ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings, Week 17: Surging Bruins, Bolts off to great outdoors

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ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings, Week 17: Surging Bruins, Bolts off to great outdoors

Colin Gallant, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Jan 26, 2026 ·

26 min read

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For the first time in the 22-year history of National Hockey League outdoor games, the festivities will take over Raymond James Stadium in the Sunshine State this Sunday. Exactly 30 days after the New York Rangers shellacked the Florida Panthers in Miami, the surging Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins will do battle in the 2025-26 iteration of the NHL Stadium Series.

Since the 2003-04 campaign, the league has staged 44 contests on the ODR, and this upcoming tilt on the first day of February will mark the 45th played outside the traditional confines of professional hockey. And it should be a dandy; the Bruins have rocketed up league standings after winning eight of 10, while the Bolts have lost just twice since the middle of December.

That all-Atlantic Division matchup isn't until the end of Week 17, and there's a ton going on before then, with 20 teams in action on Tuesday, 30 on Thursday and 28 on Saturday — the final day of January. Where has the time gone? We're also coming off a busy Week 16 slate, with Jonathan Toews and Mitch Marner returning to their old stomping grounds — and getting vastly different receptions from the fans in Chicago and Toronto , respectively.

With under three months remaining in the 2025-26 regular-season, the insane battles for playoff positioning in both the Eastern and Western Conference continue. Take away around four or five teams, and everyone still thinks they have a shot to be playing meaningful games at the end of April. And that's music to the ears of hockey fans.

Once again, ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings is here to try to make some sense of the chaos on this wintery Monday in North America. This is the final full week of league play before the Feb. 6-24 break for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. More on that next week, but for now, let's savor 11 more days of club play in the National before we go from cheering for cities to cheering for countries.

1. Colorado Avalanche (no change)

For the first time this season, we are seeing a crack in the mighty Avalanche's armor. Colorado has lost four of six and six of 10, and a couple of surging Eastern Conference clubs have closed the President's Trophy lead to within 10 points. You just don't expect to see a team of this caliber lose 7-3 twice in four games — especially when the opponents are the Predators and Flyers. The Avs have been so potent this year that even this skid has only dropped them to 35-6-9, but Nate MacKinnon and co. would love to get back on better footing before the Olympics. They have five games before the break, beginning in Canada's capital on Wednesday against a Senators team that just hung seven goals on the Golden Knights .

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (no change)

With every week that passes, the Lightning get closer and closer to usurping the Avalanche at the peak of the NHL Power Rankings. We aren't there yet, but we're as close as we've ever been. Tampa Bay continues to surge, now winners of 14 of their past 16. They're just a point back of both Detroit and Carolina at the top of the East, with multiple games in hand on both. But the league's best can lose on any given night, and with Jonas Johansson between the pipes, the Bolts were beaten 8-5 by the Blue Jackets on Saturday. They'll look to brush that off on Monday against the visiting Mammoth , and will welcome the Jets to town before suiting up for what should be a thrilling NHL Stadium Series vs. the Bruins on Sunday.

3. Detroit Red Wings (+1)

For the first time this season, the Red Wings are into the top-three of the NHL Power Rankings. This spot was a toss-up between them and the Hurricanes, who have both won prolifically as of late. But considering Detroit beat Carolina a little earlier in January, they're getting the benefit of the doubt in Week 17. The big story in Motown is still the Patrick Kane record watch; he's now two points away from leapfrogging Mike Modano and becoming the all-time points leader among American born players. It's only a matter of time before Showtime gets magic No. 1,375, and with a three-game homestand looming, it's the perfect time. Kane will look to break the record as soon as Tuesday night against the Kings at Little Caesars Arena.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (-1)

The Hurricanes don't deserve to be giving up a spot in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 17 — they have won seven of 10 games, after all. But the top clubs in the East can't stop banking points, and that includes the Wings and Lightning, who are well-deserving of their spots. The good times keep on rolling in Raleigh nonetheless; Rod Brind'Amour's team has won four of five, and the lone loss came past regulation. The hold at the top of the Metropolitan Division is secure for now, as the other top teams in the conference — the Lightning, Red Wings and Sabres — are all in the Atlantic. Everyone in the Metro has a bit of an advantage right now, and the Canes have a six-point lead on the Penguins . They'll look to create even more separation over their last five games before the Olympic break.

5. Buffalo Sabres (+4)

If you had told me before the 2025-26 season started that the Sabres would crack the top-five of the NHL Power Rankings before January had concluded, I might have called you delusional. Yet here we are. All you can do is tip your cap to a Buffalo team that has, unbelievably, won 18 of their last 22 games. The Atlantic is just insane; although Lindy Ruff's group has finally entered the No. 3 seed in the division, the Canadiens , Bruins, Panthers and Leafs are all right in the thick of things. It's been an incredible surge nonetheless, and a key piece of it has been forward Josh Doan . The trade that sent JJ Peterka to Utah has been criticized, but this player has been excellent in Western New York. And the seven-year, $48.65 million extension he signed last week is going to age like fine wine in a rising-cap NHL. Buffalo will look to make it four straight wins against a flailing Toronto team on Tuesday night.

6. Minnesota Wild (+2)

It's taken quite a while, but the Wild have finally usurped the Stars and taken over second place in the Central Division. Barring some drastic changes, we're staring down a Minnesota-Dallas Round 1 series, and home-ice advantage will be critical for it. John Hynes' team would have it if the Stanley Cup Playoffs started today after winning three of five — including victories over a few great teams in the Sabres and Red Wings. The Wild are returning to health as well, with Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek back in the lineup after short absences. The catalyst has been the highest-paid player in the NHL in Kirill Kaprizov , who has looked unstoppable lately and poured in 12 points in his last five games.

7. Vegas Golden Knights (-2)

Getting a victory in Mitch Marner's return to Toronto must have felt great all around for Vegas. While the star forward didn't manage a single point, the Golden Knights doubled up the Maple Leafs 6-3 on Friday night. Unfortunately, it's the only time they won in a busy four-game Week 16 slate. The other three were all regulation losses, and a 7-1 dismantling by Ottawa was as surprising as it was disappointing. Time for a mental reset, but the Knights are still the kings of the Pacific Division with 31 games left. A visit to the Bell Centre and the Habs is up next on Tuesday night.

8. Dallas Stars (-2)

What is wrong with the once-elite Stars? It's hard to believe a roster this skilled can lose 11 of 15 games, but that's where we are at the end of January. Although Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith have both been serviceable, the offense has dried up, and it's hard to pinpoint why. For the first time in months, Dallas has been usurped at No. 2 in the Central Division, watching a much more effective Minnesota team continue to string wins together. Utah is the next closest team at a full nine points back, but this is two clubs going in very different directions right now. The Stars have five games left before the break, starting with a trip to St. Louis to play the struggling Blues on Tuesday.

9. Florida Panthers (+1)

The Panthers are just a different team with Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand in the lineup, and it's showing in real time. Florida has won six of eight, and we won't harp on the fact that one of the two losses was a 9-1 beatdown at the hands of Carolina. Paul Maurice's team is getting healthy at a critical time. With 31 games left, the Cats are three points back of the Bruins for the final wildcard berth, and four behind the Sabres for third in the Atlantic Division. They are talented enough to continue this hot streak, and even more reinforcements will arrive after the Olympic break in the form of Seth Jones . We've made excuses due to the ill health of the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions all season long, but that time is done. Now with almost a full roster, it's time for them to prove why they've been one of the last two teams standings in three straight years.

10. Montreal Canadiens (-3)

Although the Canadiens blew a late lead just to lose to the Bruins in regulation on Saturday night, they'll spend at least one more week ahead of their bitter Atlantic Division rivals in the NHL Power Rankings. Montreal hasn't been great over the last 14 days, losing two in a row and five of eight to drop out of a divisional playoff spot and into the wildcard race. The Habs are still at the top of that, but the Bruins are just a point back; the Panthers, four. The goaltending conundrum continues in Quebec, with Sam Montembeault , Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes all failing to separate themselves. It's the one place really holding Marty St. Louis' team back, and it'll be interesting to see if it costs them a playoff spot in 2025-26.

11. Boston Bruins (+1)

What a turnaround it's been for the Bruins, who, after losing six games in a row at the end of December, have now won 10 of 12 to move into 11th in overall NHL standings. Boston has lost just twice since busting the slump, and they're looking like one of the league's elite behind a productive forward core, a healthy blue line and a locked in tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo . The B's have beaten some really good teams in the New Year, and they're showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. After games against the Rangers, Predators and Flyers during the week, an unstoppable force will meet an immovable object when the Bruins and Lightning clash at the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday evening.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins (+5)

The Penguins came into this season as presumed sellers after missing the playoffs for three consecutive years. But through the ups and the downs, Pittsburgh has not only shattered preseason expectations, but taken over second place in the Metropolitan Division after winning five straight and 11 of 15 overall. In what could be Evgeni Malkin 's last year — and potentially Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang's last chance to win another Stanley Cup in this city — GM Kyle Dubas must be thinking long and hard about his trade deadline strategy. We thought we might see the rebuild truly begin this season, but instead we're looking at a top 5-7 team in the Eastern Conference. There's still 31 games left, but at this pace, the Pens are going to give NHL fans a real treat: Crosby, Malkin and Letang back in the dance.

13. New York Islanders (-2)

It's been a hugely encouraging campaign overall on Long Island, but this team cannot afford to take its foot off the gas. A .500 stretch since the calendar flipped has been just that, unfortunately, and their hold on the third seed in the Metro is shaky. The Flyers, Capitals, Devils and Blue Jackets are all within four points, and all of those clubs fancy themselves postseason contenders. The Islanders just need to up the pace, but they've done the opposite, losing 4-1 to the Kraken and 5-0 to the Sabres to end another demoralizing week. With seven games left until the Olympic break, and six of those against divisional opponents, New York is approaching its most critical stretch of the campaign.

14. Edmonton Oilers (-1)

The Oilers have won exactly nine of their last 18 games. When they're on, they look like one of the NHL's elite. And when they're not, they look like a bubble playoff team at best. Welcome to hockey in Edmonton over the last couple of seasons. After losing back-to-back games in regulation, the Oil teamed up with the Capitals for one of the better games of 2025-26 so far, with Evan Bouchard going nuclear in his 400th contest to the tune of a hat trick and three assists. Connor McDavid called it "as good a game" as he's ever seen from a defenseman, and he wasn't bad either, scoring two goals — including the OT winner — and handing out three helpers. McDavid and Bouchard continue to lead the charge, but Edmonton just needs a lot more from a lot of players. They're still second place in the Pacific Division with five games to go until the break.

15. Utah Mammoth (+3)

Clayton Keller is putting the Mammoth on his back, and this is again looking like a true playoff contender in the Western Conference. Utah has won five in a row and eight of nine, returning to the top wildcard berth with three points of breathing room. What a streaky team this has been in 2025-26, but when they're winning games, they're winning games. And Keller basically did that by himself against the Flyers on Wednesday. After shutting down a point blank empty net chance late in regulation while down a goal, he tied the game on a slick individual effort before winning it in overtime. It was a one man show reminiscent of Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, and that's high praise for the star American. The good times keep on rolling in Salt Lake City, and there's serous belief they can keep winning prolifically with Karel Vejmelka looking as strong as he has between the pipes.

16. San Jose Sharks (-2)

After a couple of all-time highs in the NHL Power Rankings, the Sharks are regressing — if only slightly — in Week 17. San Jose has been exactly .500 over the last two weeks, winning three and losing three in regulation. The mediocre play is not enough to knock them out of a Western Conference wildcard slot, but it's close, with the Sharks, Kings and Kraken all tied in points. It goes without saying that the playoff hold is as precarious as it gets, and playing .500 hockey almost certainly won't be enough. The big story of last week was the goalie fight between Bobrovsky and Nedeljkovic ; that wasn't on anyone's bingo card. Nedeljkovic has been the Sharks' best goalie as of late, and he will probably get the lion's share of starts down the stretch. A challenging one of those is coming up, in the form of a five-game road trip that goes right until the Olympic break.

17. Washington Capitals (-2)

The Capitals were on the wrong end of a thriller on Saturday night, losing 6-5 in overtime to the Oilers but still managing to pick up a point. They've been on the wrong end of a lot of games lately, and not past regulation; Washington has lost seven of 10, and six of them ended in 60 minutes. That's detrimental to the postseason hopes, as there are a plethora of teams in the Eastern Conference playing at or below .500 hockey but still banking points in OT and shootouts. The Caps are officially in a logjam, tied with the Leafs and Flyers at 57 points and five back of a wildcard spot. Luckily for them, the Metro has been much worse than the Atlantic this year, and they're only two points away from the Islanders and the No. 3 seed. That's the most realistic path to the playoffs in the nation's capital, as it looks like both of the wildcard teams could be coming from the Atlantic in 2025-26.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs (-2)

The Maple Leafs have gotten beaten up over the last two weeks, and that's exactly how head coach Craig Berube looked after suffering a grisly gym incident . Good to see the bench boss is OK, but it doesn't look like Toronto is. Make that four losses in a row and six of seven for a Leafs team that failed to win their big Week 16 game — Marner's return. He was met with a few cheers but mostly boos at Scotiabank Arena, but it was the star forward and his Golden Knights who got the last laugh in a 6-3 final. It's been a really challenging stretch overall in Ontario, with William Nylander still on the shelf and now having to apologize for flipping off the cameras in the press box. Anthony Stolarz is finally back, but he wasn't great even when he was healthy early on, and it's expected Joseph Woll will still get more starts. Either way, the Leafs badly need to right the ship, with the magic number for a playoff spot up to five as the skid continues.

19. Anaheim Ducks (+6)

The Ducks have gone from one of the worst teams in the NHL to one of the best in a span of a month. The game log is insane; Anaheim lost nine in a row, and have now won seven straight directly after. Hockey can be a funny game. And right now, Joel Quenneville's team has some serious momentum. Lukas Dostal has shook off the struggles and excelled throughout the surge, while star rookie Beckett Sennecke recorded his first career hat trick — including the overtime winner — in a 4-3 win over the Flames to end the week. The Ducks are rolling, and Quenneville enters Week 17 at 997 coaching victories. His team plays three times over the next seven days, and whether or not the streak continues, he'll soon become the second bench boss to win 1,000 games, joining the great Scotty Bowman, who has 1,244.

20. New Jersey Devils (+1)

We're finally seeing some signs of life from the Devils after an abysmal couple of weeks. New Jersey has won five of seven, with Jacob Markstrom living up to his potential in goal and Dougie Hamilton in the middle of a red hot stretch after being healthy scratched. The Canadian defenseman didn't take it to heart, instead opening up an eight-game, 10-point streak, which is even more important with Luke Hughes hitting LTIR. It's going to be very, very interesting to see if he will still get traded the way he's playing. Hamilton is a key piece of this blue line, but at the same time, he's increasing his trade value on a game-to-game basis. That's something to watch — and a tough decision management will have to make — but right now, things are looking up at least a little in Newark.

21. Ottawa Senators (-2)

The New Year has not been kind to the Senators, who have lost eight of 14 games since the calendar flipped from December to January. Not having Linus Ullmark between the pipes has been a factor, as Leevi Merilainen and new signing James Reimer have been up and down. Ottawa needed to end Week 16 strong after dropping four of five, and did in the form of a 7-1 shellacking of Vegas in Canada's capital on Sunday. More results like that will be necessary if Travis Green's team wants to get back to contention. They're currently seven points away from a wildcard berth, and seven away from the basement of the Eastern Conference.

22. Philadelphia Flyers (-2)

It's been a brutal few weeks for the Flyers, but maybe Friday night's 7-3 win over the NHL-leading Avalanche will help to get Philly out of this funk. Before that triumph, they'd lost seven of eight, tumbling down league standings and the NHL Power Rankings simultaneously. Dan Vladar is missed between the pipes, while the offense before Friday had completely dried up, managing just eight goals in 18 games. The hope is that beating a team as potent as Colorado will be a turning point, and it's going to need to be if Rick Tocchet's team wants to climb back into a postseason slot. Right now, the Flyers are five points back.

23. Columbus Blue Jackets (+3)

Welcome back to the lineup, Mason Marchment . After going pointless in his return from an upper-body injury on Thursday, he snapped on Sunday, scoring a hat trick and adding an assist in a seriously impressive 8-5 victory over the Lightning. He's been excellent since the trade from the Emerald City, recording eight goals in nine games in Columbus. And the Blue Jackets are surging, having won six of their last seven, including key wins over Tampa, Dallas and Utah in that span. The magic number for a playoff spot is now just seven. There's still a long way to go, but the last couple of weeks have been hugely encouraging in Ohio.

24. Nashville Predators (-2)

For the first time since the middle of November, the Predators are coming off a tough week. Big picture, that's phenomenal for a Nashville team that has completely turned things around after an awful start. But in the short term, it's concerning to the playoff hopes. The Preds have dropped three of four — all in regulation — while giving up 21 total goals in that span. Not ideal, but the club is still just three points out of a postseason berth in a crowded Western Conference. Having Jonathan Marchessault back in the lineup is nice, and both Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos have turned the clock back offensively as of late. But they need more, and the last six contests before the Olympic pause are absolutely critical, starting with a three-game road trip that passes through Boston on Tuesday, New Jersey on Thursday and Long Island on Saturday.

25. Seattle Kraken (-1)

The wheels are starting to fall off for the Kraken, who have followed up eight wins in nine tries by losing seven of 10 directly afterwards. Just as Joey Daccord and Phil Grubauer once brought this team to the precipice of the playoffs, so the two netminders now sink them with inconsistent play. Despite the skid, Seattle has banked enough points to remain right in the thick of the race, and only a point separates them from a wildcard berth in the West. After getting back on track to the tune of a 4-2 victory over the Devils on Sunday, the Kraken will look to string a few wins together, starting with a matchup against the visiting Capitals on Tuesday night.

26. Los Angeles Kings (+1)

The Kings are an extremely difficult team to rank in the NHL Power Rankings on a week to week basis. There are few squads in the NHL that go past regulation more than Los Angeles, and that trend has continued into the New Year. In their last 11, Jim Hiller's team has needed overtime or a shootout a ridiculous seven times — and four of those ended in losses. Darcy Kuemper is back to full health after suffering an injury scare against the Rangers , and they're badly going to need him to be effective down the stretch. Now on the outside looking in at a playoff spot in the Western Conference, every single point down the stretch is going to be critical. It'll be interesting to see if the front office adds another scoring forward to a roster that is being hindered by a glaring lack of goals in 2025-26.

27. Calgary Flames (-4)

Losing Rasmus Andersson was a huge blow for the Flames , and it can't have been easy for tenured players on the team watching such a key piece get traded — regardless of the constant rumors following him since the offseason. There realistically was a path to him re-signing, but considering the struggles of the franchise over the last few years, moving on was probably the right move. Still, Calgary has lost four in a row since shipping out the Swedish defenseman, and that tells you all you need to know about how important he was. The Flames have valiantly hung around a playoff spot all year long, but with Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri potentially also on the move before the deadline, they're going to have a hard time keeping up over their last 30 games.

28. Chicago Blackhawks (no change)

It's not at all surprising that the Blackhawks struggled without Connor Bedard in the lineup, but the fact that those issues persist with No. 98 back in the fold is seriously concerning. Chicago earned a huge win against Winnipeg in Jonathan Toews' return — more on that in a second — but it's one of only two the team has won over its last seven games. The Hawks continue to fall on hard times, and they've again dropped below .500 at 21-23-8. A playoff berth is still a possibility, but the on-ice product needs to improve immediately, and the skid needs to end before the Olympic break. Bedard — who has managed just four points in eight games since his return — will be the catalyst in righting the ship down the stretch.

29. Winnipeg Jets (+1)

Jonathan Toews made his return to the Windy City last week , and the fans in attendance at the United Center could not stop applauding. It was a touching and well-deserved tribute for a player who gave everything to the city of Chicago — and helped win three Stanley Cups that will live forever in franchise lore. It was a great night for Toews, but unfortunately, they've been far and few between for the Jets overall, who continue to struggle mightily in 2025-26. Winnipeg has lost four of five, including a 2-0 defeat against those Blackhawks. It looked like Scott Arniel's team was turning things around after opening up a four game-winning streak from Jan. 9-15, but it's back to mediocrity for the roster since. Now eight points out of a wildcard berth, it's going to take an incredible surge to get the reigning President's Trophy winners back in the dance.

30. St. Louis Blues (-1)

If Blues general manager Doug Armstrong hadn't yet decided to sell, the last couple of weeks probably made that decision quite a bit easier. St. Louis has lost four in a row and seven of nine since Jan. 7, falling to last place in the Central Division and now ahead of only the Canucks in the Western Conference. A full eight points out of a playoff spot and with too many teams to leapfrog, we are getting pretty close to curtains on the postseason hopes. There have been some rumblings that Robert Thomas could get traded, and that would be wild considering he's led the team in scoring for three straight years. It's hard to see him getting moved, but there will probably be a few other veterans getting shipped out of Missouri over the next month and a half.

31. New York Rangers (no change)

Chris Drury waving the white flag on the season earlier this month looks to have completely sapped whatever motivation the Rangers had left. It wasn't so long ago that New York advanced to two Eastern Conference Finals in three seasons, but today's roster looks nothing like those teams. The Blueshirts have lost three in a row, eight of nine and 11 of 13 to fall deeply into the basement of the East, and they're trending toward a second straight missed postseason on the heels of those electric runs. It's going to be very interesting to see where Artemi Panarin ends up, and it'll be just as interesting to see if a couple other veterans get a change of scenery between now and March 6. Either way, a nightmare campaign in the Big Apple that cannot end soon enough.

32. Vancouver Canucks (no change)

We thought the Canucks might never win again after they dropped an 11th consecutive contest on Monday night against the visiting Islanders. But Vancouver showed some resilience, beating Washington two days later to end the long skid. Unfortunately, it was followed up by back-to-back regulation losses, although the fanbase and management alike don't mind at all at this point. The Canucks are locked in on getting a top draft selection in June, and it's no surprise that starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is not being rushed back. There's really nothing at all positive to say about this franchise right now, and we're all just waiting for the next player to be shipped out of British Columbia.

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