The NHL is lower than two weeks away from its 19-day break for the 2026 Winter Olympics. With the best way January has gone for the Colorado Avalanche, the respite cannot come quickly sufficient.
Colorado steamrolled over the remainder of the league through the first three months of the 2025-26 NHL season, going 7-1-4 in October, 11-0-2 in November and 12-1-1 in December. The staff hasn’t been practically as dominant because the new calendar yr started, nonetheless, because it has misplaced six of its 11 video games — together with 4 in regulation, which is twice as many outings it got here away and not using a level over its first 40 contests.
The Avalanche (35-6-9) have 5 video games remaining earlier than the league’s prolonged Olympic hiatus, three of which happen in January. These three contests are all on the street, the place the membership has suffered 4 of its six regulation losses this marketing campaign.
Colorado, which owns a nine-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning within the race for the Presidents’ Trophy and is 11 factors forward of the Minnesota Wild for the highest spot within the Western Convention, went 1-1-1 in Week 16. Six groups completed the week and not using a regulation loss, with the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins all going 3-0-0 and the Los Angeles Kings successful a pair of contests earlier than their scheduled recreation in opposition to the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Monday was postponed as a result of a significant winter storm.
Solely three golf equipment did not get within the win column final week, because the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs all posted 0-2-1 data.
Every week through the season I will rank the league’s high 10 groups based mostly on each the earlier week’s performances and general physique of labor in 2025-26. I will additionally give temporary synopsis for every membership that explains why they’re ranked the place they’re.
Let’s dive into the facility rankings coming into Week 17 of the 2025-26 NHL season and spotlight just a few of the groups’ notable accomplishments.
NHL Week 17 energy rankings
1. Colorado Avalanche (1-1-1 in Week 16; 35-6-9 general)
Regardless of having gone 4-4-2 over its final 10 contests, Colorado joined the 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens, 1975-76 Canadiens and 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers as the one groups in NHL historical past with fewer than seven regulation losses over their first 50 video games of a season. The Avalanche started Week 16 at house with a shootout loss to the Anaheim Geese and a 7-3 setback in opposition to the Flyers earlier than ending it with a 4-1 conquer the Toronto Maple Leafs within the opener of their four-game street journey. Brock Nelson registered his fifth profession hat trick in that victory to present him 27 targets, yet another than he registered in 80 video games final season. The 34-year-old middle has netted 13 tallies over his final 13 contests. Nelson has been equally efficient this marketing campaign, scoring 14 occasions at house and 13 on the street. Nathan MacKinnon produced solely three assists final week and now trails Edmonton Oilers famous person Connor McDavid (92) by 4 factors for the league lead however nonetheless is first with 38 targets, though he is transformed in solely one in every of his final seven outings.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (3-1-0; 33-14-4)
The Lightning have been one of many NHL’s hottest groups since mid-December, going 15-1-1 over their final 17 video games. The membership received three of its 4 contests in Week 16 and has allowed fewer than two targets in every of its previous six victories. The quartet of Nikita Kucherov (two targets, eight assists), Jake Guentzel (three, three), Brandon Hagel (two, 4) and Anthony Cirelli (three, 4) led Tampa Bay final week, producing 10 of the staff’s 12 targets. Darren Raddysh netted the opposite two tallies, changing in every of the final two video games to present him 14 targets in 45 video games this season. The 29-year-old defenseman amassed 13 tallies in 176 contests over his first 4 NHL campaigns. Kucherov has landed on the scoresheet in 16 of his final 17 outings, accumulating 13 targets and 25 assists over that span, and hasn’t gone back-to-back video games and not using a level since Nov. 8 and 12.
3. Carolina Hurricanes (1-0-1; 32-15-5)
The Hurricanes solely performed twice final week, shedding to the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout earlier than cruising previous the Ottawa Senators 4-1. The staff scored a complete of seven targets, with seven totally different gamers changing. Jackson Blake, Seth Jarvis and Taylor Corridor every recorded a tally and an help in Week 16, whereas defenseman Jalen Chatfield arrange a pair of scores. Sebastian Aho didn’t issue within the staff’s scoring in Week 16 after accumulating seven assists over his earlier three video games however leads Carolina with 52 factors. Brandon Bussi, who was within the crease in opposition to Ottawa, has allowed only one objective in every of his final three begins and is third within the NHL with a 3.15 goals-against common.
4. Detroit Purple Wings (2-0-1; 32-16-5)
Detroit enters Week 17 with a five-game level streak (4-0-1) and eight wins in its final 10 contests. Final week, the membership sandwiched triumphs over Toronto and the Winnipeg Jets round an time beyond regulation loss to Minnesota. Lucas Raymond, who leads the Purple Wings in each assists (40) and factors (58), has posted back-to-back multi-point performances and is using a five-game level streak throughout which he has collected three targets and 5 assists. The 23-year-old Swedish left wing has landed on the scoresheet in 14 of his final 17 outings. Alex DeBrincat netted his twenty seventh tally of the marketing campaign within the victory in opposition to Winnipeg, marking the eighth time he has reached that mark in his 9 NHL seasons.
5. Minnesota Wild (1-1-1; 29-14-10)
Every of the Wild’s three video games in Week 16 had a remaining rating of 4-3, with the staff defeating Detroit in time beyond regulation whereas shedding to Montreal in regulation and Florida in OT. Kirill Kaprizov had an enormous offensive week, recording three targets and 4 assists, whereas Mats Zuccarello netted two tallies and arrange 4 others. The 38-year-old Zuccarello is within the midst of a five-game level streak throughout which he has notched three targets and 6 assists. Kaprizov additionally has gotten on the scoresheet in 5 straight contests, posting a multi-point efficiency in every outing. Defenseman Quinn Hughes is using a five-game level streak as nicely, amassing a objective and eight assists throughout his run. Matt Boldy returned from a four-game absence as a result of a lower-body damage on Saturday and made his presence felt as he had a objective and an help in opposition to the Panthers.
6. Dallas Stars (2-1-0; 29-14-9)
After a tough Week 15 by which they misplaced all three of their video games whereas scoring only one objective in every, the Stars received two of their three contests final week. Main scorer Mikko Rantanen (63 factors) missed two of these video games with an sickness, however Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston picked up the slack by combining for 5 targets and two assists in Dallas’ victories. Robertson is third within the NHL with 30 tallies whereas Johnston is tied for eighth with 27. Miro Heiskanen collected 4 assists over the staff’s three contests and ranks seventh within the league with 33.
7. Buffalo Sabres (3-0-0; 29-17-5)
The Sabres have been simply as scorching because the Lightning as they’re 18-3-1 since Dec. 9 after having received all three of their video games final week. These three victories got here on the street, with Buffalo scoring not less than 4 targets in every. Veteran left wing Jason Zucker has scored three targets over his final two contests after tallying simply twice in his earlier 11 outings. Peyton Krebs additionally broke out of an offensive droop as he collected two targets and two assists in three video games final week after netting one tally and organising two others over his earlier 10 contests. Konsta Helenius made his NHL debut in Week 15 and was saved off the scoresheet by the Carolina Hurricanes, however the 19-year-old Finnish middle had a objective and two assists in Buffalo’s 5-3 conquer the Nashville Predators final Tuesday and arrange a tally in a 4-2 victory in opposition to Montreal two days later.
8. Pittsburgh Penguins (3-0-0; 26-14-11)
The Penguins received all three of their contests in Week 16 to wrap up a 4-0-0 street journey and prolong their level streak to seven video games (5-0-2). Pittsburgh allowed fewer than three targets in every outing final week and have executed so in seven of their final 10 contests. Evgeni Malkin, who tallied in each Week 16 recreation and added a pair of assists, has landed on the scoresheet in 10 of his final 12 outings. Anthony Mantha had a two-goal efficiency in final Thursday’s 6-2 victory in opposition to Edmonton and rookie Ben Kindel recorded one in every of his personal two days later in a 3-2 conquer the Vancouver Canucks. Defenseman Jack St. Ivany acquired concerned offensively final week, posting back-to-back two-assist efforts in opposition to the Calgary Flames and Oilers after having arrange solely three targets in his first 14 video games this season.
9. Boston Bruins (2-1-1; 30-20-3)
The Bruins’ six-game slide (0-4-2) in late December has change into a distant reminiscence because the staff has earned factors in 11 of its 13 contests since (10-2-1). Boston started final week with a 6-2 setback in opposition to the Stars in Dallas that ended its six-game successful streak however rebounded with triumphs over the Vegas Golden Knights and Canadiens earlier than squandering a third-period lead versus the New York Rangers on Monday and settling for one level in a 4-3 time beyond regulation loss. Morgan Geekie scored 4 targets in Week 16 to extend his season whole to a team-leading 29, 4 shy of the profession excessive he set final marketing campaign, and added a pair of assists whereas Elias Lindholm netted three tallies and arrange two others. David Pastrnak collected a objective and 7 assists as he prolonged his level streak to seven video games. The 29-year-old Czech proper wing has notched not less than one level in 12 of his final 13 contests, amassing six tallies and 20 assists over that span. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy picked up a objective and 4 assists in Week 16 and has landed on the scoresheet in 11 of his final 13 outings.
10. Florida Panthers (3-0-0; 28-20-3)
Florida is coming off an ideal week because it acquired previous Winnipeg 2-1 in a shootout, edged Minnesota 4-3 in time beyond regulation and manhandled Chicago 5-1. Brad Marchand returned from a seven-game absence as a result of an undisclosed damage to file two targets — together with the time beyond regulation winner — and an help in opposition to the Wild. Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart additionally scored twice in Week 16, with the latter additionally notching an help, whereas defenseman Tobias Bjornfot netted a pair of tallies versus the Blackhawks — his first two since recording his first NHL objective in 2020-21 whereas with the Los Angeles Kings.
