January is steamrolling into February, so where does your team stand in this ultra-opinionated NHL Power Ranking? Even if they don’t stand where you’d like them to, don’t fear, because most of the teams can still consider themselves contenders at this point.
But if they got ground to make up, the sense of urgency factor needs to be a little higher than those who are residing at the top. So, find your team, and I’ll tell you what they need to do if they plan on increasing their chances to play in the postseason.
32 - San Jose Sharks
As expected, there’s nothing the San Jose Sharks can do to improve their standing and make a playoff run. So, they’re just going to be in the market for young talent that hasn’t quite fit in anywhere else. If general manager Mike Grier can bring in a couple of youngsters in the same way Doug Armstrong did in St. Louis, the Sharks rebuild will be a little less painful.
31 - Chicago Blackhawks
At this point, a few teams are all but eliminated from playoff contention, and the Chicago Blackhawks are one of them. Adding young pieces to the brewing core is the goal here, which could set the stage for a 2026 run.
30 - Nashville Predators
Well, that experiment didn’t work, or did it? The Predators are full of tried and true players, but maybe Barry Trotz unknowingly needed to add one more piece to this puzzle?
29 - Buffalo Sabres
All season, I’ve been convinced that the Sabres can still bounce back from their points deficit. To make the playoffs, they need to stay healthy and finally bring in one more top-six scorer. Maybe that scorer will be Elias Pettersson, and if that’s the case, the wait would’ve been worth it.
28 - Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins may be a bad hockey team, but given the circumstances surrounding their aging Big Three, the playoffs should always be on the table. That said, I would host a fire sale regarding any underperforming player and bring in adequate, solid talent to build around Sidney Crosby and company.
27 - Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are another team that needs to realize the playoffs aren’t happening in 2025, so to increase their chances for 2026 and beyond, it’s to sell off a few of their older, underperforming assets and bring in a few more who would be good fits for their core.
26 - Seattle Kraken
Joey Daccord holds down the fort rather well, so if I’m the Kraken, I’m realizing there’s still a small chance to make the postseason here. And one that would increase our odds of snagging a playoff berth exponentially if Seattle just acquired a player or two who could score.
25 - St. Louis Blues
The Blues might be ranked No. 25 here, but can you name another team listed so low that’s in a better position to make a move? General manager Doug Armstrong has been wheeling and dealing all season, and now he just needs one more dynamic scorer that will help this team make leaps and bounds.
24 - Utah Hockey Club
They need to remember who they’re playing in front of. We knew this would be a difficult year for the new Utah Hockey Club, but they have a fanbase to complete making a good first impression in front of. This team needs to wear emotions on its sleeves and it might just give them much-needed momentum, especially on their home ice.
23 - Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers made a couple of moves that might just help them in their quest to sneak into the playoffs. But they still need at least an adequate goaltender as opposed to what they have if they’re serious about making a run.
22 - Montreal Canadiens
Realize they actually have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs and make a smart trade or two. The Montreal Canadiens are a curious case since nobody expected much from them this season. But they also don’t need rentals. Instead, the Habs need to link up with a team and do something similar to what we just saw the Calgary Flames do earlier this week.
21 - Boston Bruins
Rediscover their team identity after some embarrassing losses. For the Bruins, it needed to be a defense-first approach and win games by just enough goals. Ordinarily, I’d say they need to find a scorer, but right now, this team needs to find ways to prevent opponents from scoring on them seemingly at will.
20 - New York Rangers
Reach into their long-term memory banks. On paper, the New York Rangers should be a better hockey team than they were this time last year, but they’ve taken about 1,000 steps backward. Any remaining dysfunction with this group should’ve left with the Kaapo Kakko trade, yet the Blueshirts are still playing catch-up.
19 - Detroit Red Wings
You’re gonna keep hearing me say ‘scorer’ a lot, but this may not bode truer to anyone other than the Detroit Red Wings. They’ve rocked and rolled so far under head coach Todd McLellan, but their scoring has remained suspect. That needs to change before the deadline because the Wings still have more than a legit chance to make something happen.
18 - New York Islanders
Uh, somebody needs to step up and score and if nobody does, general manager Lou Lamoriello needs to buckle down and find someone willing. Every year, it seems like the Isles have the same problems, yet it’s never fixed and they’re rarely anything better than a ‘happy to be here’ playoff team.
17 - Calgary Flames
Other than that big trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, you mean? Oh, Calgary, much like the Los Angeles Kings (See No. 15) needs to find one more big scorer, and they may just make a run. In the worst-case scenario, they found a couple of solid core additions.
16 - Vancouver Canucks
Find a way to become a functional team again. It seems like no matter what the Canucks do, they just can’t work well with one another, and that needs to change if they plan on making the playoffs. It will take at least one major transaction for this to work, but they’re too talented to let this season go to waste.
15 - Los Angeles Kings
The Kings just aren’t that good. Yeah, they win at home often, but they can’t score, nor have they proven themselves capable of playing consistent hockey regardless of their bench boss. If I’m L.A., and if I truly want to make a run at the playoffs, I’m looking to add at least one if not more capable scorers.
14 - Tampa Bay Lightning
Another team that just can’t seem to get it together on the road, the Lightning need a hard-hitting, no-nonsense player whose job is to strike fear in opponents when they’re not playing in their home arena. Much like their rivals in Toronto (see No. 12), Tampa has a lot going for them, but they’ll fall short, way short of what they’re capable of if they don’t beef up their team a little more.
13 - Columbus Blue Jackets
Nobody’s put up more inspiring play than the Columbus Blue Jackets, and a lot of us in NHL circles are rooting for this team. But they need to improve defensively and figure out how to play more consistent hockey on the road to keep exceeding expectations.
12 - Toronto Maple Leafs
Find a way to get consistent for once. There’s not another team out there that gets their fanbase going quite like the Maple Leafs, only to start stagnating before they ultimately collapse during the playoffs. This team needs a couple of ‘glue’ pieces because they literally have all the ingredients needed to make a run except for those ever-important but underrated types of players.
11 - Colorado Avalanche
The Avs need to get one more awesome player in there to provide further consolation for Mikko Rantanen. Right now, they’re that team I’ll call good, but by no means great, and the frustrating part is that they have almost all the tools to be great.
10 - Ottawa Senators
The Senators need firepower at forward right now or this is going to be a long and nail-biting second half to the season. For the Sens, it’s been defense and goaltending first, and all they need now is to complete their team or at least get close to it.
9 - Florida Panthers
The Panthers are starting to figure out how tough it is to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. They can score, but for a good hockey team, Florida simply allows too many goals, and it’s something that must be corrected. Either get some help on the blue line or acquire one more defensive-oriented forward.
8 - Minnesota Wild
The Wild are a strange team. Yeah, they’re one of the best in the league, but wow, this team’s only won 11 games at home and they have a points total of under 0.500 on their home ice. They need to find ways to win in front of the loyal fans in St. Paul.
7 - Vegas Golden Knights
Losing Jonathan Marchessault to Nashville could ultimately wind up being a difference-maker here. For Vegas, it’s all about fully overcoming that loss by bringing in a forward who can score as often as Jack Eichel can provide the helpers. And in case you haven’t heard, they’re off to a good start.
6 - New Jersey Devils
The Devils need to hold down the fort at goaltender after losing Jacob Markstrom for between four and six weeks. Nico Hischier is also dealing with an injury, which also holds this team back, so staying the course and ensuring those suffering ailments have adequate stopgaps is key.
5 - Dallas Stars
Find a way to compensate for Miro Heiskanen in the meantime must be Priority No. 1 here. The Stars took a major loss when Heiskanen went down, but this is something they should look at as an opportunity to improve their team to finally bring a group into the postseason that can break through to the Stanley Cup Final.
4 - Edmonton Oilers
Cut away some of what’s been holding them back. The Jeff Skinner experiment failed, so why not do the right thing and move him to a lowly bottom-feeder team and get something of worth for him? There are quite a few players, like Mikael Granlund, to throw a name out there, who could be part of a trade package involving Skinner.
3 - Washington Capitals
Know that Alex Ovechkin is doing more than just chasing Wayne Gretzky. The entire scope of this season shouldn’t just involve Ovechkin usurping the greatest hockey player of all time in terms of goals scored, but also snagging his second Stanley Cup. That said, the Caps must go all out.
2 - Carolina Hurricanes
If the Hurricanes have a weak spot, it’s better labeled as an inconsistent spot, which is at the blue line and between the pipes. Like so many contenders, they could be just one player away from making a serious run and completing the mission that stalled them last season. That will, without a doubt, come at the blue line.
1 - Winnipeg Jets
Get one more high-scoring forward, and the Jets will be the NHL’s most complete team PLUS. If they avoid the injury bug and make that one last acquisition, the city of Winnipeg will be in a better spot to hoist the Stanley Cup than they have in its complete history of NHL hockey.