NHL Power Rankings: Latest updated poll, plus each team’s strength of schedule
There are fewer than three weeks remaining in the 2024-25 NHL regular season, which ends April 17.
The races for playoff spots and seeding continue to be waged, and the opponents on each club’s remaining schedule can be a differentiating factor.
This week, along with an updated set of Power Rankings, we’ll also examine each team’s strength of schedule, courtesy of Stathletes.
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, which generates our master list.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published March 21. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 71.5%
Strength of schedule: 46.2%, 29th. As Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record, the Caps appear to be well-positioned to maintain the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference based on their remaining schedule.
Next seven days: vs. BUF (March 30), @ BOS (April 1), @ CAR (April 2)
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 70.8%
Strength of schedule: 50.6%, 14th. The Jets’ spot atop the Western Conference appears reasonably secure, but there’s still the matter of the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top team in the standings. And based purely on relative strength of schedule, the Capitals have the upper hand.
Next seven days: vs. NJ (March 28), vs. VAN (March 30), @ LA (April 1), @ VGK (April 3)
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 68.1%
Strength of schedule: 47.9%, 25th. There is a small but non-zero chance that the Stars catch the Jets for the Central Division’s No. 1 seed, and they’ve got the strength of schedule (or lack thereof) down the stretch to pull it off.
Next seven days: @ SEA (March 29), @ SEA (March 31), vs. NSH (April 3)
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 66.2%
Strength of schedule: 48.1%, 23rd. Although the Golden Knights’ most memorable move at the trade deadline was a social media post, they simply keep chugging along atop the division, a fact that is unlikely to change given the games remaining on the schedule.
Next seven days: @ CHI (March 28), @ NSH (March 29), vs. EDM (April 1), vs. WPG (April 3)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 63.4%
Strength of schedule: 48.6%, 21st. The Canes are rolling toward another playoff berth, and it’s overwhelmingly likely they’ll do so as the Metro Division’s No. 2 seed.
Next seven days: vs. MTL (March 28), vs. NYI (March 30), vs. WSH (April 2)
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 63.7%
Strength of schedule: 50.2%, 16th. A first-round matchup with the Stars — where they’ll square off with old friend Mikko Rantanen — seems all but destined; it’s just a matter of which team gets home-ice advantage.
Next seven days: vs. STL (March 29), vs. CGY (March 31), @ CHI (April 2), @ CBJ (April 3)
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 62.7%
Strength of schedule: 51.7%, 10th. Can the Kings catch the Knights for the division crown? Not likely, at least according to their relative strengths of schedule.
Next seven days: vs. TOR (March 29), vs. SJ (March 30), vs. WPG (April 1), @ UTA (April 3)
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 62.7%
Strength of schedule: 50.2%, 17th. Of the three teams battling for the Atlantic Division crown, the Panthers have the most challenging schedule down the homestretch.
Next seven days: vs. UTA (March 28), vs. MTL (March 30), @ MTL (April 1), @ TOR (April 2)
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 62.5%
Strength of schedule: 49.9%, 19th. Which first-round opponent would the Maple Leafs prefer? A division title likely gets them a Battle of Ontario showdown with the Senators, while slipping to second (or third) gets them one of the Florida teams.
Next seven days: @ LA (March 29), @ ANA (March 30), vs. FLA (April 2)
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 60.4%
Strength of schedule: 49.9%, 20th. The bad news for Oilers fans is that their chances of a division title are slipping by the day (and it doesn’t help that the Golden Knights’ strength of schedule is even easier than theirs). The good news is that the team appears destined for another first-round matchup against the Kings, whom the Oilers have beaten in three straight opening-round series.
Next seven days: vs. CGY (March 29), @ VGK (April 1), @ SJ (April 3)
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 61.8%
Strength of schedule: 48.4%, 22nd. The top three of the Atlantic Division appear all but set; it’s just a matter of seeding — and the Lightning happen to have the easiest final stretch of the three teams involved.
Next seven days: vs. NYI (March 29), @ NYI (April 1), @ OTT (April 3)
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 57.4%
Strength of schedule: 52.8%, 5th. A defiant Jordan Binnington backstopped Canada to 4 Nations Face-Off glory, and his NHL club has charged into playoff position after a mushy first half. Can the Blues hold off the Canucks and Flames?
Next seven days: @ COL (March 29), vs. DET (April 1), vs. PIT (April 3)
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 59.6%
Strength of schedule: 47.4%, 26th. Although the Wild have been a bit wobbly in recent weeks, their strong start might have given them enough of a buffer to hold off the competition, particularly given the relative ease of their final stretch.
Next seven days: vs. NJ (March 29), @ NJ (March 31), @ NYR (April 2)
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 56.9%
Strength of schedule: 44.8%, 32nd. Some team had to have the easiest schedule from here on out, and the Devils get the nod. That’s good, because thanks to a rash of injuries to key players, they’ll take any edge they can get to hold on to a playoff spot.
Next seven days: @ WPG (March 28), @ MIN (March 29), vs. MIN (March 31)
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 57.0%
Strength of schedule: 47.3%, 27th. The Senators stuck to their strategy of a slow build — without the splashy moves of some other Ontario-based teams — and it has resulted in the team being in playoff position as we head into April, a trend that should continue based on the club’s remaining slate.
Next seven days: vs. CBJ (March 29), @ PIT (March 30), vs. BUF (April 1), vs. TB (April 3)
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 55.6%
Strength of schedule: 51.7%, 9th. If the Flames are going to make a run into playoff position, they’re going to have to beat some very good teams to get there.
Next seven days: @ EDM (March 29), @ COL (March 31), @ UTA (April 1), vs. ANA (April 3)
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 55.6%
Strength of schedule: 52.6%, 6th. The reigning Pacific Division champs will need to go on a heater — and get some help with other playoff bubble teams losing — in order to make it back to the tournament.
Next seven days: @ CBJ (March 28), @ WPG (March 30), vs. SEA (April 2)
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 52.8%
Strength of schedule: 50.3%, 15th. Is playoff hockey finally coming back to la belle province? The Habs face a medium-strength schedule down the stretch, slightly more difficult than the Rangers’ and Blue Jackets’ but easier than the Islanders’.
Next seven days: @ CAR (March 28), @ FLA (March 30), vs. FLA (April 1), vs. BOS (April 3)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 52.1%
Strength of schedule: 52.3%, 8th. The fact that the UHC is still alive in the playoff race this late in the season is good for the young roster and for the fans who get to see meaningful hockey. But it’s definitely an uphill climb to earn a spot in the postseason.
Next seven days: @ FLA (March 28), @ CHI (March 30), vs. CGY (April 1), vs. LA (April 3)
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 52.1%
Strength of schedule: 54.1%, 1st. The Isles might yet overtake the field to grab one of the Eastern wild cards. But it certainly won’t be an easy path, given the teams on their schedule.
Next seven days: @ TB (March 29), @ CAR (March 30), vs. TB (April 1)
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 51.4%
Strength of schedule: 51.6%, 13th. Uninspired play as of late has diminished the Blueshirts’ chances at a playoff return (after winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season). But the road to a postseason berth has not been closed completely.
Next seven days: @ ANA (March 28), @ SJ (March 29), vs. MIN (April 2)
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 52.1%
Strength of schedule: 51.6%, 12th. The day after the trade deadline, the Blue Jackets held the first wild-card spot in the East. They have tumbled since then, but the door to the postseason remains slightly ajar.
Next seven days: vs. VAN (March 28), @ OTT (March 29), vs. NSH (April 1), vs. COL (April 3)
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 50.0%
Strength of schedule: 53.5%, 4th. It would appear at this point that Hockeytown’s faithful will need to wait ’til next year to see the Wings back in the postseason.
Next seven days: vs. BOS (March 29), @ STL (April 1)
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 46.6%
Strength of schedule: 46.1%, 30th. If only the Penguins had won a few more games earlier in the season, a strength of schedule like this would have been quite useful to author a thrilling run into a playoff spot. Alas.
Next seven days: vs. OTT (March 30), @ STL (April 3)
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 47.3%
Strength of schedule: 46.5%, 28th. Boston’s playoff hopes weren’t entirely sealed by Don Sweeney’s trade deadline moves, but the team’s results thereafter ensure it will be picking in (or near) the top 10 this summer.
Next seven days: @ DET (March 29), vs. WSH (April 1), @ MTL (April 3)
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 49.3%
Strength of schedule: 50.0%, 18th. The Ducks’ youthful roster made some progress this season, but they will be in the draft lottery again.
Next seven days: vs. NYR (March 28), vs. TOR (March 30), vs. SJ (April 1), @ CGY (April 3)
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 46.6%
Strength of schedule: 53.5%, 3rd. The first season of the Dan Bylsma era of Kraken hockey didn’t go as well as planned. Based on that opposing win percentage, it looks like a few more L’s will be added before Game No. 82.
Next seven days: vs. DAL (March 29), vs. DAL (March 31), @ VAN (April 2)
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 43.1%
Strength of schedule: 54.1%, 2nd. Things haven’t gone the Predators’ way this season, and they’re certainly a team to watch for changes this summer.
Next seven days: vs. VGK (March 29), @ PHI (March 31), @ CBJ (April 1), @ DAL (April 3)
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 45.3%
Strength of schedule: 46.0%, 31st. Interim coach Brad Shaw will have a chance to post a strong record down the stretch here given the Flyers’ schedule. Will he earn a promotion to long-term status?
Next seven days: vs. BUF (March 29), vs. NSH (March 31)
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 46.5%
Strength of schedule: 52.5%, 7th. The Sabres did not rock the boat with any major moves this past offseason, and the trade deadline brought about one essentially lateral move. As they approach their 14th straight playoff-less spring, are more substantial changes on the way this time?
Next seven days: @ PHI (March 29), @ WSH (March 30), @ OTT (April 1)
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 35.4%
Strength of schedule: 51.7%, 11th. The Blackhawks and Sharks are battling it out for the NHL’s worst record and the best chances at getting the No. 1 pick via the draft lottery.
Next seven days: vs. VGK (March 28), vs. UTAH (March 30), vs. COL (April 2)
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 34.5%
Strength of schedule: 48.0%, 24th. In the race to the bottom of the standings — but top of the draft lottery rankings — the Sharks’ strength of schedule is quite a bit easier than the Blackhawks’.
Next seven days: vs. NYR (March 29), @ LA (March 30), @ ANA (April 1), vs. EDM (April 3)
The opening weekend of the 2025 MLB season was taken over by a surprise star — torpedo bats.
The bowling pin-shaped bats became the talk of the sport after the Yankees’ home run onslaught on the first Saturday of the season put it in the spotlight and the buzz hasn’t slowed since.
What exactly is a torpedo bat? How does it help hitters? And how is it legal? Let’s dig in.
Read: An MIT-educated professor, the Yankees and the bat that could be changing baseball
What is a torpedo bat and why is it different from a traditional MLB bat?
The idea of the torpedo bat is to take a size format — say, 34 inches and 32 ounces — and distribute the wood in a different geometric shape than the traditional form to ensure the fattest part of the bat is located where the player makes the most contact. Standard bats taper toward an end cap that is as thick diametrically as the sweet spot of the barrel. The torpedo bat moves some of the mass on the end of the bat about 6 to 7 inches lower, giving it a bowling-pin shape, with a much thinner end.
How does it help hitters?
The benefits for those who like swinging with it — and not everyone who has swung it likes it — are two-fold. Both are rooted in logic and physics. The first is that distributing more mass to the area of most frequent contact aligns with players’ swing patterns and provides greater impact when bat strikes ball. Players are perpetually seeking ways to barrel more balls, and while swings that connect on the end of the bat and toward the handle probably will have worse performance than with a traditional bat, that’s a tradeoff they’re willing to make for the additional slug. And as hitters know, slug is what pays.
The second benefit, in theory, is increased bat speed. Imagine a sledgehammer and a broomstick that both weigh 32 ounces. The sledgehammer’s weight is almost all at the end, whereas the broomstick’s is distributed evenly. Which is easier to swing fast? The broomstick, of course, because shape of the sledgehammer takes more strength and effort to move. By shedding some of the weight off the end of the torpedo bat and moving it toward the middle, hitters have found it swings very similarly to a traditional model but with slightly faster bat velocity.
Why did it become such a big story so early in the 2025 MLB season?
Because the New York Yankees hit nine home runs in a game Saturday and Michael Kay, their play-by-play announcer, pointed out that some of them came from hitters using a new bat shape. The fascination was immediate. While baseball, as an industry, has implemented forward-thinking rules in recent seasons, the modification to something so fundamental and known as the shape of a bat registered as bizarre. The initial response from many who saw it: How is this legal?
OK. How is this legal?
Major League Baseball’s bat regulations are relatively permissive. Currently, the rules allow for a maximum barrel diameter of 2.61 inches, a maximum length of 42 inches and a smooth and round shape. The lack of restrictions allows MLB’s authorized bat manufacturers to toy with bat geometry and for the results to still fall within the regulations.
Who came up with the idea of using them?
The notion of a bowling-pin-style bat has kicked around baseball for years. Some bat manufacturers made smaller versions as training tools. But the version that’s now infiltrating baseball goes back two years when a then-Yankees coach named Aaron Leanhardt started asking hitters how they should counteract the giant leaps in recent years made by pitchers.
When Yankees players responded that bigger barrels would help, Leanhardt — an MIT-educated former Michigan physics professor who left academia to work in the sports industry — recognized that as long as bats stayed within MLB parameters, he could change their geometry to make them a reality. Leanhardt, who left the Yankees to serve as major league field coordinator for the Miami Marlins over the winter, worked with bat manufacturers throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons to make that a reality.
When did it first appear in MLB games?
It’s unclear specifically when. But Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton used a torpedo bat last year and went on a home run-hitting rampage in October that helped send the Yankees to the World Series. New York Mets star Francisco Lindor also used a torpedo-style bat last year and went on to finish second in National League MVP voting.
Who are some of the other notable early users of torpedo bats?
In addition to Stanton and Lindor, Yankees hitters Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt have used torpedoes to great success. Others who have used them in games include Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers and Toronto’s Davis Schneider. And that’s just the beginning. Hundreds more players are expected to test out torpedoes — and perhaps use them in games — in the coming weeks.
How is this different from a corked bat?
Corking bats involves drilling a hole at the end of the bat, filling it in and capping it. The use of altered bats allows players to swing faster because the material with which they replace the wood — whether it’s cork, superballs or another material — is lighter. Any sort of bat adulteration is illegal and, if found, results in suspension.
Could a rule be changed to ban them?
Could it happen? Sure. Leagues and governing bodies have put restrictions on equipment they believe fundamentally altered fairness. Stick curvature is limited in hockey. Full-body swimsuits made of polyurethane and neoprene are banned by World Aquatics. But officials at MLB have acknowledged that the game’s pendulum has swung significantly toward pitching in recent years, and if an offensive revolution comes about because of torpedo bats — and that is far from a guarantee — it could bring about more balance to the game. If that pendulum swings too far, MLB could alter its bat regulations, something it has done multiple times already this century.
So the torpedo bat is here to stay?
Absolutely. Bat manufacturers are cranking them out and shipping them to interested players with great urgency. Just how widely the torpedo bat is adopted is the question that will play out over the rest of the season. But it has piqued the curiosity of nearly every hitter in the big leagues, and just as pitchers toy with new pitches to see if they can marginally improve themselves, hitters will do the same with bats.
Comfort is paramount with a bat, so hitters will test them during batting practice and in cage sessions before unleashing them during the game. As time goes on, players will find specific shapes that are most comfortable to them and best suit their swing during bat-fitting sessions — similar to how golfers seek custom clubs. But make no mistake: This is an almost-overnight alteration of the game, and “traditional or torpedo” is a question every big leaguer going forward will ask himself.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The once and possibly future home of the Tampa Bay Rays will get a new roof to replace the one shredded by Hurricane Milton with the goal of having the ballpark ready for the 2026 season, city officials decided in a vote Thursday.
The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7-1 to approve $22.5 million to begin the repairs at Tropicana Field, which will start with a membrane roof that must be in place before other work can continue. Although the Rays pulled out of a planned $1.3 billion new stadium deal, the city is still contractually obligated to fix the Trop.
“We are legally bound by an agreement. The agreement requires us to fix the stadium,” said council member Lissett Hanewicz, who is an attorney. “We need to go forward with the roof repair so we can do the other repairs.”
The hurricane damage forced the Rays to play home games this season at Steinbrenner Field across the bay in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays went 4-2 on their first homestand ever at an open-air ballpark, which seats around 11,000 fans.
Under the current agreement with the city, the Rays owe three more seasons at the Trop once it’s ready again for baseball, through 2028. It’s unclear if the Rays will maintain a long-term commitment to the city or look to Tampa or someplace else for a new stadium. Major League Baseball has said keeping the team in the Tampa Bay region is a priority. The Rays have played at the Trop since their inception in 1998.
The team said it would have a statement on the vote later Thursday.
The overall cost of Tropicana Field repairs is estimated at $56 million, said city architect Raul Quintana. After the roof, the work includes fixing the playing surface, ensuring audio and visual electronics are working, installing flooring and drywall, getting concession stands running and other issues.
“This is a very complex project. We feel like we’re in a good place,” Quintana said at the council meeting Thursday.
Under the proposed timeline, the roof installation will take about 10 months. The unique membrane system is fabricated in Germany and assembled in China, Quintana said, adding that officials are examining how President Donald Trump’s new tariffs might affect the cost.
The new roof, he added, will be able to withstand hurricane winds as high as 165 mph. Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes ever in the Atlantic basin at one point, blasted ashore Oct. 9 south of Tampa Bay with Category 3 winds of about 125 mph.
Citing mounting costs, the Rays last month pulled out of a deal with the city and Pinellas County for a new $1.3 billion ballpark to be built near the Trop site. That was part of a broader $6.5 billion project known as the Historic Gas Plant district to bring housing, retail and restaurants, arts and a Black history museum to a once-thriving Black neighborhood razed for the original stadium.
The city council plans to vote on additional Trop repair costs over the next few months.
“This is our contractual obligation. I don’t like it more than anybody else. I’d much rather be spending that money on hurricane recovery and helping residents in the most affected neighborhoods,” council member Brandi Gabbard said. “These are the cards that we’re dealt.”
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Adam Rittenberg
Tulane quarterback TJ Finley has been suspended following his arrest Wednesday in New Orleans on a charge of illegal possession of stolen things worth more than $25,000.
Finley, 23, whose name is Tyler Jamal, was booked and released. Tulane said in a statement that the length of the suspension will depend on the outcome of his case. The school cited privacy laws in declining to comment further.
University police responded Wednesday to an address where a truck was blocking a driveway. After looking up the license plate, police saw it registered to a vehicle stolen in Atlanta. Finley arrived to move the car and informed the officer that he had bought the truck recently. He’s scheduled to appear in court June 1.
Finley transferred to Tulane in December after spending the 2024 season with Western Kentucky. He had been competing for the team’s starting quarterback job in spring practice alongside fellow transfers Kadin Semonza and Donovan Leary.
Finley, a native of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, started his college career at LSU before transferring to Auburn for two seasons and then Texas State in 2023. He started five games for both LSU and Auburn but had his most success with Texas State, passing for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns.
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