NHL Power Rankings Week 2: Colorado Holds On at No. 1

The Colorado Avalanche went 1-2-0 this week, were outscored 12-12 across three games, and are still No. 1. The teams chasing them are close: Carolina is second and Tampa Bay third, and both went unbeaten this week.

These are the Week 2 rankings, covering Oct 5 – Oct 11, 2026. Colorado also held the top spot when the rankings opened in last week's post. The full table is on the rankings page.

A quick note on method: these rankings are set by a results-based formula, not by opinion. A team moves up when it beats opponents by more than expected and down when it doesn't. Factors such as opponent strength and playing location (home/away) are among many factors taken into account.

The Top 5

1. Colorado Avalanche. The record this week was 1-2-0, and the season record is now 3-2-0. The underlying numbers were better than the results: a 53.8 xGF% (10th among the 32 teams that played) and a 55.7 CF% (6th). Nathan MacKinnon led the team with 3 goals and 2 assists. A ranking built on more than one week of games doesn't fall far from one rough stretch, and Colorado's didn't.

2. Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes were the best team in the league this week by almost any measure. They went 4-0-0 and outscored opponents 22-9. Their 70 xGF% and 61.9 CF% both ranked first among the teams that played. Sebastian Aho had 3 goals and 4 assists, and Carolina's season record is 5-1-1. If the 5-on-5 dominance holds, they are the team most likely to take the top spot.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning. Three games, three wins, and a 12-6 goal margin. The process matched the results: a 59.8 xGF% (5th) and a 57.4 CF% (2nd). Brandon Hagel scored 4 goals and added 2 assists. Tampa Bay is 4-1-0 on the season.

4. Dallas Stars. Dallas moved up a spot behind a 2-0-1 week and a 10-2 goal margin, the lowest goals-against total among the top five teams. The 5-on-5 numbers were more modest, with a 51.9 xGF% (14th) and a 48.4 CF% (19th). Mikko Rantanen had 2 goals and 3 assists. Dallas is 2-2-1 on the season, so the weekly numbers are carrying a lot of the climb.

5. Ottawa Senators (1532). The Senators went 3-1-0 and are 4-1-0 overall. Tim Stützle had 4 goals and 3 assists, tied for third among the league's top scorers this week. The underlying numbers are the weakest of the top five: a 46.5 xGF% (22nd) and a 49.4 CF% (16th). Ottawa won games it didn't dominate, which is fine, but it is the kind of profile that can reverse quickly.

Biggest Movers

The biggest drop in the standings belongs to a group. Montreal fell four spots to 11th after a 1-2-0 week and a 7-11 goal margin. Pittsburgh also fell four spots, to 16th, going 1-2-1 with a 9-12 goal margin. Buffalo dropped three spots to 7th after scoring 4 goals and allowing 10 in a 1-2-0 week. Philadelphia dropped four spots to 27th, and the Flyers' week was the worst of the group: 0-4-0 and outscored 15-4. Their season record is 0-5-2. A 34.3 xGF% and 41.5 CF% say the results were not just bad luck.

On the way up, Toronto gained four spots to 22nd, going 2-0-1 with a 14-11 goal margin. Auston Matthews led the league this week with 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points, and William Nylander had 8. The 5-on-5 numbers are less encouraging: a 43.7 xGF% (24th) and a 47.1 CF% (22nd). Anaheim rose three spots to 21st at 2-1-0, and Washington and Utah each moved up two.

Where Results and Numbers Disagree

A few teams had weeks where the scoreboard and the 5-on-5 shares told different stories.

• Utah went 2-1-0 with a 10-10 goal margin, but its 64.7 xGF% was third best this week and its 56.6 CF% was fourth. The Mammoth drove play more than the results show.
• St. Louis went 1-1-1 and was outscored 10-9, yet posted a 60.5 xGF% (4th) and a 55.2 CF% (7th).
• Detroit went 1-1-1 with an 8-10 goal margin, but had a 55.5 xGF% (6th). The Red Wings are 1-3-1 on the season.
• Columbus went 1-1-0 and was outscored 7-6, but ranked 9th in xGF% (54.6) and 5th in CF% (56.1).
• Edmonton is the reverse. The Oilers went 2-0-0 with an 8-3 goal margin and a 55.1 xGF% (7th), but their 42.4 CF% ranked 28th. They are 4-0-1 on the season and rose one spot to 10th.
• Nashville went 1-0-2 and gained a spot, but posted a 38.2 xGF% (28th) and a 39.1 CF% that ranked last among the 32 teams.

A couple of other teams belong on the watch list. Calgary is 0-5-0, yet its week-level numbers are middle of the pack: a 50.8 xGF% (18th) and 50.7 CF% (15th). Los Angeles had the lowest xGF% of the 32 teams that played, at 31.8, in a 0-1-1 week.

Full Rankings

1. Colorado Avalanche — 1-2-0 this week
2. Carolina Hurricanes — 4-0-0 this week
3. Tampa Bay Lightning — 3-0-0 this week
4. Dallas Stars — 2-0-1 this week
5. Ottawa Senators — 3-1-0 this week
6. Washington Capitals — 2-1-0 this week
7. Buffalo Sabres — 1-2-0 this week
8. Vegas Golden Knights — 3-0-0 this week
9. Minnesota Wild — 1-1-1 this week
10. Edmonton Oilers — 2-0-0 this week
11. Montreal Canadiens — 1-2-0 this week
12. Utah Mammoth — 2-1-0 this week
13. St. Louis Blues — 1-1-1 this week
14. Winnipeg Jets — 2-1-0 this week
15. Boston Bruins — 2-1-0 this week
16. Pittsburgh Penguins — 1-2-1 this week
17. Los Angeles Kings — 0-1-1 this week
18. Columbus Blue Jackets — 1-1-0 this week
19. Florida Panthers — 1-1-0 this week
20. Detroit Red Wings — 1-1-1 this week
21. Anaheim Ducks — 2-1-0 this week
22. Toronto Maple Leafs — 2-0-1 this week
23. New Jersey Devils — 1-1-0 this week
24. New York Rangers — 2-1-0 this week
25. New York Islanders — 1-2-0 this week
26. Nashville Predators — 1-0-2 this week
27. Philadelphia Flyers — 0-4-0 this week
28. Seattle Kraken — 2-1-0 this week
29. Calgary Flames — 0-2-0 this week
30. San Jose Sharks — 1-2-0 this week
31. Chicago Blackhawks — 1-2-0 this week
32. Vancouver Canucks — 0-3-0 this week

The Bottom Line

Colorado is still No. 1, but the top of the table is tighter than it was a week ago. Carolina had the strongest week in the league, and Tampa Bay was close behind with a 3-0-0 week and a 12-6 goal margin. Both are within a good week of the top spot. At the other end, Philadelphia and Vancouver went a combined 0-7-0 this week, with 9 goals for and 32 against. Weekly xGF% and CF% are small samples, but several teams, including Utah, St. Louis and Detroit, had better 5-on-5 weeks than their records suggest. Watch those teams next week.