An arduous offseason is now in the books, and teams across the league are finally settled into what looks to be a difficult stretch of hockey. All the moving pieces have been put into place, with players and coaches demonstrating the ease with which they fit into new teams or the difficulties that come with putting on a new jersey. The 2025-26 NHL season is upon us, which means it’s time to overreact to and power rank teams one week into a fresh season.
10) Detroit Red Wings
Rounding out the top 10 are the Detroit Red Wings. Although their placement may be simply narrative-driven, the Red Wings have put together some nice wins in the past week, letting everyone know who they are. Two wins against the Maple Leafs left the NHL world in a frenzy, quick to jokingly label them as the “Toronto killers.” Memes aside, their wins against the Leafs and more recently, the Panthers have boosted them atop their division, rivalling the Canadiens and Bruins for the battle of first place. This Red Wings team isn’t anything to get excited about, but for a franchise that has been so bad for so long, it’s fun to see Detroit hockey (let alone Detroit sports) look good.
9) Vegas Golden Knights
There have been some suspicious losses through the Golden Knights’ first slate of games. Their defence has shown some holes that may need to be filled as the season progresses, and don’t look now, but goalie Adin Hill went down with an injury against the Calgary Flames. The status of the injury is still up in the air; however, Hill is one of the most important pieces on this Vegas team, and without him, Akira Schmid will have to fill some big shoes. On the bright side, Jack Eichel has been off to a blazing start, leading the Knights to some much-needed wins. If he can keep performing how he is now, the Knights could be back on track within the coming weeks.
8) Boston Bruins
One of the more interesting turnarounds from last season, the Boston Bruins find their way into the top 10 after a week’s worth of games that proved they’re still a team nobody should mess with. Jeremy Swayman has only been beaten twice so far this season, winning both of his first starts. Their upcoming schedule will be the chance for Boston to show who they really are. Aside from a game against Utah, their next opponents in the Golden Knights, Avalanche, Panthers and Ducks should all be tough contests. It may be an overreaction, but the Bruins have been fun so far and after their treacherous 2024-25 season, Bruins fans should be hopeful after their first few games.
7) Montreal Canadiens
Montreal has gotten off to a red-hot start to the 2025-26 campaign, filled with impressive wins and standout performances. Goaltender Sam Montembeault has been the standout for the Canadiens, having some big moments in crunch time for the Habs. Nick Suzuki is tied atop the league for assists (6), and Cole Caufield continues his upward trajectory with three goals and two assists. The Canadiens are still an unproven team with a lot to be desired; however, they are a team that can shock others on any given night with a breakout game from just about anybody on that roster.
6) Washington Capitals
The Capitals have been nothing short of must-see TV through their first four games. Aside from an opening day loss to the Bruins, they’ve managed to play some of the league’s most entertaining games so far. Jakob Chychrun scored Washington’s overtime winner against Tampa Bay, as he looks to be one of the team’s more reliable players down the stretch. Logan Thompson has looked great between the pipes, showing why he’s one of the league’s most valuable goalies. Finally, Aliaksei Protas has been putting up points at a rate the Capitals would love to see stay consistent throughout the regular season. Ovechkin is still seeking his first goal of the season, but Caps fans are all about the future and how interesting the landscape looks for this Washington team.
5) Edmonton Oilers
Vines are still high in Edmonton, even after a heart-crushing loss to Florida in last year’s cup finals. The Oilers started the season with a shootout loss to the Flames but bounced back against the Rangers and Canucks and rode a two-game win streak. The key factor moving forward will be the winger spot for Edmonton as they need somebody new to play alongside Leon Draisaitl. A tough week looms ahead for the Oilers, with games against the Devils, Red Wings and Canadiens on the horizon. Edmonton has a chip on its shoulder this year. Connor McDavid has shown over his career that nothing means more to him than winning.
4) Colorado Avalanche
Amidst a couple of disappointing seasons since their cup win in 2022, the Avalanche find themselves in the top five, to nobody’s surprise. The Avs still have Nathan McKinnon and Cale Makar, a lethal duo that has shown out so far in the early stages of the season. Colorado’s busy offseason has led them to do some retooling that may need to be extended into the near future. Their roster looks well-rounded, with their typical Avalanche archetypes of players leading the way as the team aims to be atop their division, battling with Dallas. Their only loss so far has come to the Stars in a shootout, in a clash that showed some glaring issues for the Avalanche. They can’t seem to beat Dallas, no matter the stage. Don’t get it twisted, the Avs are extremely talented and if healthy, can compete for a cup.
3) Florida Panthers
The Panthers have a curious case on their hands. Only a few games into the season, the team is looking a little worse for wear with multiple injuries to key players. Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and now Dmitry Kulikov are all on the injury list after their loss to Detroit. Other than the Sabres, the Panthers’ schedule for the next week isn’t easy as they head to TD Garden to play a rejuvenated Bruins team, then come back home for a stretch against the Penguins, Golden Knights and Ducks. Since starting the season 3-0, the Panthers have lost two games straight, with players falling to injury left and right. With that being said, Florida is still Florida, and they are back-to-back champs for a reason. The team’s core remains intact, and if they can keep themselves level-headed through the first month of the season, there’s no doubt they will be able to stay contenders in a stacked division.
2) Carolina Hurricanes
The Canes find themselves just short of the number one spot as the only other standing undefeated team in the league. Carolina is fresh off a remarkable season last year, and it looks as though they didn’t lose a stride sitting atop the Metropolitan division at 3-0. Although their wins aren’t anything to write home about, they took care of business, clearing house of the Sharks in San Jose with a 5-1 trampling. Seth Jarvis is off to a hot start to the season, potting three goals and an assist in just a handful of games, while Sebastian Aho continues to rack up points with his four assists. Frederik Anderson has started two games and hasn’t looked the greatest. If Carolina wants any chance of making it out of the Eastern Conference, they’re going to need impeccable goaltending from start to finish. If Florida remains in form throughout the regular season and into the playoffs, it might be the only serious obstacle standing in the way of this energetic Canes team.
1) Dallas Stars
Despite losing in the conference finals for the third consecutive year, the Stars fall into the unique category of a Stanley Cup-contending team that also has little respect league-wide when it comes to the playoffs. They re-signed Matt Duchene in the summer, retaining another veteran leader who provides stability amongst a squad that already has a ton of it. After letting go of Head Coach Pete DeBoer, the team replaced him with Glen Gulutzan in hopes of a culture shift that can eventually lead this hungry team to the holy grail. As of writing on Oct. 16, the Stars remain undefeated, putting up impressive performances with a difficult opening week schedule that saw them handle Minnesota, Colorado and Winnipeg. It will be no surprise to see Dallas glide through the regular season; however, the question remains if they can put it together come playoff time.