With the fourth Thursday of November — and American Thanksgiving — in the rearview mirror, we have officially entered the holiday season. And in the latest edition of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings, that looks a lot different for a lot of teams. For the continuously floundering, 8-13-4 Nashville Predators, it's not going to feel much like Christmas at all.
In the State of Hockey, on the other hand, the festive cheer should continue in earnest as the Minnesota Wild roll into the month of December without a regulation loss in 12 games. The same goes for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have won seven straight to vault into first place in the Eastern Conference.
Of course, this is still the year of the Colorado Avalanche, who have somehow lost just once in regulation in 2025-26 — in 25 contests. They've occupied the No. 1 slot in CP's PR's for several weeks, and that's not going to be changing anytime soon. It's been an unusually challenging stretch for the Canadian clubs, though; as of December 1, only the Montreal Canadiens are in a playoff spot, with all other six teams north of the border on the outside looking in.
As Week 9 of the National Hockey League campaign kicks off on Monday night — it's hard to believe we're two months in — every team has now surpassed the one-quarter mark in their respective seasons. At this point, we're starting to get a better idea of who's in, who's on the bubble, and who's already looking toward the 2026 NHL Draft.
Although the slate isn't quite as busy as it was last week, there is still a ton of hockey to watch over the next seven days, including 10 games on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, 12 on Saturday and another eight to end the week on Sunday.
The movement in the NHL Power Rankings is always significant at this time of year, and that is no different as we enter one of the best months on the calendar. Scroll down for the full list, and as always, thanks for reading.
Previous 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings: Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Colorado Avalanche (no change)
We may have jinxed the Avalanche when we asked if they'd ever lose again. Yes, they dropped a single game in Week 8, but it came in a shootout against the Wild, meaning Colorado remains without a regulation loss since October 25. Just insane scenes all around. And the Avs followed it up with a 7-2 demolition of the Canadiens on Saturday night. Nothing is stopping this wagon, not in October, not in November, and not in December? We'll know soon enough, but Nathan MacKinnon leading a full-team practice on Thanksgiving Day tells you all you need to know about the standard being set in Denver in 2025-26. It's going to be a great Christmas in the Mile High City, and the Avalanche will look to continue their charge toward the President's Trophy against the lowly Canucks on Tuesday.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (+1)
Once an afterthought in the Eastern Conference, the Lightning are now the class of it following seven wins in a row dating back to November 18. Tampa Bay lost six of their first seven games to start the year, but you wouldn't know it the way this team has played as of late. Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel have made up for lost time and then some; the star pair are up to 59 points combined over 47 games, and they've led the charge back to elite status. Andrei Vasilevskiy has also put his early-season woes behind him, and the star netminder is looking back to true superstar form. That's bad news for the rest of the league, and the Bolts enter the holidays looking unstoppable ahead of a visit to Long Island on Tuesday.
3. Dallas Stars (-1)
The Stars falling down a spot in the NHL Power Rankings is no fault of their own; the Lightning have just been that good as of late. It's still been a terrific couple of weeks in Texas. Dallas has won four games in a row, scoring 21 goals in that span and allowing just nine. Jake Oettinger has come around after a slow start, while the offense — led by potential career years from Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston, who scored a hat trick on Sunday — looks phenomenal. An 8-3 shellacking of the Oilers last Tuesday must have felt great after the last two Western Conference Finals. And this is all without Thomas Harley, who remains week-to-week. The Stars are doing their best to keep up with the Avalanche in the Central Division; it isn't easy, but they're just four points back right now.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (no change)
The Hurricanes are now the class of the Metropolitan Division after squeaking out a 1-0 overtime victory over the Flames in one of the last games of Week 8 on Sunday night. That certainly wasn't the most thrilling contest, but Carolina will take the two points. That followed up a convincing 5-1 triumph over the reeling Jets a couple nights before. Brandon Bussi has surprisingly emerged into the Canes' No. 1 option following Pyotr Kochetkov's injury and Frederik Andersen's struggles, and he earned his first career shutout on Sunday. The Sound Beach, New York native will likely continue starting the lion's share of games in the short-term, and the way he's playing, that's just fine for the fans in Raleigh.
5. Minnesota Wild (+7)
The unbelievable stretch of play continues for the Wild, who are climbing their way up the NHL leaderboard. A jump of this magnitude in the NHL Power Rankings makes complete sense after Minnesota went blow-for-blow with Colorado on Friday afternoon, eventually beating the league's best team in a shootout. Jesper Wallstedt was masterful in that game, and he is looking like one of the game's best goaltenders right now. Along with heaters from Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, the Wild have put the league on notice, remaining without a regulation loss since November 6 — and winning nine of 12 games in that span. It's a great time to be a fan of this franchise; let's see if they can keep it going over a four-game Western road trip that passes through Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle over the next week.
6. New Jersey Devils (no change)
The Devils have begun to adjust to life without Jack Hughes, which is necessary if they're going to compete to stay at the top of the division in the superstar's absence. New Jersey had a great Week 8, winning three of four games, the highlight being a Jake Allen shutout in a 4-0 win over Buffalo on Friday. That has Sheldon Keefe's club 16-8-1 and just a point back of the Hurricanes in the Metro. Brenden Dillon has been a staple on the blue line, and he'll play his 1,000th NHL game against the Blue Jackets on Monday night. Even at 35, he remains a reliable third-pair defenseman and penalty-kill fixture.
7. Anaheim Ducks (-2)
The Ducks have hovered around .500 over the last couple of weeks, but they're taking a hit in the NHL Power Rankings after losing starting goalie Lukas Dostal. The Czechia native has been excellent this year, but he will be out at least 2-3 weeks with an upper-body injury. With Petr Mrazek also suffering an ailment, the mettle is going to be tested in Anaheim over the holiday season. Ville Husso will man the crease in the short-term; considering he's already given up eight goals in two starts, it could be a difficult stretch for the Pacific Division leaders. After a 5-3 loss to the Hawks on Sunday, the Ducks are back in action on Monday in St. Louis.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (-1)
The Golden Knights have their captain back, and not a moment too soon. Mark Stone has already scored twice and added an assist over three games since his return, but it's been a tough stretch on the strip nonetheless. Vegas had lost four games in a row before righting the ship, in the form of a 4-3 victory over the Sharks on Saturday. Still, an 11-6-8 record won't be satisfying for a team of this caliber. With Carter Hart now eligible to play in the NHL again, it wouldn't be surprising if he started one of the team's three games in Week 9, potentially even as soon as Tuesday night against Chicago at T-Mobile Arena.
9. Washington Capitals (+9)
After finishing first in the Eastern Conference in 2024-25, the Capitals are finally back to putting the league on notice this season. Washington has won four in a row and seven of eight, flying into seventh in the NHL and looking poised to challenge the Hurricanes and Devils in the Metro. Logan Thompson continues to be just fantastic, and there's really no way Team Canada can leave him off the Olympic roster at this point. With Alex Ovechkin scoring prolifically again as well, a plus-nine jump in the PR's might even be shortchanging the best team in the East over the last month.
10. Florida Panthers (-1)
The Panthers were well on their way to continuing their climb up the NHL Power Rankings — until they suffered an abysmal 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Flames on Friday night. Considering that came right after a regulation loss to the Flyers, Florida is instead lucky not to be falling further down the leaderboard. Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe have started to heat up after very slow starts, and Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand continue to lead the charge offensively. But the absence of Matthew Tkachuk still looms large. He has begun skating and could re-join the lineup around Christmas, which is huge.
11. Montreal Canadiens (+2)
The Habs continue to be riddled with injury, but they've started to turn things around after a brutal five-game losing streak. Montreal beat Toronto, Utah and Vegas, in that order, which is an encouraging stretch despite the fact it ended in an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Avalanche in Colorado on Saturday. Still, Marty St. Louis' club is 13-8-3 and one of just one Canadian team in a playoff spot, which is quite astounding. Signing Alex Texier from the Blues was a nice addition, and he recorded his first point with his new team in the win over the Golden Knights on Friday. The Canadiens also got Mike Matheson locked up for five more years; the pride of Pointe-Claire is a heart and soul player for this franchise, and that will continue for the foreseeable future.
12. Detroit Red Wings (-4)
Despite starting the year 13-11-2 — which is decent — the Red Wings own the worst goal differential in the Eastern Conference, and that's concerning going forward. John Gibson hasn't been anything like what Detroit thought he would be, and Cam Talbot has also struggled mightily as of late. That veteran tandem is just not getting the job done. The Wings have lost four games in a row and five of six, falling out of a wildcard spot completely. A single win would change that, but still, it was the worst week of the 2025-26 season in Motown. After losing to the Bruins on Saturday in Boston, Detroit will get a chance for revenge, this time on home ice, on Tuesday night.
13. Ottawa Senators (-2)
The Senators finally have their captain back in the lineup, but unfortunately, Brady Tkachuk's first game in a month and a half was a 4-3 loss to the Blues in St. Louis. Even more unfortunately, his second game was a 6-1 walloping at the hands of the Stars two nights later. Ottawa is in the midst of a gruelling seven-game road trip, but after Tuesday night's game in Montreal, they'll return to Canada's capital for three straight. Tkachuk would love to get a win in the same arena where he and Team USA beat Canada in the round robin of the 4 Nations Face-Off nine months ago.
14. Winnipeg Jets (-4)
Can the Jets tread water without Connor Hellebuyck in the equation? Right now, the answer is no. Winnipeg has lost four of their last five games, and the lone victory was against Nashville, which isn't saying much. It's clear that the 2024-25 President's Trophy winners are taking a significant step back this year, with not a ton of depth scoring after the elite trio of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi. A five-game road trip that began 1-2 will finish up with tilts in Buffalo on Monday and Montreal on Wednesday. After that, the Jets will play five of six games in the familiar confines of Canada Life Centre.
15. Boston Bruins (-1)
The Bruins have been without David Pastrnak for the last two games, as the superstar forward continues to deal with an undisclosed injury. Boston is 1-1 without him, but it goes without saying that any time spent without the 29-year-old is a huge loss. On the bright side, Morgan Geekie has gone nuclear this season, and he's currently tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead in goals with 20. What a campaign for the Strathclair native. Jim Montgomery will make his return to Beantown on Thursday, just over a year after the team dumped him as its head coach — and two seasons after he led them to one of the greatest regular seasons in NHL history.
16. Edmonton Oilers (-1)
The Oilers have officially fallen to the mushy middle in the NHL Power Rankings, and Connor McDavid admitted he had no answers following a brutal 8-3 loss to the Stars on Tuesday night. Edmonton was able to finish the week strong, at least, shutting out Seattle 4-0 on Saturday afternoon. After all the criticism thrown Stuart Skinner's way, it was a massive victory for the beguiled netminder. The Oil are still just 11-10-5, and a point out of the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference. This team is known for starting seasons slow, but do we have faith this roster will be able to turn things around in December and beyond?
17. Philadelphia Flyers (+8)
Rick Tocchet's first month in Philadelphia was not great, but his Flyers have really begun to surge in November. Philly is winners of three straight and six of eight, vaulting to 14-7-3 and fifth place in the Eastern Conference in the process. They're well-deserving of a huge bump up the NHL Power Rankings, with both Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson providing steady goaltending. That hasn't been the case in the City of Brotherly Love for years, and there is some significant buzz around this team right now. They'll look to build on the hot streak over a six-game homestand that begins in an all-Pennsylvania clash against the visiting Penguins.
18. New York Islanders (-2)
The Islanders were already reeling from one long-term injury to Alex Romanov, and less than a week later, they have to reckon with another. Kyle Palmieri, who has been a staple in New York's top-six for half a decade, suffered a torn ACL in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Flyers on Friday, which will cost him the rest of the season and then some. Absolutely brutal. But before he left the ice for the last time in 2025-26, he made an incredible play, stripping Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae of the puck before setting up an Emil Heineman goal. It was a legendary play by the veteran, but won't make the news any easier. Best wishes to Palmieri, who plays the game the right way and will have a long road ahead to recovery. The Isles have lost four of five games, and will need to dig deep to get out of this hole without two key players.
19. Seattle Kraken (-2)
After winning four of five games in the middle of November — their best stretch of the season — the Kraken have faltered, losing three games in a row since. That included a dismal 1-0 shootout loss to the Islanders, a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Stars, and a 4-0 beatdown by the Oilers. Getting Jared McCann back in the lineup is nice, but there's just not enough goal scoring to go around in the Emerald City. Seattle has fallen to 11-7-6, which is certainly still respectable, and has them in the top wildcard slot in the Western Conference. But if they don't turn things around, that won't be the case in seven days time.
20. Los Angeles Kings (-1)
The Kings just don't seem to like finishing games in regulation in 2025-26. LA has gone past 60 minutes five times in just their last eight games, winning twice in that span. It's becoming clear that, like the Jets, this is just not the same caliber of team it was last season. That being said, they're still second in the Pacific Division and tied in points with the first place Ducks. Following a 2-1 OT victory vs. the Canucks to end Week 8, the Kings will play three more games at home between now and Saturday — and they'll look to improve upon a stretch that's seen the team lose four times in six tries dating back to November 17.
21. New York Rangers (+2)
Right when it looked like the Rangers were getting back on track — in the form of three straight wins backstopped by Igor Shesterkin — the team suffered a devastating injury to Adam Fox. Fox is arguably the most important skater on the team, and certainly the most crucial player on the blue line. He was placed on LTIR and is considered week-to-week, and he likely won't be returning to the lineup until after Christmas. He was injured in the third period of Saturday's 4-1 loss against the Lightning after taking a hard shoulder-to-shoulder check by forward Brandon Hagel, who scored twice in the game. It's next man up for the 13-12-2 Blueshirts, who are just four points away from being in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)
The Penguins are slowly but surely falling out of legitimate contention. After starting the season 8-2-2, there was a lot of hope that the Pens could get back to the dance come April, but that's looking like a pipe dream. Pittsburgh has lost eight of 12 games, falling to 12-7-5 and just barely holding onto the final wildcard berth in the East. That's not a terrible spot to be as the calendar flips to December, but considering how good this roster was a month ago, it's disappointing. A 7-2 loss to the Maple Leafs was a horrible way to end the week, and things don't get any easier over a three-game road trip with stops in Philly, Tampa and Dallas in Week 9.
23. San Jose Sharks (+1)
Another spot up the NHL Power Rankings, and another all-time high for the Sharks since we began putting this list together at the start of the 2023-24 season. San Jose already has 12 wins this year; for context, it took them until January 2 last year and January 22 two years ago to reach that mark. The rebuild is working, but it's a slow process. Still, the Sharks are back to respectability, playing over .500 hockey two months into the season. It's not quite good enough for a playoff spot, but Ryan Warsofsky's team is right there, currently just a point back of a berth — and only three behind the Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific.
24. Chicago Blackhawks (-4)
Another team trying hard to come out of the rebuild, it looked like it was all systems go for the Blackhawks, who were 10-5-4 on November 18. Unfortunately, they've only won once since, a Connor Bedard four-point masterclass in a 5-3 victory over the Ducks on Sunday. Considering that came after five straight losses — including a truly brutal 9-3 shellacking at the hands of the Sabres — Chicago is headed the wrong way in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 9. It doesn't help that each of the team's next four games are on the road, either. A strong beginning to the year means a slump of this magnitude is manageable to overcome, and the Hawks begin December in the second wildcard slot in the West.
25. Utah Mammoth (-3)
The wheels aren't falling off for the Mammoth; that happened weeks ago. At this point, Utah is just doing everything it can to stay competitive. And it's not working. They've dropped three regulation games in a row, and managed to win only four times in November. A new month brings a clean slate, but it's clear that what this squad is doing right now just isn't working. The silver lining is that Logan Cooley became the first player in franchise history with four goals in a single game, in a rare 5-1 victory over the Knights last Monday. He was hurt later in the week, but will be a game-time decision for Monday's tilt with the Sharks, which is the best-case scenario here.
26. Buffalo Sabres (+1)
Following five wins in eight tries since November 15, the Sabres are almost back to .500 at 10-11-4. They're still in the basement of the Eastern Conference, but a win over the Jets on Monday Night Hockey would vault them over two fellow Atlantic Division teams in the Panthers and Maple Leafs — and get them within three points of a playoff spot. Buffalo will also have Josh Norris back for that tilt, which is monumental. He's slated to play on the top line with Tage Thompson and Zach Benson, as well as the first powerplay unit. His return should help the squad string together some wins, but as is always the case with these Sabres, that will be easier said than done.
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (-1)
Ridiculously, the Blue Jackets have gone past regulation in eight of their last 11 games. That is astounding, but much to Columbus' chagrin, they've lost five of those games. And even more disappointingly, CBJ has dropped four in a row and six of eight overall. That has them just three points away from being in the basement of the conference. But at the same time, they're only two back of the Penguins. That's how crowded the East is right now, with not many teams being able to create any sort of separation. The Jackets are still right in the thick of things, and they'll look to get back in the win column in New Jersey on Monday evening.
28. Calgary Flames (no change)
Another week of the Flames holding firm in the No. 28 spot in the NHL Power Rankings, which is generous considering they are still 31st in league standings. Much of that has to do with Calgary's awful start to the season; they've actually won four of their last six games, and it would have been five had they been able to solve Brandon Bussi on Sunday night. Coming up on Tuesday in the NHL's Loser Bowl, with the Flames heading to Nashville to play the Predators — the two teams holding the worst point percentages in the league. No, this game will not be appointment viewing.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs (+1)
Heading into Saturday night's tilt against the Penguins, the Maple Leafs hadn't won a game in regulation since November 5. That's hard to believe, but they were finally able to reverse that trend in a big way, hammering Pittsburgh 7-2 on Hockey Night in Canada. It's not going to do much for them in the NHL Power Rankings, but at least they're back to .500 at 11-11-2. Having Auston Matthews back in the lineup is huge, but Toronto continues waiting patiently for Anthony Stolarz to return. Joseph Woll has been solid if unspectacular in his absence, and no one is counting the Leafs out of a playoff push just yet. Still, it's been the worst start to a season in the 6ix in a long, long time.
30. St. Louis Blues (+1)
Jim Montgomery would love to get a win back in the place where he led the Bruins to an insane 65-win season back in 2022-23. Although that ended in heartbreak, he was able to lead the Blues on a Cinderella run to a playoff berth last year after being unceremoniously fired by Boston. He probably wasn't too mad that the B's didn't make the playoffs, either. But it's been tough sledding for him behind the St. Louis bench in 2025-26; his squad is fighting to stay out of the Central Division basement at 9-10-7. Perhaps a win over Montgomery's old team will help ignite a spark? They have won two games in a row after defeating the Senators on Friday and Kraken on Saturday — both in regulation. Things will get difficult without Alexey Toropchenko and Jimmy Snuggerud, though; the two forwards are out with injury.
31. Vancouver Canucks (-2)
It's hard to believe the Canucks have fallen this far. The front office has already said the team is open for business, and trying to get younger as the 2025-26 campaign goes off the rails. That means that Kiefer Sherwood, Evander Kane and Conor Garland could all be getting a change of scenery at some point before the trade deadline. Vancouver has lost eight of their last 10 games, falling nearly into the basement of the Pacific Division — and just a point ahead of the Flames. It's absolutely brutal considering how potent this roster was just two seasons ago, with a very similar core. Even with Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes doing their part, it's hard to win games with both Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen on the shelf. The hope is that Demko's return will help lead to more success in the standings, and a playoff spot is certainly not out of the question. But still, it's been a nightmare first two months in British Columbia.
32. Nashville Predators (no change)
We've spent so much time writing negative things about the Predators the last few years, maybe it's time to look at some positives. Steven Stamkos has finally started contributing, managing four points in his last three games. And Nick Blankenburg has been terrific on the blue line, opening up a four-game point streak to help Nashville win two of three games. It's not really going to matter, but securing a couple victories is nice — especially for a team that is just not used to winning much these days. And here's one more positive stat: the Preds have the top odds to win the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery at 25.5 percent. Is it time for fans of this franchise to start cheering for losses? That's not for us to say, but, probably.
