ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings, Week 23: Maple Leafs, Golden Knights going through changes

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ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings, Week 23: Maple Leafs, Golden Knights going through changes

Colin Gallant, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Mar 31, 2026 ·

26 min read

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All the way back in 2000, the playoff-bound New Jersey Devils fired head coach Larry Robinson 74 games into the season, replaced him with Robbie Ftorek, and went on to win the Stanley Cup. A full 26 years later, the Vegas Golden Knights are hoping to follow a similar blueprint after shockingly replacing Bruce Cassidy with John Tortorella on Sunday.

Absolutely nobody saw this one coming, especially as the Knights are third place in the Pacific and just five points back of the division lead with seven games left. That, and the fact that Cassidy helped bring the first-ever NHL championship to the strip back in 2023. Yes, Vegas has struggled mightily since the Olympic break, but they aren't in real danger of missing the dance.

And let's not forget that the Dallas Stars lost seven straight contests to finish their 2024-25 season before marching all the way to the Western Conference Final for a third consecutive time. The playoffs are just a different beast. Regardless, it's going to be intriguing to see if this stunning move pays off — but the Knights won Torts' debut behind the bench on Monday , so, so far, so good.

Not to be outdone, the Toronto Maple Leafs also made a change, firing Brad Treliving instead of waiting until the summer. That one was a little less surprising considering what a mess it's been in Leafland in 2025-26. We probably won't have to wait long to find out if Craig Berube will also be out of a job. All that to say, there is a lot going on with just over two weeks left in the regular-season.

As things wind down, the President's Trophy race remains the Colorado Avalanche 's to lose — but the divisional races are shaping up to be much more interesting. In the East, seven postseason hopefuls are separated by a mere four points, In the West, there are six teams battling for a single wildcard berth, and they're separated by just five.

Crazy-tight races all around is music to the ears of hockey fans. This could be one of the most exciting conclusions of any NHL campaign in recent memory, with quite a few playoff spots still up for grabs on the last day of March.

After another telling week in the National, ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings returns to make sense of the chaos with just 16 days left . And what a finish it's going to be. Read on for the latest.

1. Colorado Avalanche (no change)

In the nearly three full regular-seasons of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings — time flies — no team has spent more time at the top than the Avalanche. And they aren't going anywhere in Week 23 after winning five of their last six games. Colorado remains the favorite for President's Trophy supremacy, and they're getting some help from Dallas, who are having a real hard time down the stretch. The plus-92 goal differential is just insanity, and a great indicator that this is the best team in the National Hockey League, and has been for most of the campaign. Will history repeat itself with Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog back in the fold? Anything can happen in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but this is most certainly the frontrunner to win the West and return to hockey's ultimate series for the first time in four years. With one week left of CP's PR's (not counting the playoff edition), we'd be stunned if the Avs weren't right back here once again.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (+3)

After a nightmare stretch at the end of February, the Lightning are officially back on track in a big way. Tampa Bay is on an eight-game point streak, having won six of those and lost two tight ones in overtime. That has them back at the top of the Eastern Conference, tied with the Hurricanes with nine games left. Although hockey fans would absolutely love a Bolts-Sabres Round 1 matchup after the fireworks the two teams created earlier this season, it's looking less and less likely with each game the two powerhouses win. Still, this is a brutal Round 1 opponent for any team, and after a few hugely disappointing postseasons, the Lightning will be locked in on trying to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2022 later this spring.

3. Buffalo Sabres (-1)

For the first time in a long time, the Sabres have started to falter. The last time Buffalo lost two games in a row was the first week of February, but they did that and added another defeat onto it this time around. Three consecutive losses is disappointing, but considering two of them went to overtime, we aren't concerned. And finishing the week strong by beating the Kraken have the Sabres back on the right track with eight games left. They're going to be hard-pressed to pass the Lightning and capture the Atlantic Division the way Tampa is playing — despite being tied in points — but the two rivals meet once more on April 6, so it isn't impossible. Either way, the storybook season continues in Western New York, and they'd love to finish strong before playoff puck returns to the KeyBank Center for the first time in 15 years.

4. Dallas Stars (-2)

Last season, the Stars shockingly lost each of their last seven games before making a run to the Western Conference Final for a third straight time. They are on a similar trajectory this time around — at least in the regular-season portion. Dallas is flailing, having lost six of their last eight since the middle of the month. It just makes no sense, especially considering Mikko Rantanen is back in the lineup. And their chances of winning the President's Trophy are getting slimmer by the day; the Avs now have an eight-point cushion with a game in hand. At this point, the Stars don't even care about that. They'd just love to right the ship before the postseason kicks off. The silver lining is that the Wild, who they will almost certainly play in Round 1, have been just as futile lately.

5. Montreal Canadiens (+2)

The Canadiens are red hot, finishing the week with an impressive 3-1 victory over the Hurricanes and racking off four straight wins before that. That's the longest heater of any team in the National, and it's all-but-confirmed that Montreal will be back in the postseason for a second consecutive year. You just can't say enough about Cole Caufield , who is up to 46 goals and trailing Nathan MacKinnon by just three in the Rocket Richard race. Regardless of what happens there, he'll be scoring 50 for the first time in his career, and Nick Suzuki is on pace for his first 100-point campaign. Just as importantly, the Habs have found their playoff goaltender; Jakub Dobes has allowed just four goals in his last three games. Considering two of those victories came against the Canes, we are impressed. It'll be interesting to see if the 24-year-old can keep it up when it really counts come mid-April.

6. Carolina Hurricanes (-2)

The Hurricanes are going to be happy to not see the Canadiens again in the 2025-26 regular-season after losing to them twice in a span of six days — and managing to beat Dobes just three times. There's virtually no chance the two cross-division foes play in the first-round of the playoffs, which they'll be happy about. Either way, Montreal is leapfrogging Carolina in the NHL Power Rankings for the first time in a very long time. No panic at all in Raleigh, though; besides the two losses to the Habs, the Canes have won all four of the other games they've played since March 18. They're a lock to win the Metropolitan Division, and will be facing off against a wildcard team in Round 1.

7. Minnesota Wild (-1)

Another uninspiring week for the Wild, who are playing some of their worst hockey of the season at a very poor time. Matt Boldy is mired in an uncharacteristically bad stretch, while superstar Kirill Kaprizov has struggled since returning from a short injury absence. Probably the most concerning is the play of Filip Gustavsson ; he's allowed 10 goals in his last two starts, and it's hard to see head coach John Hynes turning to Jesper Wallstedt in Game 1 of Round 1. It's one thing to be playing .500 hockey, but this club has been under .500 for the entire month of March, and that is not what anyone in the State of Hockey wants to see. Minnesota has a break until playing last-place Vancouver on Thursday, and maybe flipping the calendar to April will help them get a clean slate down the stretch.

8. Anaheim Ducks (+1)

Despite still having eight games left, we are confident in this statement: the Ducks are returning to the dance for the first time since 2017-18. It turns out that Joel Quenneville is the right coach for this club, and the addition of John Carlson has been a huge boost to an already potent roster. Anaheim continues to play great hockey, having won four games in a row before being doubled up by Edmonton on Saturday afternoon and losing to Toronto in overtime on Monday. The latter, of course, put Radko Gudas in the spotlight, and he answered the bell by fighting Max Domi right off the opening draw despite battling through an injury to even suit up. You know the Ducks would love to win the Pacific and avoid the Oil in Round 1, and with a four-point cushion, it's very possible. Still, Connor McDavid is leading a resurgence in Alberta, and Anaheim will need to keep up this pace if they hope to win the division for the first time in almost a decade.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)

The Penguins are playing with fire. A once-comfortable position in the Metropolitan Division has shrunk quickly, and Pittsburgh is bleeding goals. They had lost three of four, allowing a ridiculous 20 goals in that span. But an 8-3 shellacking of the Islanders on Monday was just the tonic, and Sidney Crosby returned from a short injury absence for the tilt. The Pens need their captain, and they need to right the ship with multiple playoff hopefuls hot on their heels. One player who has done everything he can is Erik Karlsson ; he deserves Norris Trophy recognition after putting the team on his back as of late. He's up to 16 points in his last eight games, and looking like a superstar forward on a game-by-game basis. It's been a terrific campaign in Pennsylvania, but it's on the verge of crashing and burning if Dan Muse and his troops can't get back on the right track over the final two weeks. Monday night was a very good start.

10. New York Islanders (no change)

Things were beginning to get dicey on Long Island after New York lost three of four games between March 19-24. And despite coming out on top in three of four directly afterwards, they were crushed by Pittsburgh to begin a busy week. Now third in the Metro, the Islanders aren't even close to having a playoff spot locked up, and the final seven contests are going to be extremely challenging. Four of those come against playoff teams, including three against the top two teams in the conference — the Hurricanes twice and Sabres once. The most likely scenario is that New York gets in, but they simply cannot take their foot off the gas at this point.

11. Boston Bruins (+1)

With every game that goes by, it looks more and more likely that the Bruins are going to spend just a single season outside of the playoffs with their current core. Boston is playing inspired hockey at the perfect time, having won three consecutive tilts and five of six to vault into the top wildcard berth in the East. They've even created some breathing room, with a four-point cushion on the Blue Jackets and a six-point cushion on the Wings, Sens and Flyers. Barring an epic collapse, the B's are headed back to the dance, and with star power all over the place led by David Pastrnak , Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman , they won't be happy to just get in. This is going to be a very, very tough out in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

12. Ottawa Senators (-1)

Despite a terrific couple of weeks, the Senators just have absolutely no room for error. And after a torrid stretch that saw the team win nine times in 11 tries, Ottawa has lost two straight, at home against Pittsburgh on Thursday and on the road in Tampa Bay on Saturday. They are right there, and have the best goal differential of any club in an ultra-crowded Eastern Conference playoff race. But they just can't afford to lose games consecutively again, with only nine more kicks at the can. The good news for Sens fans is that, after finishing their Florida road trip against the Panthers on Tuesday, they play five straight games at the Canadian Tire Centre.

13. Utah Mammoth (no change)

With the stretch run getting frantic, there are a very select few teams standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 23. The Mammoth are one of them as they continue to play .500 hockey in the month of March. That's going to be good enough to get Utah into the postseason, but not good enough to really give anyone outside of Salt Lake City belief that they can make noise when the time comes. It's been a phenomenal campaign in Utah, of that there is no doubt, but they would really get a boost from finishing strong. With eight games left, and five of those against non-playoff opponents, they have an excellent opportunity to do just that.

14. Philadelphia Flyers (+3)

The incredible run continues for the Flyers, who may have waited a little bit too long to look like one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. But that's exactly what we're seeing in the City of Brotherly Love. Philly has lost just once in regulation in their last 10 games, and they've won nine of those. What a thrilling run behind some truly excellent netminding from Dan Vladar . The magic number for a wildcard spot is down to two, and why not? They're also only four back of the Penguins and three behind the Islanders, who currently occupy No. 2 and No. 3 in the Metropolitan Division, respectively. The biggest week of their seasons looms, a four-game slate vs. the Capitals , Red Wings , Islanders and Bruins, in that order. Win three or four of those and, for the first time in a long time, the Flyers will be back in a postseason slot.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets (-1)

The Blue Jackets have worked so hard to get themselves back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, and they are on the verge of squandering it. Directly after winning four of five, Columbus has dropped four of five, and that's just what they didn't need. Considering three of those four defeats came in regulation, it makes things even more precarious. The Jackets are still in playoff positioning with eight games left, but there are three teams (Wings, Sens, Flyers) all two points back with a game in hand. It just really doesn't get any tighter than that. It's a toss up at this point, and as it has been over the last couple of seasons, it's going to be a photo finish in the East.

16. Detroit Red Wings (-1)

The Red Wings just cannot get out of their own way, and the dream is fading in Motown once again. Detroit secured a massive 5-2 triumph over Buffalo on Friday, but that's the only game they've won in their last four. Not only that, all three of those defeats came in regulation, and all three of them were to teams they are battling for playoff positioning with. Just a nightmare scenario for fans of this franchise, who have seen this movie before. The Wings now have virtually no chance to catch the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division, and at best, will have to settle for a wildcard berth. They're currently two points back, and tied with the Senators and Flyers, who are both playing much better hockey as of late and still aren't in. The playoff race is a bloodbath, and for a struggling Detroit team, it's not looking good.

17. Edmonton Oilers (+4)

Without Leon Draisaitl in the lineup, Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard have put the Oilers on their back — something they are very, very used to doing. Edmonton has fully righted the ship, having won three games in a row and five of seven. That has them back in contention to win the Pacific Division, currently four points back of Anaheim after beating them 4-2 on Saturday night. That is going to be a difficult challenge, but the hot streak has done enough to all but book the Oilers' ticket to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. And we all know that all the back-to-back defending West champions have to do is get in to be considered a favorite to come out of the conference once again. Considering all of the injuries, if they manage to make it happen, an organization that takes a ton of heat will deserve some serious respect.

18. Washington Capitals (+2)

It looks like Alex Ovechkin still has some juice yet . The Great Eight recorded a hat trick in a thrilling 7-5 Capitals victory over the Mammoth, which was followed up by a 5-4 win over the Golden Knights two days later. Don't count Washington out just yet; they're now five points out of a wildcard berth with eight games left. The Caps will still probably need to win seven of those eight games to get in, which seems incredibly unlikely. But we were fully ready to write them off in Week 23, but instead, we're going to see what the next few games bring. And Tuesday's tilt against the Flyers, one of the clubs they are trying to catch, is a literal must-win.

19. Vegas Golden Knights (-1)

What a ruthless organization the Golden Knights are. Sitting in a playoff spot with eight games left, Vegas not only fired Cassidy, who helped bring a maiden Stanley Cup to the strip, but replaced him with a controversial bench boss in Tortorella. It's going to be intriguing to see how that move looks in a couple of weeks, but by all accounts and measures, the Knights needed a change. This team has been struggling for months now, and they remain in a brutal stretch of six losses in seven games in March. It's hard to believe considering how the first 70 percent of the season went, but Vegas is third place in the Pacific and just six points away from being out of a postseason slot altogether. That would be an epic collapse, and all of the pressure is now on Torts to turn this ship around in a very short period of time. One of the most fascinating storylines of the NHL season so far, bar none.

20. New Jersey Devils (+2)

The Devils have been playing some reasonably inspired hockey down the stretch, with Jack Hughes leading the charge. The American hero has been red hot as of late, and scored two goals in a comeback victory over the Blackhawks to conclude Week 22 on Sunday night. It's not going to be nearly enough for New Jersey, though, who are 10 points back of a playoff spot with nine games left. That math doesn't work out regardless of how you look at it, but it is encouraging to see the club finish strong. This was a team that many thought would be playoff contenders in 2025-26, so it's a disappointment to see how low they are going to finish. Up next is a visit to Madison Square Garden to play the Rangers on Tuesday, the last time the bitter rivals will play this year.

21. St. Louis Blues (+2)

The Blues are sitting below a couple of teams in league standings that they are ranked higher than in the NHL Power Rankings, and that's for two reasons: games in hand and recent play. St. Louis has a ton of ground to make up, and they're doing it admirably. Now winners of four of five and seven of 10, Jim Montgomery's club has reduced the magic number for a playoff spot to just four. And they have games in hand on Nashville , who will probably be the stiffest competition down the stretch. It'll still going to take nothing short of a miracle to get in, but this team is playing some great hockey. With nine games left, it's probably going to take eight wins. Extremely challenging, but not impossible. Let's see what happens.

22. San Jose Sharks (-3)

What a truly disappointing stretch it's been for the Sharks, a team that looked poised to shed the rebuild label but instead have floundered at the worst possible time. San Jose had lost six games in a row — five of those in regulation — before finally getting back in the win column in the form of a tight 3-2 win over Columbus on Saturday. But the damage is done. They've gone from a top-three spot in the Pacific Division to completely falling out of the playoff picture altogether in the blink of an eye. Now two points back with three teams to leapfrog, it's looking incredibly dire. The only redeeming feature here is that the Sharks still have 10 games to play; that's more than any other team but the Kraken in the Western Conference.

23. Nashville Predators (+1)

After winning five games in a row, we thought that the Predators had a Western Conference wildcard berth absolutely locked up. They looked formidable, focused, and ready to book their ticket to the dance. Instead, fate intervened, and Nashville has lost three consecutive contests — all in regulation. That has the Preds holding onto the No. 8 seed for dear life, and considering there are five teams below them all within four points and with at least one game in hand, it's precarious. They need to stem the bleeding immediately, or after fighting so hard to get back into the playoff picture, they'll be back on the outside looking in before this week is through.

24. Florida Panthers (-8)

We've been saying for weeks and weeks that the Panthers were eventually going to tumble down the NHL Power Rankings. And it was a long time coming, but it's time for Florida's standing in the leaderboard to more accurately reflect where they are in the standings. And it's not a pretty picture. With Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett joining the laundry list of injuries, the Cats have lost three games in a row and six of eight. They're dead last in the Atlantic Division, and only four points away from the Rangers, who are pulling up the rear in the East. Considering the brutal luck the franchise has had this year, we understand that making the playoffs was going to be a longshot. But finishing dead last in the conference is something that absolutely nobody had on their bingo card for the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions.

25. Los Angeles Kings (+1)

The game in hand that the Kings have on the Predators is a monumental one. It means that Los Angeles still controls its own destiny, as they are currently a single point back of their cross-division foes. The door was wide open for this club to not only snag the final Western Conference wildcard berth, but also to create some breathing room. Instead, they've lost seven of 10 games at the absolute worst time. Still, the Preds have been equally as futile, and they're only a point up. So, if LA and Nashville both win out, it would be the Kings finishing ahead. We know that neither club is going to win all of their games down the stretch — especially the way each have been playing — but the most likely scenario is that the two franchises battle right until the bitter end. And we're here for it.

26. Winnipeg Jets (+1)

No, the Jets aren't out of it yet, but we're well past desperation time. Winnipeg has hovered around .500 since the middle of March, and there is just too much ground to make up for that pace to get the job done. The magic number is still just three, which is certainly attainable with nine games left. The problem is, there's no chance the Jets are going to catch the Mammoth, who are eight points up and occupying the top wildcard slot in the West. That means there's only one realistic playoff spot, and the Predators, Kings and Kraken are all eyeing it — and that's not even counting the Sharks and Blues, who aren't out of the race yet. It would take a herculean effort down the stretch, and based on what we've seen lately, it's just not going to happen.

27. Seattle Kraken (-2)

The Kraken controlled their own destiny for so long in the Western Conference playoff race, but unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Seattle just continues to struggle mightily at the worst time, now losers of five of six and nine of 12. Although they remain just two points back of a wildcard berth, they aren't providing even a little bit of hope that they can be one of the final eight teams standing in the West in a couple of weeks. Most likely, it's going to be a fourth missed postseason in five years of hockey in the Emerald City, and patience has got to be starting to run thin for a roster that isn't getting any younger.

28. Calgary Flames (+2)

Despite a significant lack of talent on the roster, the Flames are committed to finishing strong, and you have to respect it. Calgary has won five of seven games, including a 7-3 beatdown of last-place Vancouver on Saturday night. We won't hold a 9-2 dismantling by Colorado on Monday against them. Both Devin Cooley and Dustin Wolf have been excellent (for the most part), and regardless of how long a potential rebuild takes, these two are going to be at the forefront when the team returns to contention in the West. Although management would probably like the roster to embrace the tank a little more, they're still going to have a great chance for a top-three pick in Buffalo in June regardless of how the last eight games go.

29. Toronto Maple Leafs (no change)

At this point, the Maple Leafs just cannot wait for their season to be over. They looked dispirited and disinterested in a 5-1 shellacking at the hands of the Blues on Saturday, and that was enough for Treliving to get the can. At least Max Domi stood up for his captain in Anaheim on Monday. He didn't start in California, but Joseph Woll has looked decent despite the team's glaring defensive struggles, and he's making a strong case to be the opening night starter in 2026-27. That's a long way off, though, and right now, Toronto is just trying to finish this campaign with a little dignity. At 32-30-13, there's still a path to finishing above .500, although even that might not keep them out of the Atlantic Division basement.

30. New York Rangers (-2)

The Rangers are long out of Eastern Conference playoff contention; losing six games in a row between March 16-25 all but confirmed that. New York finished Week 22 strong, though, beating the Blackhawks on Friday and Panthers on Sunday and giving up just two total goals in that span. A bright spot was young netminder Dylan Garand, who has saved 62 of the 65 shots he's faced in 2025-26 and is making a strong case to be Igor Shesterkin's backup next year — assuming the pending RFA gets a new contract before then. That seems like a sure thing, especially as 40-year-old future Hall of Famer Jonathan Quick isn't likely to be back next season.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (no change)

Although the Blackhawks haven't yet been officially eliminated from postseason contention, it'll be coming in the next couple of days here. Chicago has lost three straight and five of six, and they've decided to let the kids play. That includes 2025 third overall pick Anton Frondell, who recorded an assist in his NHL debut and is up to four points in four games in the Windy City. He's part of a very bright future, and the 18-year-old should be the 2C in Chicago behind Connor Bedard for years to come. It'll be interesting to see if the pair can finally get the Hawks back to legitimate postseason contention in 2025-26.

32. Vancouver Canucks (no change)

Another successful week for the tank in British Columbia, as the Canucks lost three games in a row, all in regulation. Make that six consecutive defeats in 60 minutes for a team that is, somehow, a full 17 points back of the 31st-ranked National Hockey League club. If this isn't the worst season in franchise history, you would have to make a very good argument that any Vancouver squad has been as consistently bad as this one since inception in 1970-71. These guys are so ready for this campaign to be over, and we really can't blame them.

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