NHL Power Rankings: Avalanche have plenty of reasons to be thankful, Predators are not so fortunate
Written by CBS SPORTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on November 26, 2025
It’s Thanksgiving week, and I really think everyone can find at least one thing to be grateful for. I challenged myself to do that with NHL teams, and I have to admit, it was harder than anticipated the further I got down the power rankings.
The top of the rankings proved difficult in a different way. Imagine trying to pinpoint just one good thing about the Colorado Avalanche. They haven’t lost in regulation since Oct. 25, and they have multiple players up for awards. It’s a bountiful feast in Denver.
On the other end of the spectrum, imagine my dismay when trying to find something to appreciate about the Nashville Predators, the new No. 32 team in our rankings. The game of hockey is something for which we can all be grateful, but the Preds haven’t exactly been doing it a lot of justice lately with two wins in their last 10.
For those two clubs and the 30 in between, I highlighted at least one thing every fan base can be happy about this fall.
Before you carve your bird of preference and plant yourself on the couch to watch football all day on Thursday, make sure to give thanks for your favorite hockey team. Here is a special Thanksgiving edition of the NHL Power Rankings.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Avalanche |
Dominance | The Avalanche have been the best team in the NHL by just about every metric out there. Nathan MacKinnon looks like the MVP. Cale Makar is on track for another Norris Trophy. There’s too much to pick just one thing, so just be thankful for it all. | — | 16-1-5 |
| 2 |
 Stars |
Finland | The Finnish export their best and brightest to the NHL, and the Stars have three of them on their roster. Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz all call Finland home, and they’re all building blocks to a Stanley Cup contender in Dallas. | — | 14-5-4 |
| 3 |
 Hurricanes |
Seth Jarvis | One of the great treasures across the league, Jarvis is the rare hockey player who exudes elite skill and a unique personality. Whether it’s scoring a clutch goal or begging fans not to spoil his non-refundable Mexico trip with the All-Star fan vote, Jarvis is a star on and off the ice. | — | 14-6-2 |
| 4 |
 Lightning |
Atlantic chaos | The Atlantic Division has been all over the map so far, and the Lightning are in the best position to take advantage of that. The Bolts have gotten hot lately, and the cannibalistic nature of the teams below in the standings gives Tampa a chance to stretch its lead. | 2 | 13-7-2 |
| 5 |
 Ducks |
Evolution | For years, the Ducks have been waiting for their rebuild to bear the fruit of actual wins. After a couple disappointing seasons, the ducklings have evolved into the Pacific Division leaders. There will be no roast duck on the plate this Thanksgiving. | — | 14-7-1 |
| 6 |
 Devils |
Jesper Bratt | With Jack Hughes out of the lineup for a couple months, the Devils should be grateful they still have a star at the top of the lineup who can drive success. Bratt is a legit stud, both when it comes to his five-on-five impact and actual production (22 points in 22 games). | 2 | 14-7-1 |
| 7 |
 Senators |
Jake Sanderson | One of the more underrated defensemen in the league, Sanderson has developed into a true No. 1 option for the Senators, which is what Thomas Chabot was supposed to be once upon a time. Sanderson is a highly effective player in all three zones, and he’s a big reason for Ottawa’s defensive dominance. | 5 | 11-7-4 |
| 8 |
 Islanders |
Change | For too many years, things were stale on Long Island, and anyone with eyes could see it. That’s not the case anymore. Lou Lamoriello is out. Mathieu Darche is in. No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer is lighting up the NHL. The Isles are exciting. | 9 | 13-8-2 |
| 9 |
 Red Wings |
Dylan Larkin | The captain himself is a Michigan kid, and he represents the franchise incredibly well. Larkin has Detroit looking like a playoff team, and it would be great to see him break through considering how much mediocrity (or outright misery) Larkin has endured throughout his career. | 1 | 13-9-1 |
| 10 |
 Panthers |
Depth | How many teams could lose their No. 1 center and a first-line winger — then lose a handful more players to various injuries — and remain afloat in the playoff race? Not many, but when you have Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart to carry the load, that helps a lot. | 4 | 12-9-1 |
| 11 |
 Golden Knights |
Aggressiveness | If there is a good player available on the trade market, you can bet the Golden Knights are sniffing around. That’s because GM Kelly McCrimmon is never satisfied with his roster as is. If there’s a chance to improve, he will take it. Most fans would love to have a GM with that same approach. | 1 | 10-5-7 |
| 12 |
 Kings |
Anze Kopitar | It was just too easy. This is Kopitar’s last season, so fans need to appreciate every second of him in a Kings jersey. Kopitar is the most important player in franchise history (two-time Selke Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champ), and he’s a future Hall of Famer. Cherish the next 5-7 months. | 1 | 11-6-6 |
| 13 |
 Kraken |
Defense | In their first year under coach Lane Lambert, the Kraken are making it happen with stout defense. Seattle allows expected goals against at the fifth-lowest rate in the NHL, and they’re third in actual goals against. | 5 | 11-5-6 |
| 14 |
 Bruins |
Offense | The Bruins are suddenly a high-flying offensive squad, thanks to David Pastrnak and future 58-goal scorer Morgan Geekie. They’ve needed all of those goals too because their goal differential is still slightly below water at minus-2. | 7 | 13-11-0 |
| 15 |
 Jets |
Mark Scheifele | If Winnipeg is going to survive without Connor Hellebuyck for the next 4-6 weeks, it needs a lot of help from the rest of the lineup. That starts with Scheifele, who has been great again this season. He’s on pace for a career-high 108 points. | 4 | 12-9-0 |
| 16 |
 Canadiens |
Sharpshooting | No team has been better when it comes to converting shots into goals. The Canadiens lead the NHL in shooting percentage at 13.4%, which is almost a full point higher than the second-place Blackhawks. Cole Caufield has been especially hot, shooting 22% on the season. | 7 | 11-7-3 |
| 17 |
 Wild |
Cash money | Sometimes, you have to pony up to keep your superstars in the mix, and the Wild did that in the offseason. The Wild made Kirill Kaprizov the highest-paid player in NHL history, both in terms of total value ($136 million) and AAV ($17 million). A small price to pay for someone who will likely be the best player in team history. | 5 | 12-7-4 |
| 18 |
 Capitals |
Spencer Carbery | From the outside looking in, it’s hard to find many coaches better at getting players to buy into their vision. Carbery has completely revamped the culture in Washington, and despite a talent deficiency on paper, the Caps outplay their opposition on a regular basis. | 7 | 12-9-2 |
| 19 |
 Flyers |
Shootouts | The Eastern Conference has never been more competitive, so teams have to collect points in every possible manner. So far, the Flyers have been picking up bonus points in the shootout — going 4-0 in those situations — the best record in the NHL. | 1 | 11-7-3 |
| 20 |
 Mammoth |
Good ownership | I shudder to give owners any credit whatsoever, but by all accounts, the Smiths have created an incredible environment for the Mammoth players. Beyond that, they seem all-in on winning a Stanley Cup. That’s a night-and-day difference from the ownership situation in Arizona. | 1 | 12-8-3 |
| 21 |
 Penguins |
Longevity | Sidney Crosby remains a force of nature in the NHL, and at the age of 38, that’s quite the feat. But it hasn’t just been Crosby this season. The great Evgeni Malkin has turned back the clock too with 24 points in 21 games. Those two have kept Pittsburgh in the playoff mix. | 6 | 10-6-5 |
| 22 |
 Blackhawks |
Hope | The Blackhawks have been short on hope for a while now, even with Connor Bedard on the roster. In the last two seasons, Chicago has looked light years away from playoff contention, but that has changed this season. Bedard has hit another gear, Frank Nazar has been impactful and Spencer Knight is a Vezina Trophy candidate. | 6 | 10-8-4 |
| 23 |
 Rangers |
Road trips | Everyone loves a good road trip, but that’s especially true for the Rangers. New York has been putrid at Madison Square Garden, but the team has been terrific on the road. Those performances away from home are the only reason the Rangers are still afloat in the East. | 2 | 11-11-2 |
| 24 |
 Sharks |
Youth | The thing about inexperience is that it can be the source of mistakes, but it can also provide a franchise with some juice. That’s what Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund and Yaroslav Askarov have done. The future is very sunny in the Bay Area. | 2 | 11-9-3 |
| 25 |
 Blue Jackets |
Cap space | The Blue Jackets have some really intriguing young pieces — or at least pieces still in their prime — and they have the flexibility to build around them. Columbus has almost $13 million in space now, and it’s projected for $46 million in space next summer. | 2 | 11-9-3 |
| 26 |
 Oilers |
Proof of concept | This start would be very worrisome for the Oilers if they hadn’t done this in each of the last two years before going on a Stanley Cup Final run. Edmonton has proven it can dig itself out of a hole, even if this season feels a little different in a bad way. | 2 | 10-10-5 |
| 27 |
 Sabres |
Josh Allen | If it weren’t for Josh Allen, Buffalo would be a much more miserable place this time of year, and fans would have more time to direct their ire at the Sabres. Thankfully, Allen and his rocket arm give the fine folks of Buffalo something to look forward to. | 1 | 9-9-4 |
| 28 |
 Maple Leafs |
Parity | The difference between the last playoff spot and last place in the East is five points, and the Maple Leafs have two games in hand. Toronto may be in last place, but the extreme parity in the conference should give the team and its fans plenty of hope. | 1 | 9-10-3 |
| 29 |
 Blues |
The Thanksgiving break | With just one win in their last six games, the Blues are like a fighter just trying to reach the bell. This is also around the exact date St. Louis began its turnaround last season, but there will be no coaching change this time around, so the team has to find answers from within. | 1 | 7-10-6 |
| 30 |
 Flames |
Regression | This may sound crazy to say, but the Flames look pretty good under the hood, especially on defense. At five-on-five, only the Senators allow expected goals at a lower rate than Calgary. If Dustin Wolf finds his game in net, the Flames could push back into the wild card mix. | 2 | 8-13-3 |
| 31 |
 Canucks |
Quinn Hughes | Love him while you’ve got him, Vancouver! With each passing loss, it looks more and more like Hughes’ future could be in a different uniform. | 2 | 9-12-2 |
| 32 |
 Predators |
Titans | In seasons like this, the Predators benefit from being in football country, especially when the Titans are the only NFL team with just one win. They’ve really been taking some heat off the Preds locally. | 1 | 6-12-4 |
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