NHL power rankings: One Olympian to watch from every team
Plenty happened in the past two weeks in the NHL, including the Columbus Blue Jackets surging under new coach Rick Bowness.
But the NHL is on the Olympic break, so let’s look ahead instead of backward.
The league’s players are going to the Winter Games for the first time since 2014. Every NHL team will send at least one representative and every country except Italy will have one NHL player.
This version of the NHL power rankings will rate teams based on their performance and it will have an Olympic theme with one Olympian to watch per team.
Here are the latest USA TODAY Sports NHL power rankings:
NHL power rankings
(Number in parentheses indicates the change from the previous rankings of two weeks ago)
1. Colorado Avalanche (0)
Forward Brock Nelson, USA: Nathan MacKinnon is a Hart Trophy candidate (plus MVP of the 4 Nations Face-Off) and Cale Makar is a Norris Trophy candidate. Two-way player Nelson, though, has 29 goals this season and on a U.S. team that chose not to bring Cole Caufield, Jason Robertson and Alex DeBrincat, he can provide some of that offense.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (0)
Defenseman Victor Hedman, Sweden: The skilled defenseman recently returned from his second injury of the season and was ramping up his ice time. The alternate captain will need to be on top of his game.
3. Minnesota Wild (+2)
Defenseman Quinn Hughes, USA: Hughes was injured before the 4 Nations Face-Off and wasn’t able to play. His presence will help a U.S. team that fell one goal short of a championship in the 2025 tournament.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (-1)
Forward Nikolaj Ehlers, Denmark: He’s a speedster and has 43 points this season. Denmark has only three regular NHL players among its skaters.
5. Dallas Stars (+1)
Defenseman Miro Heiskanen, Finland: He missed the 4 Nations Face-Off with an injury and Finland missed him. He has twice as many points as the No. 2 defenseman on Finland, his Stars defensive partner Esa Lindell.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins (+3)
Forward Sidney Crosby, Canada: He scored the golden goal in 2010 and scored in the championship game in 2014. He’s still putting up big points at 38 and was named Canada’s captain.
7. Montreal Canadiens (+3)
Forward Juraj Slafkovsky, Slovakia: He was MVP of the 2022 Olympics, which did not feature NHL players. Slafkovsky finished with seven goals and a bronze medal. He was drafted No. 1 overall that year and is the top Slovakian NHL scorer with 45 points.
8. Detroit Red Wings (-4)
Defenseman Moritz Seider, Germany: He’s the only NHL defenseman on Team Germany and is on pace for his best overall season.
9. Buffalo Sabres (-2)
Forward Tage Thompson, USA: Thompson was a potential injury replacement for the 4 Nations Face-Off but wasn’t needed. His size, speed and stickhandling ability will make a difference for the USA at the Olympics. It did in the world championships when he scored the clinching goal as the Americans won a rare gold medal.
10. Boston Bruins (+1)
Forward David Pastrnak, Czechia: He’s the most dynamic Czech scorer and he’ll be counted on even more with Bruins teammate Pavel Zacha missing the tournament with an injury.
11. Vegas Golden Knights (-3)
Forward Mitch Marner, Canada: He set up Connor McDavid’s clinching goal in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
12. New York Islanders (0)
Forward Bo Horvat, Canada: He was the Islanders’ lone representative until the team traded for Ondrej Palat, and Horvat was injured soon after Canada’s announcement. But he’s back and heading to the Olympics on a high note. He was second star of the week with five points in three games, including a pair of game-winners.
13. Columbus Blue Jackets (+9)
Defenseman Zach Werenski, USA: He brings a lot of offense from the back end, with 20 goals this season, second among NHL defensemen and first among those at the Olympics.
14. Utah Mammoth (0)
Goalie Karel Vejmelka, Czechia: Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal is likely the No. 1 goalie, but Vejmelka has put together several long runs this season.
15. Seattle Kraken (+5)
Goalie Philipp Grubauer, Germany: Grubauer is having a bounce-back season and should be able to provide steady goaltending on a team that could get plenty of goals.
16. Anaheim Ducks (+1)
Forward Mikael Granlund, Finland: He’s the captain of Team Finland, which is missing Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. Barkov is irreplaceable, so all of Finland’s forwards will need to step up.
17. Ottawa Senators (-8)
Forward Brady Tkachuk, USA: He had a two-goal game in the 4 Nations Face-Off and though he can’t fight at the Olympics like he did in last year’s tournament, he’ll provide a disruptive presence.
18. Edmonton Oilers (-3)
Forward Connor McDavid, Canada: McDavid and Germany’s Leon Draisaitl, the team’s lone representatives, are equally important to their countries. McDavid’s overtime winner at the 4 Nations gives him an edge.
19. Washington Capitals (+5)
Forward Tom Wilson, Canada: He earned a spot with his 23 goals, his penalty killing and his physical play. But he might have to temper his big hits because the International Ice Hockey Federation uses different standards.
20. Toronto Maple Leafs (+1)
Forward Auston Matthews, USA: The Americans named him captain. If the pure goal scorer can produce at the Olympics, it would help his reputation after playoff disappointments and the lack of a goal at the 4 Nations.
21. Philadelphia Flyers (-5)
Goaltender Dan Vladar, Czechia: No guarantee he sees action, but he did have a 1.09 goals-against average and .951 save percentage in the 2025 world championships.
22. Los Angeles Kings (-3)
Defenseman Drew Doughty, Canada: He doesn’t put up the big numbers anymore, but he did win gold medals in 2010 and 2014.
23. Florida Panthers (-10)
Forward Matthew Tkachuk, USA: Look at the description of brother Brady Tkachuk, then add back-to-back Stanley Cup titles to his resume. He wasn’t able to finish the championship game in the 4 Nations, scored 23 points with a torn adductor muscle in the playoffs and recently returned from offseason surgery.
24. San Jose Sharks (-6)
Forward Macklin Celebrini, Canada: Celebrini is having a spectacular sophomore season, has been mentioned as an MVP candidate and skated on a line with McDavid during the first Olympic practice.
25. Nashville Predators (+1)
Goalie Juuse Saros, Finland: He will be the Finns’ go-to goalie. He didn’t have a good 4 Nations but followed that up with a strong world championships.
26. New Jersey Devils (-3)
Forward Nico Hischier, Switzerland: The Devils captain is also the Swiss captain and a solid two-way player.
27. Chicago Blackhawks (0)
Forward Teuvo Teravainen, Finland: Connor Bedard didn’t make Team Canada and Teravainen is the Blackhawks’ lone Olympian. His numbers are off this season.
28. Calgary Flames (+2)
Forward Martin Pospisil, Czechia: He’s the Flames’ lone representative after the trade of Rasmus Andersson. He has no points in seven games with the Flames.
29. Winnipeg Jets (-1)
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck, USA: He was the No. 1 American goalie at the 4 Nations. But which goalie is the USA getting? The one who won the last two Vezina trophies and the 2024-25 Hart Trophy? Or the one who was pulled on the road in the playoffs and whose numbers are off this season?
30. New York Rangers (-1)
Forward Mika Zibanejad, Sweden: The Rangers have been a mess this season and already have been sellers. Zibanejad has been one of their better players and recently performed on a big stage with a record five points in the Winter Classic.
31. St. Louis Blues (0)
Goalie Jordan Binnington, Canada: He led Canada to a 4 Nations championship and won a Stanley Cup in 2019. But he has struggled this season as have the Blues. Does he rebound behind a better team?
32. Vancouver Canucks (0)
Forward Elias Pettersson, Sweden: His star has faded the past couple seasons and he was held without a point in the 4 Nations. A rebound in the Olympics could help restore his reputation.
