NHL Power Rankings: Lightning Charged

Yes, the Colorado Avalanche remain the top team in the NHL at the midway point. But finally, after half a season of waiting, there is serious competition.

As the second half of the regular season begins, the Stanley Cup contender window opened for several teams. It's no longer just the Avs staring down at the rest of the NHL, as there are several changes in the latest edition of Breakaway On SI's power rankings.

Credit to Rick Tocchet in his first season with the Flyers. The team is in a dog fight for the Metropolitan Division, even with some inconsistent play across the lineup.

The headline of the Flyers' season is center Trevor Zegras. In 41 games, he has 17 goals and 41 points, seemingly returning to the form he had at the start of his career. While some players, like second-year winger Matvei Michkov, struggle to take that next step, Zegras is excelling under Tocchet.

While the Washington Capitals trail the Flyers in the standings, they hold a key advantage over their divisional rival. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson is a Vezina Trophy candidate this season and was recently named to Canada's Olympic roster for the 2026 Winter Games. The Caps are in a bit of a rough patch, but they remain a threat in the Metro.

Speaking of threats in the Metropolitan Division, the Islanders are coming on strong. Rookie defender Matthew Schaefer remains elite, even as he works through the slog of his first NHL season.

The major story is star goalie Ilya Sorokin returning to elite form. After two years of posting a goals-against average of 2.75 or higher, he's lowered his GAA to 2.45 this season. He's been the world-class goalie that the Islanders need, and it's helping them separate from the pack at the halfway point.

The run of the Atlantic Division begins with the Red Wings. They were on top of the division not too long ago, but now two other teams are neck-and-neck with them.

The concerning part of their recent play, despite the 6-3-1 record over their last 10, is their goal differential remains in the negative. They are the only team in the top 12 of the NHL standings to have a negative goal differential at the halfway point. If this continues, they may continue to slide.

Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler and forward Alexandre Texie — Jan 7, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler (32) celebrates the win against the Calgary Flames with teammate forward Alexandre Texier (85) at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

With their seventh win in their last 10, the Canadiens are again at the top of the Atlantic Division. Locked in a tight race with the Red Wings and another team higher on this list, then Habs are showing growth in all of the right areas. Rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler has been a steadying force in net. Captain Nick Suzuki is a two-way force. Juraj Slafkovsky has caught fire lately, and rookie forward Ivan Demidov is atop the first-year player scoring race. Things continnue to look up in Montreal.

The Hurricanes are battling to keep the Islanders and Flyers at bay, but for now Carolina is the team to beat in the Metropolitan Division.

One aspect of the Hurricanes that continues to excel is how they utliize their blue line. Even with top defender Jaccob Slavin recovering from injury, the Canes have gotten significant ice time and production from Sean Walker, K'Andre Miller and Shayne Gostisbehere. Ghost has 31 points already as he puts together another strong offensive campaign, while Miller and Walker are the perfect fits for the up-tempo, puck-moving system Carolina uses. The same question continues to linger, however: can they get over the hump in the postseason?

The acquisition of Quinn Hughes continues to look like a perfect move for the Wild, and they are now in a tie with the Stars for 2nd place in the Central Division. Dallas holds the tie-breaker with fewer games played, but the Wild are dangerous.

Hughes has 13 points in 13 games since his arrival, and defensive partner Brock Faber has been excellent over the past six weeks as well. Pair that with the incredible tandem in net that the Wild have, and they remain a top contender.

The hottest team in the league right now is officially the Tampa Bay Lightning. Winners of eight straight, Tampa has the entire NHL on notice. While they battle with the Canadiens and Red Wings for the Atlantic Division, they have become the top contender out of the Eastern Conference.

Losing 10 games in regulation is apparently a crime in the Central Division, as the Stars have fallen off the pace of the top spot after sticking tightly with them through the first 25 to 30 contests.

The Stars went through a bit of a losing streak, which stunted their momentum, but they've seemingly turned a corner and left that behind. Even with a 4-3-3 record over their last 10, they've maintained their status as a top team in the Western Conference.

The historic regular season continues for the Avalanche, as they keep their reign of dominance in the power rankings. They've lost two games in regulation over their last 10, however, showing the most minor crack in the armor of the sterling Avs.

Through 43 games, the Avs carry a +76 goal differential, which is more than double the goal differential of the next best team (Tampa Bay). Nathan MacKinnon is again at the top of the scoring race and MVP conversation, and the Stanley Cup buzz is loud in Colorado.

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