NHL Power Rankings: The Central Division Gauntlet

The Central Division is the toughest division in hockey, and it's not quite close. The Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild are the three best teams in hockey, both in points and in assessing their play on the ice.

For the rest of the league, it's about catching up. There are plenty of intriguing teams, with three new teams popping up in the new top-10, but who is the best right now? The latest iteration of Breakaway On SI's power rankings has some surprising additions and changes.

Connor McDavid is on fire, scoring 31 points over his 11-game scoring streak. It's catapulted him to the top of the scoring race and has the Oilers tied for the lead in the Pacific Division.

The question moving forward, once again, is can their goaltending hold up? Newly-acquired Tristan Jarry is injured and expected to miss a few weeks, leaving Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram as their puck-stopping tandem for the time being. If they can hold up, the Oilers will be a contender once again.

These Philadelphia Flyers are hard to pin down. Are they a team on the rise? Or, are they a team that's played well and received a few lucky bounces over their last 10 games? Whatever the answer, they trail the Metropolitan Division lead by just two points through 36 games.

Things are a bit less exciting for the rising Anaheim Ducks, but they are still tied for the lead in the Pacific Division. Despite going 5-4-1 in their last 10, the Ducks still have a positive goal differential (+3) and a rock-solid 12-6 record on home ice.

A midseason trade for Philip Danault might be the latest spark, but the Montreal Canadiens were already building slowly towards true Stanley Cup contention. Currently in second place in the Atlantic Division, they've managed that feat with a lowly 10-9-1 record at the Bell Centre.

Leading the charge is their captain and likely member of Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Nick Suzuki. Coming off an 89-point season last year, he's on pace to surpass that total this season. Through 37 games, he has 11 goals and 42 points while playing some of the most impressive defensive hockey from any forward. He's the perfect leader in Montreal and the Habs are in the hunt.

Looking down at the Canadiens are the Detroit Red Wings. Their recent stretch is pushing the Wings past the point of optimistic hope and into a new level of confidence in their game. They've won eight of their last 10, jumping past several other teams in the division.

The leadership of Dylan Larkin and the impressive seasons from Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat are huge pieces of their success, but the player having the best season is defenseman Moritz Seider. With 29 points in 36 games and an impressive defensive

Dec 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) celebrates after scoring in overtime against the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Golden Knights are the final team in the three-team race for the Pacific Division, and with the fewest games played they currently hold the honor of division leader.

It's hard to bet against the team, with Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner becoming the latest dynamic duo in the NHL. Behind them, however, are a trio of forwards providing a ton of offensive support. Ivan Barbashev, Pavel Dorofeyev and Tomas Hertl all have surpassed double-digit goal totals before the halfway point. It's a fair a'

Leading the Metropolitan Division and arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference right now is the Carolina Hurricanes. Under head coach Rod Brind'Amour, the team consistently plays a smothering, up-tempo game. This year, they've benefitted from the debut performance of Brandon Bussi in goal, who set an NHL record for the fastest 10 wins ever by a goalie. With the Eastern Conference looking as wide open as ever right now, the Canes are the top dogs.

It's honestly ridiculous how loaded the Central Division is. The best three teams in the NHL all reside in the Central Division, beginning with the Minnesota Wild.

The addition of Quinn Hughes has only pushed this team into the next level. Now, they have the top superstars to match the other two top teams in their division, and they only two teams ahead of them on this list.

If not for the Dallas Stars and the next team on this list, the Wild would be the biggest story of the season and the front-runner for the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, the Stars are still an amazing hockey team. They have the second-most wins in the NHL so far and hold the second-highest goal differential in the league with a +35.

Their starting goaltender, Jake Oettinger, is having another Vezina Trophy-worthy season. He's in line to be the United States' starter at the Olympics, giving the incumbent, Winnipeg Jets puck-stopper Connor Hellebuyck, a run for his money in the American net. Oettinger is 16-6-2 with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

It's only been a few years since the Boston Bruins set the new record for wins in a season with 65, but the Colorado Avalanche are making a serious run at it. They've won 27 of their first 36 games, putting them just behind the Bruins' pace.

But the Avs are the best team in the league, and it wouldn't be a shock to see them convert some of those overtime losses into more victories as the season progresses. This team is dangerous and deep at every position group, and they are understandably the best bet for the Stanley Cup this year.

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