With the calendar turning to February in the 2025-26 NHL season, Olympic fever is in the air. While there will be games of consequence played in the coming days, it feels like everyone is waiting out the stretch before winter break because you know there’s going to be a fun few days ahead.
However, before we get to this break, the NHL will have one more deadline of importance, the Olympic Roster freeze starting at 3 P.M. on Feb. 4th. This roster freeze could create a mini trade deadline, as general managers may look to jump the queue and get some business done in order to give their big acquisitions extra time to settle into their new home a full month before the actual 2026 NHL Trade Deadline on Mar. 6th.
I know I keep bringing these dates and deadlines up each week, but it really feels like they are making the regular season different. We are already seeing star players like Artemi Panarin being held out of games a full month in advance of the deadline because we are actually only a handful of games away from it.
This makes an already unique season even more dynamic, as teams are getting creative with moves in January that usually would wait until March. I am also genuinely curious to see if there is a rush of action leading into Wednesday’s deadline, or if this turns into a bunch of hype over nothing.
With all of this talk about 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 Officially Running Out
32. Vancouver Canucks (Previously: 32)
31. New York Rangers (Previously: 31)
30. St. Louis Blues (Previously: 30)
29. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously: 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 (Previously: 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 (Previously: 26)
17. Seattle Kraken (Previously: 28)
There was a moment in November when it looked like the Flyers were going to be a problem in the 2025-26 NHL season. Their offseason acquisition of Trevor Zegras was paying dividends, Dan Vladar looked like a short-term answer in net, and the franchise seemed ready to grab at least third place in a somewhat middling Metropolitan Division.
Since then, unfortunately, Philadelphia has not been great, and with a recent 2-6-2 record in their last 10 games played, all signs are pointing towards another selling deadline for the team. There are pieces in place, however, so if they can make the most out of the next month, they might be set up to competefor the 2027 postseason
Overall, the bottom of the Rankings are staying about as I expected them this week. The Maple Leafs, Blackhawks, and Rangers continue to crater 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 can take a long time to pivot their ship, and there’s always the chance their front office still thinks they can make a run at the playoffs, even if those odds are getting long.
It’s also worth noting that the Senators and Kraken had solid weeks as well, but while this has propelled the Kraken back into the Pacific Division hunt, Ottawa is still getting buried under the Atlantic. So, this might take a bit of perspective, as a good week for one team may not count the same as another, even if they are close in the overall standings.
16-11: Blue Jackets Pushing 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 if it may not seem like the situation is 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 had them at the bottom of the league. Despite this, it still came as a surprise when they fired their head coach and hired Rick Bowness back on Jan. 12th. At the time, this felt like a desperation move, and I didn’t expect much to come from it.
Since that coaching change and trading for Mason Marchment, Columbus has been one of the best teams in the league. With a 9-1-0 record in their last 10 games played, they are back in striking distance of third place in the Metropolitan Division, and they have to feel like the playoffs are attainable, even after the poor start to the season.
Overall, the middle of the Rankings shrunk again this week, and I can argue it could have been even smaller. The Ducks and Mammoth both cooled off, while the Oilers and Islanders have maintained a very average stretch of play that is enough to keep their heads above water, but not much else. I wish I had more to say in this section this week, but there’s just not much going on here of note.
10-1: Lightning Host Incredible 2026 Stadium Series
10. Boston Bruins (Previously: 8)
9. Buffalo Sabres (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. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously: 2)
While I know that the Stadium Series is a local event more than a national one, as a Tampa native, the 2026 Stadium Series was special to attend (especially since the NHL brought snow to Florida). This game had everything, from a Gasparilla-themed opening ceremony, a four-goal comeback by the Lightning, referee controversy, and even a goalie fight. If you’re a fan of Boston, you rightfully should feel sour about that loss, but for everyone else, that was one heck of a game.
Even if it feels a bit repetitive, the Lightning are one of the class acts of the NHL, and with a successful Stadium Series game under their belts, it feels like the franchise can do anything.
While the Lightning may be at the top of the league, the Wild and Stars are also starting to find their game again after having a few down weeks. Alongside them, the Penguins and Canadiens are separating themselves from the playoff bubble, while the Bruins and Sabres keep churning out points. All this is making the path to the final Eastern Wild Card a bit tricky if you aren’t already in that group of eight.
The only real down teams at the top of the Rankings this week are the Red Wings, who hit a speed bump after being red hot. Three-game losing streaks will happen throughout the regular season, however, so it’s no reason to panic as long as they can end strong before the Olympic Break.
Also, you have to give Patrick Kane a well-deserved spotlight as he broke the U.S. scoring record this week by posting his 1,375th point. Just another incredible note on his Hall of Fame career.
NHL is Ready for the 2026 Olympic Games
With February upon us, it will be time to take a break from the regularly scheduled 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings here at THW. While the league is on break, however, we will keep the Rankings going with a 2026 Men’s Olympic Hockey rankings.
Related: Oilers’ Stanley Cup Window Is Beginning to Close
Depending on how the Olympics go, we may keep those Rankings going throughout, or we might just enjoy a little bit of time off to prepare for what will be a busy March. So, as always, thank you for reading, and we look forward to an exciting few weeks ahead in Milan!
