Leafs are prolific without Auston Matthews in the lineup. Toronto is on a heater without the American superstar, with four consecutive wins and seven in eight tries dating back to November 5. The team is 6-1 without No. 34 this season, and 41-21-2 overall without the superstar. He should be back in the fold this week, which is huge news regardless of how well the squad has done without him. The Leafs are scoring a ton of goals and getting great goaltending, which hasn't always been the case for the blue and white. Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are forming a terrific duo, and Toronto is first place in the Atlantic Division. A top five spot in the NHL Power Rankings is not out of the question if Matthews comes back strong and the club keeps on winning.
9. New York Rangers (-4)
The Rangers haven't performed well over the past couple of weeks, playing .500 hockey since November 7. But a bombshell report from Elliotte Friedman on Monday pointed to New York looking to shake up its roster, with players in leadership roles — including Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba — being explored as trade candidates. Would the Blueshirts really trade Kreider, a player who has spent his entire career with the franchise, while sitting 12-6-1? Yes, it's been a tough stretch, highlighted by a brutal 6-2 loss to the Oilers on Saturday, but this seems like a panic move by GM Chris Drury if it ends up happening. A perennial top-five team in the NHL Power Rankings has now nearly fallen out of the top 10, and it'll be interesting to see what happens next in the Big Apple. Following two consecutive losses, beating the Blues at MSG on Monday would be a good start.
10. Colorado Avalanche (+5)
It seemed inevitable that the Avalanche would go on a tear once the reinforcements arrived, and that's exactly what has happened. Colorado has won three in a row and six of seven to put the .500 woes behind them. The Avs are at 12-9 with a ton of momentum, now occupying the top wildcard spot in the Western Conference and eyeing the peak of the Central Division. Alex Georgiev has looked better between the pipes since returning from injury, and competent goaltending is all this roster needs to be a powerhouse. That's especially true the way Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen continue to play. With the supporting cast getting healthy, this squad is looking scary ahead of a scintillating matchup against Nikita Kucherov and the Bolts on Monday night.
11. Washington Capitals (-2)
The loss of Alex Ovechkin is indescribable; calling him the heart and soul of the franchise almost seems like an understatement. The Capitals will have to tread water without the Great Eight for at least a month, a hugely disappointing blow considering he had turned back the clock with 15 goals in 18 games in 2024-25. Washington has lost two in a row without the captain, and scored just three goals in that span. The Caps lost 2-1 to the Avalanche and 3-2 to the Devils, but remain an excellent 13-6-1. It won't be an easy task to avoid a longer losing streak amid a difficult road trip to play Florida and Tampa Bay in Week 8.
12. Tampa Bay Lightning (-1)
The Lightning are turning into one of the NHL's streakiest teams in 2024-25. Tampa won three, lost four, won three and now have lost two. One of those defeats came in an absolute barn burner against the Blue Jackets, a 7-6 final in overtime in one of the more entertaining games of the campaign so far. The Bolts are still 10-7-2 and have played less games than almost any other team, so nothing to worry about in the State of Florida. Still, the team will be looking for better fortune this week, beginning with a great test against the surging Avalanche on Monday night.
13. Calgary Flames (+3)
The Flames have continued their winning ways in November, and Dustin Wolf is making his case for the Calder Trophy. The 23-year-old has won each of his last four starts, and Calgary has come out on top in three straight and four of five. That equals out to a fantastic 12-6-3 record for a squad that wasn't expected to do anything in the Western Conference this season. Instead, the Flames are second place in the Pacific Division, and just a point away from usurping the Golden Knights for the top spot. That's hugely encouraging, and GM Craig Conroy has already said he wants to make the forward core even better. This is shaping up to be one of the league's dark horses through a quarter of the year. A huge test awaits over a four-game road trip with stops in Ottawa, Detroit, Columbus and Pittsburgh in Week 8.
14. Los Angeles Kings (-1)
With Darcy Kuemper on the shelf, David Rittich has performed admirably between the pipes in Los Angeles. He's allowed just three goals over three games, managing a 2-1 record despite the outstanding play. The Kings beat the Red Wings 4-1, gave Rittich no goal support in a 1-0 loss to the Sabres, and righted the ship in a 2-1 triumph over the Kraken on Saturday night. With that, LA is 10-7-3, although they've lost three of their last five. That'll cost them a spot in the NHL Power Rankings, but there's nothing to worry about for at least one California based franchise. The Kings will make a quick trip to San Jose on Monday night before returning home to play the first place Jets on Wednesday.
15. Vancouver Canucks (-3)
Right when the Canucks were starting to string some wins together, the team announced that JT Miller would be away for an indefinite period. Although speculation was rampant, the story remains that the player is burnt out and needs a mental reset. The Canucks are nowhere near the same team without Miller, even though the star American hasn't been quite as effective as last year. Vancouver has lost three of five games, being knocked out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference in the process. This is still a top-tier team when fully healthy, although the absences of Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko and now Miller loom large. After a 4-3 win in Ottawa on Saturday night, the Canucks will be the busiest NHL team over the next week, playing five more road games in a span of eight days.
16. Buffalo Sabres (+2)
Just as the Canadiens, Senators and Red Wings continue to struggle winning hockey games, the Sabres are doing the opposite. Buffalo is on a heater, triumphing in three straight and seven of nine dating back to November 5. And that has them back into relevance in the Atlantic Division, now occupying a top-three spot for the first time in a long while. This is the kind of hockey fans in Western New York have been waiting so patiently for, and it's giving the team a much better chance to break the longest playoff drought in North American sports come spring. It continues to be a team effort, although Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Tuch and Owen Power have all looked superb lately. Along with lights out play from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen between the pipes, the Sabres are just five points away from the top of the division. A significant jump in the NHL Power Rankings could soon be in the cards.
17. Edmonton Oilers (-3)
Even with Connor McDavid back in the lineup, the Oilers are struggling to create meaningful forward momentum in 2024-25. By this time last year, Edmonton had already shed a slow start and emerged into a powerhouse NHL team. This season, the Oil are 11-9-2 approaching the end of November and just hanging on to the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference. The team is playing .500 hockey as of late, perfectly demonstrated by a 2-2 showing in Week 7. The Oilers beat the Senators and Rangers, lost to the Canadiens and Wild, and are fourth place in the division through 22 games. A lengthy road trip is coming up for the club, with stops in Utah, Colorado and Las Vegas over the next nine days.
18. Boston Bruins (-1)
The first coach fired in 2024-25: Jim Montgomery. The 55-year-old didn't take long to land on his feet, signing with the Blues just five days later. In Beantown, it'll be Joe Sacco taking over on an interim basis, and he's guided the roster to back-to-back victories in his first two games as Boston's head coach. Joonas Korpisalo earned a shutout in a 1-0 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday, while Jeremy Swayman was excellent in a 2-1 defeat over the Red Wings two nights later. All things considered, Boston is still getting docked in the NHL Power Rankings; they had lost three in a row and five of seven before Montgomery's firing. It'll be intriguing to see if Sacco can turn things around in Massachusetts, and so far, so good. It's a rematch of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final when the Canucks visit TD Garden on Tuesday.
19. Seattle Kraken (+1)
The Kraken went on a roll in Week 6, winning four games in a row to erase the memory of losing four consecutive directly before that. Seattle played twice in Week 7 and won once, taking advantage of a Joey Daccord shutout to beat the Predators 3-0 before losing a tight 2-1 final to the Kings three nights later. The Kraken are again above .500 at 10-9-1, although there was some dismal news on the Jordan Eberle front this week. The 34-year-old will be out for three months after undergoing pelvic surgery, leaving a hole in the top-six. The Kraken don't have any stars up front and will miss the veteran, especially as the up-and-down season continues offensively. Seattle will play an unusual double home-and-home in Week 8, first against the Ducks on Monday and Wednesday and then against the Sharks on Friday and Saturday.
20. Utah Hockey Club (-1)
Another discouraging week for the Utah Hockey Club, who are slowly making us all forget they won four of their first six games in 2024-25. The rest of the year has been a very different story; Utah has now lost 11 of 15 since and dropped to five points out of a wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Connor Ingram is on the shelf with injury, and although Karel Vejmelka has turned in a couple great performances in the interim, the goaltending overall has not been up to par. The offense has also completely dried up, with just 12 goals in five games. Utah is on the verge of a free fall in the NHL Power Rankings, and a three-game week against the Canadiens, Oilers and Golden Knights will be telling.
21. Nashville Predators (no change)
The Predators only played twice in Week 7 and went 1-1, and they'll be standing pat for another week in the NHL Power Rankings. After losing six of seven games, Nashville has prevailed in two of three, including a seriously impressive 4-1 victory over the league's best team in the Jets on Saturday night. Still, the Preds are 7-11-3 and just fighting to stay out of the basement in the Western Conference. Right now, they're tied with the Sharks and just a point ahead of the Blackhawks. The squad seems to have escaped rock bottom, for now, but this would be the perfect time for a talented roster to start stringing some wins together — just like last year.
22. Columbus Blue Jackets (+5)
The Blue Jackets are the National Hockey League's most inspiring team. After suffering an unimaginable tragedy over the summer, no one expected this club to be anything more than bottom feeders in 2024-25. But Columbus is playing excellent hockey as of late, and that's translated to three wins in a row and four of five going back to November 15. This is just an inspired roster, and one that can't stop scoring goals. Zach Werenski exploded for five points — including the game winner — in a wild 7-6 overtime win over the Lightning, one of the league's most exciting games this season. He continues to lead the way, and will be on the top pairing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Only seven teams are scoring more goals per game than the Jackets, and it's possible that this roster has been underestimated. Whether this heater keeps up or not, this is an easy team to root for, and they're back in the postseason conversation with December around the corner.
23. St. Louis Blues (-1)
Well, it's been an eventful week in Missouri. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong barely let Montgomery be unemployed for 96 hours before firing Drew Bannister and installing the former Bruins coach as the new bench boss. Something probably needed to change in St. Louis for a team that is 9-12-1 but still hoping to make a push for the postseason in 2024-25, and that change came in somewhat surprising fashion over the weekend. It'll be interesting to see if Montgomery can help turn things around with his new team — Robert Thomas returning from an ankle injury ahead of schedule will certainly help in that quest. He'll dive right in when the Blues play the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
24. Philadelphia Flyers (+5)
The one week the Flyers spent in the NHL Power Rankings basement will probably be the only time John Tortorella's club is anywhere near that spot in 2024-25. Philly is back to playing decent hockey, having won five of eight since November 7. With that, the club has almost returned to .500 for the first time since a season-opening win against the Canucks on October 11. A 9-10-2 record still isn't good, but considering how October went for this roster, it's encouraging. A Matvei Michkov overtime winner sealed a 3-2 victory over the Hawks on Saturday, and the Flyers will finish a five-game homestand against the Golden Knights at Wells Fargo Center on Monday. This is no longer looking like a bottom-feeder in the Eastern Conference, and that will be even more true once Samuel Ersson returns from injury.
25. Detroit Red Wings (-1)
Another week has gone by, and Derek Lalonde remains the coach of the Red Wings. That's despite the club getting swept on their California road trip, giving each of the Ducks, Kings and Sharks two points, in that order. Detroit continues to struggle mightily despite preseason expectations, and an 8-10-2 record in the midst of an eight-year postseason drought is just brutal. The Wings have lost four of five and six of eight, and to make matters worse, Patrick Kane is now day-to-day with an injury. Something needs to change quickly if this team hopes to stay in the wildcard race down the stretch, and there are a lot of fans wondering what is taking so long for GM Steve Yzerman to shake things up. Detroit is in Long Island on Monday night.
26. Ottawa Senators (-3)
It's not Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend, but the Senators are limping into the American holiday regardless. Ottawa hasn't won since November 12, suffering five consecutive defeats at the hands of the Flyers, Hurricanes, Oilers, Golden Knights and Canucks. Every one of those except the loss to Philadelphia was in regulation, and the Sens have fallen to 8-11-1 and are just one point up on last place in the Eastern Conference. This isn't at all what the front office expected when 2022-23 Vezina winner Linus Ullmark was brought into the fold this summer. Ottawa hasn't played a playoff game since 2017, and there is a deep sense of frustration setting in with this core. It's shaping up to be another year without postseason puck in Canada's capital.
27. New York Islanders (-1)
With a couple of floundering teams in the East, the Islanders could have made up some ground in the NHL Power Rankings heading into Week 8. Instead, it's down a spot as New York has lost three of four and five of seven; the squad is struggling just to stay above .500. They aren't even there right now — the Isles were below the mark before defeating the Blues on Saturday night to return to 8-8-5. It's been a disappointing campaign on Long Island, especially considering the long-term injuries to Mat Barzal and Adam Pelech. Still just two points out of a wildcard spot, the Islanders will look to win two games in a row for the first time since early November against the Red Wings on Monday.
28. Anaheim Ducks (+2)
Just like they did around this time last season, the Ducks have gone on a little bit of a run. Sitting 4-7-2 on November 8, Anaheim has won four of six to get back to .500 at 8-8-3 — and earn a bump in the NHL Power Rankings. After racking up three consecutive victories over the Red Wings (6-4), Stars (4-2) and Blackhawks (3-2), the Ducks suffered a tough 3-2 overtime to the Sabres, although it continued a point stretch that has now reached five games. Certainly an encouraging stretch for California's second best team. The Ducks will play a home-and-home against the Kraken in Week 8; Monday at home and Wednesday in the State of Washington. John Gibson's return is a huge boost for this club both on and off the ice, and his strong play has coincided with some solid success in Anaheim.
29. Montreal Canadiens (-1)
After a horrible stretch that began at the middle of last month — the Canadiens lost 10 of 12 between October 29 and November 9 — Montreal has started to show some signs of life. The Habs have won three of their last five games, managing a very decent 17 goals in that stretch. It was a light week for the club; the Canadiens shutout the Oilers 3-0 on Monday, were off for five days, then were crushed by the Golden Knights 6-2 at the Bell Centre on Hockey Night in Canada. Despite the disappointing result, this team is starting to approach the .500 mark again, now sitting 7-11-2 through 20 games. Still a lot of work to do in Quebec, though. The Habs welcome the Utah Hockey Club to the city for the finale of a four-game homestand on Tuesday — and this hockey fan will be in attendance.
30. Pittsburgh Penguins (-5)
What a situation it is shaping up to be in Pittsburgh. The Penguins are terrible, with the cracks that formed over the last couple of campaigns now turning into full breaks. With eight losses in 10 games dating back to November 5, the season is already completely going off the rails in Pennsylvania. GM Kyle Dubas made it clear that nobody besides Sidney Crosby is safe, although is it possible No. 87 gets moved before the deadline? Sid the Kid is maybe the most important player this franchise has ever had, and his 600th goal on Saturday was electric. But it came in a brutal 6-1 defeat at the hands of Utah, and every game it becomes more clear that this roster is closer to a bottom feeder than a playoff contender. It's time to blow things up, and it'll be interesting to see where a couple of veterans end up ahead of the deadline. If Crosby, Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang do get traded, it'll take even more getting used to than Steven Stamkos in a Predators jersey.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (no change)
The slump continues for the Blackhawks, and especially for Connor Bedard, who has shockingly managed just three goals in 21 games in his sophomore campaign. This roster is going to live and die by No. 98, and he's just not getting it done this year. The 19-year-old admitted he's frustrated, and unfortunately, it's hard to see him making Team Canada's roster at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February the way things are going. Although Chicago managed to pick up three of six points in Week 7, the team is muddling through the last month, having lost six of eight dating back to November 6. That's good enough for 7-12-2 and a spot directly in the basement of league standings. The Hawks are lucky they remained out of the No. 32 slot in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 8.
32. San Jose Sharks (no change)
At the end of October, it looked like the Sharks might have made their way out of the NHL Power Rankings basement once and for all. But any hopes for that were quickly erased over the last two weeks. San Jose is mired in a six losses in seven games stretch, and the team has fallen to 6-12-5 and dead last in the Pacific Division. Although they aren't yet 32nd, which counts for something, this is still the league's worst roster. The entire season so far was summed up by Yaroslav Askarov giving up a goal on his first shot against as a member of the Sharks in a 3-2 loss to the Blues on Thursday. The Russian ended up playing pretty well in that one, and Macklin Celebrini scored his first career NHL overtime winner in San Jose's third win of November — a 5-4 overtime triumph over the Red Wings on Monday. But most importantly, Jumbo Joe Thornton had his number retired by the team on Saturday night. Those were the highlights of another miserable seven days for the 2024-25 Sharks.
