NHL Power Rankings: Jets take over the top spot, plus every team's performance vs. projections

There are little than 2 weeks near successful the 2024-25 NHL regular season, which ends April 17.

The playoff tract continues to beryllium whittled down, with teams clinching berths -- oregon being mathematically eliminated -- connected an astir regular basis.

There's a caller No. 1 squad this week, and we are besides taking a look astatine however each 32 clubs performed this play compared to their projected constituent full from ESPN BET during the preseason.

How we rank: A sheet of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends successful a 1-32 canvass based connected the games done Wednesday, which generates our maestro list.

Note: Previous ranking for each squad refers to the erstwhile edition, published March 28. Points percentages are done Thursday's games.

1. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 71.1%

Projected points: 95.5
Points pace: 115.9

Although their gait has fallen disconnected from the archetypal 15 games (14 of which were wins), the Jets proceed to conflict for the apical wide effect heading into the postseason -- and anticipation for a longer tally than they've had successful caller seasons.

Next 7 days: @ UTA (April 5), vs. STL (April 7), @ DAL (April 10)

2. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 70.0%

Projected points: 89.5
Points pace: 114.8

While Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring grounds has received the lion's stock of the attraction -- and deservedly truthful -- the Capitals person go 1 of the league's astir complete, and dangerous, teams. Will they get their names connected the Cup again this summer?

Next 7 days: vs. CHI (April 4), @ NYI (April 6), vs. CAR (April 10)

3. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 69.3%

Projected points: 103.5
Points pace: 113.0

The sportsbooks expected different triple-digit play for Dallas, but they've exceeded that people and are inactive successful the premix for the Presidents' Trophy arsenic the NHL's apical squad successful the regular-season standings.

Next 7 days: vs. PIT (April 5), @ MIN (April 6), vs. VAN (April 8), vs. WPG (April 10)

4. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 65.3%

Projected points: 97.5
Points pace: 108.6

There are 3 certainties successful life: death, taxes and the Golden Knights successful the Stanley Cup playoffs. Will this outpouring beryllium much similar the Cup tally successful 2023 oregon the speedy exit successful 2024?

Next 7 days: @ CGY (April 5), @ VAN (April 6), @ COL (April 8), vs. SEA (April 10)

5. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 64.9%

Projected points: 100.5
Points pace: 106.4

Ho-hum, yet different playoff quality for the Canes successful the Rod Brind'Amour era. Is this the twelvemonth they marque it backmost to the Stanley Cup Final?

Next 7 days: @ DET (April 4), @ BOS (April 5), @ BUF (April 8), @ WSH (April 10)

6. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 64.0%

Projected points: 102.5
Points pace: 105.0

Make it 9 consecutive years for the Maple Leafs successful the postseason. With Craig Berube's system successful place, volition the result beryllium little heart-breaking for Toronto faithful?

Next 7 days: vs. CBJ (April 5), @ FLA (April 8), @ TB (April 9)

7. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 63.6%

Projected points: 102.5
Points pace: 103.6

Although the thrust wasn't ever creaseless this season, the Avs are finishing close astir wherever they were expected to finish.

Next 7 days: @ STL (April 5), vs. VGK (April 8), vs. VAN (April 10)

8. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 62.0%

Projected points: 98.5
Points pace: 103.1

The Lightning utilized the commercialized deadline to bolster their extent by acquiring Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and since March 7 they've been 1 of the NHL's apical teams.

Next 7 days: @ BUF (Apil 5), @ NYR (April 7), vs. TOR (April 9)

9. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 63.3%

Projected points: 96.5
Points pace: 103.1

The Kings person had a superb play of extremity suppression, sitting 2nd successful the league astatine 2.49 goals against per game. They'll request each spot of that quality during a apt first-round matchup against the Oilers.

Next 7 days: vs. EDM (April 5), vs. SEA (April 7), vs. ANA (April 10)

10. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 61.3%

Projected points: 102.5
Points pace: 100.6

A tiny borderline disconnected of their projected pace, the Panthers look headed for a Battle of Florida rematch successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs.

Next 7 days: @ OTT (April 5), @ DET (April 6), vs. TOR (April 8), vs. DET (April 10)

11. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 62.0%

Projected points: 108.5
Points pace: 100.8

Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and their teammates mostly avoided the "Stanley Cup loser hangover" this season, but are apt to decorativeness a small down preseason projections. They're astir apt OK with that if this year's playoff tally ends with a championship.

Next 7 days: @ LA (April 5), @ ANA (April 7), vs. STL (April 9)

12. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 59.1%

Projected points: 86.5
Points pace: 96.0

The red-hot Blues person charged into the playoff picture, and successful the people of doing truthful look apt to acold eclipse their expected constituent total.

Next 7 days: vs. COL (April 5), @ WPG (April 7), @ EDM (April 9)

13. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 57.2%

Projected points: 101.5
Points pace: 93.9

Like the squad that follows them successful the Power Rankings this week, the Devils are holding choky to a playoff spot that was mostly earned by a beardown archetypal half. Injuries to Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton person been devastating down the stretch.

Next 7 days: vs. NYR (April 5), vs. BOS (April 8)

14. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 58.6%

Projected points: 93.5
Points pace: 96.0

A beardown archetypal fractional of the play has provided a buffer for the Wild to stay successful a playoff position, arsenic good arsenic up of their preseason constituent full projection.

Next 7 days: @ NYI (April 4), vs. DAL (April 6), vs. SJ (April 9)

15. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 57.3%

Projected points: 90.5
Points pace: 93.1

For the archetypal clip since 2017, the Senators are (probably) headed to the postseason. Is this the commencement of a caller streak, oregon volition they beryllium 1 and done?

Next 7 days: vs. FLA (April 5), vs. CBJ (April 6), @ CBJ (April 8)

16. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 56.0%

Projected points: 81.5
Points pace: 90.9

A spot successful the playoffs is looking little apt than it was weeks ago, but the Flames look farther on the arc of contention than immoderate believed successful the fall.

Next 7 days: vs. VGK (April 5), @ SJ (April 7), @ ANA (April 9)

17. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 54.0%

Projected points: 99.5
Points pace: 88.6

Were it not for immoderate higher-profile flops elsewhere successful the league, the Canucks' autumn from part champs each the mode retired of the playoffs would beryllium getting considerably much attention.

Next 7 days: vs. ANA (April 5), vs. VGK (April 6), @ DAL (April 8), @ COL (April 10)

18. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 54.0%

Projected points: 76.5
Points pace: 87.5

While galore observers predicted that the Red Wings oregon Sabres would scope the postseason again first, the Canadiens are the ones presently successful the heavy of the wild-card race.

Next 7 days: vs. PHI (April 5), @ NSH (April 6), vs. DET (April 8)

19. Utah Hockey Club

Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 52.6%

Projected points: 87.5
Points pace: 87.5

The archetypal play of the NHL successful Utah includes a playoff contention for the Hockey Club, contempt humble expectations earlier puck driblet connected opening night.

Next 7 days: vs. WPG (April 5), vs. SEA (April 8), vs. NSH (April 10)

20. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 52.7%

Projected points: 100.5
Points pace: 86.4

The atrocious quality is that the Rangers are good disconnected of their expected pace. The bully quality is that they stay squarely successful the premix for a wild-card spot, and the brutal result for immoderate different preseason contenders (such arsenic Boston and Nashville) has been much noticeable.

Next 7 days: @ NJ (April 5), vs. TB (April 7), vs. PHI (April 9), @ NYI (April 10)

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 52.0%

Projected points: 69.5
Points pace: 86.5

The Blue Jackets began the play with the second-lowest projected constituent full but stay successful the hunt for a wild-card playoff spot into the season's last weeks.

Next 7 days: @ TOR (April 5), @ OTT (April 6), vs. OTT (April 8), vs. BUF (April 10)

22. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 50.7%

Projected points: 90.5
Points pace: 83.1

At immoderate point, the patience of Red Wings fans volition wage disconnected with a triumphant instrumentality to the playoffs, but it's becoming progressively improbable that 2025 volition people that triumph.

Next 7 days: vs. CAR (April 4), vs. FLA (April 6), @ MTL (April 8), @ FLA (April 10)

23. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 50.0%

Projected points: 91.5
Points pace: 82.0

In caller seasons, the Isles person repeatedly recovered a mode to bash conscionable capable to marque the playoffs. Time is moving retired for specified an result this season.

Next 7 days: vs. MIN (April 4), vs. WSH (April 6), @ NSH (April 8), vs. NYR (April 10)

24. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 49.3%

Projected points: 72.5
Points pace: 82.0

The Ducks won't marque the playoffs, but they caput to the offseason having exceeded expectations by astir 10 points successful the standings.

Next 7 days: @ VAN (April 5), vs. EDM (April 7), vs. CGY (April 9), @ LA (April 10)

25. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 47.4%

Projected points: 90.5
Points pace: 77.6

A late-season (relative) surge does not look to beryllium rather capable to get the Penguins backmost successful the playoff picture, and it's apt they'll miss the postseason for the 3rd consecutive year.

Next 7 days: @ DAL (April 5), @ CHI (April 6), vs. CHI (April 8)

26. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 47.3%

Projected points: 88.5
Points pace: 77.6

One of these years, the Sabres volition instrumentality to the playoffs. But for 2024-25, the playoff-less streak extends to 14.

Next 7 days: vs. TB (April 5), vs. BOS (April 6), vs. CAR (April 8), @ CBJ (April 10)

27. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 46.7%

Projected points: 85.5
Points pace: 76.6

The Flyers remained successful the playoff contention until the last weeks of 2023-24, but their deficiency of contention this play resulted successful the firing of caput manager John Tortorella.

Next 7 days: @ MTL (April 5), @ NYR (April 9)

28. Seattle Kraken

Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 46.1%

Projected points: 87.5
Points pace: 75.5

It turns retired that the Kraken's 2023 playoff tally to the 2nd circular was the outlier, and not the commencement of a tally of occurrence for the NHL's second-youngest team.

Next 7 days: @ SJ (April 5), @ LA (April 7), @ UTA (April 8), @ VGK (April 10)

29. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 45.4%

Projected points: 99.5
Points pace: 75.4

With the second-largest antagonistic differential among each 32 teams this season, the B's intelligibly request a spot of a reboot this summer.

Next 7 days: vs. CAR (April 5), @ BUF (April 6), @ NJ (April 8), vs. CHI (April 10)

30. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 40.8%

Projected points: 98.5
Points pace: 67.8

It's uncommon that a squad that "wins the offseason" goes connected to tremendous occurrence the pursuing season, and the Predators are the latest illustration of this trend. After making the playoffs successful 2023-24 and past signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei, they were the 3rd squad officially eliminated from playoff contention this season.

Next 7 days: vs. MTL (April 6), vs. NYI (April 8), @ UTA (April 10)

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 34.7%

Projected points: 73.5
Points pace: 56.9

If Chicago's ngo was securing a top-three prime to get different elite endowment successful the premix with Connor Bedard & Co., past ngo accomplished.

Next 7 days: @ WSH (April 4), vs. PIT (April 6), @ PIT (April 8), @ BOS (April 10)

32. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 33.3%

Projected points: 63.5
Points pace: 55.4

Things are looking up successful immoderate ways for the Sharks, but they'll astir apt decorativeness abbreviated of their expected constituent total. Are large things connected the mode this summer?

Next 7 days: vs. SEA (April 5), vs. CGY (April 7), @ MIN (April 9)