The 2025-26 National Hockey League season is off to a terrific start. But don't take our word for it — let the evidence speak for itself. There were 109 goals scored during Frozen Frenzy last Tuesday, the third most in a single day in NHL history. If you ask any hockey fan what makes the game exciting, it's not a hard answer. It's goals. And they're coming at a prolific clip this season.
The parity in the league is also showing in a big way, especially in the East. As of Monday, just a single point separates the top wildcard team from last place. Simply ridiculously, 12 of the 16 teams in the conference have either 13 or 14 points. Madness.
With Friday marking the official one-month mark of the campaign, the early contenders and pretenders list is starting to take shape. Who would have thought in early October that the Montreal Canadiens would be one of Canada's best teams, and a bonafide top-five club? Or that the St. Louis Blues, now losers of seven straight, would have less wins than the San Jose Sharks? What about Matthew Schaefer and Ivan Demidov leading all rookies in scoring through 12 respective contests? Ok, that one we could have guessed.
It should be another seven-day stretch chalk full of milestones, as Alex Ovechkin is still just a single goal away from 900 — as he has been since October 24. Will this be the week The Great Eight finally does it? Connor McDavid is also on the verge of history, entering Monday one point shy of 1,100. Meanwhile, fellow veterans Nazem Kadri and Marcus Johansson are set to play their respective 1,000th NHL games this week.
With the early fall vibes of October now making way for earlier sunsets in November, the temperature of the rink is beginning to match the temperature of the crisp air in North America. Read on for Week 5 of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings.
Previous 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings: Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Winnipeg Jets (+3)
The Jets spent much of last season at No. 1 in the NHL Power Rankings, and they're making their 2025-26 debut at the peak of the leaderboard in Week 5. Winnipeg owns the best goal differential in the league and are scoring more goals than any other team, leading to a sparkling 9-3 record through 12 games. Following three victories in a row and four in five tries, Scott Arniel's club is a point back of the Avalanche for top spot in the National — with a game in hand. Just like last year's President's Trophy winning team, this roster is a powerhouse, even with Cole Perfetti and Adam Lowry on the shelf. Jonathan Toews must feel like he made a great decision, especially after the Jets beat the Blackhawks 6-3 on Thursday.
2. Colorado Avalanche (+1)
Although the Avalanche were mired in a four-game skid last week, there was more to it than meets the eye. Colorado got past regulation in three of those games, and could have realistically been on a winning streak instead of a losing one. Still, the squad has bounced back admirably, triumphing in two of three, with the sole loss coming, of course, in overtime. That has the Avs 7-1-5 and first place overall through 13 games. Victor Olofsson is fresh off the first three-goal and five-point game of his career, while Mackenzie Blackwood has resumed starting duties, although his season debut was a loss against his old squad in the Sharks. He should be ready to relegate Scott Wedgewood to backup duties and handle the lion's share of starts going forward, which should help an excellent roster continue to rack up points going forward.
3. New Jersey Devils (-2)
After making their first ever appearance at the top of CP's NHL Power Rankings last week, the Devils weren't quite ready for the spotlight. New Jersey followed up an eight-game heater by losing three times in four tries, all in regulation. It didn't help that the team scored just seven goals over those three defeats, while giving up 17. Jacob Markstrom's return from injury was disastrous; he allowed eight goals in the team's worst loss of the year against the Avalanche on Tuesday. On the bright side, he signed a two-year extension which will keep him in Newark until at least the end of 2028-29. It was a tough Week 5 for the Devils, but it's still been an overall terrific start for the top team in the Metropolitan Division.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (-2)
Like the Devils, the Hurricanes faltered in Week 5, losing two of three games to make it four L's in six tries dating back to October 20. That's disappointing considering it took Carolina six games to suffer their first defeat of 2025-26. A 7-4 record is still very solid, although they've dropped down both league standings and the NHL Power Rankings after a tough stretch. Andrei Svechnikov is finally on the board after a nightmare start, and he was skating on the top line at practice on Monday. We're still waiting on Nikolaj Ehlers, though; he doesn't have a goal this season. The Canes will look to right the ship — and keep the Rangers winless at home — when they visit Madison Square Garden for the first time on Tuesday night.
5. Montreal Canadiens (+2)
What an incredible start to the year it's been for the Habs, who are first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time in a long, long while. A 9-3 record is tremendous for a team looking to take the next step, and that looks to be exactly what is happening in 2025-26. You just can't say enough about Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield; the former is leading Montreal with 18 points in 12 games, while the latter scored his 11th career overtime winner in a 4-3 victory over the Kraken on Tuesday. That set a franchise record, which is unbelievable considering Caufield is just 24 years old. He's up to 10 goals and 15 points, and — along with his team — is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. The Habs are firing on all cylinders right now, and it's looking like the sky could be the limit in Quebec this year.
6. Utah Mammoth (-1)
After putting the NHL on notice in the form of seven straight wins, the Mammoth have slightly come back down to earth after losing to the Oilers on Tuesday and facing a similar fate vs. the Lighting on Sunday. A two-game week was just what Utah didn't need in the midst of their heater, and they showed some rust in Tampa Bay. They're still 8-4 and showing all the makings of a playoff team in the early going, though. A four-game Eastern road trip awaits in Week 5, taking the club through Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, in that order, in a span of just six days.
7. Vegas Golden Knights (-1)
With Adin Hill on the shelf, and Carter Hart still not eligible to appear in games, the Golden Knights are currently running a tandem of Akira Schmid and Carl Lindbom. With all due respect to those two netminders, the results are speaking for themselves. Vegas has lost three of four games, dropping to 6-2-3 and relinquishing the top spot in the Pacific Division to the surging Ducks (more on that shortly). Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner continue to rack up points — a combined 33 already between the two of them — but an .893 team save percentage leaves a lot to be desired. And this is just not the same team without captain Mark Stone; the powerplay was 9 for 24 with him in the lineup, and is just 2 for 19 since. The Knights will look to get back to their winning ways when the Red Wings visit the strip on Tuesday.
8. Dallas Stars (no change)
The Stars are standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 5 after following up three straight wins with back-to-back losses past regulation. Dallas hasn't lost a 60-minute game since October 21, but in their last six tilts, they've dropped three in either overtime or a shootout. A 2-1 OT loss to the Lightning on Thursday was followed up by a 4-3 SO defeat at the hands of the Panthers two nights later. A 6-3-3 record is certainly manageable, although the Stars are the only team in the top-12 of league standings with a negative goal differential. This roster isn't looking quite as potent as last year, evidenced by six defeats in nine tries, but there is still a long way to go. A Western Conference Final rematch is on tap against the visiting Oilers on Tuesday night.
9. Detroit Red Wings (+3)
The Red Wings continue to impress in 2025-26, and they've roared out of the gates with nine wins in their first 13 contests. That's without the services of Patrick Kane, who remains out with injury after amassing five points in his first five games of the season. Both John Gibson and Cam Talbot can be better, but they're doing enough to get wins, and these early-year points are critical for a franchise trying to rectify nine consecutive missed postseasons. So far, so good for Detroit, who are tied with Montreal at the top of the Atlantic Division. They've won three of four games on a hugely successful road trip, which ends on the strip on Tuesday.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins (+3)
The show continues to go on for the Penguins, who boast the league's second-best powerplay percentage in 2025-26. Only the high-flying Oilers have been more successful with the man advantage so far this year. Add consistently strong goaltending from Arturs Silovs and a resurgent Tristan Jarry, a terrific start from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and considerable depth scoring throughout the lineup, and you have a Pittsburgh team that is tied for first in the Metropolitan Division through 13 games. An 8-3-2 record is as impressive as it is surprising, and no, we did not expect the Pens to ever crack the top-10 in the NHL Power Rankings this year. Sometimes, all you can do is give credit where it's due, and that's exactly the case for Dan Muse and his roster right now.
11. Florida Panthers (-1)
For the first time this season, the Panthers have completely fallen out of the top-10 in CP's PR's. The injuries are really taking a toll on this roster, and the Stanley Cup hangover is hitting hard. After winning the first three games of 2025-26, Florida has gone 3-5-1 since, a pace that, if it continues, will have them outside the playoff picture altogether come April. The silver lining is that the Cats have picked up points in four of five games, and are just a point out of the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference. But who expected the back-to-back champions to ever be outside the postseason picture? Considering the absences of Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Dmitry Kulikov, it does kind of make sense.
12. Edmonton Oilers (-1)
The Oilers boast the league's best PP in 2025-26, but they also have a bottom-five save percentage between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. The result of that is an Edmonton team that is narrowly avoiding being .500 after a 3-2 overtime victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday. Connor McDavid and co. have lost three of five overall, and are holding onto third place in the Pacific by a hair. The return of Zach Hyman can't come soon enough, although we've already passed his target return date of November 1. The story in Week 5 will be McDavid reaching 1,100 points; he's one away with three games on tap over the next six days. He'll likely reach the milestone as soon as Monday night against a reeling Blues team that has lost seven straight and boasts the NHL's worst save percentage AND goals-against average. If and when it happens, No. 97 will be the fourth-fastest player to reach the mark, behind only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (+4)
Finally, the Lightning are showing some signs of life. After getting off to one of their worst starts in recent memory, Tampa Bay has won five games in a row — four of those against teams currently in a playoff spot. This roster is way too talented to be held down for too long, although we were starting to think Father Time may have been coming for an aging core. That no longer seems to be the case; the Bolts are back above .500 at 6-4-2 and sitting in third in the Atlantic. The hold is as precarious as ever, considering the last-place-in-the-conference Flyers are just a point back. It's going to be a fascinating couple of months in the National, but the Lightning look to be back to their winning ways ahead of a 2022 Stanley Cup rematch against the Avalanche on Tuesday.
14. Washington Capitals (-5)
The NHL Power Rankings have been patient with the Capitals up to this point, but that patience is wearing thin. Washington has lost four games in a row and five of seven, and Ovechkin has been stuck at 899 goals for a full four games. Is it possible that Ovi used up all his luck during a magical 2024-25 campaign that saw him shatter Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record? That's probably the last thing on his mind right now, as he looks to help get the Caps out of this slump. Things aren't going to be any easier without Pierre-Luc Dubois, who the team announced would be out long-term on Monday. This club could really use a victory on Wednesday against a Blues team that hasn't won a game in over two weeks.
15. Anaheim Ducks (+7)
Welcome to primetime, Anaheim. It looks like the Ducks are finally coming out of the rebuild in a big way, with Joel Quenneville looking like the perfect fit behind the bench. Leo Carlsson is in full breakout mode after racking up 16 points in his first 11 games, while Lukas Dostal has been terrific between the pipes as of late. Those are just a couple of reasons why the team is 7-3-1 and fresh off winning five of six games going back to October 21. Anaheim is getting the biggest bump up the NHL Power Rankings of any squad in Week 5, and they deserve it all. Not since the Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf days has this squad been first place in the Pacific Division, but as of Monday, they're back. It'll be interesting to see if the Ducks can keep it going and advance to the dance for the first time since 2017-18.
16. Toronto Maple Leafs (-1)
It's honestly hard to believe that the Maple Leafs are above .500 right now. Not only is Toronto in the bottom-five league-wide in both goals-against average and save percentage, they just lost a key defenseman in Chris Tanev, who was injured on Saturday against Philadelphia and needed a trip to the hospital. He's since been discharged, but is now on injured reserve. On top of that, the Leafs have a bottom-five powerplay so far. The saving grace is that the offense is getting the job done at 5-on-5, averaging a healthy 3.58 goals per game. Despite the stats, the Leafs have won three of four, and remain 6-5-1. They're out of a playoff spot, and will look to rectify that against the Penguins at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
17. Seattle Kraken (-3)
After a very encouraging start to the year — the Kraken picked up at least a point in each of their first five games — it's been a challenging two weeks. Seattle has lost four of six games, falling to the second wildcard berth in the Western Conference and not having any breathing room. They still picked up six of a possible 12 points during the skid, and a 5-2-4 record is something to build on. But they need to continue finding a way to secure points if they hope to remain in the postseason conversation all year long. Joey Daccord keeps on shining in the crease, and he's going to be a catalyst in that quest. The Kraken welcome the Blackhawks to Climate Pledge Arena on Monday night.
18. Ottawa Senators (+1)
Even without Brady Tkachuk in the lineup, the Senators are scoring a ton of goals; 24 over their last five games, to be exact. That's a winning recipe, and it's helped Ottaway climb above .500 to 6-5-2. Like many teams in the conference, the Sens have 14 points, and they're knocking on the door of the playoff conversation. Linus Ullmark has begun to come around after a very challenging start, and that's huge for this team. Drake Batherson has been phenomenal as of late as well, amassing 11 points in his last five contests and leading the offense. Through 13 games, the Senators have scored more goals than all but eight NHL teams, and the powerplay is in the top-seven. Without the captain, that's hugely encouraging in Canada's capital.
19. Vancouver Canucks (-1)
The Canucks have been missing a limb for the last four games, as superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes has been out of the lineup since October 25. Vancouver has treaded water in his absence, winning twice and losing twice. But even when Hughes was active, the Canucks had lost three games in a row before that, and they've fallen to 12th place in the Western Conference at 6-7. Conor Garland also being out has also hurt this team, which is lacking a spark so far. The silver lining is that Hughes will be back when Vancouver visits Nashville for the finale of a three-game road trip against the Predators on Monday. A win would not only get them back to .500, but also back into the playoff picture.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets (+3)
It's good news and bad news for the Blue Jackets right now. The bad news is that the team suffered a heartbreaking loss on Sunday, leading the Islanders 2-1 before allowing New York to score two unanswered goals in the final minute and change of regulation. The good news is, Columbus had won four games in a row and six of seven before that. They were oh-so-close to five victories in a row, but they're still in great shape after a terrific stretch of hockey. Both Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins have been performing well between the pipes, while Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov are leading the charge offensively. It's been a very encouraging few weeks, but the mettle will be tested over a five-game road trip that began in Long Island and will take the Jackets through Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton and Seattle between November 5-11.
21. Los Angeles Kings (-1)
The Kings have gone past regulation in seven of their first 13 games — and lost four of them. A 5-4-4 record is not even close to satisfactory for an LA team that won 48 games last year. The main culprit of the slow start has been Darcy Kuemper, who has been unable to recreate the magic he found for most of the regular-season in 2024-25. It doesn't help that Adrian Kempe is the only skater playing at above a point-per-game pace; the roster overall is in the lower echelon of goals scored. It's safe to say the Kings are underachieving thus far, and they should be able to begin stringing together some wins with Anze Kopitar back to full health.
22. Minnesota Wild (-6)
Things have gone from bad to worse in the State of Hockey; the Wild had lost five games in a row and eight of nine before finally getting back in the win column against the Canucks on Saturday night. Minnesota is looking nothing like the team that came close to upsetting Vegas in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Filip Gustavsson floundering and the blue line looking concerningly leaky. The Wild are now closer to the basement of the Western Conference than they are to being in a playoff spot, and that is spooky. Minnesota plays four games this week, and the finale — a visit from the Flames on Sunday — will be Marcus Johansson's 1,000th. The 2009 first-rounder hasn't quite lived up to his potential, but he remains a serviceable middle-six forward. The outlook should get sunnier overall once Mats Zuccarello returns to the lineup, but that doesn't appear to be imminent.
23. New York Rangers (+3)
Although the Rangers still somehow do not have a home win in 2025-26, they've made up for it on the road. New York is 6-1-1 away from Madison Square Garden, and Mike Sullivan's club looks potent as long as they aren't playing in front of the home crowd. The Blueshirts travelled to Vancouver, Edmonton and Seattle last week and beat all three Western Conference clubs, including a historic Jonathan Quick shutout in a 2-0 blanking of the Canucks on Tuesday. Now 6-5-2, the Rangers will have another chance to finally win a game at MSG on Tuesday, with the shorthanded Hurricanes visiting the Big Apple. You've got to think that once they get that first one, they'll quickly be able to rectify a ghastly 0-4-1 home record.
24. New York Islanders (+1)
The Islanders snatched victory from the (Blue Jackets) jaws of defeat on Sunday, and it was all because of Matthew Schaefer. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick is already a star in New York; he's leading all rookies in points despite being a defenseman, and he's already playing more than any other player on the team. It's astounding how composed he looks after playing just 12 games in the show, and he could change the entire trajectory of this franchise in both the short and long-term. He was heroic on Sunday, scoring the first goal of the game and tying things up with just 1:07 left in regulation. This kid is the real deal, and he's a huge reason why the Isles are back above .500 at 6-5-1. He'll continue making his Calder Trophy case against the visiting Bruins on Tuesday.
25. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
It may have taken longer than some expected, but Connor Bedard has officially scored a National Hockey League hat trick. The 20-year-old lit the lamp three times in a 7-3 triumph over the Senators on Tuesday, and added an assist to boot. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks lost the game before that and two more after it, dropping to 5-4-3 after a 4-2-2 start. That has Chicago going the wrong way in the NHL Power Rankings, although they're nowhere near the basement, which was the reality for most of last year. Despite being just out of the playoff picture in the West, the Hawks are one of just seven teams in the conference with a positive goal differential. After losing the first two games of a lengthy road trip, they'll make stops in Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Detroit between now and Sunday.
26. Buffalo Sabres (+1)
Steady as she goes for the Sabres, who are still above .500 despite losing three of their last four games. Remarkably, all three of those defeats were 4-3 — and all of them came in overtime. A 4-3 OT loss to the Leafs on Saturday, a 4-3 OT loss to the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, a 4-3 OT loss to the Bruins on Thursday. It only made sense that when they got back in the win column, that game was also 4-3 — except it took until a shootout to decide a winner against the Capitals. For those counting, that's four consecutive 4-3 finals. You just don't see that very often. Let's see if there will be a different score when the Mammoth visit KeyBank Center on Tuesday night.
27. Philadelphia Flyers (+2)
Trevor Zegras had a few real tough years in Anaheim, but he's looking like a completely different player after a change of scenery. The 24-year-old has recorded 13 points in his first 12 games as a Flyer, and has quickly established himself as one of the key offensive drivers on the team. Philly has also been decent if unspectacular early on, managing a 6-5-1 record although on the heels of back-to-back losses. Yes, the squad is last place in the Eastern Conference, but yes, they're a single win away from being in a playoff spot. That remains hard to believe no matter how many times I type it. When is the last time a team that was above .500 was last place in the conference through almost a month of the season?
28. Boston Bruins (+2)
After losing six straight regulation games and tumbling in the NHL Power Rankings, the Bruins have righted the ship in the form of four wins in five tries since October 25. Boston is 7-7, which is brutal if you consider that they started the season on a three-game winning streak, but fantastic if you compare it to the absolute futility this roster showed at the end of 2024-25. They're right there in the East, and Morgan Geekie has been a big reason why; the 27-year-old has seven goals in his last seven games, and he's fitting like a glove on the top line with David Pastrnak. The Bruins can hang around if they can get good goaltender from Jeremy Swayman, but that remains a big if for one of the most up-and-down goaltenders so far this year.
29. St. Louis Blues (-8)
St. Louis has an early case of the Blues, and then some. Jim Montgomery's team looks nothing at all like last year; instead, it's trending toward disaster. Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Blues have lost seven games in a row and just cannot snap out of this funk. Jordan Binnington could be playing his way right off Team Canada, and along with Joel Hofer, he helps make up the NHL's worst tandem in 2025-26. The offense isn't helping much either, sitting in the bottom-12 of both goals scored and powerplay percentage. It's a nightmare in Missouri, and if things don't improve, St. Louis could end up selling ahead of the deadline. With eight players set to be free agents next summer, it might make sense.
30. San Jose Sharks (+1)
Another spot up the NHL Power Rankings for the Sharks, who are creeping further and further away from the basement. San Jose is already a fifth of their way to last year's win total, and it's only taken 13 games to get there. It looks like the continued futility we've seen from this California franchise might finally be a thing of the past. We can thank Macklin Celebrini and his 18 points for that, but Dmitry Orlov (10 points) and Philipp Kurashev (nine points) both deserve some recognition. The two fresh faces have been excellent for their new team, and have really helped add some depth to a roster that was sorely lacking it. The goaltending is still truly horrible, but it is great to see a talented young roster turning the corner. Let's see if the Sharks can keep stringing wins together in November.
31. Nashville Predators (-3)
When the Predators and Flames faced off in a loser bowl on Saturday night, two points were on the line, but so was the opportunity to be out of the NHL Power Rankings basement in Week 5. Nashville won 4-2, staving off the dreaded No. 32 spot for at least another week. The Preds are doing just fine at 5-6-2, but they have no Roman Josi for the foreseeable future and not a ton of talent on the roster to begin with. Saturday's victory came after back-to-back-to-back regulation losses, and with a minus-10 goal differential, the writing on the wall is looking very similar to last year.
32. Calgary Flames (no change)
For another week, the Flames are last place in both league standings and the NHL Power Rankings. A 3-9-2 record will do that to ya. Even Dustin Wolf is beginning to falter, and he's been one of the only things holding this team together early on. If he doesn't play like the version of himself that almost won the Calder Trophy last year, Calgary probably isn't coming out of the basement any time soon. The only thing to look forward to this week is Nazem Kadri's 1,000th game; the Stanley Cup champion will become the ninth player from the 2009 NHL Draft to achieve the feat on Wednesday against the visiting Blue Jackets. The way things are going, he won't be spending much more time in Alberta — and neither will Rasmus Andersson.
