NHL Power Rankings: Week 3 (Oct 18, 2026)
Our NHL power rankings use model-derived strength ratings. Each team is rated by their predicted win probability against a league-average opponent on neutral ice—the same models that power our game predictions and playoff simulations.
Strength rating = average of P(win at home vs average) and P(win away vs average). Percentiles compare each category against the league.
Trend compares ranks to one week ago. Narratives are generated based on performance profile across offense, defense, goaltending, and recent form.
Top Movers (7 days)
Risers
- Pittsburgh Penguins▲ 9
- Montreal Canadiens▲ 7
- New Jersey Devils▲ 5
- New York Islanders▲ 5
- Anaheim Ducks▲ 4
Fallers
- Vegas Golden Knights▼ 7
- Edmonton Oilers▼ 7
- Washington Capitals▼ 5
- Boston Bruins▼ 4
- New York Rangers▼ 4
Power Rankings (Model-Derived Strength)
| Rank | Δ | Team | Strength | Profile | L10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ▲ 5 | New Jersey Devils Momentum building game by game. Best at offense (81st percentile); weakest at defense (41st). | 71.0% | ODGF | 4-4 |
2 | — | Carolina Hurricanes Dangerous offensive team with solid defensive structure. Best at offense (100th percentile); weakest at goaltending (28th). | 65.1% | ODGF | 7-2 |
3 | — | Utah Mammoth A tough matchup for any opponent. Best at offense (94th percentile); weakest at goaltending (6th). | 62.5% | ODGF | 6-3 |
4 | ▼ 3 | Florida Panthers The quintessential .500 squad. Best at offense (69th percentile); weakest at goaltending (38th). | 62.1% | ODGF | 5-4 |
5 | ▲ 9 | Pittsburgh Penguins Momentum building game by game. Best at offense (78th percentile); weakest at goaltending (12th). | 60.1% | ODGF | 3-6 |
6 | ▲ 1 | Tampa Bay Lightning Potent attack compensating for average support. Best at offense (97th percentile); weakest at defense (64th). | 60.0% | ODGF | 6-2 |
7 | ▼ 3 | Colorado Avalanche Goaltending giving up too many soft goals. Best at offense (91st percentile); weakest at recent form (84th). | 59.0% | ODGF | 5-3 |
8 | ▲ 7 | Montreal Canadiens Momentum building game by game. Best at offense (88th percentile); weakest at defense (34th). | 57.7% | ODGF | 4-4 |
9 | ▲ 1 | Dallas Stars Defensively sound squad. Best at defense (84th percentile); weakest at offense (25th). | 54.8% | ODGF | 4-4 |
10 | ▼ 2 | Buffalo Sabres Defensive breakdowns costing them games. Best at offense (50th percentile); weakest at defense (22nd). | 54.3% | ODGF | 4-5 |
11 | ▲ 1 | Los Angeles Kings Lottery odds looking increasingly important. Best at goaltending (62nd percentile); weakest at recent form (3rd). | 54.1% | ODGF | 0-6 |
12 | ▼ 7 | Vegas Golden Knights Fading after a strong stretch. Best at defense (100th percentile); weakest at goaltending (78th). | 53.5% | ODGF | 8-2 |
13 | ▼ 4 | Boston Bruins Low-scoring affairs are their comfort zone. Best at defense (97th percentile); weakest at offense (22nd). | 52.8% | ODGF | 7-2 |
14 | ▼ 1 | Columbus Blue Jackets Giving up goals at an alarming rate. Best at goaltending (84th percentile); weakest at defense (25th). | 51.8% | ODGF | 3-3 |
15 | ▼ 4 | Detroit Red Wings Solid offensive foundation. Best at offense (72nd percentile); weakest at recent form (25th). | 51.7% | ODGF | 3-5 |
16 | — | St. Louis Blues Hard to win when you can't score. Best at goaltending (53rd percentile); weakest at recent form (30th). | 49.9% | ODGF | 3-5 |
17 | ▲ 5 | New York Islanders Playing their best hockey in weeks. Best at defense (80th percentile); weakest at offense (16th). | 49.6% | ODGF | 4-4 |
18 | ▲ 1 | Ottawa Senators Goalie-driven competitiveness. Best at recent form (75th percentile); weakest at offense (44th). | 48.0% | ODGF | 6-3 |
19 | ▲ 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs Giving up goals at an alarming rate. Best at offense (59th percentile); weakest at recent form (22nd). | 47.2% | ODGF | 3-6 |
20 | ▲ 4 | Calgary Flames Slumping badly despite talent. Best at goaltending (44th percentile); weakest at defense (3rd). | 46.1% | ODGF | 1-6 |
21 | ▲ 4 | Minnesota Wild Well-rounded team without glaring weaknesses. Best at goaltending (97th percentile); weakest at offense (75th). | 45.6% | ODGF | 5-3 |
22 | ▲ 4 | Anaheim Ducks Stuck in the mushy middle. Best at defense (56th percentile); weakest at goaltending (22nd). | 45.2% | ODGF | 4-3 |
23 | ▼ 5 | Washington Capitals Struggling to find answers. Best at goaltending (88th percentile); weakest at defense (64th). | 44.6% | ODGF | 5-3 |
24 | ▼ 7 | Edmonton Oilers Free-falling in the standings. Best at defense (94th percentile); weakest at goaltending (3rd). | 44.3% | ODGF | 6-2 |
25 | ▼ 4 | New York Rangers Grinding out results the hard way. Best at goaltending (100th percentile); weakest at offense (62nd). | 44.1% | ODGF | 6-4 |
26 | ▲ 1 | Winnipeg Jets Need more production up front. Best at recent form (50th percentile); weakest at offense (28th). | 43.6% | ODGF | 4-4 |
27 | ▼ 4 | Nashville Predators A team searching for identity. Best at offense (47th percentile); weakest at goaltending (19th). | 42.0% | ODGF | 3-5 |
28 | ▲ 1 | San Jose Sharks Offense nowhere to be found. Best at recent form (38th percentile); weakest at goaltending (16th). | 39.0% | ODGF | 4-4 |
29 | ▼ 1 | Seattle Kraken Need more production up front. Best at recent form (62nd percentile); weakest at offense (31st). | 38.7% | ODGF | 5-4 |
30 | ▲ 2 | Philadelphia Flyers Flip a coin: elite or invisible. Best at goaltending (72nd percentile); weakest at offense (3rd). | 38.2% | ODGF | 1-9 |
31 | — | Chicago Blackhawks Counting down to the offseason. Best at goaltending (34th percentile); weakest at offense (9th). | 32.2% | ODGF | 3-6 |
32 | ▼ 2 | Vancouver Canucks Unpredictable to a fault. Best at defense (16th percentile); weakest at offense (6th). | 31.8% | ODGF | 2-8 |
Profile dots — Offense · Defense · Goalie · Form — show percentile tier: elite ≥90 strong ≥70 avg ≥40 below ≥20 weak. Hover each dot for exact percentile.