NHL Power Rankings: Every team's New Year's resolution
This is the sixth in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.
In this edition, we pick a New Year's resolution for every team.
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1. Vegas Golden Knights (25-8-3)
Previous: 7
Bottle this up and save it. Whatever the Golden Knights are doing lately, it's working. Vegas is the league's hottest team, with six straight wins and 10 Ws in its last 11 games. The club's five-on-five play has been elite in December despite being average overall. That's a key ingredient from the formula to preserve.
2. Winnipeg Jets (26-10-1)
Previous: 3
Don't ignore red flags. The Jets continue to excel, but they're doing it amid poor underlying numbers and a below-average penalty kill. Although deep in all three positional groups, Winnipeg shouldn't just rest on its laurels. If the Central Division leaders can plug those holes, they can become a true juggernaut.
3. Washington Capitals (24-10-2)
Previous: 1
Help Alex Ovechkin as much as possible. It's crazy to think Ovi could break Wayne Gretzky's all-time record of 894 goals this season, even after missing 16 contests with a leg injury. Ovechkin is 25 away from passing the Great One and has 46 more games to work with in 2024-25. It's very doable.
4. New Jersey Devils (24-12-3)
Previous: 4
Keep Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt together. Nico Hischier centers the Devils' top line between Timo Meier and Stefan Noesen, but the second unit features their top point producers in Hughes and Bratt. Both members of the dynamic duo have elevated the play of the other, and they should remain inseparable.
5. Minnesota Wild (22-11-4)
Previous: 2
Attend a yoga class. The Wild need to do something to reduce the number of injuries that have plagued them virtually all season. Minnesota is still strong even with major absences in the lineup, but it'd be nice for the team to get to full strength.
6. Los Angeles Kings (21-10-5)
Previous: 5
Keep killing it in L.A. The Kings have only two losses in regulation at home this season - the fewest in the NHL - and are 12-2-1 in Los Angeles overall. The Kings have played 21 road games compared to 15 in friendlier confines, so they'll have more home cooking to take advantage of in 2025.
7. Edmonton Oilers (21-12-3)
Previous: 6
Go all-in. Leon Draisaitl's extension kicks in next season, and Connor McDavid will be on a new deal starting in 2026-27. Navigating the salary cap will only get harder in the future. The Oilers must commit to pushing in all their chips to go after the ultimate prize.
8. Tampa Bay Lightning (20-12-2)
Previous: 11
Save some money. The Lightning have almost $82 million committed next season to a roster of only 16 players, according to PuckPedia. Navigating those roster constraints will be a challenge for general manager Julien BriseBois, though he has experience doing so. Just look at the array of moves Tampa made this past summer.
9. Carolina Hurricanes (22-13-1)
Previous: 8
Commit to upgrade in net. Goaltending is the clear weakness in Carolina due to Pyotr Kochetkov's inconsistency and Frederik Andersen's unavailability. The Hurricanes reportedly had trade talks regarding John Gibson and have shown interest in a plethora of other options. Carolina needs to identify the top target and go get him.
10. Colorado Avalanche (22-15-0)
Previous: 14
Don't run out of "lumber." Two players with "wood" in their names have completely revamped the Avalanche crease. Mackenzie Blackwood owns a .940 save percentage and four wins in five games, while Scott Wedgewood has a .932 clip and four victories in six outings. The Stanley Cup hopefuls have reeled off four straight wins, and they're 8-2-0 in their last 10.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (22-13-2)
Previous: 9
Be a little more honest. Day-to-day designations don't feel like short-term injuries in Toronto anymore. Auston Matthews and Anthony Stolarz were considered day-to-day, only to miss numerous games. Calle Jarnkrok was called day-to-day but ended up on long-term injured reserve. Honesty is the best policy, Maple Leafs.
12. Florida Panthers (22-13-2)
Previous: 12
Remember how to score again. The Panthers have been shut out four times in December and dropped their past two games by a 4-0 score. It's time for this offense to wake up.
13. Dallas Stars (21-13-1)
Previous: 10
Let Matt Duchene cook. The Stars have an unlikely points leader this season in the veteran forward, who turns 34 in January. Duchene is posting nearly a point per game (33 over 35) in 2024-25, and he's doing it while averaging under 17 minutes of ice time entering Sunday. His contributions have been instrumental in the wake of Tyler Seguin's injury.
14. Vancouver Canucks (17-10-8)
Previous: 13
Ignore drama. Regardless if there's any truth to the rumored rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, the Canucks need to get over it and focus on stringing together some wins to improve their positioning in the Pacific Division.
15. Boston Bruins (20-14-4)
Previous: 17
"New year, new me." That's what every Bruins player should say when 2025 begins. Boston has already started to forge past its early struggles, going 12-5-1 since firing head coach Jim Montgomery on Nov. 19. Still, flipping the calendar is an opportunity to expunge any bad habits left over from the 8-9-3 start.
16. Calgary Flames (17-12-7)
Previous: 15
Hype up Jonathan Huberdeau. He understandably caught a lot of grief for not living up to expectations to kick off his tenure in Calgary, so it's only fair he feels the love now that he's turning things around. Huberdeau is on pace for a career-high 34 goals after scoring seven times in his last nine games.
17. Ottawa Senators (19-15-2)
Previous: 18
Survive life without Linus Ullmark. The goalie didn't travel with the Senators for their five-game road trip. Ottawa needs to show it has the mental fortitude to pull out some tough wins without Ullmark between the pipes if it wants to take another step.
18. Utah Hockey Club (16-13-6)
Previous: 16
Home improvement. Utah is a measly 5-7-4 in the NHL's newest city but an impressive 11-6-2 away from home. Better results in Salt Lake City could see the club make a serious push for a playoff spot.
19. Philadelphia Flyers (16-17-4)
Previous: 19
Teach Matvei Michkov defense. The Russian has been an immediate hit in the offensive zone with 12 goals and 29 points. However, his play at the other end has been less than stellar, resulting in a healthy scratch earlier in the campaign and a recent third-period benching. Michkov will need to become more trustworthy as long as John Tortorella is the head coach in Philadelphia.
20. St. Louis Blues (17-17-4)
Previous: 23
Find identity. The Blues started to play better after firing head coach Drew Bannister and replacing him with Montgomery. But St. Louis is 8-5-3 since the change after starting 9-12-1. It's an improvement, but the Blues need to figure out who they are as a team if they want to turn things around.
21. Pittsburgh Penguins (17-16-5)
Previous: 24
Be more aggressive. If the Penguins are going to legitimately contend again with the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, Pittsburgh must make more moves that actually impact the team's potential to succeed. Look what the Capitals have done over the past two years. There's no reason the Penguins couldn't have made similar moves to be in a comparable position.
22. New York Islanders (14-16-7)
Previous: 22
Accept their reality. The faster the Islanders' brass admit this team doesn't have the pieces to be a contender in the playoffs, the better. New York needs to add prospects and draft picks rather than doubling down by signing aging players to extensions and trading assets for stop-gap solutions.
23. Seattle Kraken (16-19-2)
Previous: 21
Take more swings. The Kaapo Kakko trade is the exact type of deal the Kraken should make. It's a move that brings in a young forward with some promise for a fairly minimal acquisition cost. While Seattle remains in the murky middle of the league (or worse), the Kraken should be all over bets that carry an upside like this.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets (15-16-6)
Previous: 25
Take Patrik Laine's words to heart. What Laine said about the Blue Jackets being too comfortable losing wasn't entirely true, and Zach Werenski was justified in being upset about it. But at some point, the people who run a franchise like this have to look themselves in the mirror and figure out a way to disrupt the cycle of mediocrity.
25. Montreal Canadiens (16-17-3)
Previous: 28
Shoot more. The Canadiens are tied for last in the league in shots per game (25.1) and have mustered 30 or more shots on just six occasions this season. You can't score if you don't shoot the puck.
26. Anaheim Ducks (14-17-4)
Previous: 27
Be more fun. The Ducks have way too many skilled, young players to be the dull offensive team they are. Anaheim ranks second-last in goals for and power-play percentage. A club boasting Trevor Zegras (when healthy), Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and more shouldn't be an offensive black hole.
27. Buffalo Sabres (14-19-4)
Previous: 32
Never go on a double-digit losing streak again. Thirteen games was enough, don't you think? Sabres fans' hearts can't take another one, but Buffalo's current three-game win streak is a step in the right direction.
28. Detroit Red Wings (14-18-4)
Previous: 26
Listen to the new head coach. During his first practice with the Red Wings on Saturday, Todd McLellan told them, "Play f-----g hockey. You've done it your whole lives." Sounds like a plan to us. Who said simple advice can't be effective?
29. New York Rangers (16-18-1)
Previous: 20
Just ... fix it. All of it. The Rangers are a tire fire in pretty much all aspects. Maybe a good old-fashioned flip of the calendar to 2025 will shake the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners out of this abysmal funk.
30. Nashville Predators (11-18-7)
Previous: 30
Get Juuse Saros back on track. The Predators have numerous problems, but the once-stellar goaltender's decline since the start of last season is startling considering he isn't turning 30 until April. Nashville needs to do whatever it takes to get Saros going again.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (12-23-2)
Previous: 31
Practice patience. The Blackhawks will play the rest of the season for pride, but it's important for them not to lose sight of the long view. Connor Bedard is a great cornerstone to build around, and Chicago could still win the draft lottery while experiencing growth and not finishing last.
32. San Jose Sharks (11-22-6)
Previous: 29
Figure out how to close out games. The Sharks have dropped their last seven contests. In five of those losses, San Jose either entered the third period with a lead or scored early in the frame to take a one-goal edge. The game is 60 minutes, guys.
(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)