Stanley Cup power rankings as the regular season enters its final stretch

The 2025-2026 regular season is down to its last 10 games, which is the league’s favorite way of saying everyone is suddenly very interested in every point. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are the first two NHL teams to clinch playoff berths, while the wild-card races in both conferences are still crowded enough to qualify as a group project.

Here is the Stanley Cup power ranking heading into the final week of March and the opening week of April.

20. Nashville Predators

Nashville gets the usual Western Conference boost, because geography remains a useful life hack. If the Predators were in the East, they would not be anywhere near a wild-card position. They currently sit in the second wild-card spot, but Los Angeles, Seattle, Winnipeg, San Jose and St. Louis are all within four points of catching them.

19. Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas has had a rough second half and still has not found any kind of sustained run. Over the last 10 games, the slump has continued. The roster is talented enough to make a Stanley Cup Finals push, but the Golden Knights need to find their rhythm quickly if they want to guarantee a postseason spot. Firing the head coach and bringing in John Tortorella for the rest of the season might be the jolt they are hoping for.

18. Utah Mammoth

The Mammoth have leaned heavily on goaltending and defense all season. That formula has worked well enough to keep them in the top 10 in goals allowed per game. Their offense has also held up, sitting in the top 15.

17. Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton has dealt with goaltending and defensive problems for most of the year, which is not exactly a small detail. Even so, the Oilers have climbed to second in the Pacific Division and are only three points behind Anaheim for the division lead. They are also starting to play their best hockey at the right time, just as the playoffs approach.

16. Washington Capitals

Washington is making a late push to get into the playoffs. The Capitals have eight games left and are five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild card. Their postseason fate may well come down to the final game of the regular season.

15. Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim is clearly benefiting from the Pacific Division situation around it. The Ducks are in first place, even though the only team in the division with a positive goal differential is Edmonton, which currently sits second. That says a fair amount about the division, and also about how much the Ducks will keep leaning on offense through the finish.

14. Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia’s offense has been a problem all season, but the defense and goaltending have done enough to keep the Flyers alive. They are two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild card and have gone 8-1-1 over their last 10 games. They have nine games left and will need the same sort of production to keep the chase going.

13. Detroit Red Wings

A month ago, Detroit was sitting at the top of the Atlantic Division. Now the Red Wings are sixth and trying to stay in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. Six of their final nine games are against teams that are also in playoff contention, so the schedule is not exactly designed for comfort.

12. Ottawa Senators

Ottawa is two points behind Columbus for the final Eastern Conference wild card and has been playing well over the last 10 games. The Senators are making one last push. They may not be built to chase the Stanley Cup right now, but they can absolutely make any playoff series unpleasant for someone.

11. Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus has completed a major turnaround after its first-half struggles. The Blue Jackets now hold the second Eastern Conference wild card and need to keep producing over their final eight games. The turnaround has been real, which is not something the early season would have suggested with much confidence.

10. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are third in the Metropolitan Division with nine games remaining. Captain Sidney Crosby has not played since the injury he suffered in the Olympics, but he has returned to practice and is targeting a return this week.

9. New York Islanders

New York’s defense and goaltending have drawn plenty of praise, and for good reason. The offense has been underwhelming throughout the season, but the Islanders have continued to rely on the back end to keep them competitive. Their offense ranks 22nd, while their defense ranks third.

8. Boston Bruins

Boston has steadied itself after a rough stretch over the last few weeks. The Bruins currently hold the first Eastern Conference wild card and cannot afford to ease up with only eight games left in the regular season.

7. Montreal Canadiens

Short of a historic collapse, Montreal should secure a playoff berth over its final nine games. That is unlikely, especially with the league’s third-ranked offense still generating results. The bigger concern is whether the Canadiens’ defense can hold up once the games get tighter.

6. Minnesota Wild

Minnesota has spent much of the season living in the shadow of Colorado and Dallas. Without those two in the Central Division, the Wild would be the class of the group. They have the roster to make a serious run toward the Stanley Cup Finals.

5. Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo has slipped into second place in the Atlantic Division, but the team is still playing excellent hockey. The Sabres have been the league’s best team in the second half of the season and have eight games left to try to move past Tampa Bay for the division lead.

4. Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina remains excellent and still does not seem to get quite enough credit for it. The Hurricanes have held onto the Metropolitan Division lead for most of the season, and their offense ranks fourth in goals scored per game.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay has reclaimed first place in the Atlantic Division and is surging at the right time. Over the last 10 games, the Lightning have gone 7-1-2. The division race is now a three-team battle between Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Montreal.

2. Dallas Stars

Dallas trails the Colorado Avalanche by six points in the Central Division with eight games left to close the gap. If the Stars do not catch Colorado for the division title, they will at least get a chance to challenge the Avalanche directly when the playoffs begin. Either way, Colorado is on notice.

1. Colorado Avalanche

Colorado has been the NHL’s best team for most of the season and has the numbers to prove it. The Avalanche lead the league in wins, points and goal differential. They also rank first in goals scored and goals allowed per game, which is the kind of balance that tends to make everybody else nervous.