NHL Power Rankings: Each team's biggest surprise

This is the 11th in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.

In this edition, we look at the biggest surprise for each team this season.

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1. Washington Capitals (44-15-8)

Previous: 2

Aliaksei Protas. The Belarusian may be the biggest surprise league-wide. Protas has completely taken off this year with 29 goals, 59 points, and an NHL-best plus-41 rating. That's a far cry from the player who netted just 13 goals in his first 169 games. He's a 6-foot-6 behemoth who has developed into one of the more unique players in the game.

2. Winnipeg Jets (47-17-4)

Previous: 1

That they're this good. We knew the Jets had a strong team, as this is largely the same group that finished second in the Central Division last season. But the current Winnipeg squad has exceeded expectations, sitting atop the division and leading the NHL in goal differential by wide margins.

3. Dallas Stars (42-21-3)

Previous: 3

That they landed Rantanen. The fact that the Stars - one of the Colorado Avalanche's biggest rivals - ended up with Mikko Rantanen when the dust settled on that saga is remarkable. Adding an elite winger to an already deep forward group makes Dallas even more of a favorite to play for the Stanley Cup than it already was.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (41-22-4)

Previous: 10

That they bungled Rantanen. The Hurricanes surprised twice in short order by acquiring Rantanen and then promptly flipping him when he wouldn't sign a long-term contract extension with them. It's a sequence of events that will be referenced uncomfortably for years to come in Carolina.

5. Vegas Golden Knights (39-20-8)

Previous: 7

Pavel Dorofeyev. The 24-year-old Russian forward is tied for the lead among Golden Knights skaters with 27 goals in 66 games - and that's pretty surprising on a star-studded Vegas squad. He's breaking out in the first NHL campaign in which he's played more than 47 contests.

6. Florida Panthers (41-24-3)

Previous: 6

Getting Brad Marchand. Who thought we'd ever see Marchand in Panthers colors? The ex-Boston Bruins captain has gone to battle against Florida numerous times and had choice words for Matthew Tkachuk after the 4 Nations Face-Off. Now, we'll see Marchand and Tkachuk join forces come playoff time, a nightmare combination for any opponent.

7. Colorado Avalanche (41-24-3)

Previous: 9

That they traded Rantanen. Sure, the Finnish forward was a pending unrestricted free agent, and extension talks weren't progressing with the Avalanche. But nobody expected Colorado to trade Rantanen - a two-time 100-point scorer - in late January, nearly a month and a half before the deadline.

8. Los Angeles Kings (36-20-9)

Previous: 12

Warren Foegele. The forward has shown flashes of skill throughout his eight-year career, but not like this. Foegele has 19 goals and 18 assists over 65 contests, meaning he's on pace to set career highs with 24 and 23, respectively, across 82 games. Not bad for a third-liner the Kings signed for $3.5 million annually.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (38-23-5)

Previous: 5

Brandon Hagel. Yes, the winger scored 30 goals in 2022-23, and he notched at least 25 two other times. However, he's on pace for 38 this season, ranking among the Lightning leaders offensively while killing penalties and providing other intangibles. Hagel also played a key role for Canada in helping that squad win the 4 Nations Face-Off.

10. Edmonton Oilers (39-24-4)

Previous: 8

Not upgrading in goal. The Oilers have their sights set on a return trip to the Cup Final, but can they get there with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard? Both netminders have been lackluster this season despite Edmonton's overall competitiveness. There weren't a lot of goalies available, but getting John Gibson from the Ducks would've been a prudent upgrade.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs (39-24-3)

Previous: 4

Anthony Stolarz. The 31-year-old netminder had performed well previously in his career, but never as the go-to guy. Stolarz has taken the reins in the crease for the Maple Leafs, outplaying Joseph Woll to become a truly dependable No. 1 option for Toronto.

12. Ottawa Senators (36-25-5)

Previous: 19

An improved power play. The Senators are starting to put it all together this season, and a playoff spot is in reach. Their work on the man advantage has contributed to their success. Ottawa's PP ranked 23rd at 18% in 2023-24, and it's now just outside the top 10 with a 23.7% success rate this campaign.

13. New Jersey Devils (36-26-6)

Previous: 11

Johnathan Kovacevic. The Devils sent just a fourth-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens to acquire Kovacevic last summer. A projected depth defenseman coming into the campaign, the 27-year-old has instead played a career-high 19:45 per game and earned a $20-million contract extension.

14. Minnesota Wild (37-25-5)

Previous: 13

How they've fared without Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild are no longer in the conversation for first place in the league like they were earlier this season, but they're still in a playoff spot despite Kaprizov's long-term absence. Minnesota has stayed afloat with an 8-8-1 record in its last 17 outings without the superstar, who still leads the team with 23 goals and ranks third with 52 points.

15. St. Louis Blues (33-28-7)

Previous: 16

Dylan Holloway. Typically, an offer sheet is supposed to be a short-term overpay for a player to land them from a rival team. That hasn't been the case for Holloway, whose $2.3-million cap hit is among the best-value contracts in the league this season. The 23-year-old's game has blossomed in St. Louis with 22 goals and 51 points. His progression has surely left the Oilers kicking themselves for letting him walk for a measly third-round pick in compensation.

16. Vancouver Canucks (31-25-11)

Previous: 23

Elias Pettersson's tumultuous season. Not only has the Swedish forward underachieved on the ice, but this rift with J.T. Miller got the productive center shipped back to the New York Rangers. Pettersson is on pace for only 19 goals and 34 assists in 2024-25, both of which would be career lows for a full campaign.

17. Calgary Flames (30-24-11)

Previous: 17

That they're still in it. The Flames were anticipated to sell this season and be in the mix for the top pick. Despite being last in goals per game, Calgary remains in playoff contention thanks in large part to Dustin Wolf's heroics between the pipes.

18. Montreal Canadiens (32-27-7)

Previous: 18

Their current surge. The Canadiens have been one of the league's best teams coming out of the 4 Nations break, boasting a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 contests. The playoffs are still in reach, but Montreal will need to keep up its recent strong defensive play to make the postseason a reality.

19. New York Rangers (33-29-6)

Previous: 20

That 4-15 run earlier in the season. Seriously, what was that? The stretch took a sledgehammer to the Rangers' Stanley Cup aspirations, but they're still hanging onto a wild-card spot with 14 games remaining on their schedule.

20. Columbus Blue Jackets (31-27-8)

Previous: 14

Zach Werenski's campaign. Did anyone have the defenseman penciled in as a Norris Trophy finalist before the start of the season? Werenski has been outstanding, ranking second among all rearguards in goals (20) and points (69) while leading the league in average ice time (26:58). The Jackets aren't making this playoff push without him.

21. Utah Hockey Club (30-26-11)

Previous: 22

Karel Vejmelka. The goaltender has never finished a season with a save percentage over .900, but he seems poised to set a new best with a .909 clip so far. Vejmelka has also already established a new career high with 19 wins and ranks eighth among all goalies in goals saved above expected (21.87).

22. Detroit Red Wings (32-29-6)

Previous: 15

The Petr Mrazek reunion. We have nothing against the goalie, who was outstanding on a terrible Blackhawks team last season, but bringing him back into the fold was a weird choice. The Red Wings already have Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon, so things are a bit crowded. Mrazek has been strong to kick off his second stint in Detroit, though, playing to a .920 clip in three games.

23. New York Islanders (30-28-8)

Previous: 21

Lou Lamoriello traded a big pending unrestricted free agent. That usually isn't the Islanders general manager's style, but he finally budged when he traded center Brock Nelson to the Avalanche. Lamoriello held onto the rest of his expiring contracts, but hey, baby steps.

24. Anaheim Ducks (29-31-7)

Previous: 25

Jackson LaCombe. If a Ducks defenseman was going to break out this year, most thought it would be Pavel Mintyukov or Olen Zellweger. Instead, LaCombe has elevated into an impact top-four rearguard who has lots of room to continue to grow. He's bagged 11 goals and 35 points, more than double the production of the next closest Ducks defender still on the roster.

25. Boston Bruins (30-30-8)

Previous: 24

The fall of a perennial contender. The Bruins got head coach Jim Montgomery fired with poor play in November, but Joe Sacco didn't fix what ailed Boston. The typically competitive Atlantic Division squad has floundered for much of 2024-25, forcing management to trade away numerous impact players including Marchand, who was in his second season as captain.

26. Pittsburgh Penguins (28-31-10)

Previous: 28

Rickard Rakell. The Swede might tally more goals than he did points last season. Rakell has bounced back in a major way with 31 goals and 59 points through 68 outings, coming off of a lackluster 37-point campaign. The 31-year-old is well on his way to setting a new career high in goals seven years after netting 34 in Anaheim.

27. Nashville Predators (25-33-8)

Previous: 30

The complete lack of offense. The Predators were supposed to be a fun, offensive team after the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, not a bottom-two offensive unit. It's been a disastrous campaign for Nashville - seemingly nothing has gone the Preds' way all year.

28. Seattle Kraken (29-34-5)

Previous: 29

Shane Wright's tale of two seasons. Wright is in his first full campaign with the Kraken, and he did not get off to a good start. He potted just seven points in his first 22 outings, but he's turned things around with 31 points in his last 43 matchups - more than doubling his point-per-game rate.

29. Philadelphia Flyers (28-32-8)

Previous: 26

Travis Konecny's scoring slump. The Flyers star has mustered just one goal in his last 21 games. Before this skid, Konecny was on pace for around 37 tallies, and now he's on track to miss the 30-goal mark after eclipsing it in his previous two campaigns.

30. Buffalo Sabres (26-33-6)

Previous: 27

That nothing is surprising. The only shocking thing about the Sabres is that there's literally nothing unexpected about this outcome. Relying on Lindy Ruff to guide Buffalo to the playoffs was a mistake. This squad has only regressed since missing the postseason by a single point in 2022-23, and there aren't many reasons to believe things will change for the better going forward.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (20-38-9)

Previous: 31

Ryan Donato. Let's be positive amid another very tough season in Chicago. Donato has been a true bright spot, already setting new career highs in goals (23) and points (51). He wasn't dealt at the deadline, which could indicate the 28-year-old may be staying in the Windy City.

32. San Jose Sharks (18-41-9)

Previous: 32

Macklin Celebrini's poise. Virtually everyone expected the 2024 first overall pick to be good in his first season, and he's produced 50 points in 56 contests. What might come as a surprise is how seamless his transition to the NHL has been. Celebrini is awfully mature despite being the youngest player in the league at 18 years old.

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