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Hockey fans, we've officially reached the final month of the 2024-25 NHL campaign. With exactly 31 days left in the regular-season, the best tournament in sports is now just around the corner. It's been a bit over a week since the trade deadline, and if we didn't know already, it's becoming crystal clear who the Stanley Cup contenders are in 2025.
If you watched the battle of two of the league's best teams on Sunday afternoon — a thrilling showdown between the Avalanche and Stars, which was also Mikko Rantanen's homecoming in Denver — you'll know that Colorado and Dallas are two of them. And although neither the Hurricanes nor Senators can really be considered deadline winners, they've been two of the premier teams in the National over the last couple of weeks.
Every squad now has between 13-17 games left, and the wildcard race in both conferences is getting insane. In the East, seven teams are separated by nine points. And in the West, the fight for the final postseason slot has four clubs within two points. It's going to be a ridiculous race to the finish on both sides, and we're here for it.
As well, a couple of squads who already have a postseason berth locked up are eyeing a run at the President's Trophy. Right now, it's a two-horse race between the Jets and Capitals, but the Stars, Hurricanes, Golden Knights, Avalanche and Panthers are all knocking on the door, and the way a few of them have been playing, the National Hockey League's regular-season winner is still very much up in the air.
Things are only going to get better — and more heated — over the final month of the campaign. We've already seen a playoff atmosphere in several games in March, and that's going to continue in a big way down the stretch. Every single contest is absolutely critical for so many franchises, and even the teams that are out will be looking to play spoiler in the final four weeks.
Of course, ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings has recorded all of the movement after another frantic week of hockey — and we fully expect the jockeying to continue in earnest ahead of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Read on for all the latest.
Previous 2024-25 NHL Power Rankings: Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Washington Capitals (+1)
After two weeks out, the Capitals have roared back to the top of the NHL Power Rankings leaderboard. With just a single loss in their last seven games — against the equally red hot Kings on Thursday night — Washington continues to stay well ahead of the Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. They were also the last team to beat the Senators, who have racked off six consecutive wins since the Caps bested them 5-4 in a shootout in early March. Although winning the President's Trophy would be a thrilling way to conclude the campaign, fans of this franchise have something much bigger to look forward to. The idea of Alex Ovechkin coming within single digits of surpassing Wayne Gretzky's all-time record felt unfathomable a few short years ago. But as of Monday, he's just eight away from setting the new league record at 895. With 34 goals in 51 games this year — at age 39 — The Great Eight just continues to defy age. The Capitals play three times this week, all at home against the Red Wings on Tuesday, Flyers on Thursday and defending champion Panthers on Saturday.
2. Winnipeg Jets (+2)
After suffering their most significant NHL Power Rankings drop in Week 22, the Jets have stormed back after a terrific seven days. Winnipeg won all three of its games, beating the Rangers (2-1), Stars (4-1) and Kraken (3-2 in overtime), the finale a come-from-behind triumph after being down 2-0. And with that, Scott Arniel's team is again at the peak of the President's Trophy race, now 47-17-4 and two points up on the Capitals. Washington has a game in hand, and have still seemed slightly more potent as of late, but the Jets are looking fantastic despite not making any significant moves (Brandon Tanev and Luke Schenn are nice additions, though). The going is going to get tougher down the stretch with Neal Pionk out week-to-week due to a lower-body injury, although Arniel confirmed he would almost certainly be back for Game 1 of Round 1.
3. Dallas Stars (-2)
Hopefully the Stars enjoyed their one week at the peak of the NHL Power Rankings, because they've already been usurped. That tends to happen after three losses in four games, even if all four of the contests were against teams currently in a playoff spot. Dallas was unable to beat either of their Central Division rivals in the Jets and Avalanche, and also allowed five goals in a 5-4 loss to the Oilers a couple of days before. It's one of the team's worst stretches of the season, which is saying a lot about the Western Conference juggernaut. Still 42-21-3 and all-but-guaranteed to finish second or third place in the division, it's looking like the Stars and Avs could be on a collision course to meet in Round 1. And if that series is anything like Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss — which we all know was a terrific tilt — hockey fans are going to be in for a real treat in just over a month.
4. Colorado Avalanche (+2)
Despite utilizing a slick Cale Makar game-winning goal to beat the Stars on Sunday, the Avalanche are still just below their rivals in the NHL Power Rankings. Colorado fans will not be happy with me — especially because the squad has won eight of its last nine games — but if that pace continues, the Avs will be destined for a top-three slot come Week 24. They're still two points back of Dallas, who have two games in hand. Regardless, it's been a phenomenal stretch for Jared Bednar's team, and the Avalanche have found truly elite form after a couple of savvy adds at the trade deadline. Nathan MacKinnon is also the 100th NHL player to reach 1,000 points, and although it took two tries, he remains in the conversation for both the Art Ross and Hart Trophy with 14 games left.
5. Florida Panthers (-2)
The Panthers will be without Matthew Tkachuk for the rest of the regular-season, and they'll now also have to deal with the absence of top-pairing defenseman Aaron Ekblad. The 29-year-old was suspended for 20 games for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. That means he won't be an option until Game 3 of the first-round in April. That's not at all ideal, and neither is the fact that Florida has lost three of four on the heels of six consecutive triumphs. Sunday's 4-2 defeat to the Islanders was especially disappointing; the Panthers led 2-0 in the third period before allowing a team that notoriously struggles to score goals to pot four of them in just over 13 minutes of play. No need to panic in Sunrise, but obviously, not a great week for the defending Stanley Cup champions.
6. Carolina Hurricanes (+3)
It seems like every single player on the Hurricanes roster is playing with a chip on his shoulder — and it shows. After the Rantanen debacle, which seemed to stretch on for weeks, Carolina has been playing lights out hockey since the trade deadline. Rod Brind'Amour's club is one of the hottest teams in the National, racking off seven consecutive wins and eight of nine since February 27. Both Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov have been just superb as of late, and a couple of depth players in Jack Roslovic and new addition Mark Jankowski have stepped up in a big way. After a bit of an up-and-down campaign, the Hurricanes are looking like a wagon at the perfect time — and they're showing no signs of slowing down ahead of a California road trip that will take them through San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim later this week.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (no change)
After a wicked month of February, the Lightning have stumbled since the calendar flipped, losing three of four and four of seven dating back to March 3. Nikita Kucherov missing time with an illness is not doing the offense any favors, and it doesn't help that Brayden Point has been struggling mightily to put the puck in the back of the net. With both of the Leafs and Panthers also struggling, Tampa Bay still has a legitimate chance to win the Atlantic Division. They're tied with Toronto at 81 points and just four back of Florida with two games in hand. It truly is completely up in the air, and whoever can figure it out the fastest will have the inside track to play a wildcard team in Round 1. After getting back on track with a 6-2 victory over the Bruins on Saturday, the Bolts will look to string a couple more wins together over a four-game Week 23 slate, starting against the visiting Flyers on Monday night.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (-2)
Although the Golden Knights still lead the Pacific Division, they've allowed both the Kings and Oilers to make up significant ground in both league standings and the NHL Power Rankings heading into Week 23. We just can't seem to find out what kind of team Vegas is in 2024-25. They lost nine of 11 from mid-January to mid-February, followed it up with seven victories in eight tries, and now have dropped four of five since March 9. This is becoming one of the streakiest teams in the National, and because of it, Edmonton and LA are now just four and five points back, respectively. A 4-3 shootout loss to the Sabres was particularly brutal, especially as they led 3-2 with under 14 seconds left (more on that in Buffalo's section). Despite the poor overall play, Adin Hill has been serviceable between the pipes, and he earned a massive six-year, $37.5 million contract extension last week. Still, the Knights need to play better over their last 15 games or they aren't going to win the division.
9. Los Angeles Kings (+4)
While one Pacific team stumbles, another surges. The Kings have ridden an absolutely ridiculous Darcy Kuemper heater en route to five consecutive victories since March 8. Kuemper is fresh off back-to-back shutouts, backstopping a 3-0 victory over the powerhouse Capitals on Thursday — that must have felt great against his former team — and following it up with a 1-0 triumph over the lowly Predators two nights later. He's allowed just two goals over his last four starts, all of them wins, and Los Angeles is starting to put it all together at the perfect time. The way things are going, this is looking like a legitimate threat to win the division, and you know they'd love to get away from playing Edmonton in Round 1 for the fourth consecutive time.
10. Edmonton Oilers (no change)
Speaking of the Oilers, they've been good if not great as of late, and are standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 23. After losing four games in a row directly after the 13-day 4 Nations Face-Off break, Edmonton has turned things around, coming out on top in two in a row and four of six since March 6. That has them just four points back of the Golden Knights, and like the Kings, they still have a legitimate chance to win the Pacific Division in 2024-25. The story continues to be Leon Draisaitl, who is battling Nathan MacKinnon in both the Art Ross and Hart Trophy races. He already has the Rocket Richard locked up with 49 goals, and his 18-game point streak is the longest in the National this season. He's been otherworldly, and now just two points back of MacKinnon, that individual race should be a fascinating photo finish.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (-3)
It's been a horrific stretch for the Maple Leafs, which is compounded by the fact that they gave up valuable draft capital to acquire Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo at the deadline. Toronto seems to be out of answers, now with five losses in six tries going back to March 3. Although the Atlantic Division is still anyone's to win, the Leafs have watched the red hot Senators close the gap to just four points. After an excellent first half, it would be shocking to see Craig Berube's team fall into a wildcard spot. But after back-to-back losses to the Panthers (3-2) on Thursday and Senators (4-2) on Saturday, the panic button is getting pretty close to being hammered in at least one city in Ontario. The Leafs could desperately use a win against Nazem Kadri and the Flames on home ice on Monday night.
12. Ottawa Senators (+5)
The Senators are tightening their grip on a playoff spot in the East in a big way. One of the hottest teams in the conference — if not the hottest — has strung together six consecutive wins to earn some breathing room in the wildcard race. It's been a long time since Ottawa has played games this meaningful in the middle of March, and it's clear that Brady Tkachuk and co. are going to battle right until the end. Of course, they're getting a well-earned raise in the NHL Power Rankings heading into Week 23. An absolutely monumental tilt awaits against the Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Tuesday; Montreal is six points back of Ottawa and just one behind the final playoff berth in the conference. The way things are going, the Sens could realistically pass one of the Leafs or Lightning and get out of the wildcard picture altogether. With 16 games left in their regular-season, this squad knows exactly what's at stake over the last month.
13. Minnesota Wild (-1)
The Wild desperately need to keep winning games; they've already lost control of the Central Division, and are now just worried about holding onto a wildcard slot the rest of the way. But without Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin, that task is proving incredibly difficult. Minnesota has lost four of five since March, and are now just six points ahead of Vancouver and St. Louis — and neither of those teams are as riddled with injury as this squad is. Fully healthy, this group has shown all campaign long that it's capable of making the playoffs. But with 15 games left, and no reinforcements close to returning, things are starting to look dire. They badly need to get back on track if they hope to avoid back-to-back missed postseasons in 2025.
14. St. Louis Blues (+2)
How about those Blues? After losing heart and soul defenseman Colton Parayko for six weeks or more, St. Louis could have waived the white flag on the campaign. Instead, they've managed eight wins in their last 11 games, highlighted by back-to-back shellackings of the Wild (5-1) and Ducks (7-2) on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Although Minnesota is still six points ahead of STL with a game in hand, the NHL Power Rankings was on the verge of swapping the two Central Division teams. If they both keep playing the way they are each playing for another week, that will be all-but-guaranteed in Week 24. As it stands, the Blues are playing some seriously impressive hockey, and they're tied with the Canucks for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 14 games left.
15. New Jersey Devils (-1)
The Devils are just not the same team without Jack Hughes. Without Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, they're almost unrecognizable. Despite Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt stepping up, New Jersey is in a terrible spot with just 14 games left. The hold on third place in the Metro is precarious, and the Rangers and Blue Jackets both still fashion themselves playoff contenders. It doesn't help that Jacob Markstrom just hasn't been the same since returning from injury. The Devils are in an almost identical spot to the Wild: both teams have had great seasons but are holding on for dear life due to a couple of devastating, regular-season ending ailments. If they can find a way to beat Columbus on the road on Monday night, they'll have some breathing room. But if that doesn't happen, the gap will be just six points — and the Jackets still have two games in hand.
16. Columbus Blue Jackets (-5)
Right when it looked like the Blue Jackets were going to hold onto a wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference, things have started to really fall off the rails in Ohio — and the NHL Power Rankings is reflecting that in Week 23. Despite returning to health, Columbus has lost three games in a row and five of six — all in regulation. With that, they're back on the outside looking in, although the Rangers are just two points up, and the Jackets do still have two games in hand. With the Devils riddled with injuries, the third slot in the Metropolitan Division is still up for grabs, and Columbus and New Jersey will do battle on Monday night at Nationwide Arena. It goes without saying that that's a critical tilt for both clubs, especially as it's the teams' final meeting this season. If Dean Evason's group can't find a way to win in regulation — or at all — the playoff hill will get even higher for one of the league's best surprises in 2024-25.
17. Vancouver Canucks (+1)
Since the end of February, the Canucks have lost two, won two, lost two, won two and then lost once. They can't seem to build any positive momentum as of late, although the .500 play is keeping them alive in the Western Conference playoff picture. But it won't be enough down the stretch, especially the way the Blues and Utah Hockey Club have played lately. Getting Quinn Hughes back in action is monumental, and it looks like Elias Pettersson has begun to return to form as well; he's scored four goals in his last six games and added a couple of assists for good measure. Those two are going to be the catalysts in the quest to advance to the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 2011-12 and 2012-13. A regulation loss at home to Utah on Sunday was disappointing, and the club will look to rebound in Week 23 against three playoff-hopeful teams in the Jets on Tuesday, Blues on Thursday and Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon.
18. New York Rangers (-3)
The Rangers are fighting for their playoff lives in the Eastern Conference, but they haven't been doing a very good job of it as of late. With five losses in their last seven games, New York is right on the precipice, holding onto the final wildcard berth by a single point. But the Canadiens are just a point back; the Blue Jackets and Red Wings, two; the Islanders and Bruins, four. They're going to need to play better over the last month of the season to get in, and it truly looks like they have about a 50/50 chance at this point. Igor Shesterkin played both games of a back-to-back over the weekend, the first a key 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets but the second a 3-1 loss to the Oilers on home ice. He should get most of the starts down the stretch; he'll have the same backup in 2025-26 after Jonathan Quick got a well-earned one-year extension to remain in the Big Apple next year.
19. Montreal Canadiens (+3)
Don't count the Habs out of the playoff race just yet. With Samuel Montembeault playing some of his best hockey of the season between the pipes, along with terrific play from the top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, Montreal is laser-focused on advancing to the dance for the first time since marching all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020-21. And as of Monday, they're just a single point back of the Rangers and six behind the Senators — with two games in hand on each. It's been years since the Canadiens have treated fans at the Bell Centre to meaningful hockey in March, and Tuesday night's tilt with Ottawa is the team's biggest game of the 2024-25 season so far. With 16 games left in the regular-season, Montreal controls its own destiny.
20. Calgary Flames (-1)
Although the Flames are very much still in the race, they've really stumbled over the last couple of weeks, both in league standings and the NHL Power Rankings. Calgary has lost six of eight since February 27, in the process completely falling out of a wildcard berth in the Western Conference. While they're just a couple of points back of the Blues and Canucks — with games in hand on each — the on-ice product is going to need to improve drastically if they hope to avoid back-to-back-to-back missed postseasons in 2025. Rookie Dustin Wolf continues to do his part, but the offense hasn't as of late. Let's see if they can get back on track in a matchup between two struggling Canadian clubs on Monday night in Toronto.
21. Utah Hockey Club (+2)
The feel-good story out of Utah this week: Mikhail Sergachev has been bringing eggs from his backyard chicken coop to help the team. “I just have a lot of eggs. Once we hit like 24 or 30 eggs, I start giving them away to my teammates.” The Russian is a certified good guy, and the extra protein seems to be helping the roster. The Hockey Club has won six of 10 games and picked up a point in eight of them, the finale a critical 3-1 victory over the Canucks on the road on Sunday night. The first campaign in Salt Lake City is on the verge of being a massive success; Utah is just two points back with 15 games left. It'll be fascinating to see if they can slip in and treat the raucous crowd at the Delta Center to postseason puck in Year 1.
22. Detroit Red Wings (-2)
Vintage Patrick Kane returned last week, and the Red Wings absolutely needed it. ‘Showtime' posted his first five-point game since 2019 in a 7-3 shellacking of the Sabres on Wednesday night. Unfortunately for Detroit, it was one of only two games the team has won — in nine tries — dating back to the end of February. Despite a pair of seven-game winning streaks this season, it looks like the magic has run out for the Wings, who are only two points out but haven't provided much confidence they can leapfrog the Blue Jackets, Canadiens and Rangers over the last month of the campaign. It's too soon to count out the Original Six franchise, but they badly need to start stringing some wins together. And that's going to be very, very difficult over a four-game road trip that takes the squad through Washington, Las Vegas, Utah and Colorado over the next eight days.
23. New York Islanders (-2)
Sunday's game at UBS Arena was a whirlwind for the Islanders fans in attendance. It didn't take long for the boo birds to come out in force when New York went down 2-0; the team was staring down a four-game losing streak, after all. But after making a surprising third period comeback against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the fans went home happy following a 4-2 victory. It's not going to do the Isles too many favors in the NHL Power Rankings, but it was a thrilling triumph nonetheless. Although they're only four points out of a playoff spot, the logjam in the Eastern Conference is probably going to be too much for Patrick Roy's troops to overcome. But with 16 games left, crazier things have happened in the National — New York just needs to string together a few strong weeks for that to happen.
24. Boston Bruins (+1)
The Bruins are a shell of their former selves, and it's showing on the ice. After trading away Brad Marchand and Brandon Carlo, Boston has played .500 hockey, winning two in a row before dropping two straight. But overall since February 5, they've managed just three wins in 13 tries. They haven't waived the white flag on the season just yet, but we're getting pretty close to that point with 14 games left. A minus-34 team goal differential is quite bad, and this is the worst Bruins team we've seen in a decade. With nine of their final 13 games on the road, it's likely going to be a long month for fans of this franchise ahead of an even longer summer.
25. Pittsburgh Penguins (+4)
There's no way the Penguins are going to make a late playoff push…unless? Right when the NHL Power Rankings was ready to completely count Pittsburgh out, it forgot that Sidney Crosby was still a member of the roster. Led by one of the most impactful players in league history, the Pens have won four games in a row. The problem is, the heater came directly on the heels of a stretch of eight losses in nine games. They aren't out of it just yet, but the magic number is six to get into a playoff spot, and as we know well, there are a ton of teams ahead of them. It wouldn't be surprising to see them leapfrog a couple of struggling clubs in the Islanders, Bruins and Red Wings, but the same can't really be said for the Canadiens and Rangers, especially as both teams have games in hand. Regardless, it's been a great week-and-a-half in Pennsylvania; let's see if they can keep it up in Week 23.
26. Anaheim Ducks (-2)
There was a time when the Ducks were surging, and looked like they were going to continue doing so until one of the wildcard spots was one of theirs to lose. But since the 4 Nations break, Anaheim has been one of the league's weaker teams, winning just four times in 12 tries between February 23 – March 16. The straw that broke the camel's back probably came on Sunday night, when they were walloped 7-2 by the Blues in St. Louis. It's still been an overall encouraging season as the rebuild continues, but now eight points back of a playoff spot, this looks to be the end for Greg Cronin and his club. With 15 games left, the Ducks would have to win most of them to get back into legitimate contention — and that's just not going to happen for this California franchise.
27. Seattle Kraken (+1)
Although a playoff spot has been nothing but a distant dream for a few weeks now, the Kraken are in the midst of some decent play. With three wins in their last five, and points in four of them, Seattle is looking to at least finish the season strong — which can't be said for every bottom-feeder in the National Hockey League this season. They'll head out on a four-game road trip that passes through Chicago, Minnesota, Edmonton and Calgary over the next nine days. Somehow, that's not even the team's longest remaining trip, as they'll hit the road again for five straight games as the visitor between April 2-10.
28. Nashville Predators (-2)
After playing some of their best hockey of the season last week — and racking off four consecutive wins — the Predators fell back to earth over the weekend, losing 2-1 in Anaheim and 1-0 in Los Angeles to end Week 22. Nashville has legitimately nothing to play for the rest of the way, but at least they'll be getting a high draft pick come June. With 16 games left in their regular-season, fans of this franchise are probably still wondering where it all went wrong in 2024-25. The Preds are back home this week, welcoming the Blues, Ducks and Maple Leafs to Bridgestone Arena, in that order.
29. Philadelphia Flyers (-2)
Once it became clear that the Flyers weren't going to make the playoffs, this has looked like a completely different team. Philly has turned into a complete afterthought after a decent start to the year, losing six of eight since the calendar flipped to March. Like the Predators, they'll be happy to get a top pick in the draft — and ideally, another future star to pair with Matvei Michkov. Although he's been up-and-down in his first season in North America, it's been an overall success for the youngster. He's at 20 goals and 47 points in 66 games and will likely be a finalist for the Calder Trophy. No one else on this roster will be coming close to any kind of hardware in 2024-25.
30. Buffalo Sabres (no change)
Although the Sabres have basically nothing to play for the rest of the way, their come-from-behind victory over Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights on Saturday afternoon on home ice was nothing short of electric. After Eichel was booed all game long by the raucous crowd in Western New York, he broke a 2-2 tie in the waning minutes of the third period. But he wouldn't get the last laugh, as Rasmus Dahlin knotted things up with just 14 seconds left. And after a terrific overtime — I can vouch, I was there — Buffalo found a way to get the victory in the shootout. At this point in another lost season, you've got to take the small wins. And that was one of the more exciting ones this season. Despite that, Lindy Ruff's group has lost seven of nine and are standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 23.
31. San Jose Sharks (+1)
For the first time in what feels like forever, the Sharks have come out of the NHL Power Rankings basement. No, they aren't ahead of the Blackhawks in league standings — yet — but after beating Chicago 4-2 in the Loser Bowl on Thursday night, San Jose is getting the benefit of the doubt in Week 23. And does it really matter who is 31st and who is 32nd the rest of the way? The only important thing is determining who wins the lottery and gets the privilege of selecting No. 1 overall come June. And that's still completely up in the air with 14 games left in the Sharks' 2024-25 regular-season. Of course, the win over the Hawks was the team's only triumph in five tries dating back to March 6, and the 18-41-9 record is still absolutely egregious. We're just going to pretend that the Sharks weren't the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention…
32. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
Not only did the Blackhawks lose to the league-worst Sharks, they've now dropped four consecutive games and five in six tries. And so, Chicago is back in the basement of the NHL Power Rankings for the first time in a long, long while. Both of these teams have just been horrible this season, but the Hawks seem especially futile as of late. With Connor Bedard struggling to contribute, and no one else scoring — the roster has managed just six goals in four games — the nightmare continues in the Windy City. Now 20-38-9 and just four points up on the Sharks, albeit with a game in hand, there's a very real chance that the Central Division's worst team ends the campaign dead last in league standings for the first time in decades.
