NHL Power Rankings: Summer storylines for all 32 teams

The compressed NHL docket for the extremity of the Stanley Cup playoffs, draught and escaped bureau means that the bulk of July and August is ... a spot slower.

But it's besides the cleanable clip to refresh our Power Rankings of each 32 teams heading into 2025-26!

In summation to the latest 1-32 poll, this variation includes the apical storyline for each squad during the summertime break.

How we rank: A sheet of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends successful a 1-32 canvass based connected however beardown each squad volition beryllium successful the 2025-26 season, which generates our maestro list.

Note: Previous ranking for each squad refers to the last 2024-25 edition, published April 11. Stanley Cup likelihood are per ESPN BET arsenic of July 24.

1. Florida Panthers

Pre-playoff ranking: 11
Stanley Cup odds: +600

The Panthers had different epic celebration with the Stanley Cup, past proceeded to re-sign their large 3 pending escaped agents: Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. Is a three-peat possible?

2. Edmonton Oilers

Pre-playoff ranking: 10
Stanley Cup odds: +850

A 2nd consecutive nonaccomplishment successful the Stanley Cup Final resulted successful nary tiny magnitude of self-reflection -- each portion the proverbial sword of Damocles hangs implicit the franchise successful Connor McDavid's imaginable escaped bureau successful 2026. One point that remains unchecked? Finding a amended solution successful goal.

3. Dallas Stars

Pre-playoff ranking: 3
Stanley Cup odds: +1000

Another travel to the Western Conference finals wasn't capable for Peter DeBoer to prevention his job, who was replaced by erstwhile Stars manager Glen Gulutzan successful July. How volition the archetypal afloat play of the Mikko Rantanen Era go?

4. Carolina Hurricanes

Pre-playoff ranking: 7
Stanley Cup odds: +800

Given each the re-signings this offseason, determination weren't a bevy of high-impact escaped agents available. However, 1 of the apical ones signed with the Hurricanes. How volition Nikolaj Ehlers beryllium deployed successful Rod Brind'Amour's system? And tin helium beryllium the difference-maker adjacent postseason?

5. Vegas Golden Knights

Pre-playoff ranking: 4
Stanley Cup odds: +850

Same aged Knights. The biggest food successful the escaped bureau pond this offseason was Mitch Marner, and definite enough, Vegas' beforehand bureau recovered a mode to onshore him. It presents a wage headdress concern for the club, though that's besides thing new. Marner visits Toronto connected Jan. 23, for those successful a calendar-circling mood.

6. Winnipeg Jets

Pre-playoff ranking: 1
Stanley Cup odds: +2500

The reigning Presidents' Trophy winners arsenic regular-season champs mislaid a cardinal subordinate successful Nikolaj Ehlers this offseason, but gained possibly the sport's biggest X origin successful Jonathan Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup victor who hasn't played since the 2022-23 play due to the fact that of wellness concerns.

7. Colorado Avalanche

Pre-playoff ranking: 5
Stanley Cup odds: +750

A first-round playoff nonaccomplishment is simply a spot misleading, arsenic it was to chap juggernaut Dallas Stars. The Avs judge they've solved their second-line halfway dilemma with a declaration for 2024-25 commercialized summation Brock Nelson, but bash they person capable extent to marque different Cup run?

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Pre-playoff ranking: 6
Stanley Cup odds: +2000

Toronto's seemingly Quixotic quest to triumph different Stanley Cup continues. It has been an offseason of ups and downs truthful far. The Leafs mislaid Mitch Marner successful a sign-and-trade with Vegas but inked 1 of the summer's champion deals with the caller pact for Matthew Knies. As always, it's precocious play successful the "centre of the hockey universe."

9. Washington Capitals

Pre-playoff ranking: 2
Stanley Cup odds: +3000

Alex Ovechkin begins the 2025-26 play arsenic the NHL's all-time goals person -- and 3 distant from 900. But the Caps won't simply beryllium feeding him pucks each season. This squad volition anticipation to get further than the 2nd round, possibly giving Ovi different Cup for his Hall of Fame résumé.

10. Tampa Bay Lightning

Pre-playoff ranking: 9
Stanley Cup odds: +1400

The Lightning proceed to expertly massage their roster wrong the bounds of the wage cap. That continued this offseason, arsenic they extended Yanni Gourde and Gage Goncalves for scoring depth. Another agelong playoff tally is possible, though they'll apt person to decision their rivals from South Florida astatine immoderate constituent connected that road.

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Bettman shares 4 Nations tourney occurrence with McAfee

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman joins "The Pat McAfee Show" and details the occurrence of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

11. Los Angeles Kings

Pre-playoff ranking: 8
Stanley Cup odds: +2000

After signing a bevy of seasoned extent to the roster successful escaped agency, the Kings created the NHL's champion docket merchandise video. It has been an breathtaking summertime already!

12. Minnesota Wild

Pre-playoff ranking: 13
Stanley Cup odds: +4000

At 1 constituent determination was immoderate thought that the Wild would motion Minnesota natives Brock Nelson oregon Brock Boeser (or both). Instead, each re-signed with his 2024-25 team. Bringing successful Vladimir Tarasenko could beryllium 1 of the offseason's deftest moves, if the seasoned guardant tin find his erstwhile scoring interaction that mostly eluded him this past season.

13. New Jersey Devils

Pre-playoff ranking: 15
Stanley Cup odds: +1600

Aside from immoderate extent tweaks, the Devils didn't bash a ton frankincense acold this offseason -- though re-signing Jake Allen whitethorn beryllium to beryllium 1 of the wiser roster moves. How volition Luke Hughes' adjacent declaration interaction the remainder of their decisions?

14. St. Louis Blues

Pre-playoff ranking: 12
Stanley Cup odds: +5000

After a playoff quality this past season, it has been a comparatively quiescent offseason truthful acold for St. Louis. And arsenic of close now, the nine doesn't person the headdress abstraction to motion anyone to a bold connection sheet.

15. Ottawa Senators

Pre-playoff ranking: 14
Stanley Cup odds: +3500

Senators GM Steve Staios has indicated that helium likes what helium has connected the roster and expects maturation from within. That was evident this offseason, arsenic the club's astir noteworthy determination was re-signing seasoned guardant Claude Giroux to a one-year deal.

16. Montreal Canadiens

Pre-playoff ranking: 17
Stanley Cup odds: +6000

Fresh disconnected a somewhat astonishing Stanley Cup playoff appearance, the Canadiens made 1 of the offseason's boldest moves by trading 2 first-round picks for 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson, past inking him to an eight-year deal. Are the playoffs present an every-year happening for the Habs?

17. New York Rangers

Pre-playoff ranking: 20
Stanley Cup odds: +3000

The Rangers switched coaches -- from Cup victor Peter Laviolette to Cup victor Mike Sullivan -- and recovered a commercialized destination for K'Andre Miller aft the determination was made not to re-sign the restricted escaped agent. In betwixt they landed 1 of the apical disposable escaped agents, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. Is it capable to get them backmost successful the postseason mix?

18. Calgary Flames

Pre-playoff ranking: 16
Stanley Cup odds: +15000

Another GM who believes -- seemingly -- that maturation volition travel from within, GM Craig Conroy told reporters that the players his beforehand bureau had targeted successful escaped bureau signed elsewhere, and helium didn't consciousness immoderate large request to walk $15 million-plus successful headdress abstraction conscionable to walk it. He could beryllium onto something, arsenic the team's younker question isn't all Calder Trophy finalist Dustin Wolf -- though having a large young goaltender surely doesn't hurt.

19. Utah Mammoth

Pre-playoff ranking: 19
Stanley Cup odds: +4000

There was nary playoff hockey successful Utah this past spring, but GM Bill Armstrong pulled galore antithetic levers this offseason to enactment his squad successful the champion spot to bring it determination successful 2026. The squad traded for a imaginable superstar successful JJ Peterka, signed proven seasoned extent successful Nate Schmidt and Brandon Tanev, and drafted Caleb Desnoyers with the No. 4 pick, a 200-foot halfway who volition play a cardinal relation for the squad sooner than later.

20. Detroit Red Wings

Pre-playoff ranking: 21
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

Little Caesars Arena has yet to big a playoff game. Is this the play that the drought ends? Detroit was knocking connected the doorway this past season, and GM Steve Yzerman filled possibly the org's biggest request by trading for seasoned goaltender John Gibson this summer.

21. Vancouver Canucks

Pre-playoff ranking: 18
Stanley Cup odds: +6000

Based connected however the Canucks finished the 2024-25 season, continuity didn't look similar the champion enactment this summer. But speech from making a coaching alteration (from Rick Tocchet to Adam Foote) and trading for Evander Kane, it's mostly presumption quo. That said, re-signing Brock Boeser was astir apt an easier enactment than trying to regenerate a subordinate who scored 65 goals combined the past 2 seasons.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Pre-playoff ranking: 22
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

To the astonishment of galore the Blue Jackets remained successful the playoff contention until the last week of the season, acknowledgment successful ample portion to a Norris Trophy finalist run by Zach Werenski. The nine made immoderate extent additions this offseason -- Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood volition beryllium peculiarly utile if they do marque the 2026 playoffs. But are determination immoderate further moves up GM Don Waddell's sleeve earlier October?

23. New York Islanders

Pre-playoff ranking: 23
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

New GM Mathieu Darche was not bashful successful his archetypal weeks connected the job. Following the Noah Dobson trade, helium and his associates drafted an A+ class, per ESPN's Rachel Doerrie, and added an X origin guardant successful Jonathan Drouin. This is simply a squad connected the rise.

24. Anaheim Ducks

Pre-playoff ranking: 24
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

At immoderate point, the Ducks' rebuild volition beryllium over, and that time mightiness beryllium coming sooner than galore suspect. GM Pat Verbeek was quite engaged this summer, adding Chris Kreider successful a commercialized and sending Trevor Zegras to Philly successful different swap. The Ducks besides added Mikael Granlund successful escaped agency; helium volition beryllium captious to their playoff chances. And if each of that wasn't enough, they got a top-five endowment successful the draught people with the No. 10 prime successful Roger McQueen, and past sent him to Disneyland to celebrate.

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Ducks draught prime Roger McQueen celebrates astatine Disneyland

Roger McQueen arrives astatine Disneyland to observe being drafted No. 10 by the Ducks.

25. Boston Bruins

Pre-playoff ranking: 29
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

Boston's offseason concern has chiefly progressive adding extent astir the edges -- and drafting aboriginal franchise halfway James Hagens, who volition play different play astatine Boston College. Is determination a large commercialized successful store?

26. Buffalo Sabres

Pre-playoff ranking: 25
Stanley Cup odds: +20000

At immoderate point, the longest playoff drought successful the large 4 North American nonrecreational sports leagues volition end. Will that beryllium this season? The Sabres don't look amended connected insubstantial than they were astatine the extremity of 2024-25, and they mightiness adjacent beryllium worse, fixed that JJ Peterka was traded to Utah.

27. Philadelphia Flyers

Pre-playoff ranking: 28
Stanley Cup odds: +7500

The Flyers began the offseason by hiring franchise fable Rick Tocchet to instrumentality implicit down the bench. Then, they drafted a people of 9 players who each play similar him (or are built similar helium was successful his playing days). In between, they traded for Trevor Zegras, who could upwind up arsenic the biggest bargain of the offseason.

28. Seattle Kraken

Pre-playoff ranking: 27
Stanley Cup odds: +30000

The Kraken person been patiently gathering a balanced roster with semipermanent occurrence successful mind. Can they yet crook a country successful 2025-26 aft an offseason successful which the large additions were Mason Marchment and Ryan Lindgren?

29. Nashville Predators

Pre-playoff ranking: 30
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

The Predators were the no-doubt winners of escaped bureau successful 2024 -- and past missed the playoffs by a state mile successful 2024-25. By contrast, the 2025 offseason included immoderate low-key moves that should assistance get them backmost connected track, including a commercialized for Nicolas Hague and the signings of Erik Haula and Nick Perbix.

30. Pittsburgh Penguins

Pre-playoff ranking: 26
Stanley Cup odds: +20000

It's uncertain however agelong the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang volition stay connected the ice, and the rumors person picked up that one, 2 oregon each 3 could decorativeness their NHL careers elsewhere. GM Kyle Dubas has been engaged stocking the imaginable cupboards, a process that volition proceed starring up to opening night, with Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust often mentioned successful commercialized rumors.

31. San Jose Sharks

Pre-playoff ranking: 32
Stanley Cup odds: +50000

The Sharks are inactive astir apt a twelvemonth distant from a superior tally astatine a playoff spot, but GM Mike Grier added a ton of endowment to his roster this summer. No. 2 prime Michael Misa has the endowment to deed the crystal this season. The Sharks besides signed veterans Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg to adhd immoderate acquisition to a defence that was lacking successful that regard.

32. Chicago Blackhawks

Pre-playoff ranking: 31
Stanley Cup odds: +50000

Perhaps the biggest determination yet to beryllium made by Chicago this summertime is simply a declaration hold for franchise halfway Connor Bedard, who volition beryllium a restricted escaped cause adjacent summer. Other than that, GM Kyle Davidson appeared mostly contented with letting his young roster develop, making nary large additions.