NHL Power Rankings: Each team's X-factor for 2025-26 season
Welcome to the first edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2025-26 season.
In this instalment, we identify each team's X-factor for the upcoming campaign.
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1. Florida Panthers
Anton Lundell. It's not possible to "replace" Aleksander Barkov, who's out seven-to-nine months after undergoing knee surgery. But a breakout season from Lundell would go a long way toward mitigating the captain's absence. The emerging 23-year-old center has never posted more than 45 points in a season, but he's coming off a sensational playoff run where he tallied six goals and 12 assists with a plus-19 rating in 23 games. He'll get a chance to flourish while centering one of Florida's two top lines.
2. Vegas Golden Knights
Kaedan Korczak. The 24-year-old defenseman has never played a full NHL season and hasn't even reached 82 career games, yet the Golden Knights inked him to a four-year, $13-million extension this summer, a year before he was due to become a free agent. Vegas is banking on Korczak being a hidden gem and helping make up for the loss of Alex Pietrangelo.
3. Colorado Avalanche
Brock Nelson. The Avalanche had Nazem Kadri playing his best hockey as the team's No. 2 center behind Nathan MacKinnon when they won the 2022 Stanley Cup. Nelson is the best player Colorado's had in that role since Kadri, but he didn't meet expectations after being acquired at the 2025 deadline, failing to score in seven playoff games. A proven postseason performer with the Islanders, Nelson needs to show he's still capable of being that big-game player to make Colorado's investment (trade package and contract) worthwhile.
4. Edmonton Oilers
Isaac Howard. If the 2025 Hobey Baker winner can make an immediate impact in the NHL, he transforms the Oilers' offensive depth and provides Edmonton with a much-needed bargain. If Howard's a genuine option to pair with McDavid or Draisaitl in the top six or help provide offense down the lineup, he'd give the Cup contenders a huge boost.
5. Carolina Hurricanes
Pyotr Kochetkov. Although the Hurricanes have one of the NHL's best rosters from top to bottom, goaltending remains a major question mark. It's unfair to ask Frederik Andersen to carry the load at 36 years old with his injury history, and consistent play from Kochetkov would help. The 26-year-old is coming off a forgettable season, but he's got the talent to solidify himself as a legitimate No. 1 goalie.
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
Oliver Bjorkstrand. It's almost been forgotten that the Lightning landed Bjorkstrand at last season's trade deadline. Bjorkstrand is a consistent 20-goal scorer who will be a major boost to Tampa Bay's depth if he stays healthy.
7. Dallas Stars
Lian Bichsel. The Stars' defense remains underwhelming beyond the strong trio of Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, and Esa Lindell. Bichsel established himself as a full-time NHLer and now looks to take the next step and become a top-four shutdown blue-liner. He's massive at 6-foot-7 and 231 pounds and has the potential to be among the league's best play-stoppers.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews. Picking the team's captain and best player might be a copout, but Matthews' importance to the Maple Leafs is only magnified following the departure of Mitch Marner. Matthews, if healthy, is more than capable of carrying his own line. That's a big "if," though, after he scored just 33 goals last season while laboring through 67 games. If Matthews returns to his 60-goal form, the Leafs' ceiling is sky-high.
9. New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes. The best ability is availability, but Hughes has missed 20 games in each of the last two seasons, including all of the 2025 playoffs. The Devils will only go as far as he can take them. To have any chance of a deep postseason run, New Jersey's top game-breaker needs to be healthy come playoff time.
10. Winnipeg Jets
Cole Perfetti. The Jets need someone to provide secondary scoring after losing Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency, and Perfetti is easily the most talented player in their bottom-nine forward group. The 23-year-old is coming off a career-high 50 points, but there's still plenty more untapped offensive potential.
11. Los Angeles Kings
Quinton Byfield. Although the 2020 No. 2 pick has enjoyed back-to-back 50-point campaigns, Byfield still has another gear. The Kings would be thrilled if he gets there this season and takes the team's No. 1 center role from Anze Kopitar during the captain's swan song.
12. Washington Capitals
Aliaksei Protas. Was last season legit or a mirage? Protas' out-of-nowhere 30-goal campaign was one of the best stories in the NHL. Now he has to back it up and prove that his shooting efficiency increasing by 15.8 percentage points wasn't a one-season wonder.
13. Ottawa Senators
Fabian Zetterlund. The Swede managed only five points in 20 games after arriving from the Sharks at the trade deadline, and he went scoreless in the playoffs. Zetterlund finding 20-goal form would be a welcome sight in Ottawa considering the Senators' five-on-five scoring woes last year.
14. Montreal Canadiens
Kirby Dach. A second-line center behind Nick Suzuki is the easily the biggest hole on the Canadiens' roster. Dach is projected to center that unit between Patrik Laine and Ivan Demidov. Injuries have been a major problem in Dach's brief career. A healthy, productive campaign from the 24-year-old would go a long way toward ensuring Montreal's surprising 2024-25 season was no fluke.
15. Minnesota Wild
Marco Rossi. The well-documented contract stalemate and trade rumors are behind him, but after a breakout 60-point season, Rossi still has a lot to prove. Rossi was relegated to just 11:08 per game in the postseason. He needs to show he's well-rounded enough to be trusted as a second-line center.
16. St. Louis Blues
Logan Mailloux. The Blues unexpectedly traded Zack Bolduc after his breakout 19-goal, 36-point campaign for Mailloux. The 22-year-old is a tantalizing prospect given his 6-foot-3 frame and offensive talents, but he's yet to break through in the NHL. Mailloux adds youth to the Blues' back end, but he'll need to prove himself quickly if Bolduc continues to take off in Montreal.
17. New York Rangers
Alexis Lafreniere. The 2020 first overall pick seemed to be blossoming in 2024 after a 28-goal season, and the Rangers rewarded him accordingly with a $52.15-million extension. Then Lafreniere took a step back, and questions remain about whether the soon-to-be 24-year-old will ever become a true impact forward.
18. Utah Mammoth
John Marino. The Mammoth should have no problems scoring goals with their young forward core, but in order to reach the playoffs, they have to be stronger on the back end. That starts with Marino, Utah's projected top-pair defenseman on the right side. He was limited to 35 games last season due to injuries, and his availability could be a major factor in whether the Mammoth are competitive in the West.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets
Jet Greaves. The Blue Jackets would have made the playoffs last season if they had better goaltending. Greaves was sensational at the end of the campaign and is now set to be on the NHL roster on a full-time basis. If he can carry over some of his magic from last season, he'll seriously push Elvis Merzlikins for the starting gig in Columbus.
20. Boston Bruins
Jeremy Swayman. The 2025-26 Bruins will live and die by Swayman's performance. Boston could challenge for a wild-card spot if Swayman plays like a Vezina Trophy contender, which he has the talent to do. Should Swayman struggle as he did last season, the Bruins will be drafting in the top 10 once again.
21. Detroit Red Wings
John Gibson. Goalies are an easy pick for any team, but poor play between the pipes has held back the Red Wings for most of the Dylan Larkin era. Detroit's latest experiment is Gibson, who has plenty of upside when healthy. If he can play to his career .910 save percentage, the Red Wings should be in the wild-card mix.
22. Calgary Flames
Matt Coronato. The 22-year-old was a bright spot for a Flames team that struggled to score last season, ranking third on the club with 47 points. Calgary rewarded him with a seven-year, $45.5-million extension. The club needs Coronato to take another step forward in order to have a real shot at making the playoffs.
23. Vancouver Canucks
Elias Pettersson. The Canucks don't have enough star power up front or enough depth down the middle to survive another down season from Pettersson. They need him to perform like the dynamic, first-line center they paid him to be when they signed him to an eight-year, $92.8-million extension in 2024.
24. Anaheim Ducks
Mason McTavish. The spotlight will be on McTavish in Orange County after a contract negotiation that leaked into training camp. Drama aside, McTavish is coming off a 52-point season and is tasked with being a top-six center at only 22 years old. Anaheim's expected to improve this season but can't do so without McTavish reaching a new level.
25. Buffalo Sabres
Owen Power. Captain Rasmus Dahlin has delivered in recent years. Now the Sabres need their other No. 1 overall pick on defense to meet expectations. Power hasn't been bad, but he needs to do a better job of using his 6-foot-6, 226-pound frame to his advantage in his own end. Perhaps a new defense partner in Michael Kesselring can ignite a breakthrough season and help the Sabres snap their NHL-record 14-year playoff drought.
26. New York Islanders
Maxim Shabanov. Undersized but immensely skilled, Shabanov will be a fascinating player to watch this season. The soon-to-be 25-year-old was a stud last year in the KHL and throughout the playoffs, but the NHL is a different beast. Shabanov finding success as a top-nine contributor would be a big win for the Islanders.
27. Philadelphia Flyers
Trevor Zegras. The Flyers are giving Zegras a shot to center their first line after acquiring him in the offseason. If he can regain the form that made him the Calder Trophy runner-up in his rookie year, this could be a steal for Philadelphia. If the poor defensive habits that led the Ducks to move him to the wing for the last two years resurface, the Flyers will still be searching for answers down the middle.
28. Nashville Predators
Steven Stamkos. The Predators need Stamkos to prove that his first season in Nashville was just a down year and not the beginning of a rapid decline for the 35-year-old. If the Predators are going to have any chance of making the playoffs, they need more than 53 points out of their second-highest paid forward.
29. Seattle Kraken
Berkly Catton. The Kraken are desperately awaiting an offensive star. Catton continues to get reps in Seattle's top six in training camp and should get at least a nine-game run to start the year. If he sticks, he'll bring an offensive element that the team sorely lacks, even at just 19 years old.
30. Pittsburgh Penguins
Ville Koivunen. The 22-year-old Finn racked up seven assists in his eight-game run with Pittsburgh at the end of last season and finished with points in five straight. Koivunen shares a lot of traits with the wingers who have excelled alongside Sidney Crosby in the past.
31. San Jose Sharks
Michael Misa. Is this year's No. 2 overall pick ready to make the jump to the NHL? The offensive dynamo lit up the OHL throughout his junior career, but he'll be in tough learning the ins and outs of the pros on a team without much support. If Misa's as good as advertised, though, San Jose's rebuild could rapidly accelerate.
32. Chicago Blackhawks
Artyom Levshunov. It was a bumpy first professional season for the 2024 No. 2 pick, who split time between the AHL and NHL. While the 19-year-old has plenty of runway, Levshunov needs to show enough signs of growth this season to prove the Blackhawks have a blue-line cornerstone.