The compressed NHL schedule for the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs, draft and free agency means that the majority of July and August is … a bit slower.

But it’s also the perfect time to refresh our Power Rankings of all 32 teams heading into 2025-26!

In addition to the latest 1-32 poll, this edition includes the top storyline for each team during the summer break.

How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on how strong each team will be in the 2025-26 season, which generates our master list.

Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the final 2024-25 edition, published April 11. Stanley Cup odds are per ESPN BET as of July 24.

Pre-playoff ranking: 11
Stanley Cup odds: +600

The Panthers had another epic celebration with the Stanley Cup, then proceeded to re-sign their big three pending free agents: Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. Is a three-peat possible?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 10
Stanley Cup odds: +850

A second straight loss in the Stanley Cup Final resulted in no small amount of self-reflection — all while the proverbial sword of Damocles hangs over the franchise in Connor McDavid‘s potential free agency in 2026. One item that remains unchecked? Finding a better solution in goal.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 3
Stanley Cup odds: +1000

Another trip to the Western Conference finals wasn’t enough for Peter DeBoer to save his job, who was replaced by former Stars coach Glen Gulutzan in July. How will the first full season of the Mikko Rantanen Era go?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 7
Stanley Cup odds: +800

Given all the re-signings this offseason, there weren’t a bevy of high-impact free agents available. However, one of the top ones signed with the Hurricanes. How will Nikolaj Ehlers be deployed in Rod Brind’Amour’s system? And can he be the difference-maker next postseason?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 4
Stanley Cup odds: +850

Same old Knights. The biggest fish in the free agency pond this offseason was Mitch Marner, and sure enough, Vegas’ front office found a way to land him. It presents a salary cap situation for the club, though that’s also nothing new. Marner visits Toronto on Jan. 23, for those in a calendar-circling mood.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 1
Stanley Cup odds: +2500

The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners as regular-season champs lost a key player in Nikolaj Ehlers this offseason, but gained perhaps the sport’s biggest X factor in Jonathan Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup winner who hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season because of health concerns.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 5
Stanley Cup odds: +750

A first-round playoff loss is a bit misleading, as it was to fellow juggernaut Dallas Stars. The Avs believe they’ve solved their second-line center dilemma with a contract for 2024-25 trade addition Brock Nelson, but do they have enough depth to make another Cup run?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 6
Stanley Cup odds: +2000

Toronto’s seemingly Quixotic quest to win another Stanley Cup continues. It has been an offseason of ups and downs so far. The Leafs lost Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade with Vegas but inked one of the summer’s best deals with the new pact for Matthew Knies. As always, it’s high drama in the “centre of the hockey universe.”

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Pre-playoff ranking: 2
Stanley Cup odds: +3000

Alex Ovechkin begins the 2025-26 season as the NHL’s all-time goals leader — and three away from 900. But the Caps won’t simply be feeding him pucks all season. This team will hope to get further than the second round, perhaps giving Ovi another Cup for his Hall of Fame résumé.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 9
Stanley Cup odds: +1400

The Lightning continue to expertly massage their roster within the bounds of the salary cap. That continued this offseason, as they extended Yanni Gourde and Gage Goncalves for scoring depth. Another long playoff run is possible, though they’ll likely have to defeat their rivals from South Florida at some point on that road.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 8
Stanley Cup odds: +2000

After signing a bevy of veteran depth to the roster in free agency, the Kings created the NHL’s best schedule release video. It has been an exciting summer already!

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Pre-playoff ranking: 13
Stanley Cup odds: +4000

At one point there was some thought that the Wild would sign Minnesota natives Brock Nelson or Brock Boeser (or both). Instead, each re-signed with his 2024-25 team. Bringing in Vladimir Tarasenko could be one of the offseason’s deftest moves, if the veteran forward can find his former scoring touch that mostly eluded him this past season.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 15
Stanley Cup odds: +1600

Aside from some depth tweaks, the Devils didn’t do a ton thus far this offseason — though re-signing Jake Allen may prove to be one of the wiser roster moves. How will Luke Hughes‘ next contract impact the rest of their decisions?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 12
Stanley Cup odds: +5000

After a playoff appearance this past season, it has been a relatively quiet offseason so far for St. Louis. And as of right now, the club doesn’t have the cap space to sign anyone to a bold offer sheet.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 14
Stanley Cup odds: +3500

Senators GM Steve Staios has indicated that he likes what he has on the roster and expects growth from within. That was evident this offseason, as the club’s most noteworthy move was re-signing veteran forward Claude Giroux to a one-year deal.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 17
Stanley Cup odds: +6000

Fresh off a somewhat surprising Stanley Cup playoff appearance, the Canadiens made one of the offseason’s boldest moves by trading two first-round picks for 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson, then inking him to an eight-year deal. Are the playoffs now an every-year thing for the Habs?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 20
Stanley Cup odds: +3000

The Rangers switched coaches — from Cup winner Peter Laviolette to Cup winner Mike Sullivan — and found a trade destination for K’Andre Miller after the decision was made not to re-sign the restricted free agent. In between they landed one of the top available free agents, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. Is it enough to get them back in the postseason mix?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 16
Stanley Cup odds: +15000

Another GM who believes — apparently — that growth will come from within, GM Craig Conroy told reporters that the players his front office had targeted in free agency signed elsewhere, and he didn’t feel any great need to spend $15 million-plus in cap space just to spend it. He could be onto something, as the team’s youth movement isn’t all Calder Trophy finalist Dustin Wolf — though having a great young goaltender certainly doesn’t hurt.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 19
Stanley Cup odds: +4000

There was no playoff hockey in Utah this past spring, but GM Bill Armstrong pulled many different levers this offseason to put his team in the best spot to bring it there in 2026. The team traded for a potential superstar in JJ Peterka, signed proven veteran depth in Nate Schmidt and Brandon Tanev, and drafted Caleb Desnoyers with the No. 4 pick, a 200-foot center who will play a key role for the team sooner than later.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 21
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

Little Caesars Arena has yet to host a playoff game. Is this the season that the drought ends? Detroit was knocking on the door this past season, and GM Steve Yzerman filled perhaps the org’s biggest need by trading for veteran goaltender John Gibson this summer.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 18
Stanley Cup odds: +6000

Based on how the Canucks finished the 2024-25 season, continuity didn’t seem like the best option this summer. But aside from making a coaching change (from Rick Tocchet to Adam Foote) and trading for Evander Kane, it’s mostly status quo. That said, re-signing Brock Boeser was probably an easier option than trying to replace a player who scored 65 goals combined the past two seasons.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 22
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

To the surprise of many the Blue Jackets remained in the playoff race until the final week of the season, thanks in large part to a Norris Trophy finalist campaign by Zach Werenski. The club made some depth additions this offseason — Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood will be particularly useful if they do make the 2026 playoffs. But are there some additional moves up GM Don Waddell’s sleeve before October?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 23
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

New GM Mathieu Darche was not bashful in his first weeks on the job. Following the Noah Dobson trade, he and his associates drafted an A+ class, per ESPN’s Rachel Doerrie, and added an X factor forward in Jonathan Drouin. This is a team on the rise.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 24
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

At some point, the Ducks’ rebuild will be over, and that day might be coming sooner than many suspect. GM Pat Verbeek was quite busy this summer, adding Chris Kreider in a trade and sending Trevor Zegras to Philly in another swap. The Ducks also added Mikael Granlund in free agency; he will be critical to their playoff chances. And if all of that wasn’t enough, they got a top-five talent in the draft class with the No. 10 pick in Roger McQueen, and then sent him to Disneyland to celebrate.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 29
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

Boston’s offseason business has primarily involved adding depth around the edges — and drafting future franchise center James Hagens, who will play another season at Boston College. Is there a big trade in store?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 25
Stanley Cup odds: +20000

At some point, the longest playoff drought in the big four North American professional sports leagues will end. Will that be this season? The Sabres don’t appear better on paper than they were at the end of 2024-25, and they might even be worse, given that JJ Peterka was traded to Utah.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 28
Stanley Cup odds: +7500

The Flyers began the offseason by hiring franchise legend Rick Tocchet to take over behind the bench. Then, they drafted a class of nine players who all play like him (or are built like he was in his playing days). In between, they traded for Trevor Zegras, who could wind up as the biggest steal of the offseason.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 27
Stanley Cup odds: +30000

The Kraken have been patiently building a balanced roster with long-term success in mind. Can they finally turn a corner in 2025-26 after an offseason in which the big additions were Mason Marchment and Ryan Lindgren?

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Pre-playoff ranking: 30
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

The Predators were the no-doubt winners of free agency in 2024 — and then missed the playoffs by a country mile in 2024-25. By contrast, the 2025 offseason included some low-key moves that should help get them back on track, including a trade for Nicolas Hague and the signings of Erik Haula and Nick Perbix.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 26
Stanley Cup odds: +20000

It’s uncertain how long the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang will remain on the ice, and the rumors have picked up that one, two or all three could finish their NHL careers elsewhere. GM Kyle Dubas has been busy stocking the prospect cupboards, a process that will continue leading up to opening night, with Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust frequently mentioned in trade rumors.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 32
Stanley Cup odds: +50000

The Sharks are still probably a year away from a serious run at a playoff spot, but GM Mike Grier added a ton of talent to his roster this summer. No. 2 pick Michael Misa has the talent to hit the ice this season. The Sharks also signed veterans Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg to add some experience to a defense that was lacking in that regard.

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Pre-playoff ranking: 31
Stanley Cup odds: +50000

Perhaps the biggest move yet to be made by Chicago this summer is a contract extension for franchise center Connor Bedard, who will be a restricted free agent next summer. Other than that, GM Kyle Davidson appeared mostly content with letting his young roster develop, making no major additions.

The Tampa Bay Rays optioned Taj Bradley to Triple-A Durham following a poor start for the inconsistent right-hander Wednesday night.

Handed a 4-0 lead against the Chicago White Sox, Bradley gave up four runs in the second and didn’t get through the inning as Chicago went on to an 11-9 victory in Tampa, Florida. He allowed four runs, four hits and three walks in the frame.

Bradley, once a top pitching prospect, didn’t factor into the decision and his record on the season remained 6-6, while his ERA moved to 4.61. The 24-year-old has struggled with consistency; he entered Wednesday’s start having allowed just one run in his previous two starts but had surrendered at least five runs in four of his six starts before that.

“Tough decision certainly, but felt like it’s best for him to get down there right now,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters after the game. “It’s probably a better environment (in Triple A) for him to work, rather than compete every single pitch.

“But know that Taj Bradley is massive to our success, and we need to get him back to the form we know he’s capable of.”

Cash said Bradley handled the news “like a pro” and will work to regain command of his secondary pitches such as his changeup and slider at Durham.

“I just talked to him and said there’s been a lot of good and there has been some not-so good,” Cash said. “Inconsistencies are tough to do at this level at any time of the season, but certainly with where we’re at right now.”

The Rays have scuffled over the last month and sit at 53-50, good for fourth place in the AL East.

Bradley has been mentioned as a potential trade target ahead of the July 31 deadline. The Rays have room to move at least one starting pitcher, and teams have identified the righty — who doesn’t reach free agency until after the 2029 season — as the likeliest of those with team control to go.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani homered for the fifth consecutive game on Wednesday, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record.

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year.

Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered off Minnesota starter Chris Paddack in the first inning of a 4-3 victory against the Twins. Ohtani hit a slow curveball 441 feet to center, carrying the bat midway down the first-base line before doing a bat flip.

It was Ohtani’s MLB-leading 46th career home of at least 440 feet since entering the majors in 2018. Three of those have come in the past week.

This is the seventh time in Dodgers history that a player has homered in five consecutive games. Ohtani joins Max Muncy, Joc Pederson, Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, Shawn Green and Roy Campanella in that club.

Ohtani extended his franchise record for the most home runs before Aug. 1. It’s also the most home runs by any National League player before that date since 2001, when the Giants‘ Barry Bonds (45) and the Diamondbacks‘ Luis Gonzalez (41) had each surpassed 40.

Ohtani, a three-time MVP, is batting .276 with 70 RBIs. He has also pitched well in six games and is scheduled to throw four innings on Monday in Cincinnati as he is getting close in his buildup as a starter, coming back from his second right UCL repair surgery.

With an off day on Thursday, Ohtani’s next chance to see if he can homer in six consecutive games will be against the Red Sox in Boston.

The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.