NHL power ratings: Avalanche return to the top after Week 4 of 2025-26 season

Four weeks of the 2025-26 NHL season are in the books, and the Colorado Avalanche continue to rack up the points. Colorado (7-1-5) is the only team in the league with fewer than two regulation losses, and its lone 60-minute defeat was a 3-2 road setback against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 25.

The Avalanche were one of 11 teams that didn’t lose in regulation during Week 4, as they registered a pair of victories and dropped an overtime decision to the Sharks in San Jose. Six clubs won all of their games, with five going 3-0-0 and the Montreal Canadiens posting a pair of OT triumphs.

Meanwhile, the Utah Mammoth and Washington Capitals failed to get in the win column, with the former losing in regulation twice and the latter going 0-2-1. Utah won all seven of its games over the previous two weeks to charge toward the top of the ratings. 

Each week during the season, I’ll rank the league’s top 10 teams based on both the previous week’s performances and their overall bodies of work in 2025-26. I’ll also give brief synopsis for each club that explains why they’re ranked where they are.

Let’s dive into the power ratings after Week 4 of the 2025-26 NHL season and highlight a few of the teams’ notable accomplishments.

NHL Week 4 power ratings 

1. Colorado Avalanche (2-0-1 in Week 4; 7-1-5 overall)

The Avalanche held this spot after Week 1 but dropped one spot each of the next two weeks. They’re back on top after having defeated New Jersey 8-4 and Vegas 4-2 prior to their overtime loss at San Jose. Nathan MacKinnon posted a three-point performance against the Devils and notched one point in each of his next two outings, giving him a six-game streak heading into Week 5. The 2024 Hart Trophy winner is tied for second in the NHL with 19 points and has been kept off the scoresheet in only two of his 13 contests. Cale Makar is riding a seven-game point streak and also has recorded one in 11 of 13 games. The two-time Norris Trophy recipient, who amassed seven points last week, is one behind MacKinnon and leads all NHL defensemen. Meanwhile, Martin Necas has registered 17 points and is riding his second three-game goal-scoring streak already this season.

2. Winnipeg Jets (3-0-0; 9-3-0)

The Jets lost two of three games in Week 3 to fall from third place to eighth in these ratings but bounced back with a trio of victories, scoring at least four goals in each triumph. Mark Scheifele continued his torrid pace with three multi-point efforts and enters Week 5 with a league-leading 20 points. The 32-year-old center has recorded two or more points in seven of his 12 games and been kept off the scoresheet just once this campaign. Kyle Connor also has notched a point in 11 of Winnipeg’s 12 contests and has scored four goals during his current three-game streak. Josh Morrissey is tied for second among defensemen with 11 points and brings a five-game streak during which he has collected nine into Week 5. And center Gabriel Vilardi is riding streaks of five games with a point (nine) and three with a goal (four).

3. Montreal Canadiens (2-0-0; 9-3-0)

Since a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in its season opener, Montreal has either posted a victory or lost by just one goal. The Canadiens have been the kings of overtime thus far this campaign, winning all five of their games that were decided in the extra session. Both of the team’s triumphs last week came in OT, including a 4-3 victory at Seattle in which Cole Caufield scored his league-high third overtime winner. The 24-year-old right wing registered a total of three goals and two assists in the wins. Nick Suzuki has notched a point in 11 consecutive games since being kept off the scoresheet in the season opener and leads the Canadiens with 18, including an NHL-best 16 assists, while reigning Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Lane Hutson is in the midst of a six-game point streak.

4. New Jersey Devils (1-3-0; 9-4-0)

The West Coast was not kind to the Devils, who were atop the rankings after Week 3. New Jersey defeated Los Angeles but suffered losses at Colorado, San Jose and Anaheim, allowing a total of 17 goals in those setbacks — one more than the team surrendered during the eight-game winning streak it posted prior to the road trip. One of the bright spots on the trek was the play of center Dawson Mercer, who registered a pair of two-goal performances while racking up five tallies and an assist in the four contests. Three-time All Star Jack Hughes also had a solid trip, netting two tallies and setting up two others. The 24-year-old center is tied with MacKinnon and Caufield for first in the NHL with 10 goals.

5. Detroit Red Wings (3-1-0; 9-4-0)

The Red Wings had a strong week on the road, beginning with a 5-2 triumph at St. Louis that completed a sweep of their home-and-home series. Detroit then sandwiched shootout victories at Los Angeles and San Jose around a loss in Anaheim, with Lucas Raymond and James van Riemsdyk netting the decisive goals in the bonus format. Alex DeBrincat, who is riding a six-game point streak, recorded three goals and four assists in Week 4 while Raymond collected six points. Meanwhile, captain Dylan Larkin notched five points over the four contests to increase his team-leading total to 18. 

6. Vegas Golden Knights (1-1-0; 6-2-3)

The Golden Knights only played twice last week, but one of those outings was a 4-2 setback against Colorado that gave them three losses in their last four contests (1-2-1). Jack Eichel was kept off the scoresheet in each of those defeats but registered three points in Vegas’ 6-3 road triumph against the Carolina Hurricanes last Tuesday and is tied for second in the league with 19. Mitch Marner had a solid week, recording a pair of two-point performances, while Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice at Carolina to increase his team-leading total to nine goals.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (1-2-1; 8-4-2)

The results of Pittsburgh’s four-game road trip last week were less than desired, as the team finished with just one victory. The trek ended with a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday in which the Penguins carried a three-goal lead into the third period. Veteran superstars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby both landed on the scoresheet in three of the four contests, but Justin Brazeau missed the last two games of the trip with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old right wing was excelling while playing on a line with Malkin as he collected six points over four contests in Week 3. Right wing Bryan Rust recorded four points last week and has notched at least one in six of his last seven outings.

8. Anaheim Ducks (3-0-0; 7-3-1)

The Ducks make their debut in the top 10 after winning all three of their games in Week 4. Anaheim edged the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in a shootout on the road before posting three-goal victories at home against Detroit and New Jersey. Leo Carlsson’s impressive season continued as he registered two goals and five assists over the Ducks’ three contests. The 20-year-old Swedish center is riding a six-game point streak and has landed on the scoresheet in all but two of his 11 outings in 2025-26. Troy Terry recorded two goals and two assists last week and enjoyed a six-game point streak before having it halted by the Devils on Sunday. Cutter Gauthier has recorded back-to-back two-point efforts and enters Week 5 with a six-game run. After missing four games with an illness, Chris Kreider returned and scored in each of Anaheim’s last two contests.

9. Utah Mammoth (0-2-0; 8-4-0)

Things were bound to take a negative turn for the Mammoth after two straight undefeated weeks. The club entered Week 4 with a seven-game winning streak but was defeated 6-3 by the Oilers in Edmonton and dropped a 4-2 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning at home. Nick Schmaltz extended his point streak to eight games with an assist against Edmonton but had it halted by Tampa Bay as he was kept off the scoresheet for only the second time in 12 contests this season. Fellow center Logan Cooley scored in the loss to the Oilers, giving him nine points during a four-game streak before it ended versus the Lightning.

10. Seattle Kraken (1-0-2; 6-2-4)

The Kraken dropped one spot despite earning at least one point in all three games last week. Seattle lost to Montreal and the New York Rangers in overtime before ending Week 4 with a 3-1 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks. Jaden Schwartz notched an assist in both OT losses while captain Jordan Eberle picked up a goal and an assist against Chicago to tie him for the team lead in points (10). The 35-year-old Eberle has tallied in three of his last five contests. Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers also registered a two-point performance last week, while defenseman Brandon Montour netted two tallies and set up another against the Canadiens before scoring again versus the Rangers.