NHL 2024-25 Power Rankings: Week 23

It’s a rare occasion for the head coach of a professional sports team to be fired with less than a month left in the regular season, as this kind of housecleaning normally takes place after the season ends. This week, however, we saw the Philadelphia Flyers dismiss head coach John Tortorella from his duties. This firing happened due to a few reasons, as Tortorella had a very poor press conference where he said he wasn’t “really interested in learning how to coach this kind of season” and he also got into an altercation with defenseman Cam York where both parties allegedly crossed a line as well. Needless to say, the time for change was upon the Flyers, no matter how many games remained.

This leaves Philadelphia in a very odd position to end to season, as they are essentially out of playoff contention, without a head coach, but they have the opportunity to at least salvage the last few games of their schedule to end with meaningful positive momentum. Their recent efforts have looked better offensively, at least, which is a sign of positive change.

On the ice, we’re seeing many teams starting to lock down their spot in the 2025 NHL Playoffs. These final weeks will be about playoff or draft lottery positioning for much of the league, outside what feels like a half-dozen or so teams in the Eastern Conference who could still claim the final Wild Card position (if they stop fumbling it). This means there’s still plenty to play for in these final games, which is all you can ask for during a regular season.

With a late-season firing out of the way, let’s take a look at Week 23 of THW’s Power Rankings!

32-24: Bruins Hitting Low Point in Recent Memory

32. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously: 32) – Eliminated from Postseason Contention

31. Nashville Predators (Previously: 28) – Eliminated from Postseason Contention

30. San Jose Sharks (Previously: 30) – Eliminated from Postseason Contention

29. Boston Bruins (Previously: 26)

28. Seattle Kraken (Previously: 27) – Eliminated from Postseason Contention

27. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously: 29)

26. Buffalo Sabres (Previously: 31)

25. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously: 22)

24. Anaheim Ducks (Previously: 25)

This week, I decided to draw a few lines in the sand and separate out some of the worst teams in the NHL. Many of these teams have struggled throughout the season, yet at one point or another, they had a stretch of play that made a playoff run look realistic. However, I am no longer able to make a Ranking that both reflects how every team is playing right now (Which is poorly for these teams) and showcase the full depth of the playoff race. So, I’m cutting out some teams and making the bottom of my Rankings the official ‘These teams are done, even if the math says otherwise’ section.

All this means is that the bottom of the Rankings features many teams that simply aren’t playing well right now, and haven’t played well all season, which should shock no one.

However, one team I am personally surprised by are the Bruins, as I find it difficult to believe that the normally proud franchise would fall so low as to an eight-game losing streak where they have looked listless on the ice. I get it, the team sold heavily at the deadline, and morale has been low all season, but it’s still shocking to see Boston so far out of the playoff hunt when they could easily be in the thick of things if they had even gone 4-4-0 in their last eight games played.

Despite a lot of bad at this part of the Rankings, even the worst teams have moments of greatness. The Flyers have scored 13 goals in their last two games after struggling to hit the net most of the season. The Sharks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second time this season. Even the Ducks are playing well right now, winning three of their last five games. It’s the little things at this point of the season for fans of these teams, so try to enjoy what you can!

22-15: Eastern Conference’s Sad Playoff Race

22. New York Islanders (Previously: 21)

22. Utah Hockey Club (Previously: 17)

22. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously: 23)

22. Detroit Red Wings (Previously: 24)

22. Montreal Canadiens (Previously: 18)

22. New York Rangers (Previously: 19)

17. Calgary Flames (Previously: 15)

16. Vancouver Canucks (Previously: 20)

15. New Jersey Devils (Previously: 16)

No, you’re not going crazy, I have the Red Wings, Canadiens, Rangers, Islanders, Hockey Club, and Blue Jackets all ranked 22nd this week. My thought process is simple, all of these teams have been in contention for the final Wild Card spot, but despite this opportunity, none of them have made any real effort to take it. Montreal lost five straight games heading into Sunday, the Islanders lost five of their own, Detroit, the Rangers, and Columbus all have won four or fewer games in their last 10 played, and no one has been able to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.

It’s a bit disappointing because I would have loved to see one of these teams get hot at the end of the season and roar into the playoffs unexpectedly on the back of their growing star talent. Instead, everyone seems to be running into an open door until someone has to inevitably fall through it.

I’m still not sure what to make out of this race. You would think the Rangers would be able to claim the final Wild Card spot, but they have played more games than the rest of the field, so their margin of error is razor-thin. This is in stark contrast to the Western conference, of course, where the Flames and Canucks are essentially eliminated from contention barring a late-season collapse by a team in front of them. It’s not impossible that they work their way into a spot, but it’s highly unlikely right now.

14-1: Blues Pushing for Perfection

14. Minnesota Wild (Previously: 14)

13. Edmonton Oilers (Previously: 10)

12. Ottawa Senators (Previously: 13)

11. Los Angeles Kings (Previously: 8)

10. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously: 11)

9. Florida Panthers (Previously: 7)

8. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously: 9)

7. Colorado Avalanche (Previously: 5)

6. St. Louis Blues (Previously: 12)

5. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously: 3)

4. Washington Capitals (Previously: 1) – Clinched Playoff Berth

3. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously: 6)

2. Dallas Stars (Previously: 4) – Clinched Playoff Berth

1. Winnipeg Jets (Previously: 2) – Clinched Playoff Berth

Don’t look now, but in a league filled with dominant teams at the top of the standings, the Blues might be playing the best out of anyone. Just a few weeks ago they were firmly on the playoff bubble, but after a nine-game winning streak, they are not only pulling away with the final Wild Card spot in the West, but they’ve tied the Wild for the top Wild Card. Not bad for a team that was considering selling back in February.

Now, for a few quick hits from the top of the league showing how strong the teams here are. The Jets and Stars both claimed their spot in the playoffs this week. The Golden Knights have won six straight and should be locking down the Pacific Division in short order. The Lightning outscored their opponents nineteen to four in three games played, and heading into the third period Saturday, that total was 18 to 1. The Hurricanes are quietly 8-2-0 in their last 10 games played, which makes them the second-hottest team in the league behind the Blues. And the Atlantic Division is easily the best race across the league right now, as the top three teams are within three points of each other.

Overall, if you’re a fan of a team near the top of the Rankings, times are good right now, even if you’re starting to look across the aisle at your opponent and wondering why they also have to be playing so well…

Final Weeks Bringing Drama to NHL Season

Well, if you were expecting things to be boring in the final weeks of the 2024-25 NHL Season, the firing of Tortorella threw that idea out the window. There are times when change is necessary, no matter the time of the year, and this move reflected how even an established coach can lose a locker room.

While I doubt we we get any more off-ice drama like this in the coming weeks, I do look forward to the playoff races across the league, especially the snail’s race for the Final Eastern Wild Card. Sometimes a bad race can still be entertaining, especially when you know all of these teams still have more to give.