NHL Power Rankings: Previewing the playoffs with a playoff team draft

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After a long time spent apart, the Rankings Boys are back. How did we celebrate the occasion? With a playoff team draft, of course.

With the 16-team field likely set (barring an epic collapse) and a pile of work ahead of us next week to prepare, we decided to do our playoff preview ranking a week early. And we did that by doing a draft of the 16 playoff teams.

The scoring system: one point for a first round win, two for a second, three for a third, and four for winning it all. The prize? Bragging rights and exactly one beer.

Dom and Sean took turns drafting one team apiece and used that as the rankings framework for the week. The person who drafted the team then had to say why that team would win it all this year with the other offering a rebuttal.

And here are the teams:

Dom: Panthers, Jets, Oilers, Avalanche, Leafs, Kings, Wild, Canadiens

Sean: Stars, Golden Knights, Capitals, Hurricanes, Lightning, Blues, Senators, Devils

Let us know in the comments which side you think will win the first ever Rankings Playoff Draft.

1. Florida Panthers, 46-29-4

Last week: 4
Drafted by Dom

“Boring but correct.”

Why they’ll win: The defending champs are still the league’s most feared team — even if they’ve limped to the playoffs over the last few weeks. Sure they have a gantlet ahead of them, but this team is absolutely stacked from top to bottom and will have a healthy Matthew Tkachuk ready to roll for Game 1. No team has a better combination of star power and depth, or offense and defense. They’re the Cup favorites for good reason and a relatively easy first choice.

Why they won’t: They’re on track to have a brutal first-round matchup (hello, Battle of Florida) and the blue line is still kind of a mess; Aaron Ekblad’s suspension lasts until Game 3, and Dmitry Kulikov is hurt. The result, for now, is that Niko Mikkola is playing top-pair minutes. Not ideal.

2. Dallas Stars, 50-23-6

Last week: 2
Drafted by Sean

“This team kinda stinks without Heiskanen.”

Why they’ll win: They’re a bit of a mess without Miro Heiskanen. No way around that. They’ve been demolished at five-on-five for the last six weeks, and they made a nasty bit of history on Tuesday. Still, Heiskanen is on track to play in the first round. If that happens, everything falls into place. They have too much talent up front and in net to fall all that far, even though this feels like a reach.

Why they won’t: No Heiskanen is reason enough. If the Stars were playing the Blues or Wild in the first round, it would be easier to give them a pass. Against the Avalanche, though? Good luck. They’re going to have Cody Ceci lining up against Nathan MacKinnon. That’s … a sizeable downgrade from the guy they had doing that last year in Chris Tanev. The lack of defensive depth will be Dallas’ demise.

3. Winnipeg Jets, 54-21-4

Last week: 1
Drafted by Dom

“The underrated Winnipeg Jets, this feels like their year to actually do something.”

“Yeah their five-on-five scoring definitely won’t dry up when it matters, no way.”

Why they’ll win: Everything feels to be lining up for the Jets this season. A likely division win means they’ll avoid Colorado in Round 1 (and maybe get a worn out version in Round 2). Connor Hellebuyck is at the top of his game and the other stars are shining bright. Plus, the Jets are as deep as usual. It feels like the likely Presidents’ Trophy champions aren’t getting the respect they deserve right now.

Why they won’t: Since the 4 Nations break, Winnipeg is 22nd in the league at five-on-five in goals/60 and 19th in shots/60. That’s not awful, but it’s certainly not great — and maybe a bit ominous, given how things have gone for them in the recent past.

4. Vegas Golden Knights, 48-22-9

Last week: 6
Drafted by Sean

“I almost took them at No. 2.”

Why they’ll win: They’re a territorially dominant team with a ton of defensive skill (behind only the Kings in five-on-five goals against/60 since March), and they’ve got a track record of playoff success. They’re also going to avoid the Colorados, Dallases and Edmontons of the world in the first round.

Why they won’t: I have a hard time thinking of reasons not to like Vegas aside from, “I like a different team a little more.” The Golden Knights feel like a jack-of-all-trades team, but I’m not sure they have a truly overwhelming player. Their best at any position or role is matched fairly well by other powers in the West. Vegas may have no weak links, but the team’s strong links are a little weaker than others. Not by a lot, but perhaps by enough.

5. Edmonton Oilers, 45-28-5

Last week: 10
Drafted by Dom

“I’m a bit worried about the ol’ gambler’s fallacy. The Oilers usually have 3-to-1 odds of beating the Kings. What if this is ‘the one’ where they finally lose?”

Why they’ll win: They have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They have one of the deepest defense corps in the league. Those factors are more than good enough to carry an otherwise lacklustre team. I’ll gladly bet on two of the league’s absolute best players to do what they do best and win a few playoff series on their own.

Why they won’t: Stuart Skinner’s save percentage starts with “8,” and they’ve lost more games than they’ve won since Feb. 1. I’m not sure they are what we want them to be.

6. Washington Capitals, 50-19-9

Last week: 3
Drafted by Sean

“This one definitely feels like a ‘please don’t yell at us’ pick for the fans in D.C.”

“Little worried about Thompson and Protas being hurt, too.”

Why they’ll win: Points carry over to the postseason, right? I regretted this one almost immediately. But here goes: I think Spencer Carbery is a truly elite coach. I think they’re going to get a favorable draw in Round 1 — no offense to whichever young Atlantic Division team it turns out to be. I love them for storyline purposes. And I’ve been wrong about them before.

Why they won’t: The power of friendship can only take a team so far. This has been a magical season for the Capitals in which everything has gone right, but the clock has to strike midnight at some point. This team shot under nine percent for three straight seasons at five-on-five and is suddenly at 11 percent this year? Not buying it. That’s the highest ever mark in the analytics era. The Capitals are giving off 2023 Kraken vibes. Washington may win a round. Maybe even two. But against the league’s truly elite, it’s hard to see them stacking up.

7. Colorado Avalanche, 48-28-4

Last week: 7
Drafted by Dom

“I’m all-in on the Landeskog factor.”

“Just imagine him on the fourth line at the very least. How do you compete with that?”

Why they’ll win: The vibes from a Gabriel Landeskog return might have enough juice on their own. Beyond that, the Avalanche have two of the best players in the world, improved depth, and an excellent goalie between the pipes. They’ve also been throttling good teams down the stretch. They made the Golden Knights look like the Sharks earlier this week, dominating play from start to finish.

Why they won’t: They’re banged up beyond whatever happens with Landeskog, and the first-round matchup — even if they win it — is going to be brutal.

8. Carolina Hurricanes, 46-27-5

Last week: 5
Drafted by Sean

“Might have the easiest path to a conference final.”

Why they’ll win: They’re going to get a weakened version of the Devils in the first round, then potentially a weakened version of the Caps in the second, and they’re still doing Hurricanes stuff; they’ve got four really effective lines and a deep group of defensemen who give them exactly what they need. I’m just going to pretend I picked them at No. 2 and the Caps down here. Problem solved.

Why they won’t: Same reason as always: a lack of oomph. That was the main reason to love the initial Mikko Rantanen deal, and while they made out fine pivoting when it didn’t work, the resulting roster without him (or Martin Necas) lacks game-breakers. That’s especially true given Andrei Svechnikov’s struggles this season, scoring 19 goals and 46 points in 68 games. Maybe they’ll Corsi their way to a Cup, but this roster just doesn’t look like it has the offensive juice.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs, 48-26-4

Last week: 8
Drafted by Dom

“Great value, I might’ve taken them at 10.”

“I was wondering how long I could push the Leafs down before you felt like you had to take them.”

Why they’ll win: The Core Four still rules and Matthew Knies has been an animal lately. The top four on defense looks stronger than ever, the goaltending is a genuine source of strength, and they have the inside track to winning the Atlantic, guaranteeing a non-Florida team in the first round. Sure, they’ve looked off at times this season, but Berube-hockey has them looking better prepared for the playoff grind. Maybe this time really is different!

Why they won’t: Because they’re the Leafs. Also, both goalies have spotty injury histories.

10. Tampa Bay Lightning, 45-26-7

Last week: 9
Drafted by Sean

“I was going to take them at No. 8, but felt safe that the Leafs would be gone at No. 9 and the Lightning would still be there.”

Why they’ll win: High-end talent, baby. Also, Andrei Vasilevskiy leads starters in save percentage since the 4 Nations break (.930) and is third in goals saved above expected. Nobody should feel comfortable picking against the Lightning if he’s playing that way.

Why they won’t: There’s a reason we both waited so long to grab the Lightning despite them being arguably a top-five team. A first-round date with the Panthers is a brutal draw. If that’s the general consensus top team, that’s a tough way to start the playoffs. Even if they win, surviving without a few battle scars that will affect them down the road feels impossible. Beyond that, the Leafs have kind of owned them this season, winning all four games.

The Lightning look scary good and have all the pieces to win it all, but the Atlantic pecking order makes things really tough to start.

11. Los Angeles Kings, 45-24-9

Last week: 11
Drafted by Dom

“This is the last good team.”

Why they’ll win: The Kings are arguably the league’s top defensive team and look like a force with Darcy Kuemper at the top of his game. They’ll be extremely hard to score against. They also look a lot closer to the Oilers than usual — enough to believe this might finally be the year they get past their bitter first-round rival. If defense wins championships, the Kings are well positioned this year.

Why they won’t: Good as they are, they’re still just too short on offense to make it through the Western Conference. At some point, whether it’s against McDavid or MacKinnon or Eichel or Barkov, they’re going to need a star to drag them to a few wins. Love the roster, but there, it’s lacking.

12. St. Louis Blues, 43-30-7

Last week: 16
Drafted by Sean

“Hopefully Holloway is ready for the playoffs. Otherwise …”

Why they’ll win: They may well start the postseason after playing to a 130-point pace for two full months. Why should we assume that’ll immediately change? Also, Robert Thomas has led the league in points since the 4 Nations break.

Why they won’t: Dylan Holloway has become a huge part of St. Louis’ core and the early signs of his injury being a long one aren’t ideal. That genuinely might be enough to sour St. Louis’ chances of going deep. A lot depends on which bracket they’ll draw into, but as nice as their run since the 4 Nations break has been, they’ll be an underdog to either Winnipeg or Vegas. They’re legit, but that’s a tough place to start without one of your better forwards.

13. Minnesota Wild, 43-29-7

Last week: 14
Drafted by Dom

“Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are back and they dropped eight. Maybe they’re not that bad!”

“Shocker.”

Why they’ll win: When healthy, the Wild were a juggernaut early in the season. Now that Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are back, the Wild feel like a dark horse team that might be able to pull off a surprise upset. They’ve got more offensive firepower than past teams while continuing to be defensively sound. Filip Gustavsson has the chops to steal a series, too. They may be a level below the league’s contending class, but when they’re on their games, they can be a force.

Why they won’t: It’s unfair and unrealistic to expect Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek to immediately turn them back into a high-end contender. They were one of the very worst offensive teams in the league without them.

14. Ottawa Senators, 42-30-6

Last week: 12
Drafted by Sean

“Great value for when they beat the Leafs in the first round.”

Why they’ll win: Because they’re playing the Leafs.

Why they won’t: Ottawa’s top end does not compare favorably to the other beasts of the Atlantic and that’s the crux of the issue at hand. Where does Tim Stützle rank next to Auston Matthews, Aleksander Barkov and Brayden Point? Where does Brady Tkachuk rank next to Mitch Marner, Matthew Tkachuk and Nikita Kucherov? In both cases, it’s at the bottom. Ottawa has some decent depth, but the team’s stars don’t look Cup calibre. Not yet anyways.

15. Montreal Canadiens, 39-30-9

Last week: 17
Drafted by Dom

“The X-Factors for a repeat of 2010 against Washington are lining up: eighth seed against one of the top teams, underrated goalie who can steal a series, electrifying rookie debuting for the playoffs, Ovechkin led by a great bald coach. It’s destiny.”

Why they’ll win: Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson and Sam Montembeault have legitimately been among the best players at their respective positions since the 4 Nations break. That could offer some serious star-power in a series, enough to get by with a little luck on their side. The Canadiens have a history of going deep when they have no business doing so throughout the salary cap era. This team looks cut from the same cloth.

Why they won’t: They have the worst goal differential of any playoff team and are still a complete mess defensively. The Canadiens were a team many expected would be below .500 this season and that version of the team still comes out from time to time, especially when the team’s stars are off the ice. Montreal’s depth will likely get crushed when the games matter.

16. New Jersey Devils, 41-30-7

Last week: 13
Drafted by Sean

“Maybe Jack Hughes will come back early.”

Why they’ll win: Jacob Markstrom is capable of stealing a series — it’s why the Devils went out and got him in the first place. Also, they’ve gone 8-6-1 since Hughes’ season ended. Too many people, present company included, have already written them off.

Why they won’t: Maybe they could with Hughes and they certainly looked that way to start the season. But without him, the rest of the lineup just doesn’t fall into place the way you’d like it to. The team’s depth was already a sore spot and looks like an absolute mess with everyone moving up the lineup in Hughes’ absence. The Devils are simply spread too thin.

17. Vancouver Canucks, 37-29-13

Last week: 15

Disappointing is an understatement. Regression was fair to expect, but man did the Canucks just look offensively pathetic most of the year. It’s not even that they weren’t scoring at last year’s rate; it’s that they weren’t the team that drove play to close the year either. A season from hell.

18. Calgary Flames, 37-27-14

Last week: 19

Dustin Wolf has wobbled a bit down the stretch, but he still deserves the lion’s share of credit for Calgary staying in the race so long. Only six goalies in the league have saved more goals above expected. Put him on your Calder ballots.

19. Columbus Blue Jackets, 36-33-9

Last week: 16

The Blue Jackets were an absolute treat this season, a pleasure to watch nightly with their electric offense. They’ll be back in the mix next season and beyond.

20. Detroit Red Wings, 36-35-7

Last week: 21

They just got passed by two other young(ish) Atlantic Division teams. Can’t imagine that feels great.

21. Utah HC, 36-30-13

Last week: 18

Utah came shockingly close to a playoff spot, but a final push was too little too late. Is next year the year? Maybe. But they’ll need better health than they got this season. Early injuries to John Marino and Sean Durzi did a lot of damage.

22. Anaheim Ducks, 35-36-8

Last week: 28

Don’t be shocked to see the Ducks this high; they’re 17-12-2 since the 4 Nations break, and in that span Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish both have more points than Connor McDavid. Next season, you should take them seriously.

23. Buffalo Sabres, 35-37-6

Last week: 30

The Sabres are ending the season on a high, winning 10 of their last 14 games — enough to get right back toward a .500 season. This team is better than its record, but it would be nice if the Sabres actually had some tangible success to show for it.

Bold proclamation: next year is the year they finally get it.

24. New York Rangers, 37-35-7

Last week: 17

Add this bit to the list of reasons to hate what’s gone on with the Rangers.

The only good thing the Rangers did this season was gut the roster in order to open up cap space to overhaul the team for next season.

One small problem. They’ve already spent it all. pic.twitter.com/Fc08L34ALw

— Adam Herman (@AdamZHerman) April 10, 2025

25. New York Islanders, 34-33-11

Last week: 28

Are the Islanders a playoff team with a healthy Mathew Barzal? Probably not, but they’d be a whole lot closer than they are now. Barzal missing 52 games was a heartbreaker. Even if his production wasn’t up to his usual standards, his puck possession dominance suggested he was ready to turn it on in a big way. A real shame we have to wait until next season for that.

26. Philadelphia Flyers, 32-37-9

Last week: 25

Not to downplay the rest of the Flyers’ issues, but their goaltending this season never gave them a chance. Philadelphia has the worst team save percentage in the league (.871) and allowed nearly 0.6 goals above expected per game.

27. Pittsburgh Penguins, 32-35-12

Last week: 27

Sidney Crosby is 37 years old and scored at a 93-point pace this season. It’s his seventh straight season scoring above a 90-point pace. That’s legendary. If not for a dip in league-wide goals between 2014 and 2017, Crosby’s point-per-game record could’ve been an even more absurd 90-point pace record.

28. Seattle Kraken. 34-40-6

Last week: 29

Matty Beniers deserves credit for his defensive work, but it’s Year 3 and he’s producing points at the same rate as Jordan Martinook. Some concern there is warranted; if he’s not a high-end piece, Seattle’s long-term plan doesn’t work.

29. Nashville Predators, 29-42-8

Last week: 26

What a disaster. Shoutout to Steven Stamkos for a four-point night earlier this week. That slightly salvaged his stat line for the year, though 52 points while being a huge negative defensively obviously doesn’t come close to being worth $8 million. The Predators need a huge bounce-back from him next season.

30. Boston Bruins, 32-39-9

Last week: 24

We’ll focus on two positives: the season is almost over, and the Bruins only have 11 players under contract for 2025-26.

31. Chicago Blackhawks, 23-46-10

Last week: 31

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Blackhawks this year — and they still weren’t the league’s worst team. Impressive feat.

32. San Jose Sharks, 20-47-11

Last week: 32

The Sharks had a stretch in March in which they won five of 10. Since that, the tank has gotten back on track. A hat trick in a loss for Macklin Celebrini, which we saw against Minnesota on Wednesday, is their ideal outcome.

(Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)

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