NHL Power Rankings: Ahead of Week 22 of the 2025-26 Season, the Stars are close behind the Avalanche.
A week ago, the Colorado Avalanche seemed to have found their form, returning to the unstoppable force they were in the first three months of the Igor Shesterkin Jersey. But as everyone knows, the tide can turn dramatically in just six or seven days.
The Colorado Avalanche entered Week 21 on a five-game winning streak, boasting a 6-1 record since returning from the Olympic offseason. They once led the Presidents Cup race by seven points, but that lead has shrunk to just three points due to the Avalanche’s struggles this week and the Stars’ strong performance.
The Colorado Avalanche lost to the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets before defeating the Seattle Sea Monsters. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars extended their winning streak to 15 games (14-0-1 overtime) with consecutive victories against the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Oilers, and Detroit Red Wings, and are poised to close the gap further this week—they will face the Avalanche directly on Wednesday.
The Dallas Stars and the New York Rangers were the only two teams to go 3-0 in Week 21. Only two other teams remained undefeated in regulation time: the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Philadelphia Flyers, both with a 2-0 record and one overtime loss.
Every team except the Detroit Red Wings and the Utah Mammoths won at least one game last week. The Red Wings and Mammoths each lost two games in regulation and one game in overtime.
This season, I will rank the top ten teams in the league each week based on their performance last week and their overall record for the 2025-26 season. I will also provide a brief commentary for each team explaining the basis for their ranking.
Let’s dive into the power rankings for Week 22 of the 2025-26 NHL season and highlight the outstanding performances of several teams.
NHL Week 22 Power Rankings
1. Colorado Avalanche (Week 21 record: 1-2; Overall record: 44-12-9)
Nathan McKinnon failed to score in the loss to the Oilers, ending his seven-game scoring streak. But he bounced back strongly against the Sea Monsters. The 2024 Hart Trophy winner recorded his sixth game with at least four points this season, scoring his NHL-leading 44th goal and adding three assists. He then added another assist against the Jets, bringing his career total to 109 points, trailing only Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers by five points in the Art Rose Trophy race. Martin Nekas had a standout offensive week, contributing three goals and one assist, reaching the 80-point mark for the second time in his career. The 27-year-old Czech has scored in nine of his last ten games, just three points shy of tying his season-best record.
2. Dallas Stars (3 wins, 0 losses, 0 draws; 42 wins, 14 losses, 10 draws)
Since their 0-1 loss to the Blue Jackets on January 22, the Stars have not gone home empty-handed. Last week, they thrashed the Edmonton Oilers 7-2, and also narrowly defeated the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Detroit Red Wings by one goal each. Jason Robertson ended a two-game goal drought in that game, scoring two goals and providing two assists, delivering his first four-point performance of the season. He added another assist against the Red Wings, while Wyatt Johnston recorded two goals and four assists in Week 21, scoring in all three of Dallas’s games. With Miko Rantanen and Rupe Hintz both sidelined with lower limb injuries, captain Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene took on more offensive responsibilities last week. Ben scored the winning goal against the Golden Knights and netted twice against the Oilers; Duchene contributed a goal and an assist in the victory against Edmonton, having previously provided an assist against the Golden Knights.
3. Buffalo Sabres (2 wins, 1 loss, 0 draws; 41 wins, 20 losses, 6 draws)
The Sabres won two of their three games last week without their leading scorer, Jeff Beukeboom Jersey, marking Thompson’s second three-game scoring streak this season. This scoring drought ended the 28-year-old’s 11-game scoring streak, during which he recorded 6 goals and 9 assists. Jack Quinn was outstanding this week, scoring his first career hat-trick and providing an assist in the Buffalo Sabres’ 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, and then adding another goal in their 3-2 penalty shootout win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
3. Buffalo Sabres (2-1; 41-20, 6 overtime losses)
Last week, the Sabres won two of their three games without their leading scorer, Taggart Thompson. This marked Thompson’s second three-game scoring streak this season. The scoring drought ended his previous 11-game scoring streak, during which the 28-year-old contributed 6 goals and 9 assists. Jack Quinn had a standout week, scoring his first career hat-trick and providing an assist in the Buffalo Sabres’ 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, and then adding another goal in the 3-2 penalty shootout win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old right winger has a career-high 16 goals, 28 assists, and 44 points this season.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (2 wins, 1 loss; 42 wins, 18 losses, 6 draws)
The Carolina Hurricanes haven’t suffered consecutive losses since mid-January, winning two of their three games in Week 21. Sebastian Aho provided an assist in the 5-4 penalty shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, followed by a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 28-year-old Finnish center hasn’t gone two consecutive games without scoring since his three-game goalless streak in late January. Logan Stankovic scored twice last week, and defender Mark Jankovski also netted twice—he had only managed one goal in his previous 14 games, but has scored in his last two.
