NHL 2024-25 Power Rankings: Week 12 – The Hockey Writers Power Rankings Latest News, Analysis & More

It didn’t take long for the holiday cheer to end around the NHL. Despite a three-day break taking place from Tuesday through Thursday, as soon as the league returned on December 27th, the next big coaching shakeup occurred. This time, the Detroit Red Wings made an often-rumored move behind their bench, relieving Derek Lalonde of his duties and hiring Todd McLellan to a three-year contract.

While McLellan has plenty of experience to take over as head coach anywhere in the NHL, he is walking into a particularly difficult position in Detroit. The storied franchise has been trapped in a rebuilding malaise over the last decade, as they last made the postseason in 2015-16. This means Little Ceasars Arena, which opened in 2017, still has yet to host a playoff game for one of the most important teams in NHL history. This can’t be sitting well with ownership, who likely expected to make deep playoff runs by now (while piling up playoff revenue). This coaching change feels like a last-chance move for general manager Steve Yzerman before his inability to construct a playoff-bound team causes a larger change in Detroit.

On the ice, there still were plenty of games despite the mid-week break. Most teams took the ice two to three times, which gives us a bit of meat to work with, but I’m not going to be as active in making changes based on this relatively limited on-ice output. So, let’s waste no time jumping into Week 12 of THW’s Power Rankings, the final one of 2024!

32-19: Red Wings No Good, Miserable Season

32. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously: 31)

31. San Jose Sharks (Previously: 29)

30. Detroit Red Wings (Previously: 30)

29. Buffalo Sabres (Previously: 32)

28. Nashville Predators (Previously: 28)

27. New York Rangers (Previously: 26)

26. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously: 27)

25. Anaheim Ducks (Previously: 25)

24. Seattle Kraken (Previously: 24)

23. New York Islanders (Previously: 21)

22. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously: 19)

21. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously: 20)

20. St. Louis Blues (Previously: 23)

19. Montreal Canadiens (Previously: 22)

I know I already discussed the Red Wings during the opening of this week’s Rankings, but I need to give some context for how dire things have been this season. To put it into perspective, the Sabres, who snapped a 13-game losing streak this week (slow claps for that seemingly impossible feat), are tied with the Red Wings in the overall standings at 32 points. This fact seems borderline impossible given how bad Buffalo has been and how close the Red Wings were to making the playoffs in 2023-24, but they just took steps back in all aspects of their game, despite the team’s core remaining relatively healthy.

As I alluded to earlier, I can’t imagine things staying as-is for Detroit. They may have until the offseason to make changes, but I expect significant moves to take place unless an all-time comeback happens.

I also feel the need to call out the Sharks this week, who have been letting me down after I praised them in a previous Ranking. The Sharks were that young, fun team that was exciting to watch and could outwork their opponents to win any given night. Since trading Mackenzie Blackwood, however, the franchise lost a bit of step in their game with a 1-8-1 record in their last 10 games played, including a seven-game losing streak. So, while expectations were rightfully low coming into the season, I am still hoping to see more from this group overall, especially as Yaroslav Askarov establishes himself as a true starter in the NHL.

18-12: Stars Continue Unexpected Slide

18. Vancouver Canucks (Previously: 18)

17. Utah Hockey Club (Previously: 17)

16. Dallas Stars (Previously: 14)

15. Calgary Flames (Previously: 16)

14. Ottawa Senators (Previously: 15)

13. Boston Bruins (Previously: 12)

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously: 13)

It wasn’t that long ago that the Stars were one of my teams to beat. I had high expectations of the franchise, as I believe their floor would be a third-straight Western Conference Final appearance with their balanced core of star players. However, the team hasn’t been the dominant force I was expecting on the ice, as they have been fairly whelming in recent weeks. Yes, they are still very much in postseason contention, but it feels like the top three teams in the Central Division are a step ahead of Dallas, despite being, arguably, the best team in their conference on paper. However, sleep on this team at your own risk.

For the rest of the middle part of the Rankings, I feel like teams like the Canucks, Utah Hockey Club, Senators, and Flames are right where they should be. They are all good enough teams, who on any given week can be on a three-game winning or losing streak and I wouldn’t be surprised. I don’t consider any of them real contenders (yet) but they also have everything you need to go on a run if things go right. In the New Year, I expect them to shape the 2025 Trade Deadline market with big moves, either as buyers or sellers.

11-1: Avalanche (Finally) Find Their Goaltender

11. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously: 7)

10. Minnesota Wild (Previously: 9)

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously: 8)

8. Los Angeles Kings (Previously: 10)

7. Florida Panthers (Previously: 6)

6. Colorado Avalanche (Previously: 11)

5. Edmonton Oilers (Previously: 5)

4. New Jersey Devils (Previously: 3)

3. Winnipeg Jets (Previously: 4)

2. Washington Capitals (Previously: 2)

1. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously: 1)

While I mentioned the trade earlier, the Avalanche made Blackwood their goalie of the future this week, as they signed the 28-year-old netminder to a five-year, $26.25 million extension. This is a big bet by Colorado, who saw goaltending as the biggest hole on their Stanley Cup Caliber roster and managed to rebuild it mid-season. Despite the risk, if there’s a time to make this call, it’s on a goaltender entering their prime who has a history of strong play behind bad teams. The franchise seems to be fully back to its contending ways, so this could be a big win for both the player and franchise.

For a team struggling near the top, the Maple Leafs were humbled a bit this week. While they easily defeated the flailing Red Wings, they got beat up by the Jets and Capitals, who are inarguably two of the best teams in the NHL this season. This can be a good way to show the gap between the good, great, and true contenders across the league right now, but I expect this gap to close as the season continues (especially as star players return from injury).

Also, I can’t tell if the Panthers just took an extended Holiday Break or if I should be worried about their play. They lost their last two games 4-0 to Atlantic Division Rivals, which is not the look you want. However, I’m going to write this off as a scheduling quirk for now.

And in case anyone was worried, Alexander Ovechkin returned from his long-term injury and scored a goal against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, so the All-Time goalscoring record watch is back on the table.

NHL Welcomes 2025 With Winter Classic

As we wave goodbye to 2024, the hockey world prepares for the 2025 Winter Classic, the beloved outdoor event that holds a special place in the hearts of anyone who follows the sport. However, due to increased competition from other sports in recent years (namely College Football in the US), the NHL has decided that the Winter Classic needs a bit of a revamp to stay relevant.

Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship

This means the event is taking place on New Year’s Eve, at a time before most people are out on the town for the festivities but after the big football games take place in the afternoon. Barring delays, this could be a great spot for the event to find success, as there’s definitely space available in this time slot for viewers to enjoy their sports of choice. We will see how this change works out.