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 have been 109 goals scored during Frozen Frenzy last Tuesday, the third most in a single day in NHL history. Should you ask any hockey fan what makes the sport exciting, it isn’t a tough answer. It’s goals. And so they’re coming at a prolific clip this season.
The parity within the league can be showing in a giant way, especially within the East. As of Monday, only a single point separates the highest wildcard team from last place. Simply ridiculously, 12 of the 16 teams within 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 beginning to take shape. Who would have thought in early October that the Montreal Canadiens could be one in all 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? Okay, that one we could have guessed.
It needs to be one other seven-day stretch chalk filled with milestones, as Alex Ovechkin remains to be only 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 can be 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 starting 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 within the NHL Power Rankings, and so they’re making their 2025-26 debut at the height of the leaderboard in Week 5. Winnipeg owns the perfect goal differential within the league and are scoring more goals than every other team, resulting in a sparkling 9-3 record through 12 games. Following three victories in a row and 4 in five tries, Scott Arniel’s club is some extent back of the Avalanche for top spot within the National — with a game in hand. Similar to last yr’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 an important decision, especially after the Jets beat the Blackhawks 6-3 on Thursday.
Although the Avalanche were mired in a four-game skid last week, there was more to it than meets the attention. Colorado got past regulation in three of those games, and will have realistically been on a winning streak as an alternative of a losing one. Still, the squad has bounced back admirably, triumphing in two of three, with the only loss coming, after all, in additional time. That has the Avs 7-1-5 and first place overall through 13 games. Victor Olofsson is fresh off the primary three-goal and five-point game of his profession, while Mackenzie Blackwood has resumed starting duties, although his season debut was a loss against his old squad within the Sharks. He needs to be able to relegate Scott Wedgewood to backup duties and handle the lion’s share of starts going forward, which should help a superb roster proceed to rack up points going forward.
3. Recent Jersey Devils (-2)
After making their first ever appearance at the highest of CP’s NHL Power Rankings last week, the Devils weren’t quite ready for the highlight. Recent Jersey followed up an eight-game heater by losing thrice in 4 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 within the team’s worst lack of the yr against the Avalanche on Tuesday. On the intense side, he signed a two-year extension which can keep him in Newark until at the very least the top of 2028-29. It was a tricky Week 5 for the Devils, but it surely’s still been an overall terrific start for the highest team within the Metropolitan Division.
Just like the Devils, the Hurricanes faltered in Week 5, losing two of three games to make it 4 L’s in six tries dating back to October 20. That is disappointing considering it took Carolina six games to suffer their first defeat of 2025-26. A 7-4 record remains to be very solid, although they’ve dropped down each league standings and the NHL Power Rankings after a tricky stretch. Andrei Svechnikov is finally on the board after a nightmare start, and he was skating on the highest 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 — after they visit Madison Square Garden for the primary time on Tuesday night.
5. Montreal Canadiens (+2)
What an incredible begin to the yr it has been for the Habs, who’re first place within the Eastern Conference for the primary time in an extended, long while. A 9-3 record is tremendous for a team trying to take the subsequent step, and that appears to be exactly what is occurring in 2025-26. You only cannot say enough about Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield; the previous is leading Montreal with 18 points in 12 games, while the latter scored his eleventh profession additional time 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 as much as 10 goals and 15 points, and — along along with his team — is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. The Habs are firing on all cylinders at once, and it’s looking just like the sky might be the limit in Quebec this yr.
6. Utah Mammoth (-1)
After putting the NHL on notice in the shape of seven straight wins, the Mammoth have barely come back all the way down to earth after losing to the Oilers on Tuesday and facing an identical fate vs. the Lighting on Sunday. A two-game week was just what Utah didn’t need within the midst of their heater, and so they showed some rust in Tampa Bay. They’re still 8-4 and showing all of the makings of a playoff team within 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.
With Adin Hill on the shelf, and Carter Hart still not eligible to look 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 outcomes are speaking for themselves. Vegas has lost three of 4 games, dropping to 6-2-3 and relinquishing the highest spot within the Pacific Division to the surging Geese (more on that shortly). Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner proceed to rack up points — a combined 33 already between the 2 of them — but an .893 team save percentage leaves so much to be desired. And that is just not the identical team without captain Mark Stone; the powerplay was 9 for twenty-four with him within 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 within 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 of their last six tilts, they’ve dropped three in either additional time or a shootout. A 2-1 OT loss to the Lightning on Thursday was followed up by a 4-3 SO defeat by the hands of the Panthers two nights later. A 6-3-3 record is definitely manageable, although the Stars are the one team within the top-12 of league standings with a negative goal differential. This roster is not looking quite as potent as last yr, evidenced by six defeats in nine tries, but there remains to be an extended method 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 proceed to impress in 2025-26, and so they’ve roared out of the gates with nine wins of their first 13 contests. That is without the services of Patrick Kane, who stays out with injury after amassing five points in his first five games of the season. Each John Gibson and Cam Talbot could be higher, but they’re doing enough to get wins, and these early-year points are critical for a franchise attempting to rectify nine consecutive missed postseasons. Thus far, so good for Detroit, who’re tied with Montreal at the highest of the Atlantic Division. They’ve won three of 4 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 person advantage up to now this yr. 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’ve a Pittsburgh team that’s tied for first within the Metropolitan Division through 13 games. An 8-3-2 record is as impressive because it is surprising, and no, we didn’t expect the Pens to ever crack the top-10 within the NHL Power Rankings this yr. Sometimes, all you may do is give credit where it’s due, and that is precisely the case for Dan Muse and his roster at once.
For the primary 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 primary three games of 2025-26, Florida has gone 3-5-1 since, a pace that, if it continues, may have them outside the playoff picture altogether come April. The silver lining is that the Cats have picked up points in 4 of 5 games, and are only some extent out of the ultimate wildcard berth within 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 form of make sense.
The Oilers boast the league’s best PP in 2025-26, but in addition they have a bottom-five save percentage between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. The results of that’s an Edmonton team that’s narrowly avoiding being .500 after a 3-2 additional time victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday. Connor McDavid and co. have lost three of 5 overall, and are holding onto third place within the Pacific by a hair. The return of Zach Hyman cannot come soon enough, although we have already passed his goal return date of November 1. The story in Week 5 can be McDavid reaching 1,100 points; he’s one away with three games on tap over the subsequent 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 can be the fourth-fastest player to achieve 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 in all their worst starts in recent memory, Tampa Bay has won five games in a row — 4 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 beginning to think Father Time can have been coming for an aging core. That not appears to be the case; the Bolts are back above .500 at 6-4-2 and sitting in third within the Atlantic. The hold is as precarious as ever, considering the last-place-in-the-conference Flyers are only some extent back. It’ll be an interesting couple of months within the National, however the Lightning look to be back to their winning ways ahead of a 2022 Stanley Cup rematch against the Avalanche on Tuesday.
The NHL Power Rankings have been patient with the Capitals up so far, but that patience is wearing thin. Washington has lost 4 games in a row and five of seven, and Ovechkin has been stuck at 899 goals for a full 4 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 is probably the last item on his mind at once, as he looks to assist get the Caps out of this slump. Things aren’t going to be any easier without Pierre-Luc Dubois, who the team announced could 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 Geese (+7)
Welcome to primetime, Anaheim. It looks just like the Geese are finally coming out of the rebuild in a giant way, with Joel Quenneville looking like the right 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 only a few explanation why the team is 7-3-1 and fresh off winning five of six games going back to October 21. Anaheim is getting the largest bump up the NHL Power Rankings of any squad in Week 5, and so they deserve all of it. Not for the reason that Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf days has this squad been first place within the Pacific Division, but as of Monday, they’re back. It’ll be interesting to see if the Geese can keep it going and advance to the dance for the primary time since 2017-18.
16. Toronto Maple Leafs (-1)
It’s truthfully hard to consider that the Maple Leafs are above .500 at once. Not only is Toronto within the bottom-five league-wide in each goals-against average and save percentage, they only lost a key defenseman in Chris Tanev, who was injured on Saturday against Philadelphia and needed a visit 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 up to now. 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 4, and remain 6-5-1. They’re out of a playoff spot, and can look to rectify that against the Penguins at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
17. Seattle Kraken (-3)
After a really encouraging begin to the yr — the Kraken picked up at the very least some extent in each of their first five games — it has been a difficult two weeks. Seattle has lost 4 of six games, falling to the second wildcard berth within the Western Conference and never having any respiration room. They still picked up six of a possible 12 points through the skid, and a 5-2-4 record is something to construct on. But they should proceed finding a method to secure points in the event that they hope to stay within the postseason conversation all yr long. Joey Daccord keeps on shining within the crease, and he will 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 within the lineup, the Senators are scoring a ton of goals; 24 over their last five games, to be exact. That is a winning recipe, and it’s helped Ottaway climb above .500 to 6-5-2. Like many teams within the conference, the Sens have 14 points, and so they’re knocking on the door of the playoff conversation. Linus Ullmark has begun to come back around after a really difficult start, and that is 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 within the top-seven. Without the captain, that is hugely encouraging in Canada’s capital.
19. Vancouver Canucks (-1)
The Canucks have been missing a limb for the last 4 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 energetic, the Canucks had lost three games in a row before that, and so they’ve fallen to twelfth place within the Western Conference at 6-7. Conor Garland also being out has also hurt this team, which is lacking a spark up to now. The silver lining is that Hughes can be back when Vancouver visits Nashville for the finale of a three-game road trip against the Predators on Monday. A win wouldn’t only get them back to .500, but additionally back into the playoff picture.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets (+3)
It’s excellent news and bad news for the Blue Jackets at once. The bad news is that the team suffered a heartbreaking loss on Sunday, leading the Islanders 2-1 before allowing Recent York to attain two unanswered goals in the ultimate minute and alter of regulation. The excellent news is, Columbus had won 4 games in a row and 6 of seven before that. They were oh-so-close to 5 victories in a row, but they’re still in great shape after a terrific stretch of hockey. Each Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins have been performing well between the pipes, while Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov are leading the charge offensively. It has been a really encouraging few weeks, however the mettle can be tested over a five-game road trip that began in Long Island and can 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 4 of them. A 5-4-4 record will not be even near satisfactory for an LA team that won 48 games last yr. The fundamental wrongdoer of the slow start has been Darcy Kuemper, who has been unable to recreate the magic he found for a lot of the regular-season in 2024-25. It doesn’t help that Adrian Kempe is the one skater playing at above a point-per-game pace; the roster overall is within the lower echelon of goals scored. It’s secure to say the Kings are underachieving to this point, and so they should have the opportunity to start stringing together some wins with Anze Kopitar back to full health.
22. Minnesota Wild (-6)
Things have gone from bad to worse within the State of Hockey; the Wild had lost five games in a row and eight of nine before finally getting back within the win column against the Canucks on Saturday night. Minnesota is looking nothing just like the team that got here near upsetting Vegas within the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Filip Gustavsson floundering and the blue line looking concerningly leaky. The Wild are actually closer to the basement of the Western Conference than they’re to being in a playoff spot, and that’s spooky. Minnesota plays 4 games this week, and the finale — a visit from the Flames on Sunday — can be Marcus Johansson’s 1,000th. The 2009 first-rounder hasn’t quite lived as much as his potential, but he stays a serviceable middle-six forward. The outlook should get sunnier overall once Mats Zuccarello returns to the lineup, but that does not seem like imminent.
23. Recent York Rangers (+3)
Although the Rangers still by some means would not have a house win in 2025-26, they’ve made up for it on the road. Recent York is 6-1-1 away from Madison Square Garden, and Mike Sullivan’s club looks potent so long as they don’t seem to be playing in front of the house 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 may have one other probability to finally win a game at MSG on Tuesday, with the shorthanded Hurricanes visiting the Big Apple. You’ve got got to think that after they get that first one, they’ll quickly have the opportunity to rectify a ghastly 0-4-1 home record.
24. Recent York Islanders (+1)
The Islanders snatched victory from the (Blue Jackets) jaws of defeat on Sunday, and it was all due to Matthew Schaefer. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick is already a star in Recent York; he’s leading all rookies in points despite being a defenseman, and he’s already playing greater than every other player on the team. It’s astounding how composed he takes care of playing just 12 games within the show, and he could change the complete trajectory of this franchise in each the short and long-term. He was heroic on Sunday, scoring the primary goal of the sport and tying things up with just 1:07 left in regulation. This kid is the actual deal, and he’s an enormous reason why the Isles are back above .500 at 6-5-1. He’ll proceed making his Calder Trophy case against the visiting Bruins on Tuesday.
25. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
It can 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 thrice in a 7-3 conquer the Senators on Tuesday, and added an assist in addition. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks lost the sport before that and two more after it, dropping to 5-4-3 after a 4-2-2 start. That has Chicago going the unsuitable way within the NHL Power Rankings, although they’re nowhere near the basement, which was the fact for many of last yr. Despite being just out of the playoff picture within the West, the Hawks are one in all just seven teams within the conference with a positive goal differential. After losing the primary 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)
Regular as she goes for the Sabres, who’re still above .500 despite losing three of their last 4 games. Remarkably, all three of those defeats were 4-3 — and all of them got here in additional time. 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 after they got back within the win column, that game was also 4-3 — except it took until a shootout to choose a winner against the Capitals. For those counting, that is 4 consecutive 4-3 finals. You only don’t see that fairly often. Let’s have a look at if there can be a distinct rating when the Mammoth visit KeyBank Center on Tuesday night.
27. Philadelphia Flyers (+2)
Trevor Zegras had just a few real tough years in Anaheim, but he’s looking like a totally 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 in all the important thing 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 within the Eastern Conference, but yes, they are a single win away from being in a playoff spot. That continues to be hard to consider regardless of how over and over I type it. When is the last time a team that was above .500 was last place within the conference through almost a month of the season?
28. Boston Bruins (+2)
After losing six straight regulation games and tumbling within the NHL Power Rankings, the Bruins have righted the ship in the shape of 4 wins in five tries since October 25. Boston is 7-7, which is brutal when you consider that they began the season on a three-game winning streak, but incredible when you compare it to absolutely the futility this roster showed at the top of 2024-25. They’re right there within the East, and Morgan Geekie has been a giant reason why; the 27-year-old has seven goals in his last seven games, and he’s fitting like a glove on the highest line with David Pastrnak. The Bruins can loaf around in the event that they can get good goaltender from Jeremy Swayman, but that continues to be a giant if for some of the up-and-down goaltenders up to now this yr.
29. St. Louis Blues (-8)
St. Louis has an early case of the Blues, after which some. Jim Montgomery’s team looks nothing in any respect like last yr; as an alternative, it’s trending toward disaster. Stop me when you’ve heard this before, however the Blues have lost seven games in a row and just cannot snap out of this funk. Jordan Binnington might be playing his way right off Team Canada, and together with Joel Hofer, he helps make up the NHL’s worst tandem in 2025-26. The offense is not helping much either, sitting within the bottom-12 of each goals scored and powerplay percentage. It is a nightmare in Missouri, and if things don’t improve, St. Louis could find yourself selling ahead of the deadline. With eight players set to be free agents next summer, it would make sense.
30. San Jose Sharks (+1)
One other spot up the NHL Power Rankings for the Sharks, who’re creeping further and further away from the basement. San Jose is already a fifth of their method to last yr’s win total, and it’s only taken 13 games to get there. It looks just like the continued futility we have seen from this California franchise might finally be a thing of the past. We will thank Macklin Celebrini and his 18 points for that, but Dmitry Orlov (10 points) and Philipp Kurashev (nine points) each deserve some recognition. The 2 fresh faces have been excellent for his or her latest team, and have really helped add some depth to a roster that was sorely lacking it. The goaltending remains to be truly horrible, but it surely is great to see a talented young roster turning the corner. Let’s have a look at 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 road, but so was the chance 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 the very least one other week. The Preds are doing just effective at 5-6-2, but they don’t have any Roman Josi for the foreseeable future and never a ton of talent on the roster to start with. Saturday’s victory got here after back-to-back-to-back regulation losses, and with a minus-10 goal differential, the writing on the wall is looking very much like last yr.
32. Calgary Flames (no change)
For an additional week, the Flames are last place in each league standings and the NHL Power Rankings. A 3-9-2 record will try this to ya. Even Dustin Wolf is starting to falter, and he’s been one in all the one things holding this team together early on. If he doesn’t play just like the version of himself that just about won the Calder Trophy last yr, Calgary probably is not coming out of the basement any time soon. The one thing to sit up for this week is Nazem Kadri’s 1,000th game; the Stanley Cup champion will change into the ninth player from the 2009 NHL Draft to realize the feat on Wednesday against the visiting Blue Jackets. The way in which things are going, he won’t be spending rather more time in Alberta — and neither will Rasmus Andersson.