As the calendar turns to February in the 2025-2026 NHL season, Olympic fever is in the air. Although there will be important matches played in the coming days, it feels like everyone is waiting until the winter break because you know there will be one nice few days ahead.
However, before we get to this break, the NHL has one more important deadline, the Olympic selection freeze begins at 3 p.m. on February 4. This roster freeze could lead to a mini trade deadline, as general managers may want to skip the line and get some business done to give their big acquisitions extra time to settle into their new home a full month before the actual move. 2026 NHL Trade Deadline on March 6.
I know I bring up these dates and deadlines every week, but it really feels like they make the regular season different. We are already seeing star players like Artemi Panarin kept out of competitions a full month before the deadline, because we’re actually only a handful of games away.
This makes an already unique season even more dynamic as teams become more and more dynamic creative with moves in January that would normally wait until March. I’m also genuinely curious to see whether there will be a rush of action leading up to Wednesday’s deadline, or whether this will turn into hype over nothing.
With all this talk of deadlines, all we can do is enjoy the last few days of regularly scheduled hockey with Week 17 of THW’s 2026-27 NHL Power Rankings.
32-17: Flyers magic is officially running out
32. Vancouver Canucks (previously: 32)
31. New York Rangers (formerly: 31)
30. St.Louis Blues (previously: 30)
29. Chicago Blackhawks (formerly: 27)
28. Calgary Flames (previously: 29)
27. Philadelphia Flyers (previously: 21)
26. Toronto Maple Leafs (previously: 22)
25. Winnipeg Jets (previously: 25)
24. Los Angeles Kings (formerly: 24)
23. New Jersey Devils (previously: 18)
22. Nashville Predators (previously: 20)
21. San Jose Sharks (previously: 17)
20. Florida Panthers (previously: 16)
19. Washington Capitals (previously: 23)
18. Ottawa Senators (formerly: 26)
17. Seattle Kraken (previously: 28)
There was a point in November when it looked like the Flyers were going to be a problem in the 2025-2026 NHL season. Their offseason acquisition of Trevor Zegras paid off, Dan Vladar looked like one short term answer in netand the franchise looked poised to take at least third place in a somewhat mediocre Metropolitan Division.
Unfortunately, Philadelphia hasn’t been great since then, and with a recent 2-6-2 record in the last ten games played, all signs point to another sale deadline for the team. There are pieces there though, so if they can make it make the most of the coming monththey could be set up to compete for the 2027 postseason
Overall, the bottom of the rankings remains about where I expected them to be this week. The Maple Leafs, Blackhawks and Rangers keep making craters after showing signs of life in early January, and I expect all of these teams to be active on the trade market as soon as possible. However, franchises like Toronto It could take a long time for their ship to turn, and there’s always a chance their front office still thinks they can make a run in the playoffs, even if those odds become long.
It’s also worth it noting that the senators And Kraken had solid weeks too, but although this has driven the Kraken back into the hunt for the Pacific Division, Ottawa still finds itself buried under the Atlantic Ocean. So this might take some perspective, as a good week might not count the same for one team as it does for another, even if they are close in the overall standings.
11/16: Blue Jackets push the NHL’s best
16. Edmonton Oilers (previously: 15)
15. New York Islanders (previously: 12)
14. Utah Mammoth (previously: 11)
13. Anaheim Ducks (previously: 14)
12. Columbus Blue Jackets (previously: 19)
11. Vegas Golden Knights (previously: 4)
Sometimes change is necessary in life, even though the situation may not seem dire at the time. For the Blue Jackets, the 2025-26 NHL season felt a bit lost after a miserable stretch of play in November and December that left them at the bottom of the league. Nevertheless, it still came as a surprise when she… have fired their head coach and hired Rick Bowness on January 12. At the time, this felt like an act of desperation, and I didn’t expect much.
Since that coaching change and trading in Mason MarchmentColumbus was one of the best teams in the league. With a record of 9-1-0 in the last ten games played, they are back within striking distance of third place in the Metropolitan Division, and they should feel like the playoffs are attainable even after the poor start to the season.
Overall, the middle of the rankings shrank again this week, and I’d argue it could have been even smaller. The Ducks and Mammoth have both cooled off, while the Oilers and Islanders have maintained very low temperatures average playing time that’s enough to keep your head above water, but not much else. I wish I had more to say in this section this week, but there’s just not much of note happening here.
10-1: Lightning Host Incredible Stadium Series 2026
10. Boston Bruins (previously: 8)
9. Buffalo Sabers (previously: 6)
8. Detroit Red Wings (previously: 1)
7. Montreal Canadiens (previously: 9)
6. Dallas Stars (Previously: 13)
5. Minnesota Wild (previously: 10)
4. Colorado Avalanche (previously: 5)
3. Pittsburgh Penguins (previously: 7)
2. Carolina Hurricanes (previously: 3)
1. Lightning in Tampa Bay (previously: 2)
While I know the Stadium Series is more of a local event than a national event, as a resident of Tampa, the Stadium Series 2026 was special to attend (especially because the NHL brought snow to Florida). This game had everything from a Gasparilla-themed opening ceremonya four-goal comeback from the Lightning, referee controversy, and even a goalkeeper fight. If you’re a Boston fan, you should be right to be sour about that loss, but for everyone else, that was a great game.
Even though it feels a bit repetitive, the Lightning are one of the NHL’s class acts, and with a successful Stadium Series game under their belt, it feels like the Franchise can do anything.
While the Lightning may be at the top of the league, so are the Wild and Stars are starting to find their game again after a few bad weeks. In addition to them, the Penguins and Canadiens secede from the playoff bubble, while the Bruins and Sabers just keep coming points. All of this makes the road to the final Eastern Wild Card a bit tricky if you’re not already in that group of eight.
The only real down teams at the top of the rankings this week are the Red Wings hit a speed bump after being red hot. However, three losing games will occur throughout the regular season, so there is no need to panic as long as they can finish strong before the Olympic Break.
You also have to give Patrick Kane a well-deserved spotlight when he broke the win American scoring record this week by posting his 1,375th point. Just another incredible comment on his Hall of Fame career.
NHL is ready for the 2026 Olympics
With February just around the corner, it’s time to take a break from the regularly scheduled 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings here at THW. However, while the competition is on pause, we’re keeping the rankings going with a 2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey rankings.
Related: Oilers’ Stanley Cup window is starting to close
Depending on how the Olympics go, we could keep those rankings going all the way through, or we might just enjoy some time off to prepare for what will be a busy March. So, as always, thanks for reading, and we’re looking forward to an exciting few weeks in Milan!
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