After 1,312 video games, the 2024-25 NHL common season has lastly reached its conclusion. And served its main objective: reducing the 32-team discipline all the way down to 16. After practically seven months of hockey, it is time for the best postseason in all of sports activities to start. And what higher strategy to kick off the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs than with ClutchPoints’ second annual NHL Playoff Energy Rankings.
Though there are at all times favorites and underdogs at the moment of 12 months, something can occur in a seven-game sequence, and all common season storylines might be out the window when the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues begin the chase for Lord Stanley on Saturday night. Just one workforce might be left standing come the center of June, however greater than a dozen have professional aspirations. And that is why we love the sport.
All eyes might be on the Florida Panthers because the franchise begins the title protection towards the Tampa Bay Lightning in Spherical 1 — the fourth assembly in 5 years between the 2 NHL behemoths. A kind of two squads has come out of the East in every of the final 5 seasons, and it would not be in any respect stunning if one of many two represented the convention within the Stanley Cup Closing this spring.
Within the Western Convention, the marquee matchup will pit the Colorado Avalanche towards Mikko Rantanen, a sentence that would not have made a lick of sense a 12 months in the past. After being shipped to the Carolina Hurricanes and subsequently traded once more on the deadline, he is discovered a everlasting residence with the Dallas Stars. And in an effort to win his second NHL championship, he’ll must beat the workforce he first gained all of it with in 2022.
It actually has been one of the crucial memorable seasons in latest reminiscence. From Alex Ovechkin changing into the best aim scorer in league historical past, to the unimaginable 4 Nations Face-Off, to an NHL file three (!) goalie objectives, to the Utah Hockey Membership taking part in their inaugural season in Salt Lake Metropolis, it is simply been a terrific marketing campaign as soon as once more.
If the postseason brings that very same degree of power, it is going to be completely phenomenal. And why should not or not it’s? It is the most effective time on this planet to be a hockey fan. This is the place all 16 franchises rank forward of Spherical 1, Recreation 1 on Saturday. As at all times, thanks for studying ClutchPoints’ NHL Energy Rankings this season, and benefit from the insanity.
ClutchPoints’ full common season 2024-25 NHL Energy Rankings: Week 27 | Week 26 | Week 25 | Week 24 | Week 23 | Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Winnipeg Jets
After successful the President’s Trophy for the primary time in franchise historical past — and spending many of the 12 months on the high of ClutchPoints’ NHL Energy Rankings — Winnipeg is not going anyplace within the playoff leaderboard. Sure, this workforce has notoriously struggled to show common season success into postseason glory, however they are going to get the advantage of the doubt forward of a Spherical 1 matchup with the Blues that begins on Saturday.
The Blues received the higher of the Jets the final time the 2 squads met within the playoffs, beating their Central Division rivals in a six-game sequence again in 2019 earlier than happening to win the Stanley Cup. However Winnipeg has had a a lot better season and are deeper up and down the lineup. The massive storyline on this sequence is between the pipes in Hellebuyck vs. Jordan Binnington — a rematch of Canada vs. USA on the 4 Nations. Binnington got here out on high in that one, however Hellebuyck has had the most effective season of his profession and is the favourite to win the Hart Trophy. If he can carry over his lights-out play into the playoffs — which is way from a assure — the sky is the restrict for this squad in 2025.
2. Vegas Golden Knights
Though the Golden Knights had fashions on successful back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024, they had been as a substitute ousted by the Stars in a hard-fought seven-game Spherical 1 sequence final 12 months. After an early exit, Vegas is laser-focused on returning to hockey’s peak, they usually have a positive Spherical 1 matchup towards a Wild workforce that simply barely squeaked in.
The Knights had been improbable to finish the common season, successful 11 of their final 15 video games to seize the Pacific Division. Whereas the offense is not fairly as potent because it as soon as was, Jack Eichel simply put collectively the most effective marketing campaign of his profession and needs to be dialed in. The blue line is wholesome and stays completely elite, Adin Hill was glorious down the stretch, and most significantly, this core has been right here earlier than. Not even the elite 2010s Chicago Blackhawks dynasty was capable of go back-to-back, they usually gained three Cups in six years. Vegas might be trying to comply with that blueprint starting on the strip Sunday night time.
3. Colorado Avalanche
One other workforce trying to return to hockey glory, the Avalanche gained the Stanley Cup in 2022 however have not been previous the second spherical since. Final 12 months, they had been defeated by the Stars for the second time in 5 years, they usually’ll must slay the dragon in Spherical 1 in the event that they hope to make one other deep run. Clearly, the Rantanen storyline is the headliner right here.
However the NHL return of Gabriel Landeskog could be simply as vital, and head coach Jared Bednar confirmed he can be an choice within the sequence for the primary time in three years. It is a marquee matchup, that includes in all probability two of the three greatest groups within the West, however somebody has to lose. Colorado is a new-look workforce, with Mackenzie Blackwood in web and a pair contemporary faces together with Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Charlie Coyle and Ryan Lindgren. Blackwood has by no means performed within the postseason, and that might find yourself being their kryptonite. However led by a well-rested Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, and contemplating Dallas misplaced its final seven common season video games, we’re not betting towards the Avs this time round.
Perhaps no workforce has been higher than the Kings down the stretch; Los Angeles racked off three separate four-game successful streaks in lower than a month to finish the 12 months. The latest surge helped them safe second within the Pacific, they usually’ll have home-ice benefit in an outrageous fourth consecutive Spherical 1 assembly towards the Oilers.
As everyone knows, that matchup has by no means been form to the Kings. They misplaced in seven video games in 2022, six in 2023, and went quietly in simply 5 contests in 2024. The excellent news for LA is that Darcy Kuemper has seemed completely lights out down the stretch, and he’s a confirmed playoff performer after successful the Cup with Colorado in 2022. Edmonton can be banged up, with key defenseman Mattias Ekholm out for the sequence and a number of gamers coming into the lineup chilly. Clearly, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl might be an issue, however the Kings have seemed like one of many league’s premier golf equipment in 2024-25. If they cannot beat their nemesis this 12 months, will they ever?
5. Tampa Bay Lightning
If Avalanche-Stars is the headlining Western Convention Spherical 1 matchup, it is most actually the Battle of Florida within the East. These two groups have handled hockey followers to bruising sequence after bruising sequence, with the Panthers lastly getting the higher of their in-state rivals earlier than successful the title final 12 months. There is a prevailing thought across the sport that whoever wins this sequence will come out of the convention once more.
Florida is a powerhouse, however they’ve handled accidents and down seasons aplenty, and this needs to be a toss-up. What Tampa Bay boasts is the best playmaker within the sport in Nikita Kucherov, who’s contemporary off successful his second consecutive Artwork Ross Trophy with 121 factors in 78 video games. Together with fellow Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy, who appears to be again to kind between the pipes, this workforce goes to go so far as the 2 superstars take them. And if they’ll get out of Spherical 1, they’ve an amazing path again to the Finals.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs
Contemplating how potent the Maple Leafs have been within the common season the previous few years, it actually is difficult to consider they’ve solely gained one playoff spherical since 2004. It is robust to continuously be taking part in groups just like the Lightning, Panthers and Boston Bruins 12 months after 12 months. However this time round, Toronto gained the Atlantic Division for the primary time in a long time and received a way more favorable matchup.
In 2024-25, we’re getting the Battle of Ontario for the primary time in 21 campaigns. And the Leafs seem like a special workforce, primarily due to the injections of Chris Tanev on the blue line and Anthony Stolarz between the pipes. Notoriously a foul defensive membership, Craig Berube’s workforce has fastened these issues, and together with apparent star energy within the Core 4, they’re the heavy favorites to beat the Senators in Spherical 1. Ottawa is again within the dance for the primary time since 2017, and except Linus Ullmark stands on his head and Brady Tkachuk finds a brand new degree, Toronto ought to be capable to win the Ontario crown. That being stated, everyone knows what this workforce does within the postseason, so we’ll consider it once we see it.
7. Dallas Stars
For many of the 2024-25 season, the Stars have seemed unstoppable. Wyatt Johnston took one other step ahead, Mikael Granlund was a improbable addition to the ahead core, and naturally, Rantanen. But it surely’s been a depressing couple of weeks in Dallas. Not solely has the workforce uncharacteristically misplaced seven straight video games, however Jason Robertson, after not lacking a single sport for 3 years, received injured in a meaningless common season finale in Nashville.
Robertson is among the key offensive drivers and he’ll be inconceivable to switch after getting the dreaded week-to-week designation. Though Miro Heiskanen has been upgraded to day-to-day, this blue line goes to have a really exhausting time maintaining with the high-flying Avalanche. Jake Oettinger continues to be improbable in web, however he is been liable to lapses. Though the Stars have home-ice benefit, they are going to want an enormous Recreation 1 efficiency on Saturday night time to extinguish the plain concern in Texas. Simply .500 hockey down the stretch would have been sufficient to win the division and get a way more favorable matchup towards the Blues.
8. Washington Capitals
It wasn’t straightforward to place Ovechkin and Washington this far down the NHL Playoff Energy Rankings after a magical marketing campaign within the nation’s capital. However the Caps have struggled mightily because the finish of March, dropping eight of their final 12 video games and falling out of the President’s Trophy race on the final. That is by no means ultimate after a improbable first six months.
Nonetheless, the Capitals are the favorites towards a younger Canadiens workforce that wanted till sport No. 82 to get in. The massive information on Saturday is that Logan Thompson returned to apply and will play in Recreation 1. That is large after Charlie Lindgren struggled down the stretch. It is exhausting to pinpoint precisely what sort of workforce we’re going to see within the sequence, however that is nonetheless an elite roster up and down the lineup. If they’ll keep away from the upset — one thing they had been unable to do towards Jaroslav Halak and the Habs in 2010 — it is going to do wonders for the idea that The Nice Eight nonetheless has one other deep Stanley Cup run or two left in him.
9. Florida Panthers
One other workforce that’s noticeably low within the playoff leaderboard, the Panthers have limped into the postseason in an enormous method. Tkachuk hasn’t performed because the 4 Nations, Aaron Ekblad continues to serve a PED suspension (and will not be accessible till Recreation 3), and a number of different guys are coming off accidents and might be thrown proper into the hearth towards an amazing Bolts workforce.
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Whereas HC Paul Maurice expects a completely wholesome lineup apart from Ekblad, Florida simply hasn’t been good in April, dropping seven of their final 10 video games. And the present line combos have not had lots of time to mesh. Carter Verhaeghe has had a down 12 months, and he might want to return to his clutch playoff kind if the Cats hope to go back-to-back. Though we are able to count on playoff Sergei Bobrovsky to indicate up once more, will or not it’s sufficient for a squad that has seemed mortal for fairly some time now? They simply need to get via Tampa and all of these doubts might be quelled. However that is going to be quite a bit simpler stated than accomplished — and we will not wait to seek out out if they’ve the juice.
10. Carolina Hurricanes
It seemed just like the Hurricanes had a collective chip on their shoulder after the Rantanen debacle. Following the commerce deadline, the squad went on an absolute heater, securing second within the Metropolitan Division and once more wanting like a Stanley Cup contender. However that is all been undone during the last month. After successful 11 of 14 video games within the month of March, each Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov have imploded down the stretch.
And the Canes misplaced all of their confidence within the course of, dropping seven occasions in eight tries to finish the common season. That is simply surprising, much like the Stars’ terrible end to the 12 months. Fortunately for Carolina, they’re taking part in a New Jersey workforce that additionally struggled mightily down the stretch and, spoiler alert, are lifeless final within the NHL Playoff Energy Rankings. The postseason is a very totally different beast, and the Spherical 1 matchup is favorable. Nonetheless, this squad must be a ton higher in the event that they hope to recover from the hump and play for a Stanley Cup for the primary time since 2006.
It looks like there are a large number of groups that simply must show they’ll get out of the primary spherical to make a deep run. Perhaps no membership embodies that higher than the Oilers, who have not had a wholesome roster in over a month. Dropping Ekholm is brutal, and the goaltending is a severe query mark. Nonetheless, Edmonton is aware of precisely what it takes to beat Los Angeles, they usually might have a pair key depth additions in Trent Frederic and Evander Kane for the sequence.
Though the Kings are on a terrific run, none of that actually issues when puck drops at Crypto.com Area on Monday night time. All it will take is a giant Recreation 1 efficiency in LA to utterly flip this matchup on its head. Like earlier years, the Kings simply haven’t got a solution for McDavid and Draisaitl, who’re going to be laser-focused on dragging this workforce again to the Stanley Cup Closing after coming oh-so-close in 2024. Anze Kopitar is not the participant he as soon as was, and though LA boasts one of many stingiest blue traces within the league, it is going to be examined after which some on this sequence. Whereas oddsmakers are giving the Kings a slight benefit, nobody can be in any respect shocked if the Oilers come out on high for a fourth consecutive time.
12. Ottawa Senators
For the primary time in eight seasons, the Senators are again within the dance. In 2016-17, the Sens got here inside one aim of a visit to the Stanley Cup Closing, dropping in a heartbreaking Recreation 7 to Sidney Crosby and the Penguins within the East Closing. Ottawa hasn’t performed a playoff sport since, however that can all change on Sunday night time; Travis Inexperienced’s membership is making ready for a highly-anticipated Battle of Ontario that begins at Scotiabank Area in Toronto.
Sadly, it is not an amazing matchup. Ottawa completed twenty first within the league in objectives scored and twentieth in penalty killing share, going up towards a Leafs workforce that has one of many league’s most potent powerplays and stingiest defensive items. Stolarz will get the sting over Ullmark in web, who has an underneath .900 save share in his postseason profession. Toronto simply has Ottawa beat in each metric. However that each one goes out the window when the sequence begins, and it actually is not misplaced on this roster simply how not clutch the Leafs have been after the common season.
If Ottawa is someway capable of upset Toronto, it’s going to be the winner of Florida or Tampa Bay ready in Spherical 2. It is a tough path, however after seven years with out playoff puck, the fanbase in Ottawa will simply be thrilled to be taking part in significant hockey in April once more.
13. St. Louis Blues
What a fully wild experience it has been for the Blues. After firing Drew Bannister and changing him with Jim Montgomery behind the bench, St. Louis has seemed like a very totally different workforce. And Montgomery has a severe probability to be the primary coach in historical past to be fired and nominated for the Jack Adams Award in the identical season.
After racking off a franchise-best 12-game successful streak, the Blues faltered a bit on the finish however had been capable of sneak into the ultimate wildcard within the Western Convention. They usually’ll have an actual robust time towards an NHL-best Jets workforce that has all the confidence and home-ice benefit within the sequence. Getting Colton Parayko again is big, as is the truth that Winnipeg might be with out two key offensive drivers in Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabe Vilardi for the beginning of the sequence at the very least. All of us counted the Blues out in 2019 they usually went on to win all of it. It will in all probability be even tougher this time, however we all know what this roster is able to at its greatest.
After dropping Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Jared Spurgeon, Jacob Middleton and Jonas Brodin for lengthy stretches, the Wild are simply pleased to get in after lacking out final season. If that they had been wholesome, Minnesota actually might have challenged for a top-three spot within the Central Division. As it’s, they had been one Calgary Flames win away from not advancing altogether.
Nonetheless, that is all previously — and the Wild are wholesome. However even with a full squad, this isn’t a superb matchup towards a Golden Knights workforce that has been potent down the stretch. Vegas has huge, cellular defenseman who can shut down Minnesota’s stars, and though Filip Gustavsson has had an amazing season, he would not have the playoff resume Hill does. The upset is feasible, however on paper, that is in all probability probably the most lopsided sequence of the primary spherical. It will be attention-grabbing to see if Kaprizov can go sicko mode and carry the workforce out of Spherical 1.
Ca va bien, Montreal? The NHL playoffs are at all times a greater place with the Canadiens concerned, and after three campaigns out, they’re again within the dance. Issues received very dicey on the finish after a loopy Columbus Blue Jackets run, however the Habs had been capable of advance on residence ice on Wednesday night time. The Bell Centre goes to be completely rocking subsequent week, and the matchup might have been quite a bit worse.
The good factor for Canadiens followers is that there are not any expectations on this workforce. They’re lastly out of the rebuild, but additionally have the least quantity of factors of any playoff workforce and are a real sixteenth seed in 2024-25. However they’ve truly seemed fairly good down the stretch, whereas the Capitals have continued to falter. Ivan Demidov may very well be an X-factor after recording a aim and an help in his first NHL sport, whereas Nick Suzuki has seemed like a real 1C this 12 months. They may not go far, however this iteration of the Canadiens goes to be lots of enjoyable to look at this spring.
Rounding out the NHL Playoff Energy Rankings is a Devils workforce that’s going to need to show everybody incorrect. No person is giving this squad an opportunity, particularly with out famous person Jack Hughes within the lineup. Whereas Dougie Hamilton returning is very large, he might be thrown proper into the hearth towards a quick, balanced Hurricanes assault.
As soon as a lock to make the playoffs, New Jersey is simply fortunate to be one of many final eight Jap Convention groups standing in April. With 4 regulation losses of their final 5 video games, there’s simply not lots of confidence in Newark. Jacob Markstrom goes to want to face on his head and Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier will have to be otherworldly simply to get out of the primary spherical. It has been a extremely robust couple of months for this squad, and barring a miracle, it is going to be one other lengthy summer season.