The 2025-2026 season is through ten weeks. Colorado and Dallas are off to torrid starts, while Vancouver and Nashville are struggling for production. The league’s youth has stepped their production as San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini and Chicago’s Connor Bedard are ranked 3rd and 4th among league points leaders.

The Stars are making a real case to be our top team as they meet the level of their Central Division rival. Dallas has won four in a row. It is is 8-0-2 in its last four. The Stars haven't lost in regulation since Nov. 18. It's already getting me excited for the inevitable playoff clash between these two Stanley Cup contenders.

One team has made the playoffs for eight straight seasons and was parade-worthy in the spring of 2022, while the other has reached the Western Conference Final in each of the last three years and was in the title round as recently as 2020.

The NHL has completed nine weeks of the 2025-2026 season. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are the two best teams in the league and are playing better than their competitors. Nashville, Vancouver,

As the Colorado Avalanche continue to lead the NHL power rankings, the other 31 teams continue to move all over the place.

The Red Wings rank second in the NHL in high-danger shots on goal (237) behind the Dallas Stars (241) and second in long-range shots on goal (193) behind the Carolina Hurricanes (213). Detroit is also tied for fifth in 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage (52.9), a strong indicator of a team's staying power as a postseason contender.

How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday. Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Nov. 28. Points percentages are through Thursday's games.

Two alums of the final version of that grouping—the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers—are doing their lineage proud with positions among the top 10 teams in this week's edition of B/R's NHL Power Rankings. The Capitals climbed five positions to No. 3 after staff voting, and the Flyers skipped up two rungs from No. 11 to No. 9.