In the first few editions of the 2024-25 NHL Power Rankings, I have highlighted some of the top performers in the early going. Now, it’s time to take a look at the Nashville Predators, quite possibly the biggest disappointment in the league to this point.
Over the summer, Predators general manager Barry Trotz made big splashes on the first day of free agency. He spent in excess of $100 million to bring in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. Those high-profile acquisitions have led to a 5-9-2 record and a seat next to the Montreal Canadiens at the bottom of the NHL standings.
The results are concerning, but so is the process. Nashville has taken a notable step back at five-on-five, despite upgrading the roster on paper. The Predators have a league-worst minus-22 goal differential in those situations, and while some of that is poor puck luck, they’re also below water in the expected goals battle.
With 66 games remaining, there is still time for Nashville to turn things around, but the hole is only getting deeper. With teams like the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets off to red-hot starts, that only makes a surge up the standings even more difficult.
With the Preds plummeting, here are the updated NHL Power Rankings.
All expected goals and goals saved above average data courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
1 |
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Just when you think Connor Hellebuyck has reached the height of his powers, he keeps ascending. Through 12 games this season, Hellebuyck leads the NHL with 12.6 goals saved above average, and his .934 save percentage is first among regular starters. Winnipeg’s underlying numbers haven’t been as strong as its record, but that doesn’t matter when Hellebuyck is playing like this. | — | 15-1-0 |
2 |
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The defensive pairing of Jalen Chatfield and Dmitry Orlov has seen a more prominent role this season, and those two are crushing their minutes. With those two on the ice at five-on-five, the Hurricanes have a plus-9 goal differential and a 58.4% expected goals share. Chatfield and Orlov are a huge reason Carolina looks like one of the NHL’s best teams this season. | 1 | 11-3-0 |
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The Panthers have won seven straight games, they looked poised for another deep playoff run, and yet Carter Verhaeghe has yet to really get going. Verhaeghe has just four goals through 16 games, and he’s shooting 6.3%. Verhaeghe’s career average is 14.4%, so I would assume a barrage of goals is on the way. When that happens, Florida will only be even more dominant. | 2 | 11-4-1 |
4 |
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Marco Rossi, the No. 9 overall pick in 2020, is starting to look like another young star in Minnesota. Rossi has been given the keys to the No. 1 center role, playing between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. That’s a sink-or-swim position, and Rossi has been Michael Phelps. The 23-year-old has four goals and nine assists, and his five-on-five impacts have been strong. | — | 10-2-3 |
5 |
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Dylan Strome is now up to 18 assists on the season, and 10 of those have come on each one of Alex Ovechkin’s goals. Strome and Ovechkin formed a decent chemistry throughout the 2023-24 season, but it has hit another level now. If Strome keeps dishing the puck like this, the Capitals will keep winning, and Ovi will close in on history sooner rather than later. | 2 | 10-4-0 |
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In a bit of a statistical anomaly, Adam Fox has 12 assists and zero goals on the season. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Chris Kreider has eight goals and zero assists. I’ll be rooting for both of them to keep this routine up for the entire season. | 4 | 9-4-1 |
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Vegas is off to a strong start this season, but it should be noted that it is running hot as far as its five-on-five numbers are concerned. The Golden Knights have scored 44 goals on 30.5 expected goals, and their 12.0% shooting percentage ranks second in the league. Vegas has the talent to overperform expected goals, but doing it to this degree all year will be tough. | 1 | 9-4-2 |
8 |
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The tandem of Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment is once again cooking for Dallas. Those two have combined for 11 goals and 20 assists, and the Stars own 56.8% of the five-on-five expected goals with them on the ice together. The fact that Duchene and Marchment cost a combined $7.5 million per season is a heck of a bargain for Dallas. | — | 9-5-0 |
9 |
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Alex Laferriere now leads the Kings in goals with nine in 17 games, and the former third-round pick has taken a clear step forward in his second NHL season. While I doubt Laferrirer continued to score at a 41-goal pace, he has given Los Angeles some nice secondary scoring behind the likes of Kevin Fiala, Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. | 1 | 9-5-3 |
10 |
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One of the key players in Vancouver’s surprising success last season was Nils Hoglander. He contributed 24 goals and 36 points while playing in a bottom-six role, but he has just two goals in 14 games so far this year. The Canucks have missed some of that depth scoring, but at least Hoglander is still a menace to play against in the defensive zone. If the offense returns, Hoglander will be an outstanding two-way player. | 1 | 8-3-3 |
11 |
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The Devils’ big offseason acquisition was Jacob Markstrom, who was supposed to solidify the team’s glaring weakness in the crease. So far, Markstrom has been … decent. He ranks 18th in goals saved above average (2.88) and 25th in save percentage (.908). Those are far from elite numbers, but the Devils don’t need elite goaltending. They just need competent goaltending, and that’s what Markstrom has provided. | — | 11-6-2 |
12 |
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Mitch Marner had been rolling with at least a point in eight straight games until Toronto’s loss to the Senators last night. In his last nine games, Marner has three goals and 10 assists. After a bit of an uneven start to the season under first-year coach Craig Berube, Marner has found a rhythm and now leads the Maple Leafs in points with 20. | — | 9-6-2 |
13 |
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With Nathan MacKinnon on the ice at five-on-five, the Avalanche have a plus-2 goal differential and a 57.3% expected goals share. Without him, Colorado has a minus-11 goal differential and a 48.3% expected goals share. That’s been the story of the Avs’ season thus far. | 2 | 8-8-0 |
14 |
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Zach Hyman has started to shake off his slow start, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is still stuck in the mud. A 100-point scorer just two seasons ago, Nugent-Hopkins has one goal and six assists in 16 games. There’s no question some of that is luck. His 3.6% shooting percentage is 8.3% below his average, and Nugent-Hopkins is fifth on the team with 4.04 expected goals. | — | 8-7-1 |
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The Lightning have yet to win a game in the month of November, and the top-heavy nature of their lineup is becoming clearer. Few teams around the league have a foursome that matches Kucherov, Point, Guentzel and Hagel. However, beyond those stars, Tampa has yet to get consistent secondary scoring. That might be a challenge for this team all year. | 2 | 7-6-1 |
16 |
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Jake Sanderson figures to be a key part of the Senators’ blue line well into the future, but he has played poorly this season. Sanderson has a goal and eight assists this season, but Ottawa has been losing his five-on-five minutes. Sanderson has a minus-6 goal differential in those situations, and that can’t happen for a top-four defenseman. | — | 8-7-0 |
17 |
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The list of struggling Bruins is long, but Charlie Coyle is having a particularly rough time this year, on the scoresheet and under the hood. Coyle’s three points are tied for 14th on the team, but he also owns a minus-5 goal differential and a 41.6% expected goals share at five-on-five. Is this just a rough patch, or has Coyle hit a sharp decline? | 3 | 8-7-2 |
18 |
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As the Flames continue their backward slide, I’ll be interested to see what happens with Andrei Kuzmenko. The winger is in the final year of his contract, and he could be a solid middle-six addition on a contender. Kuzmenko has just one goal so far this season, but he has proven his ability to shoot the puck with 61 goals in his first two NHL seasons. | 1 | 6-7-1 |
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Lucas Raymond is in the first year of a contract that pays him just over $8 million per season, and the weight of that paycheck might be impacting him so far. Raymond has one goal and 12 assists in 13 games, but he has just four assists at five-on-five. Raymond will eventually break through in the scoring department, but his all-around game must improve for Detroit to take another step forward. | 2 | 8-6-3 |
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If there is one player Utah needs to get going, it’s veteran winger Lawson Crouse. He has reached the 20-goal mark in each of the last three seasons, but he’s currently on pace for just 16 this season, and to make matters worse, he’s logged just one assist. Utah has had trouble lighting the lamp of late, and Crouse is capable of providing more offense for this team. | 2 | 6-6-3 |
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Noah Dobson emerged as a Norris Trophy candidate last season when he put up 70 points in 80 games while also positing great defensive metrics. Well, those positive defensive impacts remain, but the offense has lagged behind in 2024-25. Dobson has just six points (all assists) in the Isles’ first 16 games. With the Isles in an offensive black hole, Dobson has been unable to drive offense from the back end. | 4 | 6-6-4 |
22 |
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The Blues continue to start Jordan Binnington twice as much as Joel Hofer, and frankly, it should be the other way around. Hofer hasn’t been a world-beater, but Binnington has been awful this season. Binnington’s 4.31 goals allowed above expected rank 63rd, and his .887 save percentage isn’t much better at 50th. | 1 | 7-9-0 |
23 |
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Tage Thompson has officially switched back into mutant mode. Thompson has scored in four straight games, and Buffalo is punishing teams with him on the ice at five-on-five. Between his 11 goals and plus-9 goal differential at five-on-five, Thompson is looking a lot more like the superstar we saw in 2022-23. | 4 | 7-8-1 |
24 |
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There’s no question Ryker Evans has some special talent, but he hasn’t even been able to tread water this season. The 22-year-old defenseman has been getting eaten alive in his five-on-five minutes this season, posting a 41.3% expected goals share at five-on-five. Evans’ underlying numbers are saved somewhat by his plus-2 goal differential, but that seems like a bit of a mirage. | — | 7-8-1 |
25 |
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Stud rookie Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch for two games last week. John Torotorella was trying to send a message, and it seems like that message was received. In his first game back, Michkov notched a goal and an assist. Tortorella has a reputation for being hard on young players, but he usually knows which buttons to push. | 6 | 6-8-2 |
26 |
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The Penguins gave up a six pack in the first period of their 7-1 loss to the Stars on Monday night, and there are already rumblings of a shake-up. That’s not necessarily surprising, but it will be fascinating to see how far GM Kyle Dubas is willing to go. Would Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang be available? If so, what does that mean for Sidney Crosby’s future? | 4 | 6-9-2 |
27 |
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The Predators have the No. 11 power play and the No. 1 penalty kill in the NHL. The problem is that their five-on-five game has been a mess. Nashville has a minus-22 goal differential in those situations, and that is the worst mark in the league. If there is reason for hope, it’s that their expected goal differential is minus-1.35. Still not good, but far from disastrous. | 4 | 5-9-2 |
28 |
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To this point in their rebuild, the Ducks have been unable to translate a high-end prospect pool into wins at the NHL level. One of the more disappointing players this season has been Mason McTavish, who has two goals and six assists while getting out-shot and out-chanced at an alarming clip. | 1 | 5-7-2 |
29 |
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The Blackhawks are really only fun to watch when Connor Bedard is making chicken salad out of … you know the rest. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been happening enough lately. Bedard hasn’t scored in his last even games and has just four assists in that span. | 1 | 6-9-1 |
30 |
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Adam Fantilli’s second NHL season has been an uphill battle. The 20-year-old center has looked a little overmatched at times in recent games. Fantilli has two assists in his last seven games, and he has a five-on-five expected goals share is an abysmal 38.0%, which is even poor relative to his Columbus teammates. | 4 | 5-8-2 |
31 |
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Shoutout to Mackenzie Blackwood, who does more with less between the pipes. His 2.76 goals saved above average ranks 19th in the NHL, and he just pulled out a 44-save shutout against his former team, the high-flying Devils. | 1 | 5-9-3 |
32 |
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In a scoring slump? Hopefully the Canadiens are on your upcoming schedule. In 16 games, Montreal has allowed five or more goals seven times. It has allowed at least four goals nine times. This team is an unmitigated disaster on defense and in goal. | 2 | 5-9-2 |
The NHL season is well underway and as teams continue to battle it out on the ice, some surprising trends are starting to emerge. One of the most notable developments in the early part of the season is the decline of the Nashville Predators in the power rankings.
The Predators, who were once considered a powerhouse in the league, have struggled to find their footing this season. With a string of losses piling up, they have dropped significantly in the power rankings and are now sitting near the bottom of the standings.
On the flip side, two teams that have been turning heads are the Minnesota Wild and the Winnipeg Jets. Both teams have started the season strong, racking up wins and climbing up the power rankings. The Wild, in particular, have been impressive with their strong defensive play and solid goaltending.
The Jets, on the other hand, have been lighting up the scoreboard with their high-powered offense led by star players like Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Their fast-paced style of play has made them a force to be reckoned with in the early part of the season.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if the Predators can turn things around and climb back up the power rankings. Meanwhile, the Wild and Jets will look to maintain their strong start and continue to make a push towards the top of the standings.
Overall, the NHL season is shaping up to be an exciting one with plenty of surprises and standout performances from teams across the league. Fans can expect plenty of thrilling matchups and intense competition as the race for the playoffs heats up.
